Amadou Bamba (1853–1927), also known to followers as the Servant of the Messenger () and Serigne Touba or "Sheikh of Touba", was a Sufi saint and founder of the Mouride Brotherhood (the Muridiyya).

Early life and background

Amadou Bamba was born on the outskirts of 1270 A.H. (around 1853 A.D.) in the village of Mbacké (Mbàkke Bawol in Wolof) in Baol. He was born into a family with an ancient Islamic tradition that had nevertheless maintained close relations and alliances with royal dynasties such as the Guééj. His father Maam Mor Anta Saly Mbacke was a Marabout from the Qadiriyya, the oldest tariqa (Sufi order) in Senegal. He had been appointed Qadi of the kingdom both by Maba Diakhou Ba and the Damel Lat Jor. It is said that even at a young age, He pressured his father to give up his important position as Qadi to the Damel. Amadou Bamba disavowed this collaboration, which he considered suspicious in that it obliged his father to render power-inspired rulings potentially contrary to Islamic law.

He's teachings emphasized the virtues of pacifism, hard work and good manners through what is commonly known as Jihādu nafs which emphasizes a personal struggle over "negative instincts." and to test his faith. From this,he is said to also have been conferred the rank of "Servant of the Prophet."

He founded the city of Touba in 1887. In one of his numerous writings, Matlabul Fawzeyni (the quest for happiness in both worlds),he describes the purpose of the city, which was intended to reconcile the spiritual and the temporal.

Facing colonial rule and exile

As Bamba's influence spread, the French colonial government worried about his growing power and potential to wage war against them. He had stirred "anti-colonial disobedience" and even converted a number of traditional kings and their followers and no doubt could have raised a huge military force, as Muslim leaders like Umar Tall and Samory Touré had before him. During this time, the French army and French colonial government were weary of Muslim leaders inciting revolts as they finished taking over Senegal.

In the political sphere, Bamba led a pacifist struggle against French colonialism while trying to restore a purer practice of Islam insulated from French colonial influence. In a period when successful armed resistance was impossible, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba led a spiritual struggle against colonial culture and politics. Although he did not wage outright war on them as several prominent Tijaan marabouts had done, he taught what he called the jihād al-'akbar or "greater struggle," which fought not through weapons but through learning and fear of God.

As Bamba gathered followers, he taught that salvation comes through complete submission to God and hard work. The Mouride order has built, following this teaching, a large economic organisation, involved in many aspects of the Senegalese economy. Groundnut cultivation, the primary cash crop of the colonial period, was an early example of this. Young followers were recruited to settle marginal lands in eastern Senegal, found communities and create groundnut plantations. With the organisation and supplies provided by the Brotherhood, a portion of the proceeds were returned to Touba, while the workers, after a period of years, earned ownership over the plantations and towns.

Fearing his influence, the French sentenced him to exile in Gabon (1895–1902) and later in Mauritania (1903–1907). However, these exiles inspired stories and folk tales of Bamba's miraculous survival of torture, deprivation, and attempted executions, and thousands more flocked to his organization.

By 1910, the French realized that Bamba was not interested in waging violent war against them, and was in fact quite cooperative, eventually releasing him to return to his expanded community. In 1918, they rewarded him with the French Legion of Honor for enlisting his followers in the First World War: he refused it. They allowed him to establish his community in Touba, believing in part that his doctrine of hard work could be made to work with French economic interests.

His movement continued to grow, and in 1926 he began work for the great mosque at Touba.

Death

After his death in 1927, he was buried in Touba at a site he had chosen, adjacent to the future location of The Grand Mosque. He was succeeded by his descendants as hereditary leaders of the brotherhood with absolute authority over the followers. Currently, Serigne Mountakha Mbacké is the Khalifa-General, Ahmadou Bamba's oldest living grandson who holds the brotherhood's highest office. One such city is New York, where Muslims of West African descent have organized an "annual Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Day parade" for over twenty years. Celebrations like these create platforms to "redefine the boundaries of their African identities, cope with the stigma of blackness, and counteract an anti-Muslim backlash".

thumb|Bamba (1918)

Bamba has several surviving photographs, in which he wears a flowing white robe and his face is mostly covered by a scarf. These pictures are venerated and reproduced in paintings on walls, buses, taxis, etc. all over Senegal. The first surviving photo was originally taken in 1913 by "French colonial authorities".

Modern Mourides contribute earnings to the brotherhood, which provides social services, loans, and business opportunities in return.

Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour has claimed to be a follower of Mouridism. His 2004 Grammy-winning album Egypt features multiple songs that praise Bamba.

Writings

Bamba was considered a prolific writer and poet. He is the author of various manuscripts, most of which are currently held at the library of the Great Mosque of Touba. Below is a selection of Bamba's writings:

  • Jawharu-n-nafis (The Precious Jewel)
  • Mawâhibul quddûs (the Gifts of the Holy Lord)
  • Jadhbatu-ç-çighâr (the Attraction of the Youth)
  • Mulayyinu-ç-çudûr (The Softening of the Hearts)
  • Jaawartu Lâh (Allah's Neighborhood)
  • Khâtimatu Munajât (The Ultimate Dialogue)
  • Masâalik Al Jinân (The Itineraries to Paradise)
  • Huqal Buka-u (Is it necessary to cry for the dead Sufi masters?)
  • Munawwiru-ç-Cudûr (The Illumination of the Hearts)
  • Maghâliqu-n-Nîrân wa Mafâtihul Jinân (The Locks of Hell and The Keys to Paradise)
  • Tazawwudu-sh-Shubbân (Provisions of the Youth)

Poems honoring the Prophet Muhammad:

  • Muqadimmatul Amdah (The Beginning of the Praises)
  • Mawaahibu Naafi’u (The Gifts granted by the Beneficent Lord)
  • Jasbul Quloob Ilâ Allâmil Ghuyûb (The Attraction of the Hearts Towards the Lord who Knows all the Hidden)

Family and genealogy

The following list of ancestors, descendants, and companions of Sheikh Bamba has been adapted from Mbacke (2016).

Ancestors:

  • Serigne Cheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Gainde Fatma (grandson, and also the first caliph's eldest son). Gaindé Fatma founded French-language and Arabic-language schools, provided scholarships, and was an important community figure who focused on advancing education in Senegal.
  • Sheikh Bachir Mouhamadoul (son) was Amadou Bamba's biographer.
  • Sheikh Mouhamadou Lamine Bara Mbacke (1891-1936). Third son.
  • Serigne Sidi Moukhtar Mbacké (grandson). Seventh caliph of the Mouride Brotherhood. Son of Sheikh Mouhamadou Lamine Bara Mbacke.
  • Sheikh Mouhamadoul Bachir (1895–1966). Fourth son.
  • Serigne Moustapha Mbacke Bassirou (grandson). Eldest son of Sheikh Mouhamadoul Bachir. He modernized Porokhane village, founded the Maam Diaara foundation, and set up a girls' boarding school in Porokhane that can accommodate 400 students.
  • Serigne Mouhamadou Fallilou Mbacké (son). Second caliph of the Mouride Brotherhood.
  • Serigne Abdou Ahad Mbacké (son). Third caliph of the Mouride Brotherhood.
  • Serigne Abdou Khadr Mbacké (son). Fourth caliph of the Mouride Brotherhood.
  • Serigne Saliou Mbacké (son). Fifth caliph of the Mouride Brotherhood, and the last surviving son of Bamba.
  • Serigne Mouhamadou Lamine Bara Mbacké. Sixth caliph of the Mouride Brotherhood, and the nephew of the fifth caliph Serigne Saliou Mbacké.

Siblings: