Tijaniyyah
Encyclopedia
The Tijāniyyah is a sufi tariqa (order, path) originating in North Africa
but now more widespread in West Africa
, particularly in Senegal
, The Gambia
, Mauritania
, Mali
, Guinea
, and Northern Nigeria
and Sudan
. Its adherents are called Tijānī (spelled Tijaan or Tiijaan in Wolof
, Tidiane or Tidjane in French). Tijānī attach a large importance to culture and education, and emphasize the individual adhesion of the disciple
(murīd
). To become a member of the order, one must receive the Tijānī wird, or a sequence of holy phrases to be repeated twice daily, from a muqaddam, or representative of the order.
(1737–1815), who was born in Algeria
and died in Fes
, Morocco
, founded the Tijānī order around 1781 (see Triaud, 2000). Tijānī Islam, an "Islam for the poor," reacted against the conservative, hierarchical Qadiriyyah brotherhood then dominant, focusing on social reform and grass-roots Islam
ic revival.
During the first period, some of Shaykh Tijani's appointed khalifas established new Tijani centres abroad and developed ramifications of their own:
Muḥammad al-Ḥāfiẓ's disciple Mawlūd Vāl initiated the 19th-century Fulbe leader Al-Ḥājj Umar Tall
(Allaaji Omar Taal) and the Fulbe cleric `Abd al-Karīm an-Nāqil from Futa Jalon (modern Guinea
) into the order. After receiving instruction from Muḥammad al-Ghālī from 1828 to 1830 in Makka, Umar Tall was appointed Khalīfa
(successor or head representative) of Aḥmed at-Tijānī for all of the Western Sudan (Western sub-Saharan Africa). Umar Tall then led a holy war against what he saw as corrupt regimes in the area, resulting in a large but fleeting empire in Eastern Senegal and Mali
. While Umar Tall's political empire soon gave way to French colonialism
, the more long-standing result was to spread Islam and the Tijānī Order through much of what is now Senegal
, Guinea
, and Mali
(see Robinson, 1985).
In Senegal's Wolof
country, especially the northern regions of Kajoor and Jolof
, the Tijānī Order was spread primarily by El-Hajj Malick Sy
(spelled "El-Hadji Malick Sy" in French, "Allaaji Maalig Si" in Wolof), born in 1855 near Dagana
. In 1902, he founded a zāwiya (religious center) in Tivaouane
(Tiwaawan), which became a center for Islamic education and culture under his leadership. Upon Malick Sy's death in 1922, his son Ababacar Sy (Abaabakar Sy) became the first Khalīfa (Xaliifa). Serigne Mansour Sy became the present Khalīf in 1997, upon the death of Abdoul Aziz Sy. The Gàmmu (Mawlid in Arabic, the celebration of the birth of Muḥammad
) of Tivaouane gathers many followers each year.
The "house" or branch of Tivaouane is not the only branch of the Tijānī order in Senegal
. The Tijānī order was spread to the south by another jihadist, Màbba Jaxu Ba, a contemporary of Umar Tall who founded a similar Islamic state in Senegal's Saalum area. After Màbba's death, his state crumbled but the Tijāniyya remained the predominant Sufi order in the region, and Abdoulaye Niass (1840–1922) became the most important representative of the order in the Saalum, having immigrated southward from the Jolof and, after exile in Gambia
due to tensions with the French, returned to establish a zāwiya in the city of Kaolack
.
The branch founded by Abdoulaye Niass's son, Al-Hadj Ibrahima Niass
(Allaaji Ibrayima Ñas, often called "Baye" or "Baay", which is "father" in Wolof), in the Kaolack suburb of Medina Baye in 1930, has become by far the largest and most visible Tijānī branch around the world today. Ibrahima Niass's teaching that all disciples, and not only specialists, can attain a direct mystical knowledge of God through tarbiyyah rūhiyyah (mystical education) has struck a chord with millions worldwide. This branch, known as the Tijāniyyah Ibrāhīmiyyah or the Fayḍah ("Flood"), is most concentrated in Senegal
, Nigeria
, Niger
, and Mauritania
, and has a growing presence in the United States
and Europe
. Most Tijānī web sites and international organizations are part of this movement. Niass's grandson and current Imam
of Medina Baye, Shaykh Hassan Cisse
, has thousands of American disciples and has founded a large educational and developmental organization, the African American Islamic Institute, in Medina Baye with branches in other parts of the world.
Another Senegalese "house," in Medina-Gounass, Senegal (to the east of the Niokolo Koba park) was created by Mamadou Saidou Ba.
