Papa Fary SEYE
Mankind, The Contemporary World and
Maa -ul Hayaat
Edition : Maa-ul Hayaat Communication Group
Dakar (Senegal), March 2015 (www.maoulhayat.com)
DEDICACES
I dedicate this work to Serigne Saliou Thiam (May Allah be pleased with him)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I express my deep gratitude and sincere thanks to Dr. Latyr Ndiaye and Dr. Djiby Diakhaté for their availability.
Thanks also to Mr. Khadim Seye and Mr. Mame Cheikh Diagne respectively for the cover page and the translation in English.
PREFACE
Humanity faces a dangerous and complex sequence of turbulence in its “stubborn” quest of progress and well-being. The economy is now on its knees after all the shocks that have assailed the international financial system, weakened the rural economy and the industry, torpedoed natural and mineral resources, upset the precarious stability that was achieved with difficulty and discouraged many players.
The political framework has greatly disintegrated with the gradual disappearance of ideologies which contributed to the rise of materialistic and individualistic political practices.
The unbridled pursuit of material well-being led to the “un-protection” of the environment hence opening the door to all forms of natural disasters. At the same time, the strong values that, were the basis of the human condition have been jeopardised, subverted and denied. This further darkened the catastrophic picture.
We have therefore a sad scene that we need to delineate and contextualise in a logic of systemic analysis especially when we chose to write in order to share with a wider audience.
That is what motivated the author who believes that spirituality in general, through the canonical rules of Islam and especially the teachings of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba is a dynamic alternative to the multifaceted crisis that has plagued humanity. The work and the action of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba revolve around the “fabrication/making” of a fully accomplished man who will be sagacious and at the service of the entire community. Moulding a human being free from all the detritus of selfishness, malice and hatred but also of ignorance and laziness is no doubt, what constitutes the matrix of the work of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba.
Such a principled stand constitutes the foundation of the mission of Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa -ul Hayaat. He has understood that the path traced by Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba must be constantly followed by men if they aspire to progress in all its dimensions. It is about engaging on the path and walk with the human species as a whole in order to elevate them to the summits of the true well-being.
The author clearly and firmly positions himself : The Sheikh represents for the present generation a true role model because of his firm commitment to the extraordinary path and at the sublime voice of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba .
The text is comprehensible in all of its component parts since the author is a teacher by profession but also and maybe “above all ?” a devout member of the Murid community that has remained open to the positive puffs of the universe.
Dr. Djiby DIAKHATE , Sociologist, UCAD / IAM
INTRODUCTION
In our times, Islam has spread to the four corners of the world. In addition to this, the information and communication technology contribute greatly to the spreading of Islamic knowledge and worshiping is widespread. Paradoxically, we see that the world today is plagued by inhumane acts of all kinds, usually committed in the name of Islam.
In addition to the debauchery and the widespread bad characters such as hypocrisy and treachery we have the massacres of innocent people (women, children and old people, Muslims and non-Muslims) that are the consequences of the “holy” war or “terrorist” attacks.
But no one doubts that this is contrary to the message of the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) .The situation is, no doubt, explained by the fact that in our practice of Islam, we are progressively disregarding the science of tasawouf or Sufism[1] which is the complement of fiq.h. or jurisprudence.
It is this part of Islamic science that encourages benevolence or ihsane expression of true awe. It also, which brings to the individual the values of humanism such as humility, tolerance, honesty, compassion, love of your fellow human being and respect for all creatures.
In “Massalik al Jinanou” “The Way Unto Heavens” of paradise, Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba shows the compulsory aspect and the complementarity between the exoteric and esoteric knowledge. He writes:
« Whosoever disregards the Legal Rules of Worship (Fiqh) shall perish in this world by the sentence of the Doctors of the Law.
Any such who neglects the second shall perish in the Next World by the Will of the MAJESTIC LORD.
It is therefore compulsory to combine them so as to obtain reward.
The one who conforms to the fiqh whilst giving no credit to Sufism is a thorough rascal. We must know it.
Who does quite the reverse is a heretic, they say.
But as regards who that succeeds in combining both of them ( fiq.h and tasawwuf ) that is a fine model [of balance] thou hast to pattern thyself upon ».
Therefore it is the practice of Sufism that gradually rid man of these imperfections and protects him from the machinations of Satan. We can only access this state by following the path of spiritual purity behind an experienced master. This is the meaning of the pact of allegiance characteristic of muridism[2].
In today’s society overwhelmed by materialism where followers of tasawwuf are seen as for fools or even misguided people, a society where people claiming to be practice Islamic mysticism have, by their typically unorthodox behaviour emptied Sufism of its true meaning, one can only expect a corruption of the soul and the human relationships[3].
It is in this context, marked by the fierce love of this world, widespread debauchery, advanced degradation of religious morality and the rapid expansion of the hidden vices, that Maa-ul Hayaat appeared in the shadow of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba as a sign of the immense divine mercy to mankind.
The purpose of this modest essay is to make people understand the mystical mission of Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa -ul Hayaat and the countless blessings that our Lord has granted him. In our opinion the most important thing is his ability to positively transform youngsters by endowing them with good qualities, (youngsters) who had in the past abandoned prayer , fasting , reading the Holy Quran and zikr or were, under the influence of their carnal soul carried away by the pleasures and passions (all of this) on the helpless and hopeless watch of parents and society .
Therefore, nobody will blame me in the hereafter , as a writer , for not talking about this source from which drink thousands of individuals in a nation deeply in need of the divine light in its overwhelming majority.
In order to do this, we had to review the socio- spiritual crisis that characterises our times and revisit the aim of the spiritual education or Sufism of which the muridism represents one of illustrations in Senegal.
The Social hypocrisy
The French surgeon and biologist, Dr. Alexis Carrel[4], published in 1935 a book entitled Man, this unknown. This book, which was the subject of several translations and editions, has been successful worldwide until the mid-twentieth century. In this twenty-first century, despite the multiplicity and the development of social sciences and those called exact science, Man remains a mystery.
Indeed, none of these sciences has yet managed to penetrate the secrets of the human being or allowed to have a perfect control of his thoughts and states of consciousness or unconsciousness. None of them either allow us to know the intentions behind the actions of the Man, let alone predict his future.
In fact, an act is not always consistent with the intention that drives its author. Thus an act can be seen as good when it is underpinned by a bad intention. Since we cannot capture this intention we very often judge Men through their actions and behaviour.
In other words, the personality of the individual is assessed only through what he does and what he says. The judgment is imperfect or subjective since neither the appearance nor the words or actions necessarily reflect the hidden intentions of Man. Therefore surprises and disappointments mark human relationships in everyday life, because as the saying goes: “The clothes do not make the man.”
Man is truly a stranger. Saying that we know so and so perfectly is probably a mistake because men act according to their wishes and their free will. “Our states of consciousness [A. Carrel said] flow in time like a river along a valley. Just like the river, we change but also remain permanent. [5].».
Man is a hard to know because its appearance is often misleading.
Hidden shortcomings are generally behind the misleading appearance that characterises the human being. Among them is hypocrisy which is an evidence of the love this world, the source of passion that never ceases to covet the carnal soul.
By reflecting further on this, we can find another explanation. In fact, Man is not totally free, and therefore he is not always in control of his thoughts, his options and actions. The proof if this is that we often see people act only to regret their actions later on.
This is because Satan is frequently involved in the people’s formation of opinion. He makes us say and do things without us really being aware. That is why Allah urges us to take the devil as our enemy to the last breath of our life. This means that we must not give him a chance to interfere in our thoughts, in our words and our actions.
Vices such as hypocrisy, cheating, deceit, malice, pride, dishonesty, conceit and greed, all the bad characters originated from the love of this world represent doors through which Satan get access to Man. It is therefore very regrettable that today, many people who call themselves Muslims, neglect them. They swear to tell the truth while most of their words are pure inventions. They do not hesitate to cry or even fabricate material or audio-visual evidences, to fool people’s vigilance and drag them into their traps.
