Ajami in the Senegambia

by Fallou Ngom

Serigne Mouhamadou Masokhna Lo's Wolof Ajami Video

Reflections of a Mouride Scholar: Serigne Masokhna Lo

Written by: Serigne Mouhamadou Masokhna Lo
Date written: July 2006

Serigne Masokhna Lo, a Mouride scholar, discusses various issues ranging Bamba's life and teachings, the common origin of humanity, the origin of the family name "Gassama," life and solidarity in old days, to Islam, peace and tolerance.

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The beliefs and the worldview of a great Mouride scholar 1

(Arabic Introduction)
A ћuuzu billaahi minaʃʃeytaani al-rajiim. bismilaahi al-rahmaani al-rahiimi wa salaatu wa salaam ћalaa asrafil mursaliina seydinaa wa mawlaanaa muhammadin wa ћalaa aalihii wa sahibi wa xadiimihii, wa man tabiћahum ilaa yawmi diini.

I seek refuge in God from Satan, the outcast. In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Blessings and Peace be on the Messenger of God, on his companion, his servant and their followers on the judgment day.

The beliefs and the worldview of a great Mouride scholar 2

With the blessing of Khaadimul Mustafaa (Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba), repeated three times. May we live in the path of our spiritual guide, may we die in it, and may we be resurrected in it. I exclusively rely on him on the judgment day, because he is the one who wrote the following: "I worked for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to such an extent that he brought me to God." One evening, I heard a discussion led by Papa Fall on the radio. He was asking the guest whether Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba admired the Prophet so much that he decided to take his name. He (the guest) answered: "There is no disagreement on the fact that he personally named himself Xaadimu'l-Rasuul (also spelled in Senegal as 'Khadimoul Rasoul'), i.e. The Servant of the Prophet. That day, I called him late at night to tell him that he was right, because Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba is like a sea or the sun. His mysteries cannot be mastered.

The beliefs and the worldview of a great Mouride scholar 3

I have some writings of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba in which he said "The Prophet took my hands and led me to God" and said to God the following: "Given that Satan will always be in this world and I am the seal and the last of the Prophets, what is the future of Islam?" God told him: "I will take care of it by the year 1400 (of the Muslim calendar)." The Prophet then told him "Since this person (Bamba) appeared in Jaysashin (the year 1313 of the Muslim calendar), I trust him with the religious family". God approved of it. It is for this reason that Bamba said: "I have asked the Prophet, with God's blessing who brought us together, to become his assistant." Bamba can therefore be regarded as the embodiment of the Prophet, Peace be upon him.

The beliefs and the worldview of a great Mouride scholar 4

Therefore, we rely on him (Bamba). Serigne Touba does not have a specific religious denomination. He simply preached Muriidul-Laahi, i.e. anyone who yearns or longs for God. In this sense, whoever says "I am not Muriid" is outside the realm of Islam. Bamba said "whoever longs for God can come with me." The letter "m" of the word Muriid, when followed by the vowel "u" makes the word mean "someone who longs for God". In that case, Bamba is your leader. If the letter "m" of the word Muriid is followed by the vowel "a", the word becomes Mariid meaning someone who is astray/lost. In that case, Satan is your leader. The world mainly consists of these two groups, and people are free to choose between them. Serigne Touba is one of the assistants of the prophet, but he does not have any assistant himself.

The common origin of Humanity and the difference between Muslims and Christians 1

We all know that Bamba is a great democrat as illustrated in one of his writings entitled Mawaahibul Khuduus. In this poem, he does not exclude anyone. Christians are some of the best believers in God, but they do not believe in the Prophet Muhammad. This is the only difference (between them and Muslims). They believe in God and they are honest people. This world is like a farm (a family) in which we must all be united as if we were from the same father and mother, because we are all descendants of Adam and Eve. God created Adam, and from him he took a rib to create Eve, and then from both of them he created a multitude of men and women who form the world.

