Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba was a big deal in Senegalese history and culture. He wasn’t just a Sufi Muslim leader; he was also a poet, social reformer, and the founder of the Muridiyya Sufi order—one of the largest Sufi orders in the world. Bamba played a huge role in resisting French colonialism in Senegal, and his teachings have left a lasting mark on Senegalese society.
Bamba was born in a small village in Senegal in 1853. He was a brilliant student, memorizing the Quran at a young age. He dove deep into Islamic law and theology, eventually becoming a well-respected scholar. By the late 19th century, Bamba started preaching a message of peace and love, encouraging his followers to resist French colonial rule through nonviolence.
Naturally, the French colonial authorities weren’t too happy with Bamba’s message, and in 1895, they exiled him to Gabon. He spent seven years in exile but kept preaching spreading his message and gaining new followers.
While in exile, Bamba encountered the robusta coffee bean. When he returned to Senegal, he found the holy city of Touba. He also introduced this bean to his followers, who paired it with the Jaar dried fruit (grain of Selim), of the Xylopia aethiopica tree, native to West Africa. And just like that the spiced coffee known in Senegal as café touba was born.
The Muridiyya believed that roasting coffee with grains of Selim created a drink that helped them gain more spiritual insight during prayer. Today, café touba is a beloved Senegalese drink, and frankly one of the best African coffees around. Millions of people in Senegal and the Gambia consume this spiced coffee on a daily basis as it is often sold on street corners in small paper cups.
After his exile, Bamba was placed under house arrest in Senegal for fifteen years. Despite this, his influence only grew. He continued to be a driving force for change until his death in 1927. Today, Bamba is revered as a saint, and his teachings are still followed by many around the world.
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