Shaykh El Haj Umar Tall d after Futa Djallon, nay im Niass Shaykh Ibrahim, or “Baye Niass” as he is. ‘commonly referred to, contributed remarkably to the propagation of the ‘tariqat in the Salum region of Senegal, in ‘the Gambia, and throughout Ghana, Sudan (Khartoum), and Nigeria, where there are virtually millions of his disciples. Shaykh Ibrahim once said : “If almighty Allah (glory to Him) had graced me with know!- ‘edge of both English and French, 1 would hhave brought Islam to every doorstep.” He “was a revivalist of the sunnah, an advocate for educational excellence among women, ‘and a proponent of literacy, particularly ‘among members of the tariqat where itis, indeed, a priority. ‘Shaykh Ibrahim Niass a.) died in 1975, leaving behind the splendid Kaolak mosque and a number of Islamic institutes where Arabic, Qur'an, tafsir (commentary of Qur'an) and figh (Islamic jurispru- nce) are taught to thousand of students. Bees e ota principle that knowledge is essential to every disciple and a'must for every Muslim. Indeed we know of the Prophet's = saying : “Knowledge must be sought, even if one ‘must travel to China.” Global Work and Honors In addition to his esoteric teachings, ‘Shaykh Ibrahim played a major role in the. | World as a member of several prestigious organizations, where he served ‘as vice president of the Muslim World ‘League and as a member of the World ‘Islamie Conference. His authority extend- ‘ed to the political world as he was held in ‘great estecm by many governments, He was awarded the ‘Medallion of the ‘Throne’ in Morocco, the ‘Medallion of the Republic of Tunisia’, the “Medallion of Nigeria’, the ‘Légion d'honneur’ of France, the Medal of the Society of Ancient Warriors (France), and several _ medals from the Government of Senegal, || man who once said, “The word ‘tired’ the highest of which was the ‘Grand Croix’. In addition, Shaykh Ibrahim received an honorary doctorate from Libya. ‘The Shaykh was a very hard working not part of my vocabulary”, and “I have not slept more than two hours a day since Treached the age of thirty.” ‘Throughout his life he was dedicated to | the teaching and propagation of Islam. He ‘was expert in the Arabic language, well versed in poetry and possessed mastery of the sciences required to write a detailed interpretation of the Qur'an, which he ‘authored in both Arabic and Wolof. Contemporary Spiritual Heirs Today, the mugaddamat of the Shaykh are many, the most prominent being his grandson, Shaykh Hassan Cissé of Senegal, who has converted thousands of Americans to Islam. Shaykh Hassan has received honorary keys to Cleveland, Washington D.C., Detroit, Memphis. and New Orleans. He is considered a great scholar for peace by various branches of the UN, including UNFPA and UNICEF, and has successfully attended various international conferences such as the Cairo and Beijing global summits on Women, as well as being represented at the 2nd Islamic International Unity Conference in Washington DC last year. He is the founder of the African-American Institute in Kaolak, a tax-exempt NGO whose mission it is to pursue knowledge and foster greater understanding and peace among mankind. Another great at-Tijaniyya mugad- dam is the Shaykh El Haj Abdallah ould Michry from the illustrious village of, ‘Ma’tamoulana (meaning “God- given”). This young Mauritanian intellectual leader and former stu- dent of the Faculty of Law & Economic Sciences in Dakar is today considered by many as the inheritor of Shaykh Torahim’s spiritual legacy. Shaykh Abdallah is @ visionary, gifted with a profound understanding of contemporary {Cover Story} Islamic issues and endowed with a rare charismatic and catalytic personality. “El Haj”, as he likes to be called, is a very modest, leamed individual and a specialist of hadith. One of his primary endeavors is to unite Muslims, finding ways that they might transcend their often opposing opin- ions, thus being true to the proverbial adab al ikhtilaf (etiquette of disagreement) which characterized our predecessors. Reverting to Purity With scholarly as well as NGO support, El Haj was able to develop Matamoulana, a village pattemed after early Islamic models. Located in the middle of the desert, Matamoulana features modern-day amenities such as running water in almost every house and electricity. It’s renowned medresahs, in which Qur'an and other Islamic sciences are taught by competent teachers, have attracted students from around the world. All of its residents are sufi disciples of the shaykh, Life in Ma’tamoulana is indeed reminiscent of the time of the Sahaba (r: Presently, Tariqat Tijaniyya has spread to ‘Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Niger, Chad, the Congo, Liberia, Saudi Arabia, France and the United States. It is founded upon three non-controversial principles, namely: ask- ing forgiveness from Allah, praying. upon the Prophet » and Tahlif ul lisaan (saying “la ilaha illa Allah”) ‘A member of this tarigat must pray in the mosque with the congregation whenever possible, meeting all the pre-requisites for lawfully offering prayer. In addition, ones parents must be deeply respected, and dis- ciples are encouraged to constantly increase their knowledge, both secular and esoteric, without undue mortification. The Tariqat ‘Tijaniyya, finally, is compatible with the peculiarities and demands of our century.0 Muhammad ‘Isa Mavongow is 4 French comvert to Islam who setiled in Mauritania in 1990 ‘and remains a disciple of the Shaykh El Haj ‘Abdallah Ould Michry. He works for the NGO as Deputy Executive Secretary, in charge of public relations with the English B 3 speaking world 55