The common origin of humanity and the difference between Muslims and Christians 2

If I was to attend a European school, I would study to become a doctor, but I would not study to become a judge or a lawyer, because although God is the true healer, each doctor's wish is for the sick people to be healed. This compassion is always rewarded by God. All human beings form one marvelous entity. Bamba, who has no equal, tells us that the Muslim may go to heaven, with God's blessing, if s/he follows the right path until his/her death. If s/he does not follow the right path until his/her death, and is not blessed by God, s/he will go to hell. The Muslim should never have the certitude that s/he is out of Satan's reach as long as s/he lives.

The origin of the family name "Gassama" and life and solidarity in old days

All last names have origins. Nowadays, life has improved compared to the past. Do you know what "déem" means? Once upon a time, some people were trying to pick some "déem" and "daqar" fruits, but the fruits were difficult to cut. A young man attempted several times to cut fruits from the trees but was unsuccessful. Then, he was asked to shake (Wolof: gësëm) the tree. He shook the tree several times (Wolof: gësëm - gësëm) but nothing fell from the trees. Then, the adult who was with the young man shook the tree harder. The fruits started to fall. Thus, the man started to be called in Wolof "góor gu mën gaa gësëm" (the man who can really shake) which gave the family name "Gassama".

One day, there was a naming ceremony at the Makebe's. At that time there was no "laax" (a traditional Senegalese meal made with millet and milk). Life is easy now, but when I was a child studying Qur'aan, I remember the day that my father had five kilograms of "Caroline rice" that he brought back from Saint-Louis as remuneration for his services as a "marabout" (a spiritual man/healer). He had kept it for almost five months before Tabaski (Eid-al-kabiir). That day, we eat white rice (which was rare). Many of us were sent to bring portions of the rice to the neighbors such as Baye Ibra Diakhate, Baye Mor Khary Lo, Dame Khary in Sakkal, Serigne Sakkal and each of them received a small portion of the rice. At that time, we had only "laax", "ruuñ" and "mitt" (old traditional Senegalese meals). The work of Serigne Touba is likes that (it makes life get better and better). He said: "The paradise that I promise you, if it was a meal to eat, I would have brought you the smell to assure you that you will be served."

Tolerance, mutual understanding and peace in life 1

With respect to your question, God our Owner said, our grandfather Mame Khaly Madiakhate Kala teaches us that life can be summarized in three words: "Wa-Xa-Ja". The "Wa" stands for "waxante" (to speak to each other/ to discuss), the "Xa" stands for "xamante" (to know each other) and the "Ja" stands for "jariñante" (to be useful to each other/to serve each other). This is life. God could have made human beings be rain or trees, but it is because he intended humans to interact that he created people, ethnic groups & races so that mutual understanding and compassion may exist between them.

Tolerance, mutual understanding and peace in life 2

Nowadays, as you can see, the influence of Satan is very present in the world. For example, a family member just went to Dakar because of a student who killed his teacher. It is obvious that when a disciple (a student) kills his teacher, the studies are no longer blessed (have no "baraka"). With respect to your question, if you want to live a good life (to be happy in life), you should consider all those who believe in God to be from the same father and mother. You must make efforts to preserve good relationships. A Muslim should entertain good relationships. If there are arguments or insults at the mosque; it is clear that those responsible went there for reasons other than praying. Between "allaahu akbar, assalaamu alaykum" (the beginning and the end of a prayer), there should be no time for any argument or dispute. I have some writings about the relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims here in this world. Before his death, Serigne Mouhammadou Lamine Diop Dagana did something extraordinary. He is the first and last to do it. It was a Saturday afternoon, on the 16th of the month of Tamxarit (which corresponds to the 10th day of the month of "Muharram", the first month of the Muslim calendar) when Bamba summoned a meeting. We cannot discuss at length all the issues here; I am just trying to introduce to you the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims. He (Bamba) called Serigne Mouhammadou Lamine Dagana after the prayer of Timis (In Senegal, Timis is the "Maghreb prayer" which occurs around 8 pm) and asked him to read the Qur'aan. Serigne Mouhammadou Lamine Dagan, after reciting a litany to seek refuge in God from Satan, read the verse of Faatiha (the opening verse of the Qur'aan).