Still another in Thienaba, near Thies
, was founded by the disciple of a famous marabout
of Fouta
, Amadou Sekhou.
The Hamawiyyah branch, founded by Shaykh Hamallah, is centered in Nioro, Mali
, and is also present in Senegal
, Côte d'Ivoire
, Burkina Faso
, and Niger
. One of its most prominent members is the novelist and historian Amadou Hampâté Bâ
, who preserved and advocated the teachings of Thierno Bokar (Cerno Bokar), the "Sage of Banjagara". (See Brenner, 2000.)
Also another scholar and sufi of the tariqa tijani was Cherno Alieu Dem of Njai Kunda (Koalack) Senegal. He was well known for his work when he performs 'wirrda' 1000 Salatul Fatiha for each grain of maize. Cherno Alieu Dem's work was later reveal in the next generation by his grandson Shieck Ahmad Tijan Dem of 'casaville' Kaolack Senegal. The Tariqa Tijani was giving to Cherno Omar Jallow by Alhajie Umar Futi Tall directly. It was Cherno Omar Jallow that spread the Tariqa in the Senegambian region. He passed it on to many scholars of the region like Mam Mass Kah who's grand son Imam Cherno Kah is the current Imam of Banjul
. Cherno Omar Jallow's work was also revealed by his grandson Cherno Baba Jallow of Kerr Cherno in Nuimi The Gambia
.
, who conquer a region by offensive war, invoking Jihad bin saif in the sense of holy war to establish an Islamic rule in accordance with Qur'anic injunctions) most often refers to Fulbe jihad states in and around Nigeria, the order also gave rise to a few elsewhere in Western Africa, notably in present Mali.
(including the five pillars of Islam), to honor and respect one's parents, and not to follow another Sufi order in addition to the Tijāniyya. Initiates are to pronounce the Tijānī wird (a process that usually takes ten to fifteen minutes) every morning and afternoon. The wird is a formula that includes repetitions of "Lā 'ilāha 'ilā Llāh" ("There is no God but Allah"), "Astaghfiru Llāh" ("I ask God for forgiveness"), and a prayer for Muḥammad called the Ṣalātu l-Fātiḥ (Prayer of the Opener). They are also to participate in the Waẓīfah, a similar formula that is chanted as a group, often at a mosque
, after the sundown prayer (maghrib
), as well as in the Ḥaḍarat al-Jumʿah, another formula chanted among other disciples on Friday afternoon.
Additionally, disciples in many areas organize regular meetings, often on Thursday evenings or before or after Waẓīfa and Ḥaḍarat al-Jumʿah, to engage in dhikr
Allāh, or remembrance of God
. This consists in repeating the phrase "Lā 'ilāha 'ilā Llāh" or simply "Allāh" as a group. In such meetings, poems praising God, Muḥammad
, Aḥmed at-Tijānī, or another religious leader may be interspersed with the dhikr. Such meetings may involve simple repetition as a group or call-response, in which one or more leaders lead the chant and others repeat or otherwise respond.
Occasionally, a group of disciples (known in Senegal as a daayira, from Arabic dā'irah, or "circle") may organize a religious conference, where they will invite one or more well known speakers or chanters to speak on a given theme, such as the life of Muḥammad or another religious leader, a particular religious obligation such as fasting
during Ramadan
, or the nature of God.
The most important communal event of the year for most Tijānī groups is the Mawlid an-nabawī
(known in Wolof as the Gàmmu, spelled Gamou in French), or the celebration of the birth of Muḥammad, which falls on the night of the 12th of the Islamic month of Rabīʿ al-'Awwal (which means the night before the 12th, as Islamic dates start at sundown and not at midnight). Most major Tijānī religious centers organize a large Mawlid event once a year, and hundreds of thousands of disciples attend the largest ones (in Tivaouane, Kaolack, Kano, etc.) Throughout the year, local communities organize smaller Mawlid celebrations. These meetings usually go from about midnight until shortly after dawn and include hours of dhikr and poetry chanting and speeches about the life of Muḥammad.
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
but now more widespread in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, particularly 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 Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
, Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, and Northern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. Its adherents are called Tijānī (spelled Tijaan or Tiijaan in Wolof
Wolof language
Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and is the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
, Tidiane or Tidjane in French). Tijānī attach a large importance to culture and education, and emphasize the individual adhesion of the disciple
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
(murīd
Murid
Murid is a Sufi term meaning 'committed one' from the root meaning "willpower" or "self-esteem". It refers to a person who is committed to a Murshid in a Tariqa of Sufism. Also known as a Salik , a murid is an initiate into the mystic philosophy of Sufism. When the Talib makes a pledge to a...
