During the French occupation, numerous social ills, innovations, and superstitions spread throughout traditional Soufi society under colonial rule and amid the ignorance and illiteracy prevalent among the general population. Colonialism did not limit itself to this policy; it also fostered many social and moral afflictions among the members of a society known for its conservatism and religiosity. Vice and corrupt practices became widespread, including the consumption of alcohol, unlawful gain, usury, monopolisation, fraud, and bribery. This created an urgent need for positive change and the reform of corrupt conditions, in accordance with the tolerant Islamic law that enjoins what is right and forbids what is wrong. Scholars and reformers were required to make considerable efforts to cleanse society of these impurities and restore it to the true essence of Islam. These circumstances also contributed to the fragmentation of society into conflicting tribes, clans, and competing factions. This was undoubtedly what colonialism sought through its policy of ‘divide and rule’: to divert the inhabitants’ attention towards secondary and marginal matters, thereby allowing it to impose its control over every sphere of life, without encountering anyone who might disturb its tranquillity or obstruct its projects. Graduates of various scholarly centres within the country and abroad therefore played a prominent role in stimulating the awareness-raising movement in Souf. They served as imams and preachers, teaching the Book of God in Qur’anic schools and instructing people in matters of religion and worldly life. They thus became living examples of how awareness could be disseminated among the general population. Who were the most prominent of these men? Where were they educated? What were the principal cultural transformations to which they contributed?