The 110th edition of the Magal of Tuubaa celebration is just few days away. The murid community in Senegal and around the world is getting ready for the success of this yearly event.
The current leader of the murid community, Serigne Muhammadu Lamine Mbacke, is the first grandchild of the Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba to be at the helm of the largest brotherhood in Senegal. So as usual, recommendations are given out by the caliph to disciples and of course to the thousands of habitants of the city of Touba, who are welcoming millions of disciples from all over the world.
Such recommendations are also followed by the millions of expatriated murid disciples in Europe, North America and Asia, who cannot attend the celebration in Touba. But their hearts are turned away from entertainment of any kind at the exclusion of the upcoming event. They all have one wish: to be part of the millions of pilgrims walking the soil of the holy city.

Historical Survey of the Magal of Tuubaa

At the end of the 19th century, Senegal (Country in West Africa) was subjected to deep social transformations resulting from weak political institutions prompted by a merciless French colonial power which ambitioned to deploy its economic exploitation machine, after the defeat of a Senegalese armed resistance that first opposed its deployment in order to preserve the territorial integrity of the country.
Concomitantly, another kind of resistance under the leadership of a new generation of religious leaders took rapidly form and became the direct target of the giant French colonial empire that is already ruling the land through the widespread implementation of its political agenda of economic exploitation.

It was, then, in that difficult context that Sheikh Ahmadu Bamba, the catalyst of such struggle, accepted the divine decree to go and rehabilitate the image of Islam over the land, not by the catch of the weapons but by an action on the consciences.
This pact (pact of Daaru Quduss) sealed with ALLAH (SWT) the Supreme Lord, was to result in a sum of ordeals, sufferings, deprivations and sorrows for the Sheikh. The outcome of this Mission was to result in the satisfaction of all his ambitions in spiritual ranks and loftiness near ALLAH.
The many inherent tests, however, could not reach him as long as he would remain in Tuubaa, his newly found blessed city under the protection of the divine absolute power. Thus he migrated from Tuubaa and settled in jollof (former province in the center of Senegal) at a locality called MBacké Baary, not far from Jéwol, where he will later meet with the military squad sent to arrest him.
The Sheikh was arrested and exiled for his religious convictions. During the seven consecutive years of exile in Gabon, followed by five years deportation in Mauritania, then five others of house arrest in Thieyene, Joloff, and during the many years he remained in house arrest in Diourbel (center of Senegal), when returned from the day of his pact with ALLAH (SWT), the Sheik increasingly endured long-lived sufferings that only contributed to crystallize his firm belief in the happy ending of his ordeals..

It was during his stay in Diourbel (where he was assigned to House Arrest by the colonial administration), while awaiting other similar tests and sufferings with the firm intention to endure them that Allah lavished His order to him by letting him know that the tests and sufferings were over for good. In this following lines, one could denote the paramount echoing of the voice that is bringing the good tidings to the Cheikh:.
“The sorrow is lifted, the entire Mission which was assigned to you, was fulfilled. You obtained the prize for everything you aspired to. Now you can reap and enjoy the benefits and blessings of your accomplished mission.”

The extraordinary gifts granted by ALLAH (SWT) raised a new challenge on his level, that in appreciation of Allah’s mercy and diligence for such rewarding, he promptly dedicated one day into a day of grace and meritorious actions to thank ALLAH (SWT) and his Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH). Following such resolve, he then called every follower and disciple to share his story in these words.
“As for the blessings that ALLAH granted me, my only and sovereign gratitude cannot fully express them; I am asking that everyone who has the means to join me in thanking ALLAH (SWT) .Whereby the birth of the Magal. He has blessed me to such an extent that I have obtained the totality of all the advantages I requested from Him.”

However, the day he obtained all this gratifications coincided with the Day of his departure to exile, the 18th Day of the lunar month of SAFAR.
At the beginning, the murid community did not gather at a specific location to celebrate the Magal, instead it was an individual act through scarifying a sheep or any legal animal they could afford to prepare special meals for the occasion.
It was Sheikh Muhammadu Fallilou MBacké, the second caliph of Muridiya, who initiated the celebration of the “Magal de Tuubaa” the way we know of it today. He asked all the Murid community to rally to Tuubaa, for the first time, the day of the 18 SAFAR, to celebrate the Magal in place of the intimacy of their homes.

The Great Magal of Tuubaa celebrated each year “The Great Magal”, constitutes an expression and recognition of ALLAH’s omnipotence. This expression was first enacted by Sheikh Ahmadu Bamba, a Sufi master who, during his lifetime (from 1853 to 1927), had given up all the honors, power, and wealth of this world to devote exclusively himself to the service of ALLAH(SWT) and his Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH).
At a time where the faith of his people was staggering under the negative influence of a triumphing colonialism and its so called evangelists missions, Sheik Ahmadu Bamba accepted from ALLAH (SWT) the mission to rehabilitate the Prophetic message by any means.
Armed only with his faith, knowledge and work as a sacerdoce, Sheikh Ahmadu Bamba took pleasure in his mission, accepting the challenges with courage and abnegation until they ended. His sense of forgiveness diverted him from any form of revenge against his enemies, the sufferings and horrible pains they inflicted him, which he patiently sustained were edifying moments that enabled him to carry out successfully the mission that was given to him, without spilling his enemy’s blood or putting the lives of his disciples to the stake..

In front of the immense rewards which ALLAH gratified him with at the end of his mission, Sheikh Ahmadu Bamba undertook a new mission to invite the whole Muslim community to thank and praise ALLAH (SWT) for such blessings by reading the Quran, the Qassaids, share meals with family friends and guests: this is the rationale behind the “Great Magal of Tuubaa”, celebrated each year on the 18th day of the lunar month of Safar (second month of the Muslim calendar).

Definition of the vocable MAGAL (celebration)

“Magal” is a Wolof term (Senegalese dialect), which means, to pay respect, to celebrate, to Magnify. Magal thus consists of thanking ALLAH (SWT) for His blessings. Within the Murid community, there are different “Magal” but the most significant of all is undoubtedly “The Magal of Tuubaa” celebrated on the 18th Safar, which carries the name of “Great Magal of Tuubaa.”

How is the Great Magal of Tuubaa celebrated?

While recommending the Muslim community to celebrate the Magal of Tuubaa, Sheikh Ahmadu Bamba wanted to invite them to manifest their gratitude with regards to ALLAH’s Greatness and Mercy (SWT) WHO, by the satisfaction of his spiritual ambitions, allowed him to revive Islam (in Senegal in particular, vis-à-vis the colonial aggression). His recommendations for this day are as follows: “read the Holy Quran, say prayers upon the Prophet Mohamed (pbuh), provide meals to one’s honorable guests, give it its fullest meaning to the limit of one’s abilities”. Thank ALLAH, provide food, worship... these are the three most emphasized actions that symbolized all its meaning. It is indeed, what Sheikh Salihou MBacké Ibn Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba used to indicate in the following lines: the commemoration must turn around three symbolic actions: reading of the Koran in an unlimited number of times; make pious gifts to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and to the Sheikh; make acts of grace and devotion by offering meals, in the limit of one’s means, and keep it strictly a spiritual gathering.”
The Magal of Tuubaa, far from being a simple popular and spiritual gathering, remains one of the strongest moments that bring into play the teachings of the Sheikh through devotion, work and solidarity.

Source: toubausa.com