Cheikh

Ahmadou 11 décembre

Bamba
:his life
and Sufi
2014
Order
Cultural Committee of Fathul Ghafar Dahira in Morocco
has prepared this brief summary of Cheikh Ahmadou
Bamba ‘s life and his Sufi Order .
Magal Touba
 Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba ‘s life and his Sufi order (Mouridism).

Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba is one of the greatest Islamic and Sufi scholars
who have grandiosely and Single-handedly fought against the French
colonizers , the enemy of God. His full name is Ahmed Ben Mohammad Ben
Habbibullah Ben Mouhammad El Kabir .His mother ,Mame Diaratoullahi1 was
a very pious woman who devoted all her life to worshiping God and serving her
Husband .Ahmadou Bamba was born in 1853 in ” Mbacké Baol “,2a city
founded by his great grandfather ,Muhammad El Khayri in Senegal (west Africa
) .He was brought up in a family that is deeply rooted in learning and teaching
Koran and Islamic sciences .He early memorized the Holy Koran , learnt the
sciences of Tajweed and the seven ways of reading Koran before he had
gathered a countless number of Islamic sciences and Arabic language from his
father . The latter‘s school was at that time the destination of all students from
everywhere in the country. He, after that, travelled through the country to
meet the scholars and the noble devout sufis in order to further benefit from
their knowledge and their blessings.

Some of his teachers are as follows : Samba Toukolour Ka, his father’s
brother from his mother‘s side ; Mouhammad BOUSSO , his oncle from his
mother ‘s side ; Mouhammad Al YADALI from Mauritania and the renown
Senegalese scholar Cadi Majdakhate KALA , may God have mercy on all of
them .

Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba ‘s many intellectual debates and discussions with a

number of great Mauritanian scholars about a variety of Islamic subjects had
enabled him to be such a well-versed and knowledgeable man who left behind
him a very rich legacy of writings in different disciplines . Here is a list of some
the didactic books:

 Tazaoudou zighar

1
The Neighbor of God , she is given this name thanks to her devotion to worshiping God .
.
2
A city founded in 1789 by Mouhammad El Khayri and ,it is located in the middle west of Senegal in the
DJOURBEL region

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  Tazaoudou Shoubane

 Jawharou Annafiss , The precious jewel in the versification of Al Akhdari’s

book . (in Islamic jurisprudence )

 Mawahibu Al khoudouss ,(the gifts of the all saint ). “in Theology “.

 Maghalikhu an neeran. In “Sufism “

 Massalikul Jinane ,(Ways unto heaven ) .”in Sufism”

 Munawiru Sudour ( illumination of Hearts ).”in Sufism”.

 Nahju Khadayi Al Haj (the path to meet one’s need)” in good manners “.

 Saa’datou Toullab ( happiness of the students ) (in Arabic grammar.)

 Explanation of nouzhatou zarif . (In Arabic conjugation.)

As for his writings about glorifying and praying upon the prophet ,
mentioning God’s graces and blessings and praising him , it is impossible to
list them all because of its quantity .

His renovative call, or his Sufi Order (Mouridism)

Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba began his renovative call by teaching. As a

student in his father’s school, he was appointed assistant teacher by his father.
It did not take him much time to prove his ingeniousness and intelligence.
Therefore, this allowed him to win the trust of everybody, especially his father,
Momar Anta Sali . Thus, the latter entrusted the Cheikh with a great part of the
teaching activity. The Cheikh would stay fulfilling this mission until his father’s
death in 1300 H/1882 G .Later on, he initiated a new method of spiritual
education, which entails the fusion of science (religious) and practice
(worshiping God through khidma3 ) . Consequently, the Sufi order, Mouridism
was born. This sufi brotherhood has a number of pillars which are as follows:

1 - Science (Islamic science)

In fact, religious science is considered as the building block of Mouridism

.Cheikhg Ahmadou Bamba had dedicated a great part of his life to fighting

3
Service of the prophet peace be upon him as a means of worshiping God .

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against ignorance. He ordered all his disciples to engage in the quest for
religious (Islamic) sciences and to know the necessary elements in the
practice of their religion. He sent to the them the following message:

"I urge all those who are related to me by a pact of allegiance to learn
theology, the rules of purity, of prayer, fasting and everything a mukallaf
must know in his practice of the religion. To this end, I commissioned to write
for the sake of Allah books that contain everything you need.”

