JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia: A new tone of increased religious tolerance in Saudi Arabia has spurred a reappearance of Sufism and brought the once-underground banned Sufis and their rituals out in the open.

Sufism had previously been predominant in Hejaz, the western region of Saudi Arabia, which includes holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his pure progeny)'s birthplace, Makkah; Medina, where he is buried; and the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. Muslims prayed often at shrines where the prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny)'s dearest daughter Sayyedah Fatima Az-Zahraa (peace be upon her), his wife Sayyedah Khadijah Al-Kobra (peace be upon her) and his companions were buried. Mawlids (celebrations of the birth anniversary of the Prophet) were public affairs with entire cities decked out in lights, and parades and festivities commemorating the prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny)'s birthday and his ascension.

When the Al-Saud family that would later come to rule Saudi Arabia took over Hejaz in the 1920s, it banned mawlids and destroyed the historic shrines of Sayyedah Khadijah Al-Kobra (peace be upon her), Sayyedah Fatima Az-Zahraa (peace be upon her) and the prophet's companions.

Analysts and some Sufis partly credit reaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States for the atmosphere that has made the changes possible. When it was discovered that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi, the kingdom's strict doctrine -- which had banned all other sects and schools of thought -- came under intense scrutiny from inside and outside the country. The newfound tolerance Sufis have come to enjoy is perhaps one of the most concrete outcomes of that shift.

A hush came over the crowd as the young man sitting cross-legged on the floor picked up the microphone and sang, a cappella, a poem about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his pure progeny). His eyes shut tight, his head covered by an orange-and-white turban, he crooned with barely contained ardor of how the world rejoiced and lights filled the skies the day the prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) was born.

The men attending the mawlid sat on colorful rugs, rocking gently back and forth, while the women, on the upper floor watching via a large projection screen, passed around boxes of tissues and wiped tears from their eyes.

The centuries-old mawlid, a mainstay of the more spiritual and often mystic Sufi Islam, was until recently banned by Saudi Arabia's official religious establishment.
Discrimination against Sufis, among others, intensified after armed Wahhabi extremists took over Makkah's Grand Mosque in 1979, demanding that a more puritanical form of Islam be applied in the country. Though the government quelled the uprising and executed its leaders, authorities were shaken by the incident, and lest other Wahhabis defy them, they allowed them more rein.

Soon after, extremist clerics issued a religious edict, or fatwa, declaring Sufi's spiritual leader, Muhammad Alawi Malki, a nonbeliever. He was removed from his teaching position, banned from giving lessons at the Grand Mosque, where both his father and grandfather had taught, and interrogated by the religious police and the Interior Ministry. After Malki was later attacked by a throng of radicals incensed at his presence in the mosque, he could pray there only under armed guard.

Meanwhile, thousands of cassettes and booklets circulated calling Sufis "grave-lovers" and dangerous infidels who had to be stopped before they made a comeback. Their salons were raided, and those caught with Sufi literature were often arrested or jailed.

The tide finally turned in 2003, with the new atmosphere that took hold following the Sept. 11 attacks, when the future King Abdullah, then the crown prince, held a series of meetings to acknowledge the country's diverse sects and schools of thought. One of the guests was Sufi leader Malki. When he died the following year, Abdullah and the powerful defense and interior ministers attended his funeral. The rehabilitation of his legacy was almost complete.

Sufis complain that despite outward appearances, the government continues to destroy shrines in and around their holy places, their salons continue to be raided and their literature is still banned.

Last month, on the occasion of the prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny)'s birthday, a crowd of more than 1,000 gathered to celebrate at a private residence. Sufi books, cassettes and DVDs were selling out in one corner of the large garden where the event was held. Adnan, the Sufi teacher, was one of four speakers who addressed the crowd. He asked: Why are we Sufis always on the defensive? "Nobody asks [soccer] fans for religious proof that sanctifies their gatherings at the stadium because of their devotion to their team," he said. "How come we are always asked for an explanation of our devotion to our beloved prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny)?"