Muhammad al-Katani refused to fight Abdelaziz and his followers to avoid Muslim on Muslim violence. He also condemned Sultan Abdelhafid's detention and torture of supporters of the former sultan Abdelaziz in Meknes and the sequestration of their funds, and refused to act as an intermediary between the two sides. al-Katani repeatedly requested that Sultan Abdelhafid abide by the terms of the bay'ah, writing to him about this over and over, warning him of the risks of Morocco's descending into gorge of colonialism. He also released a fatwa ordaining a campaign of jihad against the colonialists, calling for an armed blockade of the French army at Tariq Za'ir.