It is clear that we can fool people for a period of time, however we cannot accomplish this feat continuously. In other words, one that that hides his evil intentions through seemingly positive acts, often ends up being betrayed by his own behaviour.
It is important to note that in reality the hypocrite is no longer in control of his conscience. But he is, in that moment, possessed by the devil who acts and speaks for him. Except for those who repent, hypocrites, cheats or conmen will all have an bad end, like their leader Satan (may Allah protect us from it). Because of this, cheating and deception are despicable imperfections/sickness for a Muslim.
Indeed, knowingly misrepresenting the truth to fool others is a dishonest act contrary to sincerity and frankness which should be the hallmarks of every Muslim. Moreover, several verses/paragraphs of the Holy Quran and many hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) show us that hypocrisy, trickery and deceit are banned by Islam.
In this regard, Allah warns the believers: « O you who believe! Do not betray Allah and the Messenger . Do not knowingly betray the trust we placed in you» (Quran VIII, 27). For he who betrays his allegiance pact only hurt himself. Perfectly aware of the the human nature, for having created him, Allah knows there are among men, all sorts of kinds. It happened that a prophet was betrayed by his close companion. That is why, in another verse of the Qur’an, Allah warns the Prophet (PBUH) said: « If you [have reason to] fear from a people betrayal, throw [their treaty] back to them, [putting you] on equal terms. Indeed, Allah does not like traitors.» (Quran VIII, 58).
Furthermore, ALLAH (May His Greatness Be Exalted) comforts the believers, that is to say those who have strong faith that never doubt in commitment to follow ALLAH (May His Greatness Be Exalted) and His Messenger :« Allah defends those who have believed. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone treacherous and ungrateful. » (Quran XXII, 38).
Meanwhile the Prophet (PBUH) said that: «Anyone who deceives others is not part of us. »(Sahih Muslim). He is also reported to have said : « If you prevent/stop someone from following the path of righteousness or if you push him to abandon it after he has taken it , you are his traitor». In another hadith, he declares that « Whoever has the following four characteristics is a pure hypocrite and whoever has at least one has a characteristic of hypocrisy until he gets rid of it: when he is trusted, he betrays that trust; when he speaks , he lies ; when he makes a promise, he does not keep it ; and when he argues with someone, he becomes offensive. » (Sahih al-Buhari, Sahih Muslim). Meanwhile, Imam Ali ( May Allah be pleased with him ) said that treason leads to of hypocrisy and disbelief . According to him it proves the lack of piety and devotion .
These hadiths and extracts of the Holy Qur’an clearly show that the traitors and hypocrites are excluded from the Muslim community. Treachery and hypocrisy are strictly forbidden in Islam, because they are a source of misery in this world and in the Hereafter. In a hadith of Sahih Al- Buhari, the Prophet (PBUH), referring to the terrible and frightful fate of traitors said: « On the Day of Resurrection, each betrayer will carry a banner in which will be written : “I am the betrayer of so and so” ». This means that on the Day of Judgment , the humiliation of the traitors will be limitless. Those who believe that their treachery was forgotten will be associated with it at this time. It will then be exposed to all humanity, as a banner over their heads.
Their shame will be even greater when they meet the Prophet ( PBUH) , hoping for his intercession. He will not even look at them. Indeed, Allah said: « There are three types of people that I will oppose the Day of Resurrection : a man who gave his word and then turned back it ; a man who sold as a slave a free man and then kept the money ; and a man who hired someone and benefited from his work without giving him his salary». » (Hadith Qudsi from Al-Buhari). These statements corroborate the passage of the Qur’an where Allah says: « And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents».
One day a man came to the Prophet ( PBUH) to testify about the qualities of his neighbour. He said: “He is very pious, he prays, he fasts, he accomplishes all acts of worship, but he harms his neighbors.” The Prophet (PBUH) replied : “He is not as you think, he is a man of hell ! “. This means that visible actions are not sufficient to demonstrate the good faith of a person.
However, the best indicator is the nobility of characters that is to refrain from saying or doing harm to his neighbour, having bad thoughts against him, and and wish for him what we wish for oneself. Indeed, ALLAH (May His Greatness Be Exalted) pays a lot of attention to the respect for human dignity and his rights. If everyone had understood it as such, there would be peace on earth and man will refrain from bloodshed under any circumstances whatsoever. This is the aim religion that came to bring peace on earth and in the hereafter[6]. That is the reason why when Allah and His Prophet (PBUH ) speak of the true believer , they insist a lot on charity or ihsan. Indeed, God is the only protector of the dignity and rights of Man.
How many are these people, whose heart is sick, but who hide their disbelief or intentions through acts of worship, or even exemplary behaviour to gain the trust of Muslims or receive from them a favour? They are, in fact, very numerous and often are part of our immediate surroundings. However they show another face so that nobody dares question their good faith. They are hypocrites who use trickery and deceit to maintain the trust placed in them.
The typical example of the hypocrite is given to us by Molière[7] in his play, Tartuffe. The author does not denigrate religion in it as such, but the unhealthy attitudes like hypocrisy, cheating and deception. The main character, Tartuffe, is a false devotee who broke into the family Damis and managed to destabilise it by concealing his hypocrisy disguised in his pious attitude. His influence on his master Orgon and the grandmother of the family (Mrs. Pernelle) was such that the maid Dorine[8], upset, could not help exclaiming:
« Certainly, this is something that also shocks
To see an unknown Céans imposing himself;
A beggar, who, when he came had no shoes,
And whose whole dress was worth six pence,
In comes far as to ignore,
Upsetting everything and acting as the master[9].»
Like Tartuffe, there are many people who once shunned by society, found refuge with a person who, despite their flaws, gave them consideration, protection, compassion, respect, love and had placed their complete trust in them . However blinded by an alleged “social success “, they suddenly became haughty and proud, just like the character of Molière. Ungrateful , they eventually disavowed their master and sought to discredit him at all costs. Paradoxically, they acknowledge the fact that they owe all their good qualities to him (the master). What a satanic strategy to sow doubt in the minds of believers!
Moreover, many people want to be always at the front of the stage regardless of their incompetency or ignorance. Few people are aware of their limitations and are willing to be led. We note in the same vein as most of the sicknesses that plague today’s societies simply come from the fact that most of men refuse to recognise the merits and favours that the Lord graciously grants to certain of his servants. There are also few people who care about their vices or accept to critically/objectively look into themselves. Instead, many prefer to dwell on the faults of others and deny their merits and qualities.
These are, no doubt, findings that prompted Jean Paul Sartre to say, “Hell is other people!”. In fact, we never take the time to do our own introspection. But we still firmly believe that we are good, imbued with qualities, while others are bad.
Coming back to our example, Tartuffe, we can see that despite the warnings from Cléante (Orgon’s brother in law), the maid Dorine and Elmire (Orgon’s wife) who quickly understood Tartuffe’s false devotion to the extent that they never fell into his trap, Orgon had no doubt on the good faith of his host. His behaviour and words seduced him so much.
It will always be that way because men are very different. Some are naive, others are attentive; some are weak, some are insightful; some are hypocrites, others are truthful. As long as everything goes well, everyone can hide his true identity. However we recognise the great men, in the light of events that mark the progress of humanity. We agree to live together and trust one another because we do not really know each other, and no test has come to unveil the true personality of each of us. Indeed, the ungrateful and false devotees are so subtle that it is almost impossible to doubt them until they have reached their goals.
Thus Orgon promises his daughter in marriage to Tartuffe and went on to share with him a state secret whose disclosure could seriously undermine his future and that of his friends. Worse, he disinherited his own son Damis who tried to expose Tartuffe and donated his entire fortune to him. It is eventually Elmire, who decided to open her husband’s eyes. She showed him the indignity and disgrace of Tartuffe. Orgon finally convinced of the wickedness of this man, run him down with insults and ordered him to leave his house. “The house is mine, you are the one who needs to get out!” shouted Tartuffe, showing the proof of the donation. And that was not all. Orgon’s freedom is also as compromised as his fortune because the traitor revealed the secret that had been entrusted to him. He brings in himself a guard hoping to have finally triumphed when he was suddenly arrested and thrown into prison by that same guard secretly tasked by the king to punish Tartuffe and to put Orgon’s family back in possession of all their property.