). To become a member of the order, one must receive the Tijānī wird, or a sequence of holy phrases to be repeated twice daily, from a muqaddam, or representative of the order.
Foundation of the order
Sīdī 'Aḥmad al-TijānīSidi Ahmed al-Tidjani
Mawlana Ahmed ibn Mohammed Tijani al-Hassani al-Maghribi , in Arabic سيدي أحمد التجاني is the founder of the Tijaniyya Sūfī order...
(1737–1815), who was born in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and died in Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, founded the Tijānī order around 1781 (see Triaud, 2000). Tijānī Islam, an "Islam for the poor," reacted against the conservative, hierarchical Qadiriyyah brotherhood then dominant, focusing on social reform and grass-roots Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic revival.
During the first period, some of Shaykh Tijani's appointed khalifas established new Tijani centres abroad and developed ramifications of their own:
- the centres of Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali Boutaleb (d. 1829) and Sidi Alfa Hachim al-Futi (d. 1934) in Medina MunawwaraMedinaMedina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
- the centres of Sidi al-Mufaddal Saqqat, Sidi Mohammed b. Abdelwahid Bannani al-Misri (d. after 1854), and Sidi Mohammed al-Hafidh al-Misri (d. 1983) in EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
- the centres of Shaykh al-Islam Sidi Ibrahim Riyahi Tunsi (d. 1851), Sidi Mohammed b. Slimane Manna’i Tunsi, Sidi Mohammed Ben Achour (d. before 1815) and Sidi Taher b. Abdesaadiq Laqmari (d. after 1851) in TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
- the centre of Sidi Uthman Filani Aklani (d. after 1815) in the Sudan; the centres of Sidi Mohammed Alawi Chinguiti (d. 1830), Sidi Mawlud Fall (d. 1852) and Sidi Mohammad al-Hafid b. al-Mokhtar Beddi in MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
- the centres of Sidi Mohammed b. al-Mishri Sibai (d. 1809) –author of al-Jami’a li-ma f-taraqa mina-l ‘ulumn (The Absolute in What Has Separated from the Sciences) and al-Qutb Sidi Abul Hassan Ali b. Aissa Tamacini (d. 1845) in AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
Expansion in West Africa
Although several other Sufi orders overshadow the Tijāniyyah in its birthplace of North Africa, the order has become the largest Sufi order in West Africa and continues to expand rapidly. It was brought to southern Mauritania around 1789 by Muḥammad al-Ḥāfiẓ of the 'Idaw `Ali tribe, which was known for its many Islamic scholars and leaders and was predominantly Qādirī at the time. Nearly the entire tribe became Tijānī during Muḥammad al-Ḥāfiẓ's lifetime, and the tribe's influence would facilitate the Tijāniyya's rapid expansion to sub-Saharan Africa.Muḥammad al-Ḥāfiẓ's disciple Mawlūd Vāl initiated the 19th-century Fulbe leader Al-Ḥājj Umar Tall
Umar Tall
El Hadj Umar ibn Sa'id Tall , , born in what is now actual Senegal was a West African political leader, Islamic scholar, and Toucouleur military commander who founded a brief empire encompassing much of what is now Guinea, Senegal, and Mali.-Name:Umar Tall's name is spelled variously: in...
(Allaaji Omar Taal) and the Fulbe cleric `Abd al-Karīm an-Nāqil from Futa Jalon (modern Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
) into the order. After receiving instruction from Muḥammad al-Ghālī from 1828 to 1830 in Makka, Umar Tall was appointed Khalīfa
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"...
(successor or head representative) of Aḥmed at-Tijānī for all of the Western Sudan (Western sub-Saharan Africa). Umar Tall then led a holy war against what he saw as corrupt regimes in the area, resulting in a large but fleeting empire in Eastern Senegal and Mali
Toucouleur Empire
The Toucouleur Empire was founded in the nineteenth century by El Hadj Umar Tall of the Toucouleur people, in part of present-day Mali....
. While Umar Tall's political empire soon gave way to French colonialism
French West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
, the more long-standing result was to spread Islam and the Tijānī Order through much of what is now 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...
, Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, and Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
(see Robinson, 1985).
