Part 4: Case Studies · -has been argued that Murid sufi order offers ‘answer’ to ... - ancestors belonged to Qadiriyya (southern Mauritania), initiated into brotherhood through

Part 4: Case Studies: d

Nov. 19-22: “Amadu Bamba, the Muridiyya and French Colonialism

Nov. 19 ‘Amadu Bamba and the Birth of Muridism’

Senegal in time of Amadu Bamba

Story of Amadu Bamba and Murid Brotherhood (late 19th -20thcenturies) familiar in many ways – yet ultimately different:

- Amadu Bamba emerged in situation similar to dan Fodio, Mohamed Ahmed (al-Mahdi)- ‘Murids’ (learners, disciples) faced many issues similar to Sudanese Mahdists: first conquest by European power (in this case French), then incorporation in colonial state- unlike Fulani and Mahdist jihads – no physical resistance- like Mahdi’s son, worked on policy of ‘accommodation’ – without millenarianism - opposite: created order to live, grow, thrive in westernized modern world- unlike Mahdists: was successful-has been argued that Murid sufi order offers ‘answer’ to contemporary contradictions ‘Islam vs democracy/secularism’


(Robinson)- situates Senegal physically/historically- bounded to north by Senegal river: ‘gateway’ to region once controlled by Almoravids and bordering Sahara desert- in fact, Islam present in region since probably 9th century: fabled conversion King of Takrur, attracted to ‘power’ of religion to bring rain after prolonged drought- dominant in region since 16th c

- main groups Fulani (‘relatives’ of those in Nigeria) and WolofIn spite of widespread acceptance Islam: no single Muslim state

comparable to Sokoto ever succeeded – many small scale movements, 17th - 19th century- likens most to Gobir, target of dan Fodio’s initial jihad: Muslim leader, clerics but many questionable Islamic practices


Touba: Murid Capital


Immediate context: French area commercial interest Saint Louis and hinterland:

- kingdom Kajoor: Muslim ruler (Dammel) studied seriously with local Shaykh- attempted to impose stricter laws: surrounded by learned clerics(one of whom was Amadu Bamba’s Father)- challenged by royal soldiers: exercising power to exploit peasants, benefit from slave trade- kingdom largely dependent on slavery and Atlantic slave trade- late 19th French pressure: end slave trade, shift economic basis of kingdom to cash crops – peanuts- French requested permission to build railway to interior - where Mahdists had resisted British doing same in Egypt-Sudan, Dammel agreed


Railroad passed through kingdom 1885:- cut across peanut growing basin, opened up kingdom to French merchants, soldiers- effectively removed ability of Dammel to ‘control’ interior of kingdom, threatened control of economy as well

Dammel belatedly resisted: efforts cost him his life in 1886

Robinson dates beginning of colonial rule to his death and that date.


Also the date of the foundational myth establishing ‘birth’ of Muridtariqa:- (as Robinson recounts), popularly accepted story has Ahmed Bamba meeting Dammel of Kajoor on the ‘eve of his death’- symbolism important: read as Dammel transferring ‘power’ to Amadu Bamba – the former being ‘secular, military’, the latter ‘religious, pacifist

Robinson points out evidence proves meeting never took place – what remains important is belief in ‘message’

Senegal in time of Ahadu Bamba

Amadu Bamba:- from clerical ‘marabout’ family: French word for cleric, derived from ‘Al-moravids’ (became accepted terminology throughout French West Africa)- ancestors belonged to Qadiriyya (southern Mauritania), initiated into brotherhood through family- studied with different Qadiri Shaykhs- also with same Marabout as Dammel, and others including Tijanischolars- ultimately received ultimate initiation from Shaikh Sidiyya


Photo of Amadu Bambac. 1912 – only knownphoto


Nevertheless, not satisfied that ‘established’ brotherhoods adequately addressed challenges 1880s -1890s:

- ‘troubled times’ (Robinson): incursion of French in military and economic sense

- also in religious terms: educators seen as putting quest for prestige and wealth over duty ‘to dispense knowledge for the sake of God’[“Educating the Murid…”, Add’l Resources]

- rejected Tijani position of ‘resistance’

- believed pursuit of both ‘power’ and ‘piety’ not possible: made choice for latter, convinced Father to leave Dammel’s court


Amadu Bamba: successor to father

- moved outside realm of ‘court’- took following back to village of origin in Bawol- can be compared (in part) to hijra - except clear that no military ‘holy war’ was to follow- taught followers, developed his own spirituality, studied hadiths, wrote poetry, books


Amadu Bamba especially interested in issue of ‘relations between rulers and ruled’ :

- observed what he saw as corrupt court of Dammel and his father- studied earlier Muslim scholars: 12th c Ghazali speaks to issue

“although obedience is owed to the unjust prince, one must not condone his injustice … the devout Muslim should avoid the court and company of the unjust ruler, and should rebuke him, by words if he can safely do so, by silence if words might encourage rebellion”

Influence on Amadu Bamba evident: for example, among his writings

'Those who frequent them [the unjust rulers] because of their wealth, share in the corruption which is the source of their power.‘


Conception of Sufism shaped by desire to reconcile mysticism, shariaand involvement in society:

- distanced himself from extreme asceticism- advocated involvement Sufi Shaykh in life of community- system of education: to instill teachings of Islam and create Muslims who served their community- mother Mame Diarra Bousso: also seen as ‘inspirational figure’ in brotherhood - role not as well known as Nana Asma’u but continued reverence even today suggests was considerable

Overall: ‘Muridism’ seen as necessary response to ‘situation of crisis’


“Acquisition of knowledge without practice was a waste of time”:

- ‘science’ (in sufi sense) and action (‘life’ involvement) were twin foundations of virtuous life- elements underpinned long-term pedagogy - Amadu Bamba designed system that was lifelong education geared towards transformation of character and behaviour [of murids]-


From the other perspective, there were ‘duties of students’ to be respected in accordance with goals:

- to combat ignorance- to be useful to humanity- to enrich religious sciences- to act and live in accordance with the teachings of the sciences

Warning: ‘those seeking sciences for the sake of engaging in polemics or for prestige and honour will earn nothing but punishment from God.’


Challenge: followers of varying backgrounds

- some had ‘learning’: Islamic understanding, potential marabouts- but few initial followers were from learned families - most (like the Hausa peasantry in Sokoto), had little real knowledge of Islam: illiterate or semi-illiterate former slaves, crown soldiers, peasants, women and children

- literature talks of ‘displaced’ people: many migrant labourers, attracted by work in peanut basin- ready to learn, ‘obedient’

Amadu Bamba needed to engage all of them.


Pedagogy developed from 1884, after inheriting leadership of famil -- , emphasized work and religious practices rather than ideology:

- organized system around “knowledge schools,” “Qur’anic schools”and “working schools”- personalized instruction for disciples with special needs.

Bamba provided specialized, ‘customized training’ to disciples with different intellectual, physical abilities:- working schools ‘tarbiyya’ more populated than other schools in early days of Murīdiyya: majority of people who first came to Bambahad already passed schooling age

Movement became known for emphasis on ‘work’


Role of ‘ajami’, development of ‘Wolofal’:

- books, letters, poems written in Arabic- but Bamba used Wolof proverbs, popular sayings in discussion to simplify foreign Islamic concepts, make them understandable - then transcribed in ‘Wolofal’ for wider dissemination

Wolofal: arabic script,Wolof language- particularly important in Tarbiyya Schools - senior disciples consciously developed Wolofal

Realized that genuine conversion of Wolof masses could be achieved only through writing that could be sung or read out loud to illiterate village audiences.

[As seen earlier in Sokoto Caliphate]


Wolofal continued to evolve, becoming medium of written communication in all Murīd communities:

- served a number of purposes: -dissemination Amadu Bamba’s teachings- writing of praise, satirical, and polemical poetry, eulogies- also record keeping, communication other secular information.

In creating Tarbiyya Schools, encouraging use of Wolofal as educational tool, Amadu Bamba understood pedagogical and cultural benefits of using Wolof to reach common people.

His classical Arabic poems and the Wolofal literature constituted bedrock of educational materials used by Murīd to educate, transmit Murīd ethos to future generations.

Example ofWolofal Text

[see next slide For translation –only one page shown]


(English translation of larger document in ‘wolofal’):

“The Leader [Amadu Bamba] used to look for quiet places, far from big towns, and build schools there. If you came to submit to him, if you were a learned person, he would send you to the knowledge schools, where you would teach. If you possessed quranicknowledge, he would send you to quranic schools where you would learn and teach.

If you were at a schooling age, he would send you to knowledge schools or Quranic schools where you would study at your level. …


Amadu Bamba said: “I instruct all disciples”:

(1) to cultivate knowledge, courtesy, and discipline. I order every disciple who relies on me …

(2) to keep studying al-Qur’ān, the best of the books.

If your brain could not hold these two things, he would send you to the working school where you would be educated and taught all types of work. If you were beyond the working ageor could not do it, he would find something useful that brought divine reward and ask you to do it.


But no one ever stayed with Boroom Tuubaa without doing anything.

He said in Masāliku’l Jinān that ‘what those who passed away want the most is to have the opportunity to come back to this world for any short duration so that they may perform some additional workthat would benefit them when they return’.”


“Education occupies a central place in Amadu Bamba's thought and practices. The importance that Amadu Bamba ascribed to education reflected his belief in the crucial role of Islamic knowledge for the achievement of social change and the preservation of positive social values.

The system of education that he developed was a response to both the contemporary socio-political situation in the increasingly dysfunctional Wolof states that he judged detestable, and the deterioration of the classical system of education that was no longer fulfilling its societal function. …


…[Murid ethos] allowed the cohesion and continuity of the brotherhood. This ethos that is shaped by values such as solidarity, self reliance, rootedness in the local Islamic culture, submission to the shaikh and distrust of temporal power-holders contributed to the development of a counterculture. That is a set of values, practices, a cultural code and a worldview that provide structure and meaning to the disciples' lives.

This counter-culture appeared as a viable alternative to traditional court culture and French cultural imperialism and provided a basis of passive resistance to colonial rule.”

[from ‘Educating the Murid’, Cheikh Anta Babou, Add’l Resources]

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Part 4: Case Studies · -has been argued that Murid sufi order offers ‘answer’ to ... - ancestors belonged to Qadiriyya (southern Mauritania), initiated into brotherhood through