Although dating from the 17th century, Tartuffe is still current. It contains life lessons and reveals another side of Man who can be good as he can also hurt. This is what made Sartre say: “Man is the one without whom I am nothing, but with whom I always bear the risk of never being anything.” Wolof rightly say: “Nitt, Nitt moy garabam (Man is Man’s remedy).” We are tempted to add that Man is Man’s poison.
Nine years of companionship between Francois Hollande and Valerie Trierweiler ended with the publication of “Merci pour ce moment”[10], recounting the private life between the two lovers. If all the relationships were to end this way then would life be worth living? Should the woman settle personal matters by using false evidence? Indeed, according to Mr. Holland everything his former fiancée is not true. What happened to the universal values of restraint, respect and honesty? Endangered probably because the world itself is endangered. The attitude of Trierweiler is morally unacceptable even if she justifies herself in these terms: “Writing helped me to overcome the past and I am glad I did.”
If we analyse the problem the African perspective, it confirms with what Kocc Barma said, “Desire the woman, but never trust her.” Female ruse is also taught to us through the story of Prophet Yusuf and the wife of Pharaoh. Here, the Holy Quran tells us: “In reality, the woman is a great strategist! “.
Given the epilogue of a friendship of fourteen years between the former Chadian president M. Hissene Habre and his former lawyer Mr. El Hadji Diouf, we are also tempted to follow Kocc and say: Desire Man but never trust him.
Muslim, Christian, Jew or atheist, everyone knows that murder, betrayal, ingratitude and anything that undermines the dignity and honour of a human being are the antithesis of morality. Pierre Bordas has demonstrated this well in his magnificent novel in which he writes: “Although she[11] had not been raised up in religion, the idea of taking someone’s life repulsed[12] her.” Indeed, as Samuel P. Huntington points out, “human beings of almost all societies share certain basic values, such as the belief that killing is wrong (…). Most of societies have a common ” moral sense” like a kind of minimal morality based on basic concepts about what is right or wrong[13].”
However if the values of humanism are not instilled in Man, through a sound basic education, he becomes feebleminded and act with baseness. The moral values do not belong to any religion or civilisation, they are universal. This is the sum of all the teachings of men of good who have marked their time on earth. Among them, a man stands, he is Muhammad (PBUH) the one who embodies all human values, the perfect model of nobility of character. He said that his mission was to restore the moral values .
This means that we were not born man but we become one. And this shows the priority that should be given to the preservation , promotion and transmission of human values that are older than humanity itself. It is nevertheless sad to see that most of human beings do not make any effort to internalise moral values. Nowadays lying, stealing, slander, murder are common. Worse, these anti-values are perceived by some as good values. Phrases such as “a white lie is better than an inconvenient truth”, “We do not become rich by hard work but by manoeuvres,” are very common in our country. Thus, each of us is suspicious of the other, including its nearest neighbour. We no longer trust or support one another.
Most Men are the first level of humanisation, that is “the soul that incites to evil” (An naf’s amara[14]). However, those who make efforts to humanise themselves tirelessly can reach the top by becoming the “perfect man” (Al insanoul kaamil[15]), free from imperfections and free of errors. However we can only access this stage through a spiritual education.
Therefore it appears that hypocrisy and betrayal are among the most serious sicknesses that plague human nature and social relationships. These imperfections which are the favourite weapons of Satan corrupt the soul and thus deprive of divine bliss any person who dies with them. Fortunately Islam provides a remedy to these sicknesses through Sufism[16].
- The paradox of the Muslim Society
The new century and the new millennium “connected” are marked by a decline of faith and spirituality that manifest itself among young people, through the adoption of anti-religious behaviour imported through multimedia. Every day, through the channels of information and communication, the so-called “modern” society offers us its models that young Muslims imitate and copy to the letter. Multimedia create “stars” every day and offer or even impose them to us. But what role models do they present to us? Are they seen as references in Islam? What should be the role of a religious leader in this world that gathers at the same time all the illnesses that prompted the sending of prophets?
Whatever our differences of viewpoint might be, we are unanimous in recognising that there is nowadays a decadence of moral and spiritual values that seems irreversible. The models that our media offer to us are not always the best even less appropriate examples to form a virtuous youth, patriot, citizen, committed and aware of the challenges of its country. These models do not encourage young people to concern themselves about the future of their country, to worry about their destiny, to preserve the public property, to respect the laws and institutions to become involved in development that combine faith and work according to the motto of Mouridism.
Instead, some young people are increasingly acculturated. Those who lack motivation in school, become unemployed white-collar, while many other losers seek refuge in alcoholism, violence, easy money and pleasure.
Ababacar Ndiaye noted regarding this sick society of ours: “… almost all means are good to reach their objectives and achieve their goals. Everyone tries to be better seen, better known, better considered. Therefore lying, stealing, betraying, slandering is the price to pay to get into the circle increasingly expanding circle of those who want to be better seen and considered. Thus the first become last. The more you cling on to honesty the less you lie, the harder you work the less you betray then the more you occupy the lowest ranks[17] “.
Meanwhile, Moussa Thiao notes that “Lying, denouncement are established rules, good and those who do it are relegated to the background. […]. Nowadays, you are regarded as someone who is cultivated if you excel in the art of inventing prefabricated lies, information conveyed without any reliability or diligence , or engage in waffle close to lies, trampling down on the basic principles of restraint, self-control , sincerity[18] ” These words remind us of those of Edouard a character of André Gide, who said: “In a world where everyone is cheating, it is the real man who becomes a charlatan.[19]“
The spiritual drought of our time is linked to several factors. The less affluent countries in the economic field are probably the weakest from a cultural perspective, moral and spiritual. Indeed, parents, due to economic difficulties, are more concerned about the survival of their offspring rather than its education based on Islamic values. As for the teachers, these other educators, for most of them, the job is no longer a mission, but a mean of survival.
Such context of obscurantism is naturally beneficial to the politician that comes in as a Messiah. Too Bad! Because we have a political class without conviction that changes position overnight according to its crypto-personal interests at the expense of the people. Their intense love for the temporal power and worldly pleasures sometimes lead them to seek to jeopardise social peace which, however, is a guarantee of economic progress.
Parents, religious leaders and governments have almost quit from their responsibilities in the education of children, the media have taken over and propose models and ways of life to follow. The consequences are exasperating: the son no longer respects his parents; citizens no longer recognises the authority; women tele guided from the outside still claims rights contrary to the divine law; Motivation to do well at school and work is no longer a reality rather seeking physical and brute force has become the best guarantee of social success. This was so in ancient Rome in decline, when the people were only interested in games and wine. It was the heyday of gladiator fights
Worse, the scientist is relegated to the background in favour of the wealthy or even the clown. The rivalry is no longer in the moral values, but in opulence in indecency in arrogance and indifference about death and the Day of Judgment.
Girls compete in showing off in order to attract the eyes of young boys; Women now reified are used as a commodity to suit consumers’ demand. Formerly, carefully covered because of decency (Kersa), the body of most young girls and women is now out. Female nudity is exposed to the public in the streets, in schools, through television and the Internet under the guise of modernity.
In the videos, soap operas, series, TV shows, which ones are those that are presented as the standards of the Senegalese culture? So many ladies and girls’ richly dressed but naked! “. The Prophet (PBUH) had characterised the woman as the end of time approaches. Sex is now commonplace. So much insolence and arrogance in what people say! What a waste, especially in futilities, in a country where poverty seems to be the best shared thing! The woman is reduced to an object, subjugated by the media, diminished in her moral dignity without really being conscious of it. Consequences of this bargaining exhibition which often go beyond humanity: lost virginity before marriage, early pregnancy, advancing of the age of marriage, increased rate of celibacy, epilepsy and many other pathologies.