In Senegal's Wolof
Wolof people
The Wolof are an ethnic group found in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania.In Senegal, the Wolof form an ethnic plurality with about 43.3% of the population are Wolofs...
country, especially the northern regions of Kajoor and Jolof
Jolof Empire
The Jolof Empire was a West African state that ruled parts of Senegal from 1360 to 1890.-Origins:Traditional accounts among the Wolof agree that the founder of the state and later empire was Ndiadiane Ndiaye who lived in the 13th century...
, the Tijānī Order was spread primarily by El-Hajj Malick Sy
Malick Sy
El-Hadji Malick Sy was a Senegalese religious leader and teacher in the Tijaniyya Sufi brotherhood.-Life:Born in Gaya to a Fulani family, El-Hadji Malick Sy traveled to Mauritania, then to Saint-Louis, Senegal in 1884 as a religious student...
(spelled "El-Hadji Malick Sy" in French, "Allaaji Maalig Si" in Wolof), born in 1855 near Dagana
Dagana, Senegal
Dagana is a town in the Saint-Louis Region of Senegal and the capital of the Dagana Department. It shares its name with the Dagana River.Ethnic groups in Dagana include Wolof, Fula , and Moor....
. In 1902, he founded a zāwiya (religious center) in Tivaouane
Tivaouane
-History:Tivaouane was part of the Wolof kingdom of Cayor, and was at one time its capital. It was first described to Europeans in the 15th century by Venitian explorer Luigi Cada-Mosto....
(Tiwaawan), which became a center for Islamic education and culture under his leadership. Upon Malick Sy's death in 1922, his son Ababacar Sy (Abaabakar Sy) became the first Khalīfa (Xaliifa). Serigne Mansour Sy became the present Khalīf in 1997, upon the death of Abdoul Aziz Sy. The Gàmmu (Mawlid in Arabic, the celebration of the birth of Muḥammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
) of Tivaouane gathers many followers each year.
The "house" or branch of Tivaouane is not the only branch of the Tijānī order 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 Tijānī order was spread to the south by another jihadist, Màbba Jaxu Ba, a contemporary of Umar Tall who founded a similar Islamic state in Senegal's Saalum area. After Màbba's death, his state crumbled but the Tijāniyya remained the predominant Sufi order in the region, and Abdoulaye Niass (1840–1922) became the most important representative of the order in the Saalum, having immigrated southward from the Jolof and, after exile in Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
due to tensions with the French, returned to establish a zāwiya in the city of Kaolack
Kaolack
Kaolack is a town of 172,305 people on the north bank of the Saloum River and the N1 road in Senegal. It is the capital of the Kaolack Region, which borders The Gambia to the south. Kaolack is an important regional market town and is Senegal's main peanut trading and processing center...
.
The branch founded by Abdoulaye Niass's son, Al-Hadj Ibrahima Niass
Ibrahim Niass
Ibrāhīm Niass —also written Ibrahima Niasse in French, Ibrayima Ñas in Wolof, Shaykh al-'Islām al-Ḥājj Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ḥājj ʿAbd Allāh at-Tijānī al-Kawlakhī in Arabic, شيخ الإسلام الحاج إبراهيم إبن الحاج عبد الله التجاني الكولخي in Arabic alphabet — was a major leader of the Tijānī Sufi order of...
(Allaaji Ibrayima Ñas, often called "Baye" or "Baay", which is "father" in Wolof), in the Kaolack suburb of Medina Baye in 1930, has become by far the largest and most visible Tijānī branch around the world today. Ibrahima Niass's teaching that all disciples, and not only specialists, can attain a direct mystical knowledge of God through tarbiyyah rūhiyyah (mystical education) has struck a chord with millions worldwide. This branch, known as the Tijāniyyah Ibrāhīmiyyah or the Fayḍah ("Flood"), is most concentrated 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...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
, and Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, and has a growing presence in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Most Tijānī web sites and international organizations are part of this movement. Niass's grandson and current Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of Medina Baye, Shaykh Hassan Cisse
Shaykh Hassan Cisse
Shaykh Hassan Cisse , also written Cheikh Assane Cissé or Shaykh Hasan Cisse , was an Islamic scholar, Sufi shaykh and humanitarian activist who served as Imam of an international Muslim community in Medina Baye in Kaolack, Senegal, West Africa.He is the son of Sidi Ali Cisse and Fatima Zahra...
, has thousands of American disciples and has founded a large educational and developmental organization, the African American Islamic Institute, in Medina Baye with branches in other parts of the world.
Another Senegalese "house," in Medina-Gounass, Senegal (to the east of the Niokolo Koba park) was created by Mamadou Saidou Ba.
