Shaykh Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliteration of Arabic, transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonl ...

Shekna Ahmeda Hamahullah ben Muhammad ben Seydina Umar (born 1882) was a

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

religious leader, born in French Soudan (modern Mali) and died in France after being arrested and sent into exile in 1933 by the colonial government of

French West Africa French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...

. While not the founder, he was the spiritual leader of a militant reform movement of the powerful Tijaniyyah

sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

ṭarīqah A tariqa (or ''tariqah''; ar, طريقة ') is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking '' haqiqa'', which translates as "ultimate truth". ...

(order, path, brotherhood), which has popularly taken his name, as Hamallayya or Hamallism.

Disciple

Hamahullah was the first disciple of a Tijaniyyah reformer and mystic Shaykh Sidi Mohamed Lakhdar Al Tounsi (d. 1909 in Nioro), who along with doctrinal and ritual changes, stressed opposition to hierarchy and downplayed the importance of formal education. Led by Hamahullah, the movement spread in the 1920s in what was then French Soudan, modern Mali. It first took root amongst Wolof traders living in Nioro, but soon spread to servile caste Muslims in

Mauretania Mauretania (; ) is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It stretched from central present-day Algeria westwards to the Atlantic, covering northern present-day Morocco, and southward to the Atlas Mountains. Its native inhabitants, ...

and Mali.

Exile

Hamahullah bin Muhammad bin Umar was exiled by French authorities from his home in Nioro du Sahel ( Mali) to

in 1933 following clashes between his followers and local leaders, then to

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

and finally France, but the movement survived his death in exile. The movement was eventually made illegal in

, but has continued, especially among the rural poor. Hamahullah's most prominent disciples included

Tierno Bokar Salif Tall Tierno Bokar ( ff, Cerno Bokar), full name Tierno Bokar Saalif Tall (1875 – 1939), was a Malian mystic, Sufi sage, and a Muslim spiritual teacher of the early twentieth century famous for his message of religious tolerance and universal love. ...

in Mali and

Yacouba Sylla Yacouba Sylla (born 29 November 1990) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Belgian First Division B side Virton. Born in France, he represented France as a youth international before switching to Mali at senior ...

in Mauretania,Sean Hanretta. Gender and Agency in the History of a West African Sufi Community: The Followers of Yacouba Sylla. Comparative Studies in Society and History (2008), 50:478-508 with the movement continuing as a small but prosperous religious faction across contemporary West Africa.

References

*Samuel Decalo. Historical Dictionary of Niger (3rd ed.). Scarecrow Press, Boston & Folkestone, (1997) p. 158 *Christopher Harrison. France and Islam in West Africa, 1860-1960. Cambridge University Press, (2003) passim, but especially pp. 137–183. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamahullah bin Muhammad bin Umar People of French West Africa Islam in Mali Islam in Mauritania Malian Sufis 1943 deaths 1886 births