It is in this sense that both Hubert Marcuse and Jean Baudrullard see the society of showing off as a society of “of anti-humanist essence”. Dr. Lucien Marcellen in his book, The Contemporary pathology writes: “The endless increase of our desires are the most pathogenic agents against humanity.” That is to say that there are certain neuroses that lead to suicides such as self-immolations that we have seen lately.
Proof of the loss of moral values, the African proverbs like “ Niaari loxo moy takk toubay, wanté yit niaari loxo mooy takk serr[20] ” no longer fit to our realities. In addition to this, because of the “Check down” mode that comes from US prisons[21], our youth (boys and girls) have lost the Geño.
Symbol of authority, courage, sense of responsibility, strength and rigour, the Geño was sacred. It inspired trust. Often, we use to swear, saying: “By my Geñok baay” because the father embodied the most prestigious/valuable character, the accomplished model, the reference of choice because of its good values: honesty, fairness, impartiality, justice, benevolence/goodness, among others.
Nowadays, many fathers do not embody this sacred image anymore, this sort of light illuminating the footsteps of their offspring. The child’s model is then looked for elsewhere, often outside the family circle. With the Globalisation force, the West clearly shows its determination to standardise the cultures in favour of Western culture to the detriment of local cultures. This Westernisation or Americanisation of the world leads the uprooted and acculturated to constantly question their religious and traditional values. To the economic dependence will then be added a cultural dependence. In fact, Africa has nothing to envy to the West culturally.
It is true that no country can remain on the side-lines of the wind of scientific and technological progress that blows from the West[22] and has revolutionised the life of Man by trying improve his living conditions. But what has this progress brought to spirituality and morality[23]?
Every day, women, children, elderly people are starving for lack of vital subsistence or lack of access to primary medical care. Families are being evicted from their homes by the consequences of wars, unemployment terribly affects the most vulnerable segments of society, innocent people are victims of deadly attacks, sexual exploitation of women and child trafficking increasing dramatically. Millions of people around the world living in poverty and insecurity, desperately seeking refuge in illegal immigration at the risk of their lives. They are exposed to all the dangers, deprived of their dignity, their freedom and their fundamental rights. All of this despite the globalisation, which, they say, is aimed at reducing inequalities in development between the “rich” and “poor” countries.
Under the guise of concepts like “freedom”, “democracy”, “modernity” or “secularism”, a fierce and subtle crusade is waged against those who want to strictly follow their religion. We are witnessing a rise of Evil and a marginalisation or even demonisation (conscious or unconscious) of Good. And no country is immune from this phenomenon.
The Sociologist Mamadou Ngom describes the bleak picture of the contemporary world in these terms: “We are in a world where corruption is growing very rapidly where illegal things are considered permissible, where chaos and confusion reign evrywhere, where lies come out of the mouth of the most respected, where people are no longer preoccupied by their own shortcomings but the faults of others, where religious households once known for their science and their righteousness have become the shelters of Satan, where people call themselves Muslims but never practice the precepts of Islam, where many enjoy the blessings of Allah but worship other than Him, where prostitution, rape, paedophilia, murder, homosexuality and alcoholism have become common and the most curious thing is the fact that these are the acts of Muslims and sometimes most respected among them. The younger no longer respect the elder and the eldest has no mercy on the younger, wealth is elevated above science and piety, scrupulousness is sacrificed at the altar of self-interest (…).
The wife disputes the authority to her husband, the heads of the families do not fulfil anymore their duty of care and religious education of their offspring, governments monopolise public funds using and abusing them as if they were their personal property. People pile up wealth without worrying about what is lawful and then hoard them or spend them in frivolities[24]. »
This is our contemporary world with its paradoxes and contradictions caused by human beings who were supposed to bring peace and stability. Never in history, has mankind reached the degree of perversion and spiritual drought that we witness in the world of the twenty-first century. Man, though undoubtedly aware of the scientific and technological progress, is still not yet capable to defeat the Ebola virus, HIV / AIDS or poverty or do without war or deal with the moral depravity. So what about the idea of Descartes that assigned to the human being the power to be the master and owner of nature?
Nowadays the human beings think have moved on from the past. They pride themselves of democracy, human rights, freedom, etc. These new concepts, promoted by the most economically developed countries, disrupt Muslim societies at the same time. Moreover, thanks to progress in science and technology, the world is miniaturized, turned into a global village with one head, the USA and all countries that share with them the same ideals.
In addition to this, global geopolitics is being driven by interest calculations, partisan positions, sometimes subjective projections and speculation without any dose of morality, let alone spirituality. The dialectical materialism of Marx has not finished to dictate the socio-economic relations.
Worse, the wind of homosexuality, transsexuality, lesbianism, pedophilia and banditry blows from the West to the economically poor countries, culturally alienated and politically controlled from the outside.
We dare say that the wealth of a nation is in its free choice and its own guidelines/orientations that can provide appropriate responses to its problems while taking into account the very important dimension of spirituality and dignity of the human being.
Looking at the acts of the humanity called “civilised” we are tempted to say that it is causing to question its own humanity. Indeed, the particularity of Man lies in his intellect that raises him to the rank of human when he uses it usefully or otherwise brings him down to the level of animality. Indeed, the intellect may be useful to us in our long and delicate humanisation process just as it can degrade us, as it is true that we were not born human, but we become one.
We all know that the West is clearly engaged in a path slope that devalues/depreciates human worth, despite its outstanding efforts in protecting human rights. However, we continue to entrust it with the fate of our village and renew our allegiance to it. We do not even dare to express ourselves and take positions in the discussions that take place in the concert of nations, let alone say, stop! Enough is enough! Since we started developing feelings of subordination to the West, we have internalised the fact that we always have to copy it. Therefore we knowingly accept to stay in our houses and submit to the diktat.
The situation described above had already lead the Egyptologist Jean Leclant to ask the following question: “In the such shaken world of ours, subject to such perpetual and rapid changes, does not the contemporary Man, facing his uncertain future feel the need to turn to the achievements of the past in order to try to identify some promises for the future? “.[25]
That is to say that that theorists have failed in their pretentious will to govern life on Earth only by the philosophical thoughts that they have developed. In reality, humans as imperfect creatures cannot find themselves the way to salvation on earth and in the hereafter. Therefore, mankind should return to the divine teachings in order to establish a society based on Justice, Equality and Truth. In this regard, Mr. Marcel A. Boisard states that “It is for the historian to know the essential foundations of a faith-based culture that has impacted with its stamp the evolution of humanity and still gives, even today the main political and moral reference for millions of individuals[26].”
As for us, we see this “faith-based culture” in Mouridism which is a school in the Academy of Islam. That is why, after trying the monarchy, communism, socialism, capitalism, democracy, let us now try Mouridism and we will see that all mankind will rejoice : blood will cease to flow , terrorism will disappear , poverty will no longer exist , the anti-values will become ancient history and social inequality will fade away.
It is true that to get out of poverty, we need resources and investments, but above all a good moral immune to corruption, nepotism, misappropriation of public funds, intense love of power and worldly materials, usury and lies. Mouridism is based on these principles. That is why, all this moral and spiritual potential is worth exploring, reviving and tirelessly promoting by religious and political leaders through the educational system, as a counterweight to the spread of evil on earth if we are truly independent, that is to say, free in our choices and our orientations. We are also tempted to say, in poetic terms, with regards to everything that has been said above about the crisis in our society that we need to:
Act against those politicians with no brakes
That make lies their anthems.
Act against these multiple doctors
Who are the accomplices of the pharmacists.
Act against those managers
Managing as amateurs.
Act against these drivers without heart
That put families in distress.
Act against these laxist workers
Who are never at their workplaces on time.
Act against those contractors
Who are involved in overbilling.
Act against this lack of modesty
Which weakens and exposes the underages.
Act against these teachers by necessity
Taking advantage of the classes to date.
Act against these pissed stars
That serve our youth bastards messages.