The Sheikh did not stop there, but he had also warned them against the
neglect of this duty. He also demonstrated that science is the criterion by
which men are to be distinguished not by their name and belonging to a
family whatsoever. He said:

"Be quick (you ) all to acquire knowledge , and strive for your understanding.
Do not delay learning until you reach an advanced age. For this will prevent
you from accessing to the higher ranks. »

“O you young people, if you fear the shame , put science before worship
worship.”

“Hurry (you) all to science, for the sole cause of Allah. "

2- Worship:

We have already seen the place of science in Mouridism, which

manifested in the writings of the Sheikh, and concretely in his actions. But if
the Sheikh gave great importance to science, it's because it represents for
him the foundation upon which worship rests. For it is a lost time if science
that cannot bring to worshiping God as well as adoration which is not
performed on the basis of science .The Sheikh said in this regard:

"Science, O brother, is more virtuous than worship, it is its basis .Whoever

will acquire it will be praised by God .However, science will only be beneficial
when it is put into practice. So, endeavor to relate them together .A
minimum of worship performed with science is much more rewarded than a
worship done with ignorance. »

3- KHIDMA (service)

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 One of the most solid principles of Mouridism that plays a leading role in
its propagationis Khidma. Khidma is a concept that implies to the reliance
on oneself and not on others , the avoidance to cause any kinds of harm to
others, helping them in righteousness and piety, and making the service to
bring good to them for them satisfaction of the Lord.

For these reasons, the Sheikh urged his disciples to cling to the principle of
Khidma , invited them to rely on themselves and to try to bring good to
others .In this regard, Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba said: "O Lord help us to serve
all the Muslims and to be merciful to them."

"It is said that when the last day comes, and the line of Siraa’t is hung upon
the hell and all beings will suffer hunger and torment, the caller will launch
the following call: where are the people that served the Muslims?! After they
answered, they will all be conducted to paradise. "

4 – Good Manners:

Mouridism can be considered as a synonym of good manners and

conduct .For good conduct is the quintessence of Sufism. Each time has its
adequate conduct, each state has its proper conduct, and each step also has
its appropriate way; so who he observes proper conduct in all the
circumstances, will access the degree of saints. On the other hand, who he
does not observe proper conduct, he will be undoubtedly misplaced when
rejected.

For this very reason, the Cheikh recommanded all his disciples to behave
appropriately.

"Know that the best of what a person could embellish is to observe in any
place good behavior. For it is by good conduct that one might access to the
Lord as well as Paradise. A fool is the one who seeks to achieve something
by means other than proper conduct. "

He then informed his disciples that religious science without good manners is
just a deception. Let us illustrate this idea in the writings of Sheikh:

"Abundant science that is not accompanied with morality and good manners
leads to trouble."

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 In the same issue, The Sheikh invited his disciples to observe adequate
conduct with the Absolute Truth (God) by following his recommendations
and to refraining from the prohibited as well as by thanking him for his
graces and being patient in difficult times . In the same vein, the disciple is
invited to observe proper conduct with the people by respecting the old and
having compassion for the young, and by considering and treating others as
you would like to be treated . The Sheikh wrote in this regard:

"Be very educated with the Merciful (Allah), and with his creature in
everything. »

"The path to good behavior is to have leniency towards the young in the
same way that his parents have with him, and to respect the old. To consider
others as you consider yourself. Just for the sake of God’s only satisfaction.

5- Pact of allegiance:

The Sheikh insisted a lot on the pact of allegiance, which occupies a great
position in the tenets and principals of Mouridism. This concept means to
seek a Sheikh who knows God, whose mission is to magnify the disciple‘s
manners, and to teach him the koran and Hikmat (divine wisdom). That is, the
path to the Lord is scrambled and difficult; the one, who engages to walk on
that path without an awake and wise guide, may be lost and hence will be led
to perdition. Sufis have even established that who he does not deign to find a
guide, Satan will be as his guide!

The Sheikh committed all his disciples to seek a complete religious guide
and bind with him by a pact of allegiance, as the companions did with the
Prophet (peace be upon him) under the tree. The Sheikh wrote in this regard:

"He who seeks to enter to the Glorious, must cling to the Sunnah (prophetic
tradition).

By his attachment to someone who follows the right path visibly and invisibly.

Who will guide through science and worship; as he introduced him to leave
the habits (bad ones ).

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References:

Minanul Bakhi Al khadim

Irwa'u nadim

An nahdj al qawim

Al Mouridiya nafahat miskiya .

For more details you can visit the following sites:

Majalis.org

Mouridiya.org

Istikhama.org

Khadmiya.org

Wikimouridiya.org

Daraykamil.com