19th century – 21st century
Senegal, especially Touba and the groundnut-growing region
Mouridism is a Senegalese Sufi brotherhood and religious movement established by Amadou Bamba M’Backé in the late nineteenth century as an offshoot of Qadiriyya. Its teachings emphasize hard physical work, clean living, devotion to the marabout, and Islamic observance. Touba became its headquarters and a major pilgrimage center, while the movement’s expansion followed the spread of groundnut cultivation.
Continue exploring
The Story
Mouridism emerged in Senegal in the late nineteenth century, when French influence was growing. Amadou Bamba M’Backé established it as an offshoot of Qadiriyya and became its central religious figure. The movement developed through a form of Sufi Islam organized around devotion to a charismatic marabout.
Its teachings emphasize hard physical work, clean living, unquestioned devotion to the marabout, and the ordinary religious observances of Islam. The movement’s social reach was especially strong in agricultural areas, above all the groundnut-growing region. Its expansion toward southern Senegal is described as coinciding with the spread of groundnut cultivation.
Amadou Bamba was headquartered at Touba, where the largest mosque in Senegal—and perhaps the largest in sub-Saharan Africa—stands. Touba became a destination for religious pilgrimages and the symbolic core of the movement. The excerpt also describes stories of Bamba’s trials and miraculous escapes, including his legendary voyage of exile to Gabon.
By the period described around the turn of the twenty-first century, Mouridism had more than one million members, many living in urban areas. It is identified as the richest of Senegal’s brotherhoods and as a movement gaining popularity, especially among younger people.
19th century – 21st century
Senegal, especially Touba and the groundnut-growing region
Mouridism is a Senegalese Sufi brotherhood and religious movement established by Amadou Bamba M’Backé in the late nineteenth century as an offshoot of Qadiriyya. Its teachings emphasize hard physical work, clean living, devotion to the marabout, and Islamic observance. Touba became its headquarters and a major pilgrimage center, while the movement’s expansion followed the spread of groundnut cultivation.
Continue exploring
The Story
Mouridism emerged in Senegal in the late nineteenth century, when French influence was growing. Amadou Bamba M’Backé established it as an offshoot of Qadiriyya and became its central religious figure. The movement developed through a form of Sufi Islam organized around devotion to a charismatic marabout.
Its teachings emphasize hard physical work, clean living, unquestioned devotion to the marabout, and the ordinary religious observances of Islam. The movement’s social reach was especially strong in agricultural areas, above all the groundnut-growing region. Its expansion toward southern Senegal is described as coinciding with the spread of groundnut cultivation.
Amadou Bamba was headquartered at Touba, where the largest mosque in Senegal—and perhaps the largest in sub-Saharan Africa—stands. Touba became a destination for religious pilgrimages and the symbolic core of the movement. The excerpt also describes stories of Bamba’s trials and miraculous escapes, including his legendary voyage of exile to Gabon.
By the period described around the turn of the twenty-first century, Mouridism had more than one million members, many living in urban areas. It is identified as the richest of Senegal’s brotherhoods and as a movement gaining popularity, especially among younger people.
Continue the journey
Other paths related to this story.