Act against these demanding teachers
That always claim money from the rulers.
Act against these irresponsible students
That turn the campus into a repulsive environment.
Action against these actors
That distort the image of the elderly people.
Act against these redoubtable/dreadful Parents
Who do not educate their children.
Act against these students
That succeed by cheating.
Act against the police
Which, in action, bring disorder.
Act against this destabilising fashion
That dishonours and denudes.
Act against these feminists waffling
Who want to make the sun rise in the West.
Act against these journalists without ethics
Who turn their jobs into a comic art.
Act against the public hospitals
Which charge the patient like a clinic.
Act against these secretaries
Who are the lovers of their bosses.
Act against these academics
Who are refractory to publication.
Act against these TV hosts without education
That tarnish the image of the television.
Act against these young boys
Who do not attach their pants.
Act against this loss of virginity
That young girls trade by opportunity.
Act against impunity
That makes you fall into vanity.
Act against these intellectuals
Who only defend their crypto- personal interests.
Act against those Members or Parliament
Who never speak up about the social problems.
Act , Act ! Act! against these workers
Who get paid/cash in their pay and sleep on their laurels.
III. The Crisis of Sufism
Man is not only physical, he also has an immaterial and invisible dimension. Wolofs think that man is Made up of four elements: Jemm (physical body), Bakkane (soul), xel (mind) and xol (heart). Their Egyptian parents of antiquity also distinguished the Khat or Djied (physical body) from the ba (nafs) and the ka (spiritual soul). In the Muslim conception, “Man is made up of intellect, soul and body[27].”
Like the physical body that must be protected to allow a long and peaceful life on earth, the soul must be preserved from vices to qualify for a happy heavenly and eternal life[28].
Spiritual education (Tarbiyya Ruqiya) consists of acting on the soul in order to elevate it to perfection by making man a righteous person who never thinks ill of his fellow human beings, never denigrates and never harms them. In other words, the purpose of the Tarbiyya Ruqiya is to provide the person with a noble character that distinguishes the good people from the bad ones.
Good men release positive energy while bad people give off negative energy. Similarly, life can be compared to a stage where everyone plays the character corresponding to the role they want to play. The play starts on earth, but the end will be take place in the Hereafter. There, the masks will fall and the real faces will be discovered.
Bad people are, for the most weak-minded. They are unable to fulfil their responsibilities towards society. They are wicked, hypocritical, ungrateful, opportunist, arrogant and pretentious. However, they refuse to go to the school of spiritual education because of their obsession of pleasure. Indeed , it is through suffering , patience and endurance that we purify the soul and restore the umbilical cord that binds it to the Lord.
Moreover, suffering is part of the life even though we always want to avoid it. No nation or civilisation, albeit the most advanced scientifically and technologically can avoid it. P. Bordas points it out when he writes: “The westerners had attempted to protect their offspring from the spectra of suffering and death; suffering and death were invited themselves, claiming that there could not be life without death could nor evolution without suffering.[29]“
Serigne Touba a true spiritual master, who positively transformed his society, tells us that one is the delight of Satan if he turns back before accessing the final stage while he was on the path of spiritual perfection following a master[30]. He taught us Mouridism which, contrary to popular belief, is not, “an enjoyable eldorado where followers are completely exempt from the divine recommendations while expecting salvation and the eternal pleasure of the Lord. Mouridism never rhymes with easiness even less with passivity, but rather an absolute devotion and a constant struggle against the carnal soul.[31] the lawyer Sheikh Seck Mabéye writes.
Referring to At-Tidiani Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba said: “The real Sufism is the implementation of the orders of the Lord to Whom Belongs Majesty while avoiding in private and in public to do whatever he forbids (and) following the will of the Most High, and not his own will.[32]“
A Monument of knowledge and virtue, a symbol of unity and brotherhood, an advocate of justice and truth throughout his life, Serigne Touba was aware of the suffering of his people and was committed to liberate them from any authority other than the divine one. His work has a dual dimension both spiritual and temporal. It also has a global reach in that it can provide the solution to the socio-economic crisis that the world is currently facing and whose basis is the intense love for this world and an all the unbridled race towards capital/money.
The philosophy of Serigne Touba also meets the challenges of Africa and would make it free from the war, the balkanisation and poverty if, of course, it was well understood and followed to the letter. Edem Kojo recognises this when he says: « Africa will have nothing to envy the others as longs as it refers to the ideologies of men such as Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba ».
Spiritual patients/Spiritually sick people should go to the clinic of Mouridism because on the Day of Judgment, will succeed only those who come before their Lord with a healthy soul, free from all the stains which are the hidden or visible imperfections.
“Spiritual doctors will be present on earth as long as the world exists” reassured Hannil Hawwass. This is because God did not create Man to punish him. In contrast, HE created him in order to honour him. Therefore, HE will always give him the means to attain happiness/bliss. Unfortunately, the spiritual drought, characteristic of the civilisation of this twenty-first century, is the reason why the majority of men are not interested anymore in the science of the true spiritual masters who treat the imperfections of the heart. Some think true spiritual masters no longer exist. Others, because of the many disappointments they have experienced while following false teachers, put everyone in the same bag. Yet Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba had already warned us when he wrote in Massalikal Jinnan “Do not pay attention to anyone who looks like a religious guide because it is clear that the guides in their majority are set up traps”.
It is true that many people who are seen as spiritual masters capable of leading disciples on the path to spiritual perfection, are patients themselves who should be concerned about their own treatment. Serigne Sam Mbaye was indignant at this, during one of his many lectures, pondering: “If doctors themselves are sick, what should patients do other than waiting for death? “.
Nowadays, it is very rare to see a spiritual master positively transform his disciple by gradually him away from evil, instilling in him the love of Allah, by getting him to strictly comply with all divine recommendations and providing him with a noble character. Yet this is the purpose of the pact of allegiance . The true spiritual master must have only one concern : to make his disciples true Muslims, examples with regards to their knowledge, expertise and way of life.
But in fact, most of our religious leaders are not preoccupied by moral and spiritual education of their disciples. On the contrary, they are rather active in their enslavement and exploitation. Thus repeating the same pattern of relations between lords and serfs, Bourgeois and Proletarians or even between Employers and Workers. Therefore, the religious leader gradually loses his reputation hence his role and his social function is less perceived.
Society is not a fortuitous assemblage of individuals. It consists of group of people who are linked by a common history, who identify themselves to the same values and still manifest the will to live together. Nowadays, as we have already discussed it above, everyone recognises that this society is going through a deep and global moral value crisis. So there is a malfunction in the roles and the relationships.
To ensure harmony in society and cohesion, guarantee of social peace and economic progress, each member must fully play the role assigned to him. The role of the mother is to breastfeed her child, protect him and raise him up. As for the father, he must feed, care, provide shelter and educate his family. The politician, the doctor, the teacher, the policeman, the gendarme, the builder, the carpenter, the electrician, everyone has a skill, a responsibility he must undertake for the good of the society.
Meanwhile the spiritual master, has an extremely important role as he acts on the heart, mind and consciousness. In other words, he is the one who truly spread within society, the moral and spiritual values. He is the one who leads men to righteousness and noble characters. In short, he makes them love doing good and stay away from evil. By extirpating the hidden imperfections of the heart, he turns the disciple into an exemplary Muslim who is useful to his nation.
In the same way we choose righteous mothers for our children, the best doctors to look after our health, the best schools for our instruction ignoring our ancestral traditions and practices, we must also choose the best masters for our spiritual education. For this, the only real indicator is that they should be able to change us, turn us into role models in worshipping of ALLAH (May His Greatness Be Exalted) but also as a member of society.
Anyone responsible and aware of his mission on earth must find a spiritual master to lead him in the way to ALLAH’s (May His Greatness Be Exalted) recognition which inevitably involves turning away (in his heart) from this world while working hard lawfully as if he was never going to die for the sole purpose of preserving his dignity and faith or to be useful to the community. This guide will make him unquestionably a true believer who respects his parents and honours them, who is well mannered, respectable and respectful of everyone, correct, helpful, humble and generous; a person who, by his noble character, positively changes the environment.
