Ineslemen

(singular Aneslem)

   These are marabouts from the religious class that became established among various Tuareg groups after the advent of Sunni Islam. Their political position varies among Tuareg groups. In Aïr, they have the same position as the vassals, while among other groups they have the same status as noble Tuareg. Ineslemen officiate certain ceremonies, such as marriages and naming ceremonies. They also act as mediators, arbiters, and advisers in civil and tribal disputes and the interpretation of Islamic practices and scripture-the Hadith and the Qur'an. Outside the Tuareg areas, they are also known as Igurramn (singular Agurram) or saints who have founded religious orders (zawiyas) and fathered the lineages associated with them. Igurramn are somewhat like hereditary saints. They are endowed with special status as they are recipients of the divine blessing (baraka) to mediate among people and between people and God.