Thousands of followers of a Sufi Muslim brotherhood celebrate a sacred date in Senegal
Prayers and melodic chants reverberated across Dakar’s Yoff neighborhood as thousands of followers from the Layene brotherhood commemorated the first public appearance of their founder Seydina Limamou Laye in 1884
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Prayers and melodic chants reverberated across Dakar’s Yoff neighborhood as thousands of Sufi Muslim followers from the Layene brotherhood commemorated the first public appearance of their founder Seydina Limamou Laye in 1884.
Dressed in pristine white robes to symbolize purity and equality before God, worshippers filled the streets leading to Yoff’s beachside mosque on Friday. The gathering, known as “L’Appel," ("The Call"), marked the 145th anniversary of Seydina Limamou Laye’s controversial declaration as the prophet.
The Layene brotherhood, while smaller than Senegal’s other Sufi orders such as the Mouride or Tijan, has gained attention for its distinctive beliefs, including the claim that their founder was a reincarnation of the Prophet Muhammad.
“I’ve never seen any Sufi order where the idea of reincarnation is so central as it is with the Layene,” said Cheikh Babou, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in Sufism in West Africa. “It’s not like anything else in Senegal or elsewhere in the Muslim world.”
As part of the celebrations, worshippers made a pilgrimage to the sacred grotto where Seydina Limamou Laye first retreated for meditation and — according to believers — received divine inspiration. The site remains a powerful symbol of his spiritual awakening and a place of connection between the Layene community and their founder.
His message emphasized that the Prophet Muhammad had returned in his form as a Black man to restore justice and correct societal wrongs, including those caused by slavery. This message of racial equality and spiritual unity continues to resonate with followers today.
“It is a pride for both Black and white people because Seydina Limamou Laye is not the prophet of Black people; he is a universal prophet,” said Moussa Lahi, a Layene who attended this year’s events. “So, there are white people, Black people, yellow people – everyone. He brought equality among the races.”
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.