This is what the role of a religious guide should be. He must be able to revive the heart of the disciple, bruised by the love of this world, fun, ephemeral pleasures and attachment to (worldly) materials. If he is not able to it, this means that he is not a true guide and we should not follow him not to mention pledging allegiance to him.
As for the one who is spiritually sick, he must be aware of his condition and go in search of a true doctor that can cure him. If anyone has been favoured and blessed by ALLAH (May His Greatness Be Exalted) to come across a true guide in his quest, that purifies the imperfections of the heart such as jealousy, pride, malice, hatred, slander, greed, then he must know he owes ALLAH (May His Greatness Be Exalted) two things: a duty of gratitude and a sense of sacrifice. Indeed, good guidance belongs to ALLAH (May His Greatness Be Exalted), HE offers it to whoever he wants.
Although the real guide is difficult to find, there are (nonetheless) all the time present on earth. Similarly to the first “disconnected ” generation who needed guides ( prophets and saints) the current and future generations ” connected ” also need this light. Men come and go, but the light remains .
We can see that many spiritual guides have given up, however certain (spiritual masters) do not even think throwing in the towel . They fight every day for the irradiation of Islam in Senegal and around the world. They secretly and humbly prove themselves by intercepting young people who were engaged on a path whose end would be unfortunate for them and for their country.
Such is the example of Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa -ul Hayaat , a true guide that fills the believers’ hearts of the love of ALLAH (May His Greatness Be Exalted). This Man of GOD is known throughout the world for his devotion, his dedication and his unwavering determination to serve, throughout his life, God, His Prophet (PBUH) and Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba Xaadimul Rassul.
- Maa -ul Hayaat and the Revival of Authentic Sufism
This hope of the third millennium, hungry for spirituality and morality despite the enormous progress made by science and technology, was born the night 18 Safar 1396 corresponding to a day of Saturday in Diourbel where Serigne Touba spent 15 years of his life. He has witnessed two centuries according to the Muslim calendar (fourteenth and fifteenth centuries); two centuries (XX and XXI) and two millennia (II and III), according to the Gregorian calendar.
Thus Modou Fatma Mbow could not help to give thanks to Allah for making Maa-ul Hayaat a gift to humanity. He says: “All praise to Allah (SWT) Who, by His Mercy, sent us Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa-ul Hayaat, such as brave a man in the realisation of this project of society that the Prophet of Islam (PBUH ) announced there several centuries ago so that men can live in peace by accomplishing the only mission of their presence on earth whether they know it or not, I mean the exclusive worship of the Master of the Resurrection.[33] “
Unknown to the daaras, most of his followers are from the French schools. “And of course, being empty of basic religious education, we were ignorant, corrupt, jealous, arrogant, spiteful, who only limited knowledge to learning French and profane sciences. This ostensible conduct made us pursue our passions and gave us the impression that this worldly life is eternal. The thought of death never crossed our minds. And even worse than this, we did not find any discomfort to boast publicly about the major sins that we have committed hence showing the spiritual drought that we were experiencing. We did not like doing good and we use to work towards erecting evil on a daily basis. Thus, the constancy in sinning, the denial of our Lord and the deep love of this world were our distinguishing features. In short, I would say that we were true transgressors who had deliberately taken the path of perdition and misguidance and everyone knows the horrible end of this path[34]“clarifies Mr. Seck.
Bounama Mbengue , French Professor abounds in the same direction: « We were heavily engaged in this “vast peat horror and injustice[35]“, this world of pettiness and vanity. This world where anti-values are common.
In this modern society where clever man has usurped the place of the honest man or even the good man, we were set to become the knights of conceit, disloyalty, ostracism, hypocrisy …. in order to achieve our goal which we mistakenly say, justify the means.
In a society characterised by the corruption of moral values, where Islamic ones are relegated to the background, where even those who work for Islam falsify it and interpret it wrongly in order to satisfy their personal or partisan interests, thus betraying the spirit of the sacred text …
We set out to become intellectuals of bad faith, without objectivity, who would sacrifice science on the altar of our own interests.
We set out to achieve an individualistic social success, that would have led us to wealth, abundance, competition, selfishness coupled with the satisfaction of our carnal addictions
like gambling, feasting , luxury, in a nutshell all the pleasures that would make us forget our purpose on this earth ie worship our Lord.
(…) We were sick without being conscious of it . Yet even our neighbourhood did not suspect anything because we had a sound body and mind , but our soul was undermined/sapped , corrupted, corroded by persistent viruses such as Satan, this world , the pleasures and life were that made us vicious , vindictive , fats , conspicuous , wicked , spiteful and so on.[36] “.
But “Fortunately [wrote me SECK] Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa -ul Hayaat miraculously stopped us in this downward trajectory and put us in the path of righteousness and salvation[37] . “And” thanks to the effectiveness (…) and efficiency of his treatment we feel better and better[38] “adds Bounama Mbengue .
Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa-ul Hayaat is the son of Serigne Moustapha Amdy son of Serigne Modou Adjara, son of Hara Min Baati son of Mouhamadoul-Kabir, better known under the name of Mame Marame MBACKE. On his maternal side, he is from the family Tchilla Daramane, a very religious household. We will not elaborate too much on this, because this is not the most important aspect. The most important thing is rather the impact of the Sheikh in society. In this regard, he has already proven himself.
Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa-ul Hayaat has turned adept of sports grounds into adepts of places of worship, adepts of the TV set into adepts of the Holy Qur’an, adepts of nightclubs into adepts of night prayers, music lovers into adepts of the Xassaïdes. This is why the sociologist and Inspector of Education, Mamadou Ngom describes him as ”an oasis of light and righteousness in this spiritual desert that is the world of the twenty-first century … a sun that generously sends its heat and light in all directions without despising anyone or anything[39] .“
Indeed, those who come to him for the first time to pledge allegiance were full of vices : proud, angry , hateful towards their fellow human beings , selfish, wicked , slanderers, covetous, lazy in worship , and so many other things ? But thanks to him, they have become true Muslims, pure monotheists. He turned them into righteous young people, who can acclimatise anywhere, and live with anyone. Maa -ul Hayaat has “built” awakened young people, conscious, incorruptible, patients, hard workers, committed to strictly follow the recommendations of GOD and stay away from what HE prohibits.
“Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa-ul Hayaat irradiate in all directions enlightening, invigorating and spiritualising the masses.[40]“Adds Mamadou Ngom. It is as if he had placed in the heart of his disciples a light that allows them to hold this world with tongs and continuously get ready for their meeting with the Lord of the universe. Thanks to Maa-ul Hayaat his disciples frequently talk about death, as if they were no longer afraid of this ultimate stage of life since it marks the encounter with the One Whom he has put His love in their hearts. Thanks to him, his disciples displayed an unconditional love for their Lord and they never get tired in working for Him. Thanks to Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa-ul Hayaat, the best day for them is the day that will mark their return to the Creator (SWT). Yet all his followers are held up as role models in their workplaces.
The transformation power of the Sheikh is unbelievable. He saves souls within a very short period of time ; souls who would have otherwise been victims of the Hell Fire. The change in behaviour of his disciples is so fast that some parents could not even believe it. The parents and the authorities have understood his role in society. His followers are easily recognisable. They never approach the blameworthy because he has equipped them with a sense of discernment between the truth that he embodies and continuously convey and falsehood that might resemble to truth. Yet nothing predisposed them to this type of behaviour. The first disciple he lead into the path of Sufism named Sheikh Yahya Seye told us the following:
« I heard a about the Sheikh in 1997 when he came to Keur Mbaye Fall . People used to say there was a young Mbacké – Mbacké who spends all his time praying , reading the Qur’an , fasting , remembering the names of Allah and crying. I said, ‘ That’s the person I was looking for, I must go and see him.
