Serigne Mouhamadou Lamine Bara Mbacké

El Hadji Serigne Mouhamadou Lamine Bara Mbacké, or Sheikh

Sheikh

Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...

Bara Mbacké (c. 1925 – 30 June 2010) was the Grand Marabout of the Mouride

Mouride

The Mouride brotherhood is a large Islamic Sufi order most prominent in Senegal and The Gambia, with headquarters in the holy city of Touba, Senegal...

movement in Senegal

Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...

. The movement is prominent outside Senegal as well, in places such as New York, Paris and Rome.

Bara Mbacké became Grand Marabout of the Mouride movement after the death of his uncle, Serigne Saliou Mbacke

Serigne Saliou Mbacke

Serigne Saliou Mbacké was a Grand Marabout of the Mouride movement in Senegal.Sheikh Salih Mbacké was the fifth caliph of Mouridism and the last surviving son of Cheikh Amadou Bamba, the founder of the Mouride movement...

, on 28 December 2007. He died of natural causes at the age of 85. His death was mourned by millions of people, and Senegal declared an eight day period of national mourning.

Biography

Sheikh Bara Mbacké was the grandson of the founder of the Mouride. He was the sixth caliph

Caliph

The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...

of Mouridism and the first not be a son of Sheikh Amadou Bamba

Amadou Bamba

Ahmadou Bamba, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacké , was a Muslim Sufi religious leader in Senegal and the founder of the large Mouride Brotherhood Ahmadou Bamba, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacké (1853-1927) (Aamadu Bamba Mbàkke in Wolof, Shaykh Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥabīb Allāh also known as Khadīmu...

, the founder of the Mouride movement.

Bara Mbacké succeeded Serigne Saliou Mbacke as Shaykh who was credited for his transformation of the village of Touba

Touba, Senegal

Touba is a city in central Senegal. It is the holy city of Mouridism and the burial place of its founder, Shaikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke...

into Senegal's second largest city, and for the enormous growth in popular devotion and political power of the brotherhood both throughout West Africa and (through the diaspora) the world. It has been reported that Serigne Saliou Mbacke personally chose his successor, and that the grandsons of Amadou Bamba (including Serigne Saliou Mbacke's son, Serigne Cheikh Saliou Mbacké) have all pledged their loyalty to the new caliph, and that Bara Mbacké was visited by both President Abdoulaye Wade

Abdoulaye Wade

Abdoulaye Wade is the third and current President of Senegal, in office since 2000. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party and has led the party since it was founded in 1974...

and Senegalese opposition leaders within 48 hours of his uncle's passing.

Bara Mbacké was one of the sons of Mouhamadou Fallilou Mbacké, himself the second caliph and son of Sheikh Amadou Bamba. At 85 he was the oldest man to be appointed caliph of the Mouride. He was reported to have been trained by his father while caliph (1945–1968), and was said to speak a number of languages, including Arabic, French and English.

Death

Bara Mbacké had been ill for months before his death in Touba

Touba, Senegal

Touba is a city in central Senegal. It is the holy city of Mouridism and the burial place of its founder, Shaikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke...

on June 30, 2010. Just before his death he had been hospitalised at a clinic in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. Bara Mbacké's successor as Grand Marabout was his cousin, Cheikh Maty Leye Mbacke. President of Senegal Abdoulaye Wade

Abdoulaye Wade

took a helicopter ride from Dakar to Touba to swear allegiance to the new leader.

Senegalese Prime Minister

Prime Minister of Senegal

The Prime Minister of Senegal is the head of government of Senegal. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of Senegal, who is directly elected for a five year term. The Prime Minister, in turn, appoints the Senegalese cabinet, after consultation with the President.This is a list of the...

Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye

Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye is a Senegalese politician who was appointed as Prime Minister of Senegal on 30 April 2009. He was previously Minister of the Civil Service and Labour in 2005, Director of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic from 2005 to 2007, and Minister of State for the Maritime...

announced his death on state radio that morning. His said Bara Mbacké's death was a "very great loss for all the nation", and praised his "erudite wisdom". President Wade, a Mouride himself, joined the people of Senegal in mourning events. Other officials, including the prime minister, Senate president and several government ministers joined him. Senegal entered an eight day period of national mourning. Hundreds of thousands to even millions of people mourned his death. Traffic in Dakar was noticeably lighter as people went to Touba to mourn. Hymns and readings from the Koran, as well as and images of mourning crowds were aired on state television. He was buried at Touba's main mosque

Mosque

A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

Biography

Death

Further reading