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During his
life he had differences with white colonial authorities in Senegal,
because he was promoting islam and they were against Islam. On 1st
August 1895, the governor of Saint Louis in Senegal summoned 84
marabouts and religious leaders to Saint Louis. Serign Touba refused to
go, but sent his younger brother, Mam Cherno Mbacke, to deliver a letter
to the governor. In the letter Serign Touba stated that whenever he has
permission from the Almighty Allah he will come to the governor. The
governor sent 30 people to arrest him. The governor sent 30 men to
arrest him, because the governor was told that Serign Touba had armed
people who were always ready to fight anyone who tried to attack
him. When his brother returned from Saint Louis, before they had
discussions, Serign Touba told him he knew what transpired in his
discussions with the governor. "I was not afraid to go. I was waiting for
permission from Allah to go to the governor. Serign Touba met with the
30-man delegation at Diewal, Senegal, and they continued to Saint Louis
where Serign Touba joined his 83 colleagues already in Saint Louis in
response to the governor's invitation. He was told by the French
governor that his colleagues have been detained for about one month
now, their feeding reduced, and could not pray out of fear. They
were made to signed papers stating that "God does not exist and that the
Qur'an is a journal." Serign Touba, upon entering the office of the
governor in the morning, prayed two rakats . He wrote that "God is unique"
and recited the Quran "Hulwa lahou." After being kept for some days in
Saint Louis, he was brought to Dakar and stayed another night in
detention. He left Dakar on 5th Septemebr 1895 for Gabon, where he was in
exile for seven years and seven months. Travelling by ship to
Gabon, he was not allowed to pray onboard. So whenever, it was time to
pray, he threw his mat overboard onto the sea, and was seen standing on
the mat performing his obligatory prayers. Whilst in Gabon, he
encountered a lot of ordeals with the whites. For instance, they placed
him in a small room with a fierce bull to attack him, but the animal
stayed calm. A lion brought to the room to eat him did no harm to him
either. Serign Touba was placed in the oven-room of a bakery in Gabon,
which became very cold when he entered. He came back to Senegal
in 1903, and told his disciples that as from then on he will celebrate the
date when he was sent into exile in Gabon. He called this annual
celebration the Magal. " The white men believed I will not come back, that
I will be killed." His elder son Serign Mohamadou Moustapha Mbacke
continued the Magal from 1927 to 1945. Serign Falou Mbacke, his son,
took over the Magal from 1945 to 1968. Then the other sons, Serign
AbdouLahat Mbacke - 1968 to 1989, Serign Abdou Hadare Mbacke was the
Khalifa in1989 for nine months only. Serign Saliou Mbacke from1989 to date
is the present Khalifa. In The Gambia, Mouridism was actively promoted
by Serign Mourid Bao, Serign Sheikh Jobe, Serign Diadie Nyass. Presently,
Serign Pap Demba Jobe, is the representative of the Khalifa General in The
Gambia. He took over from his father, Serign Sheikh Jobe, who passed away
last year. Serign Pap Demba Jobe appeals to all Mourides to follow the
recommendations of the Qur'an, particularly to observe the five pillars of
Islam. They must be diligent, help their Muslim brothers, foster
friendship and unity among all peopleS and respect the laws of The Gambia
and Senegal.
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