Seck, Mamadou M.

English

Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

Cleveland State UniversityEngagedScholarship@CSUThe Journal of Traditions & Beliefs Michael Schwartz LibraryApril 2014Senegalese Sufism: What Would Rumi Say?Mamadou M. SeckCleveland State UniversityHow does access to this work benefit you? Let us know!Follow this and additional works at: https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/jtbThis Letter is brought to you for free and open access by the Michael Schwartz Library at EngagedScholarship@CSU. It has been accepted for inclusionin The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs by an authorized editor of EngagedScholarship@CSU. For more information, please contactlibrary.es@csuohio.edu.Recommended CitationSeck, Mamadou M. (2014) "Senegalese Sufism: What Would Rumi Say?," The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs: Vol. 1 , Article 11.Available at: https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/jtb/vol1/iss1/11Volume 1, Number 1, Fall 2009     69Letter to the EditorSenegalese Sufism What would Rumi say?It is my intent to join the debate on Sufism as I am writing this letter to the editor to bring the point of view of someone who is experiencing life in the western hemisphere with an African Islamic background. This point of view is of experiential nature since it relates to how Sufi practices have shaped the Senegalese Islamic landscape and how they have affected and even shaped people’s day-to-day activities. The Senegalese Islamic landscape is composed of a series of Sufi orders, named sects, or Tarikha. The most prominent Tarikha are the Tidjane with its many subgroups, the Muride, the Khadir, and the Layene. Each Tarikha is based on the teaching of a Khalif or Sheikh. Although very diverse, they all converge to the same aim, which is their adherence to principles defined by God in the Quran and implemented by Prophet Mohamed as described in his Sunna. Membership in a Tarikha is obtained by birth or by simple adhesion. Usually, parents raise their children the way they were themselves raised by their parents; they inculcate principles and values of their Tarikha to the children who grow up to become part of the parents’ sect. Sometimes, when children become adults, they may adhere to a different Tarikha. This may happen for many reasons, among which is the individual’s adherence to the teaching of another Sheikh; in fact, as by osmosis, an individual may be impregnated with the values of a group, experience them, and find a place in that Tarikha. When this happens, the family is torn apart, because for the family, the person has stepped out of sacred and traditional boundaries that no one in the family was supposed to or even expected to consider approaching.The Tarikha spiritual leaders not only made verbal sermons during their lives, but they also profusely wrote poems and books to teach and to draw the spiritual paths that guide their followers in their quest for the Truth, God and the Prophet 1Seck: Senegalese Sufism: What Would Rumi Say?Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 200970     The Journal of Traditions and BeliefsMohamed. A visit to libraries in cities such as Tivaouane, Touba, NDiassane, Kaolack, and Yoff-Camberene could give the reader an idea of the extent of the mass of books written by the Sheikhs. Most of these teachings are recited or sung in religious ceremonies such as the Gamu in celebration of Mohamed, or the Magal in celebration of the departure of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba who was exiled by the French who feared he would lead a rebellion against their ruling of Senegal. The themes developed in their poetic writings were very diverse; they celebrated their love of God and prophet Mohamed, illustrated the omnipotence and omnipresence of the Creator, and also showed their endless recognition of Mohamed, who led them to Islam. The beauty of their Sufi poems would amaze Rumi who was tagged the “Sufi poet.” I wonder what Rumi would say.Mamadou Seck Assistant Professor, Cleveland State University School of Social Work ?2The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs, Vol. 1 [2009], Art. 11https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/jtb/vol1/iss1/11

Senegalese Sufism: What Would Rumi Say?

EngagedScholarship @ Cleveland State University

Cleveland State University
EngagedScholarship@CSU
The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs Michael Schwartz Library
April 2014
Senegalese Sufism: What Would Rumi Say?
Mamadou M. Seck
Cleveland State University
How does access to this work benefit you? Let us know!
Follow this and additional works at: https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/jtb
This Letter is brought to you for free and open access by the Michael Schwartz Library at EngagedScholarship@CSU. It has been accepted for inclusion
in The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs by an authorized editor of EngagedScholarship@CSU. For more information, please contact
library.es@csuohio.edu.
Recommended Citation
Seck, Mamadou M. (2014) "Senegalese Sufism: What Would Rumi Say?," The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs: Vol. 1 , Article 11.
Available at: https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/jtb/vol1/iss1/11
Volume 1, Number 1, Fall 2009     69
Letter to the Editor
Senegalese Sufism 
What would Rumi say?
It is my intent to join the debate on Sufism as I am writing this letter to the editor to bring the point of view of someone who is experiencing life in the western hemisphere 
with an African Islamic background. This point 
of view is of experiential nature since it relates 
to how Sufi practices have shaped the Senegalese 
Islamic landscape and how they have affected 
and even shaped people’s day-to-day activities. 
The Senegalese Islamic landscape is composed of 
a series of Sufi orders, named sects, or Tarikha. 
The most prominent Tarikha are the Tidjane 
with its many subgroups, the Muride, the 
Khadir, and the Layene. Each Tarikha is based 
on the teaching of a Khalif or Sheikh. Although 
very diverse, they all converge to the same aim, 
which is their adherence to principles defined 
by God in the Quran and implemented by 
Prophet Mohamed as described in his Sunna. 
Membership in a Tarikha is obtained by birth 
or by simple adhesion. Usually, parents raise 
their children the way they were themselves 
raised by their parents; they inculcate principles 
and values of their Tarikha to the children who 
grow up to become part of the parents’ sect. 
Sometimes, when children become adults, they 
may adhere to a different Tarikha. This may 
happen for many reasons, among which is the 
individual’s adherence to the teaching of another 
Sheikh; in fact, as by osmosis, an individual 
may be impregnated with the values of a group, 
experience them, and find a place in that Tarikha. 
When this happens, the family is torn apart, 
because for the family, the person has stepped 
out of sacred and traditional boundaries that 
no one in the family was supposed to or even 
expected to consider approaching.
The Tarikha spiritual leaders not only made 
verbal sermons during their lives, but they also 
profusely wrote poems and books to teach and to 
draw the spiritual paths that guide their followers 
in their quest for the Truth, God and the Prophet 
1
Seck: Senegalese Sufism: What Would Rumi Say?
Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2009
70     The Journal of Traditions and Beliefs
Mohamed. A visit to libraries in cities such as 
Tivaouane, Touba, NDiassane, Kaolack, and 
Yoff-Camberene could give the reader an idea of 
the extent of the mass of books written by the 
Sheikhs. Most of these teachings are recited or 
sung in religious ceremonies such as the Gamu 
in celebration of Mohamed, or the Magal in 
celebration of the departure of Sheikh Ahmadou 
Bamba who was exiled by the French who feared 
he would lead a rebellion against their ruling of 
Senegal. The themes developed in their poetic 
writings were very diverse; they celebrated 
their love of God and prophet Mohamed, 
illustrated the omnipotence and omnipresence 
of the Creator, and also showed their endless 
recognition of Mohamed, who led them to Islam. 
The beauty of their Sufi poems would amaze 
Rumi who was tagged the “Sufi poet.”
 I wonder what Rumi would say.
Mamadou Seck 
Assistant Professor, Cleveland State University 
School of Social Work ?
2
The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs, Vol. 1 [2009], Art. 11
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/jtb/vol1/iss1/11


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Senegalese Sufism: What Would Rumi Say?

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