Still another in Thienaba, near Thies
Thiès
Thiès is the third largest city in Senegal with a population officially estimated at 320,000 in 2005. It lies 60 km east of Dakar on the N2 road and at the junction of railway lines to Dakar, Bamako and St-Louis...
, was founded by the disciple of a famous marabout
Marabout
A marabout is a Muslim religious leader and teacher in West Africa, and in the Maghreb. The marabout is often a scholar of the Qur'an, or religious teacher. Others may be wandering holy men who survive on alms, Sufi Murshids , or leaders of religious communities...
of Fouta
Fouta
A Fouta, also known as a Foutanké, is a breed of light horse from Senegal in West Africa. It is a composite of the Fleuve and M'Bayar breeds....
, Amadou Sekhou.
The Hamawiyyah branch, founded by Shaykh Hamallah, is centered in Nioro, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, and is also present 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...
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, and Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. One of its most prominent members is the novelist and historian Amadou Hampâté Bâ
Amadou Hampâté Bâ
Amadou Hampâté Bâ was a Malian writer and ethnologist.-Biography:...
, who preserved and advocated the teachings of Thierno Bokar (Cerno Bokar), the "Sage of Banjagara". (See Brenner, 2000.)
Also another scholar and sufi of the tariqa tijani was Cherno Alieu Dem of Njai Kunda (Koalack) Senegal. He was well known for his work when he performs 'wirrda' 1000 Salatul Fatiha for each grain of maize. Cherno Alieu Dem's work was later reveal in the next generation by his grandson Shieck Ahmad Tijan Dem of 'casaville' Kaolack Senegal. The Tariqa Tijani was giving to Cherno Omar Jallow by Alhajie Umar Futi Tall directly. It was Cherno Omar Jallow that spread the Tariqa in the Senegambian region. He passed it on to many scholars of the region like Mam Mass Kah who's grand son Imam Cherno Kah is the current Imam of Banjul
Banjul
-Transport:Ferries sail from Banjul to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans–West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau, and will eventually provide a paved highway link to 11 other nations of ECOWAS.Banjul International Airport...
. Cherno Omar Jallow's work was also revealed by his grandson Cherno Baba Jallow of Kerr Cherno in Nuimi The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
.
Tijaniyah jihad states
While the term "Jihad State" (a territory that was established by political and religious Muslim leaders, often fittingly titled EmirEmir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
, who conquer a region by offensive war, invoking Jihad bin saif in the sense of holy war to establish an Islamic rule in accordance with Qur'anic injunctions) most often refers to Fulbe jihad states in and around Nigeria, the order also gave rise to a few elsewhere in Western Africa, notably in present Mali.
- the Tijaniyya Jihad state was founded on 10 March 1861 by `Umar ibn Sa`id in Segu (the traditional ruler style Fama was continued by the autochthonous dynasty in part of the state until the 1893 French takeover), using the ruler title Imam, also styled Amir al-Muslimin; in 1862 MasinaMasinaMasina may refer to:Places* Masina, Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo* Masina, alternate name of Tabas-e Masina, in Iran* Masina, Lumbini, in Nepal* Masina, Rapti, in NepalPeople* Giulietta Masina , an Italian film actress...
(ruler title Ardo) is incorporated into Tijaniyya Jihad state; 1864 the rulership split between Segu (styled Amir al-Mu`mininAlmamiAlmami is a title of West African Muslim rulers, used especially in the conquest states of the 19th century. It is a contraction of Amir al-Mu'minin , usually translated "Commander of the Faithful" or "Prince of the Faithful"...
from 1869) and Masina (title Amir al-Mu´minin); 1888 Segu lost to Tijaniyya Jihad state; 29 April 1893 Tijaniyya Jihad state extinguished. - Dina (the Sise Jihad state), in 1818 founded by Shaykhu Ahmadu, ruler title Imam (also styled Amir al-Mu´minin); on 16 May 1862 conquered by the Tijaniyya Jihad state.
Practices
Members of the Tijānī order distinguish themselves by a number of practices. Upon entering the order, one receives the Tijānī wird from a muqaddam or representative of the order. The muqaddam explains to the initiate the duties of the order, which include keeping the basic tenets of IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(including the five pillars of Islam), to honor and respect one's parents, and not to follow another Sufi order in addition to the Tijāniyya. Initiates are to pronounce the Tijānī wird (a process that usually takes ten to fifteen minutes) every morning and afternoon. The wird is a formula that includes repetitions of "Lā 'ilāha 'ilā Llāh" ("There is no God but Allah"), "Astaghfiru Llāh" ("I ask God for forgiveness"), and a prayer for Muḥammad called the Ṣalātu l-Fātiḥ (Prayer of the Opener). They are also to participate in the Waẓīfah, a similar formula that is chanted as a group, often at a 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...