In my family, I’m the only who did not have the chance to go to Quranic school. All my relatives are Quranic teachers. My father took me to the French school from which I came out as an engineer. However, while at university, I started reading the French translation of “Massaalik-ul Jinaan” (The Ways Unto Heaven) and many questions came to my mind. The behaviour of most of the Mourids were diametrically opposed to the one described in this book. I wondered then if that path set by Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba was to be followed by him alone.
At the end, I thought that when Serigne Touba wrote Massalikul Jinnan, he dedicated to those who claim to follow him. So, I was desperate to meet someone who could put me on this path. I prayed to my Lord. Thus, when I heard about Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa-ul Hayaat in Keur Mbaye Fall where I live, I did not hesitate for a moment to go to meet him.
I found him in retreat, immersed in the remembrance of the names of Allah. On our first meeting , we both shed tears, as if we already knew each other. I told him the purpose of my visit and pledge allegiance to him, which he accepted. He spoke to me about death, the Day of Resurrection, and reminded me of the mission of Man on earth which is to seek the pleasure of Allah at all time. Then he gave me “lawrats” (litanir) to says. On my return, it is as if passion, Satan, the world and pleasures had been pushed away from me. I felt the same day a great pleasure in worshipping my Lord. And that night I started to pray 100 rakkas with pleasure and ease. After eighteen years of companionship with the Sheikh, he has unveiled secrets and showed me things that I do not dare talk about. »
Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa -ul Hayaat turned his young disciples into real Sufis, those whom Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba praises the virtues in Huqqa[41]. Here are some verses (extracted) from it.
- “ They were the faithful and serious servants, obedient to their Master and this One Most High appeared for them, a Lord Bountiful and Merciful.
- They considered as a cause efficient of disasters, the fact of missing a “wird” (litany) or bingeing of food, were they licit in the eyes of the law!
- When the night of its darkness opaque, covered the face of the world, they rose in outburst to invigorate the dark night.
- They sacrificed all passion and pride in the remembrance of their Lord Creator, sacrificing their sleep at night in intimacy (with Allah).
- At night, they fled from their beds, forgetting Salma and Layla with pleasure and satisfaction.
- The most beautiful woman, she appeared in all her beauty they had their backs turned to devote themselves, body and soul, to their Lord with fervor.
- They forgot Layla and Soda in their prayers taking pleasure to the incantations and to the verses..
- Their subjects of conversation never wore only on the mention of The Absolute, the Purveyor Munificent.
His followers are unanimous in recognising the positive changes on them gained from following Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa -ul Hayaat. Bounama Mbengue says: ” He taught us to perform acts of worship only for the sake of Allah (SWT) “ .
He taught us to seek knowledge and practice it with sincerity and purity of dogma.
He taught us to protect ourselves and preserve the limbs of our body whose deviance leads to Hell (May God protect us from it).
He taught us to read the Quran , the best act of worship according to the Prophet (PBUH) .
He has enlightened us, warned us and opened our heart that now only shuddered to the Quran and the odes of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba .
He taught us to constantly have death in our minds.
He gives us chaste wives and husbands, (who are) devout and responsible he also baptised the children of such unions.
He prays for our relatives who passed away, accompanying them to their final resting place.
He educates us, our wives, and our children educated in his daaras ; he dresses , looks after and feeds them at his own cost …[42] “
And Khady Gueye rightly wonders:
“What can I do to thank the one who reconciled me with my Lord, my Beloved and Creator?
What can I do to thank the one who made me taste the pleasure of worshiping Allah?
What can I do to thank the one who cleared my heart of imperfections such as jealousy?
What can I do to thank the one who has made me look forward my meeting with my Lord?
What can I do to thank the one who has made reading the Holy Qur’an my passion?
What can I do to thank the one who has made the discussion about Allah my happiness. ?
What can I do to thank the one who made me accept the divine decrees?
What can I do to thank the one who opened and enlightened my heart to such an extent that a simple thought of my Lord makes me shed tears?
What can I do to thank the one who made the Greatness of Allah the only thing that counts in my eyes?
What can I do to thank the one who makes us accept the fact that only piety and good deeds are important in this world?
I can never enumerate all the blessings of Maa-ul Hayaat on me.
I can never thank him.
I swear in the name of Allah that even if I gave my life, my soul, my possessions and the whole world I could not thank him because a human being can afford to lost everything except his Lord, his Creator. [43]»
Dr Tahirou Mbaye , adds: ” We can never find the words to express our gratitude to Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa -ul Hayaat , our guide. It is thanks to him that we discovered Mouridism and authentic Islam . We are impressed by his spiritual strength to forge the souls, his affection and care for his disciples.[44] »
We therefore acknowledge with Khadidjatou Samaké that “words are very light to express our gratitude to our beloved Sheikh.[45] »
We have many testimonies like these from the disciples of Sheikh Ahmadou Mbacke Maa -ul Hayaat scattered around the world . They prove that the Sheikh is undoubtedly part of the saints Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba describes in Huqqa :
- « Each one of all these noblemen belongs to a High rank, capable of protecting the aspirant against the evil of the rebellious transgressors.
- Each of them is a great spiritual leader, a scholar and a probe. Some of them provide education through the incantations and the mystical states.
- Among them, they are people who elevate their followers, all the time, by a single condition, but others educate and elevate through signs (effective).
- Each is a noble, generous, pious and wise, providing the most valuable advice to all of the humans.
- Each one is a knowledgeable sagacious knowing all the spiritual diseases, preserving the aspirants (the murid) from various kinds of misfortunes;
- Healing the soul of all his vices, by his fervor, having received from the LORD Sciences highly prominent ».
It is difficult to understand the fact that, a person who had voluntarily decided to mark a breaking point in his life, by giving up his old habits that did not conform to the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), who had fully engaged in the path of spiritual perfection behind him conscientiously and willingly, and since then admits his love for Allah had increased qualitatively , (admits) that he properly performs his mandatory and voluntary prayers, (admits) he assiduously reads the Holy Quran and Xassaides of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba Xaadimul Rassul, who saw his relationship with human beings much improved and one day wants to question everything, trying to throw the anathema on him.
Certainly man is ungrateful and unjust. The Holy Quran tells us: “Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant“. (Surah 33, V. 72)
God said, “Does man not consider that We created him from a [mere] sperm-drop – then at once he is a clear adversary?» (Surah 36, V. 77).
The enemy of Allah is wasting his time because his fight is lost in advance. The Meccan disbelievers and hypocrites did everything they can to stop the momentum of the Prophet ( PBUH), the colonisers have tried everything to obstruct the way to Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba Khadimou Rassoul, all these machinations were unsuccessful. It will be the same story for the enemies of Maa-ul Hayaat.
The Prophet (PBUH) once said to his companions: “There will be among Muslims a generation better than you. They will not see me, but they will love me as much as you. They will work like for to irradiation of Islam. ” It would surprise us if this generation is not the one that Maa-ul Haayat is forming. The Messenger of Allah also said: “At the end of time, Muslims will divide themselves into 73 communities, but only one will be in the truth.” It would surprise a lot if this community is not the one being built by Maa-ul Hayaat. One day the Messenger of Allah, addressing some of his arab companions in the presence of Bilal (black man), said to them: “Your descendants will never cease to show disinterest to Islam until the religion ends up in the hands of Bilal’s parents. “.
A new page is opened in the history of Islam with the advent of Maa-ul Hayaat, this inexhaustible source to whom come to drink the (people) thirsty of Divine Light; this immeasurable gift once only dedicated to the dead and not for the living. Fortunately, Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba Khadim Rassoul accepted to make sacrifices, facing bravely all the dangers until Our Lord granted him this gift that Maa-ul Hayaat repesents. Let Men and Jins take advantage of this divine mercy before it is too late.
Conclusion
From this modest essay, we can say that Sufism seems to be an appropriate path that allows the Muslim to reach holiness. The mouridullah, that is to say, the seeker or talibé who wants to purify his soul and attain through this the pleasure/approval/recognition of Allah, should first look for a master. He should pay attention to whom he pledges allegiance if he really wants to reach holiness, as no man can give out what he does not have. The choice of the master should be based on no criteria other than the ability of the master to positively transform his disciple.
