Islam
is the predominant religion in Senegal.
Ninety-four percent of the country's
population is estimated to be Muslim.[1]
Most Muslims in Senegal are members of one of the Sufi brotherhoods.
Islam has existed in Senegal for more than a millennium. The first
ethnic groups to convert to Islam were the Toucouleur kingdoms
during the 11th century CE, and by the beginning of the 20th century
CE most of Senegal was Islamic.
The way Islam is practiced
in Senegal is significantly different from most other Islamic
countries. Islam in Senegal is partially derived from mystical Sufi
traditions. In Senegal, Islamic practice takes the form of
membership of religious brotherhoods that are dedicated to their
marabouts (the founders or current spiritual leaders).
History
Instrumental in his
conversion was the leader (Almamy)
of the kingdom of
Saloum,
Maba Diakhou B�. As well as converting traditional states to
Islam, B�'s forces sought to abolish the traditional caste system of
the
Wolof and
Serer aristocratic states. In unifying with other
Muslim forces, the
West African
jihad states aimed to end the reign of small regional
kingships, which kept the area in a constant state of war and
the lower classes in slave conditions. The
Toucouleur Empire of
El Hadj Umar Tall in
Mali, which rose at about the same time, had much the same
goals, and Umar Tall himself was in contact with and recruited among
Maba Diakhou B�'s forces[2].
At the end of the 19th
century CE, Senegalese
Muslim brotherhoods such as the
Tijani and
Muridiyyah fought against
French and
British
colonization. Eventually the resistance ended when prominent
religious leaders like
Malick Sy and
Amadou Bamba decided to cooperate with the French in exchange
for religious independence. The French colonists established a
secular
state and
post-colonial Senegal has remained secular up to this day. In
practice, however, the Muslim brotherhoods have substantial
influence on politics in modern-day Senegal.
Further
information:
History of Senegal and
History of Islam
Schools of thought
Senegalese
Muslims are overwhelmingly members of one of the
Sufi
brotherhoods. The two largest orders are the
Tijaniyyah and the
Muridiyyah, although the
pan-Islamic
Qadiriyyah and the smaller
Layene sect are also represented in parts of the country.
Individuals become a member of one these groups either through their
parentage or by adherence to their preferred
marabout.
The
Tijani brotherhood originates in North Africa but is now more
widespread in West Africa, particularly in Senegal,
Mauritania and
Mali. The
Mouride brotherhood is based in
Touba, a state within a state in which there is no governor, no
administration, and no police force. The
de facto leader of the city is the
Grand Marabout of the Mouride brotherhood,
Serigne Mouhamadou Lamine Bara Mbacke. Veiling is not required,
and criminal activity is rare. Alcohol, cigarettes, loud music, and
politics are banned[citation
needed].
Further
information:
Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal
Present day
Mosqu�e de la Divinit�,
Ouakam, Senegal. |
Leadership
The members of the Muslim
brotherhoods vow obedience to their
marabout, a personal spiritual leader and the inheritor of the
barakah (divine grace) of the brotherhood's founder. The
founders of each of the brotherhoods are considered
mujaddid (renewers) of Islam by their followers, citing a
hadith that implies God will send renewers of the faith every
hundred years. The marabouts in Senegal are organized in elaborate
hierarchies, with the highest marabouts elevated to the status
of de facto rulers. |
Marabouts are believed to
have the power to heal illness and grant spiritual salvation to
their followers. Most marabouts have inherited their position from
their fathers. Marabouts are expected to teach and counsel their
followers, as well as organize their work. The marabout, a scholar
of the
Qur'an, presides at various ceremonies, makes
amulets for good luck, and in some cases actively guides the
life of the follower. Marabouts rely on donations to live and often
there is an obligation to support the marabout that has accumulated
over generations within a family.
Culture
After the conversion of Lat
Dyor Diop many began writing on Islam in both
Wolof and
Arabic. The
tagg, or ode song in Wolof,
was reused in an Islamic context—an important integration of
pre-Islamic style into the new Muslim paradigm.[1]
Extremism
The Sufi brotherhoods of
Senegal have not been historically destabilizing to the secular
government of Senegal. Some fear that this trend is changing since
Islam has become more politicized in recent time. Indicators,
including as small Wahabi population, suggest it may become the
first Black African Islamic state but stresses that it does not
imply an extremist one.
Source :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Senegal
|