Religion

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

Religion



At least 98% of the Wolof people call themselves Muslim. This means they practice the "5 Pillars of Islam:"

*

Confess that God is One and Mohammed is His prophet.
*

Give a "tithe" from their income.
*

Pray toward the city of Mecca five times each day.
*

Give alms to the poor.
*

Make the holy journey to Mecca at least once in one's lifetime.

Islamic practices demonstrate the thinking of the Wolof, but their heart is reflected in traditional beliefs such as:

* Always throw to the ground a little food or drink that you are consuming to protect yourself from the evil eye and the spirits.
* Always be careful of what you say because Islamic leaders can hear you even if they are not anywhere near.
* It is dangerous to remain outdoors on Monday and Friday nights as these are nights when souls and spirits roam about.

The Wolof adhered massively to Islam as late as the 19th century, although the coming of Islam started in the 12th century.

It is to the brotherhoods (tariqa, from the Arabic word for “way”) that Islam owes its expansion and popularization. Three big brotherhoods are present in Senegal: the Tidjans, originated from Algeria, the Mourids, purely Senegalese, and the Khadirs (qadiriya), definitely a minority. These brotherhoods are linked to what is called the “soufism,” spiritual and mystical interpretation of Islam. They all practice the Sunnite Islam, Malekite rite, like almost everywhere in North Africa and black West Africa. In order to complete the picture of Islam in Senegal, one could add a very typical form practiced by the Lebou ethnic group living in Dakar, the Layene movement.