The faith of the Muslims is nowadays attacked from all sides and at all times. In our times it is very easy to see someone wake up in the morning holding on to his faith and then turn into a disbeliever in the afternoon. The faith of the Muslim is all the time threatened by what he sees, what he hears and what he feels. Everything around the Muslim can erode his faith until it is completely lost without him realising it. In order to avoid this it is in the interest of the Muslim to find a true (spiritual) master.
At a time, where a negative image of Islam is presented by Western media and by sects who claim to act in the name of Islam, it is urgent to protect and promote the teachings of the founder of the Sufi paths in Senegal especially those of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba Khadimou Rassoul.
Any negligence in relation to this attitude would be disastrous for the future generations. The speeches must be articulated around these teachings rather than wasting time trying to compete in prestige through the exploits of the founders of the Sufi paths. The ground that other ideologies have gained in our country is due, in large part, to the lack of functionality, operability and effectiveness of our discourses. It is as if we had called up hungry people and instead of serving them a meal, we start praising those who prepared it keeping the meal in the kitchen. They will resist as much as they can. If someone else offers them food, they will eat it without hesitation in order to avoid starvation, even if they do not want it. We can still have hope because this was also the case in the past. Whenever humanity was sinking into darkness, ALLAH would send us His Light. This is how we understand the sfollowing words of P. Bordas: “The earth is a big body, it can sometimes get hurt , it may bleed , and then heals[46] “.
Bibliography
- BOISARD Marcel A., L’humanisme de l’Islam, Paris, Albin Michel, 1979.
- BORDAS Pierre, Le feu de Dieu, Editions Au Diable Vauvert, Paris, 2009, 438 pages.
- CARREL Alexis, L’homme, cet inconnu, 1935.
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- MBENGUE Bounama, Discours de bienvenue au Thiant (jour de grâce) annuel de Maa-ul hayaat, CICES-Dakar, 2013.
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- MOLIERE, Tartuffe, 1664.
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[1] Serigne Mbacke Abdou Rahman and Serigne Mbacke Bashir Abdul Khadr present Sufism as follows: ” Sufism means charity in essence. This charity is the third dimension of Islam; considered to be the wall that protects the faith and worship from anything that can nullify them and makes them accepted and produce the desired effects “(see ” « le soufisme dans la vision de Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba ” in, Etude sur la Mouridiya, Collection ” Des Fruits du Jardin ” Rawdu -r rayahin , Touba , 2014, p.28 .
[2] Mouridism is the path of the purification of the soul, well known Senegal thanks to Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba.
[3] This situation reminds us in many respects of the context in which Sufism was born. Indeed, Serigne Mbacke Abdou Rahman and Serigne Bashir Mbacke Abdul Khadr say : ” Sufism appeared when materialism began to invade the lives of Muslims after the expansion of the Islamic conquest that helped create wealth and develop kind of amenities to change the lives of Muslims and push them towards more material enjoyment ” in, Etude sur la Mouridiya, Collection ” Des Fruits du Jardin ” Rawdu -r rayahin , Touba , 2014, p.28
[4] His real name Marie Joseph Auguste Carrel-Billiard, he was born on 28 juin1873 in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, France and died November 5, 1944 in Paris
[5]Alexis Carrel, L’homme, cet inconnu, 1935, p.97
[6] Papa Fary Seye, Racines égyptiennes de l’Au-delà musulman, Harmattan, Paris 2011.
[7] Jean-Baptiste Poquelin aka Molière (1622-1673) was a French writer of the 17th century. He wrote several plays , the most famous is Tartuffe , published in 1664
[8] Mariane’s servant. Outspoken character with a lot of common sense. Mariane is the daughter of Orgon
[10] Autobiographical essay published by “Les Arenes” on the 4th September 2014
[11] Alice, wife of Franx who remained at the Fire of God with her children Theo and Zoe and Grax
[12] Pierre Bordas, Le feu de Dieu, published by Au Diable Vauvert, Paris, 2009, 438 pages, p. 165.
[13] Samuel P. Huntington, le choc des civilisations, published by Odile Jacob, Paris, 1997, 545 pages, p.69.
[14] Term used in the Qoran. Should not we consider those that make no effort to humanise themselves as more dangerous than the people with Ebola? With regards to this let us remember that one of the instructions given by the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to escape from this very deadly epidemic is to never come in contact with the patient let it be your son, your father or your mother.
[15] Term used in the Quran. This state is reached by the Elect of God, the Saints.
[16] The journey to the purification of the soul, the spiritual education consisting of a constant battle against the carnal soul, passion, Satan and the world under the direction of a true master.
[17] Ababacar Ndiaye, professor of Philosophy, « De notre civilisation moderne : constat de crises et soif de spiritualité», article published in the magazine « Maa-ul Hayaat », N° 15, July 2013.
[18] Moussa Thiao, professor of literature, « Pour un retour vers l’Islam face à des valeurs en décadence », article published in the magazine « Maa-ul-hayaat », N° 15, July 2013.
[19] André Gide, Les faux monnayeurs.
[20] The proverb means: “The two hands are the ones that tie the pants but they are the ones that to tie the loinclot”
[21] The term means: “Look at my backside”
[22] In our times China is purportedly the reference power. It is perhaps for this reason that the Prophet (PBUH) had told the Muslims: ” Seek knowledge even if you have to go as far as China”
[23] In the eighteenth century Jean Jacques Rousseau warned about the possible deviations of the scientific progress due to the lack of spirituality. He seems to be right in our times.
[24] Welcome speech Thiant, Cices, Dakar, Senegal, 2011.
[25] Jean Leclant, « Ce que l’Egypte nous a apporté », in, Le Point, of 22-29 December 2000, number 1475-1476, p. 134-156.
[26] Marcel A. Boisard, L’humanisme de l’Islam, Paris, Albin Michel, 1979, p. 19
[27] Rawdu-r rayahin, Etude sur la Mouridiya, Collection « Des Fruits du Jardin » Touba, 2014, p.29.
[28] Serigne Mbacke Abdou Rahman and Serigne Abdou Khadr Bashir noted, “Man needs the oneness of God in order to have a pure faith and fiqh in order to properly perform the acts of worship. However Man needs Sufism to beautify his acts of worship by the jewel of sincerity, to train the soul to sincere worship and to purify the hearts from diseases and defects “(See., Rawdu-r rayahin, Etude sur la Mouridiya, Collection « Des Fruits du Jardin» Touba, 2014, p.29).
[29] Pierre Bordas, op.cit., p. 279.
[30] That one cannot leave the natural state where ‘Man is a wolf to Man’ ‘, as Hobbes puts it, to access the state of culture in which man becomes humanised.
[31] Cheikh Mabéye Seck, « La nécessité d’un retour à l’orthodoxie mouride », article published in the magazine « Maa-ul Hayaat », N° 10, January 2011.
[32] See., Rawdu-r rayahin, Etude sur la Mouridiya, 2014, P.31
[33] Modou Fatma Mbow, Agronomist, Speech, Thiant, Cices, Dakar, Sénégal, 2013
[34] Cheikh Mabéye Seck, Speech, Thiant, Cices, Dakar, Sénégal, 2012.
[35] This is an expression from La Bruyère, in « Les Caractères ».
[36] Bounama Mbengue, Welcome Speech, Thiant, Cices, Dakar, Sénégal, 2011.
[37] Cheikh Mabéye Seck, op.cit, Welcome Speech, Thiant, Cices, Dakar, Sénégal, 2012.
[38] Bounama Mbegue, ibidem.
[39] Welcome Speech, Thiant, Cices, Dakar, Sénégal, 2010.
[40] Ibidem
[41] Should We Mourn the Saints?
[42] Ibid.
[43] Thiant 2009, Keur Mbaye Fall, Dakar, Senegal.
[44] Ibidem.
[45] Ibidem.
[46] Op.cit., p.332.
