It was strong in Cyrenaica and parts of Fezzan. The former King, Idris, exploited his position as Grand Sanusi to bolster his political position. For all practical purposes and after internal struggles within the Sanusi movement itself, the influence of the Order waned and is now practically extinct. In October 1969 the Revolutionary Command Council appointed a supervisor for the remaining Sanusi property, mainly educational centres, and merged the Sanusi-sponsored Islamic University with the University of Libya in November 1970. Islamic studies are now located in Beida, which has become a centre of Islamic teaching for the whole Islamic world.
Generous scholarships bring Muslim scholars from all parts of the world to be trained in Libya.
The best expression of the views on modern Islam was made in a number of speeches by Colonel Qadhafi collected in Thawrat al Shaab al Arabi Al Libi. The Colonel expresses clearly the centrality of Islam in the new revolutionary Libya. He describes Islam in contemporary revolutionary terms, maintaining that it is the only viable system which can help answer man's political, economic and social problems on this earth and at the same time provide him with happiness in the world to come. To Colonel Qadhafi, Islam is a living philosophy which would be adopted by all mankind if it were universally known. Religion in Libya is of the utmost importance if one wishes to understand what is taking place in that country today.