Islam, Peace and Tolerance 1

As for the Muslim, if s/he goes to a nightclub, a bar or gets involved in (dirty) politics, s/he is wrong. On the other hand, the troubles at a mosque should not involve the people dancing in nightclubs. If everyone minds his/her own business, there will be nothing but peace. The graveyards of Nduur, Batuwaar and Yoff do not differentiate those who own big buildings (the rich) from beggars (the poor). They do not distinguish the hungry people (from others). Everyone gets what s/he has worked for. This world is a place where nothing but peace should exist (said three times). If social success was a home, the road to it would be called peace. Everything in Islam is synonymous with peace. God our owner has 99 names. He could have called himself "Xëxër" (The Tyrant/The Oppressor) or "I am the King" or "I am Rubuubiyatu" (The Most Powerful) or something else, but He chose the word "Yaa Salaam" (Peace) for the religion. Islam is nothing but peace.

Islam, Peace and Tolerance 2

Whoever brings hardships in Islam has some personal interest that s/he cannot achieve without using the religion as a tool. Thus, s/he betrays Islam to reach his/her goals. Islam is nothing else but peace. Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba said once, in his praises of the Prophet, that "it is because of your wisdom/tolerance that Abu Jahlin and his friends made fun of you, but obviously your hidden strength could have destroyed them all without you touching them." When the Prophet went to his uncle and was attacked by slaves and dogs and was hurt, when he was bleeding and leaned on a fig tree, the Angel Gabriel and the Angel Michael appeared to him and told him "the rocks surrounding Yasri have received the order to smash/destroy all your enemies." The Prophet kept silent for a while and said "Leave them alone for they do not know me so that they may have Muslim children." This is an illustration of tolerance. A Muslim must be tolerant. God, our Owner, said that he may bring "those who are tolerant" to heaven without judgment. God is with the tolerant/patient people. No matter how hard your situation may be, if you are tolerant & patient, God will help you resolve it.

Islam, Peace and Tolerance 3

Thank God for having led us to Serigne Touba. Serigne Abdoul Ahad once said that we should be thankful and try to do good deeds, and to know that Bamba has worked by himself for us and that we have only to reap the benefits of his work. He once said (in his struggle against the French colonizer): "My country is impoverished, my fences have fallen, my people have been scattered and they made enemies for me." The last month of Ramadan that Bamba spent (in Gabon during his exile), he would chew leaves from trees, suck their liquid, and would spit the remainder because it looked like food. He spent that entire fasting month in that way. He could have decided not to fast, because he is a traveler (Al-musaafir: Islam allows certain travelers not to fast), but he did not. The Prophet had given instructions to all his companions. He once said to Aliyu: "I recommend you to treat well your guests, both men and women. He then added, even if the guest is a non-Muslim or a child." Bamba also said that, if you see a drunken person with a bottle of alcohol screaming, respect him and have sympathy for him, but do not say that he is cursed. God, the creator, said that he respects all human beings. Whoever does not respect his peers (human beings), regardless of his social status will be unfortunate before his death. The Human being is respected by God, and whatever God respects must be respected. Of all God's creatures, the human being is the best. All those who believe that they are involved in holy war after the Prophet's time by using swords, firearms or other weapons are doomed to have a bad ending. When Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba arrived in Louga, his disciples gathered axes and many other types of weapon and told him: "the colonizer has always been able to take away from us the good holy men, and given your holiness, we will not let them take you away this time." Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba answered: "My struggle against the French colonizer will be resolved without the use of any force."