Publisher Description

Examines through the use of Murid oral and written sources the creation of an "alternative modernity" as an understanding of historical change by Sufi notables and disciples.The Murid order, founded in Senegal in the latter decades of the nineteenth century, grew into a major Sufi order during the colonial period and is now among the most recognizable of the Sufi orders in Africa. Murids have spread the voice of Islam and Africa in concert halls and on the airwaves through pop singers -- especially Youssou N'Dour -- and the image of Shaykh Amadu Bamba M'Backe, the founding saint of the order, often used to grace the covers ofworks concerning Islam, African culture, abolition, and European colonization.In this insightful and revealing study, John Glover explores the manner in which a Muslim society in West Africa actively created a conception ofmodernity that reflects its own historical awareness and identity. Drawing from Murid written and oral historical sources, Glover carefully considers how the Murid order at the collective and individual levels has navigated the intersection of two major historical forces -- Islam, specifically in the contexts of reform and mysticism, and European colonization -- and achieved in the process an understanding of modernity not as an unwilling witness but as anactive participant. Ultimately, Sufism and Jihad in Modern Senegal presents the reader with a new portrait of a society that has used its notion of modernity to adapt and incorporate further historical changes into its identity as an African Sufi order.John Glover is Associate Professor of History at the University of Redlands in southern California.

Author Biography

John Glover is associate professor of history at the University of Redlands.

Table of Contents

Sociopolitical Change, Islamic Reform, and Sufism in West AfricaConflict and Colonization: A New Generation of Sufi ReformersThe Construction of the Murid Synthesis: Perceptions of Amadu Bamba and Maam CernoTranslating the Murid Mission: The Founding of Darou MoustySymbiosis: Colonization and Murid ModernityMurid Taalibe: Historical Narratives and Identity

Review

In this work John Glover has provided a full and often fascinating account of the Murid community of Darou Mousty . . . [he] adds new dimensions to the understanding of the emergence of the Muridiyya, and carries the story of Darou Mousty well beyond that of his mentor Searing. -- David Robinson * JOURNAL OF AFRICAN HISTORY, 2008 *
John Glover, in this excellent and extremely well-researched book, makes an original contribution to the extensive Murid literature. * AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW *
This very well-researched and argued book explores the tales, stories, and narratives of the making of Murid modernity. Glover meticulously provides insight into the processes of Wolof appropriation and refashioning of Sufi Islam during the phase of consolidation of colonial rule. By telling the history of the Muriddya not from the center, Touba, but from the periphery, Darou Mousty, Glover recovers the very pluralist nature of the brotherhood as well as the constant reformulation and recomposition of the Ahmadu Bamba's message. The book is a major contribution to our understanding of Islam in West Africa. -- Mamadou Diouf, Professor of African Studies, Columbia University
John Glover's remarkable study enlarges our understanding of Murid Islam by focusing on a secondary town, Darou Mousty, and the life of Maam Cerno Ibrahim Mbacké, one of Amadu Bamba's brothers and most prominent lieutenants. Glover demonstrates the modernity of Murid Islam by analyzing how consciousness of reform and a break with Wolof history permeates Murid understandings of their past. This history is expressed not only in the writings and teachings of erudite scholars, but through the memory of ordinary disciples whose parents and grandparents created a new town in colonial Senegal and negotiated a path that preserved their sense of autonomy and agency under colonial rule. -- James Searing, University of Illinois at Chicago
Carefully and convincingly traces the development and spread of Sufi brotherhoods in North and West Africa. * AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW, October 2009 *

Long Description

The Murid order, founded in Senegal in the latter decades of the nineteenth century, grew into a major Sufi order during the colonial period and is now among the most recognizable of the Sufi orders in Africa. Murids have spread the voice of Islam and Africa in concert halls and on the airwaves through pop singers -- especially Youssou N'Dour -- and the image of Shaykh Amadu Bamba M'Back, the founding saint of the order, often used to grace the covers of works concerning Islam, African culture, abolition, and European colonization. In this insightful and revealing study, John Glover explores the manner in which a Muslim society in West Africa actively created a conception of modernity that reflects its own historical awareness and identity. Drawing from Murid written and oral historical sources, Glover carefully considers how the Murid order at the collective and individual levels has navigated the intersection of two major historical forces -- Islam, specifically in the contexts of reform and mysticism, and European colonization -- and achieved in the process an understanding of modernity not as an unwilling witness but as an active participant. Ultimately, Sufism and Jihad in Modern Senegal presents the reader with a new portrait of a society that has used its notion of modernity to adapt and incorporate further historical changes into its identity as an African Sufi order. John Glover is associate professor of history at the University of Redlands in southern California.

Review Text

In this work John Glover has provided a full and often fascinating account of the Murid community of Darou Mousty . . . [he] adds new dimensions to the understanding of the emergence of the Muridiyya, and carries the story of Darou Mousty well beyond that of his mentor Searing. JOURNAL OF AFRICAN HISTORY, 2008 [David Robinson] John Glover, in this excellent and extremely well-researched book, makes an original contribution to the extensive Murid literature. AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW This very well-researched and argued book explores the tales, stories, and narratives of the making of Murid modernity. Glover meticulously provides insight into the processes of Wolof appropriation and refashioning of Sufi Islam during the phase of consolidation of colonial rule. By telling the history of the Muriddya not from the center, Touba, but from the periphery, Darou Mousty, Glover recovers the very pluralist nature of the brotherhood as well as the constant reformulation and recomposition of the Ahmadu Bamba's message. The book is a major contribution to our understanding of Islam in West Africa. --Mamadou Diouf, Professor of African Studies, Columbia University John Glover's remarkable study enlarges our understanding of Murid Islam by focusing on a secondary town, Darou Mousty, and the life of Maam Cerno Ibrahim Mback

Review Quote

In this work John Glover has provided a full and often fascinating account of the Murid community of Darou Mousty . . . [he] adds new dimensions to the understanding of the emergence of the Muridiyya, and carries the story of Darou Mousty well beyond that of his mentor Searing. JOURNAL OF AFRICAN HISTORY, 2008 [David Robinson] John Glover, in this excellent and extremely well-researched book, makes an original contribution to the extensive Murid literature. AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW This very well-researched and argued book explores the tales, stories, and narratives of the making of Murid modernity. Glover meticulously provides insight into the processes of Wolof appropriation and refashioning of Sufi Islam during the phase of consolidation of colonial rule. By telling the history of the Muriddya not from the center, Touba, but from the periphery, Darou Mousty, Glover recovers the very pluralist nature of the brotherhood as well as the constant reformulation and recomposition of the Ahmadu Bamba''s message. The book is a major contribution to our understanding of Islam in West Africa. --Mamadou Diouf, Professor of African Studies, Columbia University John Glover''s remarkable study enlarges our understanding of Murid Islam by focusing on a secondary town, Darou Mousty, and the life of Maam Cerno Ibrahim Mback

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