, after the sundown prayer (maghrib
Maghrib
The Maghrib prayer , prayed just after sunset, is the fourth of five formal daily prayers performed by practicing Muslims.The formal daily prayers of Islam comprise different numbers of units, called rak'at. The Maghrib prayer has three obligatory rak'at. The first two fard rak'at are prayed...
), as well as in the Ḥaḍarat al-Jumʿah, another formula chanted among other disciples on Friday afternoon.
Additionally, disciples in many areas organize regular meetings, often on Thursday evenings or before or after Waẓīfa and Ḥaḍarat al-Jumʿah, to engage in dhikr
Dhikr
Dhikr , plural ; ), is an Islamic devotional act, typically involving the repetition of the Names of God, supplications or formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur'an. Dhikr is usually done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity...
Allāh, or remembrance of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. This consists in repeating the phrase "Lā 'ilāha 'ilā Llāh" or simply "Allāh" as a group. In such meetings, poems praising God, Muḥammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, Aḥmed at-Tijānī, or another religious leader may be interspersed with the dhikr. Such meetings may involve simple repetition as a group or call-response, in which one or more leaders lead the chant and others repeat or otherwise respond.
Occasionally, a group of disciples (known in Senegal as a daayira, from Arabic dā'irah, or "circle") may organize a religious conference, where they will invite one or more well known speakers or chanters to speak on a given theme, such as the life of Muḥammad or another religious leader, a particular religious obligation such as fasting
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
during Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, or the nature of God.
The most important communal event of the year for most Tijānī groups is the Mawlid an-nabawī
Mawlid
Mawlid or sometimes ميلاد , mīlād is a term used to refer to the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal,...
(known in Wolof as the Gàmmu, spelled Gamou in French), or the celebration of the birth of Muḥammad, which falls on the night of the 12th of the Islamic month of Rabīʿ al-'Awwal (which means the night before the 12th, as Islamic dates start at sundown and not at midnight). Most major Tijānī religious centers organize a large Mawlid event once a year, and hundreds of thousands of disciples attend the largest ones (in Tivaouane, Kaolack, Kano, etc.) Throughout the year, local communities organize smaller Mawlid celebrations. These meetings usually go from about midnight until shortly after dawn and include hours of dhikr and poetry chanting and speeches about the life of Muḥammad.
Sources and references
- Brenner, Louis. 2000. "Amadou Hampâté Bâ: Tijânî Francophone." In Triaud and Robinson, 2000.
- Davidson, Basil. 1995. Africa in History. New York: Simon & Schuster.
- Klein, Martin A. 1968. Islam and Imperialism in Senegal: Sine-SaloumSine-SaloumSine-Saloum is a region in Senegal located north of The Gambia and south of the Petite Côte. It encompasses an area of 24,000 square kilometers, about 12% of Senegal, with a population in the 1990s of 1,060,000....
1847-1914. Stanford: Stanford University Press. - Robinson, David. 1985. The Holy War of Umar Tall. Oxford: Clarendon.
- Triaud, Jean-Louis. 2000. "La Tijâniyya, une confrérie musulmane pas comme les autres?" In Triaud and Robinson, 2000.
- Triaud, Jean-Louis and David Robinson, eds. 2000. La Tijâniyya: Une confrérie musulmane à la conquête de l'Afrique. Paris: Karthala.
- WorldStatesmen- here Mali Traditional States
- Jawâhir Ul Ma'ânî du Shaykh 'Alî Al Harâzim, sur le site officiel du Pr. Abdelaziz Benabdallah. Traduit en francais par le Pr.Abdelaziz Benabdallah et son neveu Moustapha Benmoussa.
- Al Boghia : Mataâlib = Requêtes de 'Sidi Larbi Ben Sayeh, sur le site officiel du Pr. Abdelaziz Benabdallah.
- La Tijânia du 'Pr. Abdelaziz Benabdallah, sur le site officiel du Pr. Abdelaziz Benabdallah.
- الشيخ سيدي أحمد التجاني، أبعاد ضلاعته العلمية.'بقلم أحمد بن عبد العزيز بن عبد الله, من الموقع الإلكتروني للأستاذ عبد العزيز بن عبد الله.