He said that the functions of the Zawiya were suitable for the allied tribal men and not needed by the secure city dwellers.

Its spread in Barqa The Sanusiya succeeded in Barqa to such an extent that its Zawiyas spread throughout the Green Mountain and the oases. This allowed it to spread from Barqa to its surroundings, moving eastward until it had many Zawiyas in the nearby Egyptian desert, and southward until it reached Lake Chad, and westward to Tripoli and Fezzan. The people of Barqa played a significant role in this spread.

To understand this role and reveal the reasons for success in Barqa, we must take into account the nature of the tribal society in Barqa and its most prominent characteristics.

When Ibn al-Sunumi arrived in Barqa, several Arab tribes lived there, the most famous being the Awlad 'Ali and the Zuwayya. These tribes formed a tribal society with no ruling authority, as Ottoman rule in Barqa did not extend beyond the coastal cities and a small part of the Green Mountain. Instead, this society was governed by Bedouin customs, traditions, and norms, and then by force if agreement was not reached on a dispute. The nature of the people of Barqa, like that of the Bedouins in general, was characterized by roughness that suited the harsh environment. As for their souls, they had purity and simplicity, and noble qualities that commanded admiration. Their lives were simple; they lived in tents. Pritchard, who lived among them for a period, mentioned that their noble qualities impressed everyone who lived among them.