RABAT, Morocco – Morocco’s King Mohamed VI presided over a religious ceremony on Monday at the Royal Palace in Rabat to commemorate Eid al-Maulud, celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, during which the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, asserted Moroccan sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla, making religious and historical references to occupied territories and the liberation from Iberian occupation. Toufiq delivered these words before King Mohamed VI, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, and other political, military, and religious authorities, according to the MAP news agency, during the ceremony held on the afternoon of August 24, which brought together much of the Alaouite institutional leadership.
Morocco renews claim to “historical and geographical rights” over Ceuta and Melilla
In his speech, Toufiq focused on two prominent Islamic scholars linked to Ceuta: Qadi Iyad and Al Azafi, both of Ceutan origin, explaining that both developed part of their work around the figure of the Prophet Muhammad and contributed to consolidating the spiritual and religious tradition that, according to the minister, forms part of Moroccan identity. Qadi Ayyad was born in Ceuta in the late 11th century and served as a judge of that city, considered one of the saints of Marrakech, while Al Azafi was born in Ceutan territory and was a member of the ruling family in the 12th century, before the territory passed to Spanish hands in 1580 following the union of the crowns of Spain and Portugal.
El ministro marroquí de Asuntos Religiosos reivindica la soberanía de Ceuta y Melilla ante el rey Mohamed VI y su heredero https://t.co/MCfTZRfVhV
— 20minutos.es (@20m) August 25, 2026
Toufiq also cited the work Dalail al-Jairat, a collection of religious texts and prayers directed to the Prophet Muhammad that gained wide dissemination in North Africa and other Arab regions, which he said was used to mobilise the population and stimulate spirits with the aim of recovering cities on the Atlantic coast that were under Iberian control. Through these historical and religious references, the minister presented Ceuta as part of a tradition linked to Moroccan territory, emphasising the role of scholars born in the city and arguing that their legacy demonstrates the historical, cultural, and spiritual connection of Ceuta with Morocco.
Morocco Says It Will Regain Ceuta and Melilla Through Patience and Dialogue
The intervention follows heightened rhetoric from Moroccan authorities in recent weeks regarding Ceuta and Melilla, with the minister introducing a territorial question with Spain within a religious ceremony before the country’s highest political and spiritual authority. On Friday, Morocco again claimed historical and geographical rights over the two autonomous cities and defended their return to the bosom of the homeland through Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi. Monday’s claim was delivered in the presence of the Alaouite monarch, who also serves as Amir al-Muminin, or Commander of the Faithful, as according to the genealogical tradition of the Alaouite dynasty, Mohamed VI is the 36th direct descendant of Muhammad, descended from the lineage of Fatima Azahara. By presiding over institutional and religious acts under this dual condition, the sovereign acts not only as the political leader of the nation but also as the guardian of the faith and supreme moderator of Islam in the country. The claims are likely to further strain relations between Spain and Morocco, which have been tense since the mass migration crisis in Ceuta in late July.
