Serigne Abdoulahi Mbacké: The Scholar and Sufi of Darou Rahmane (1907–1960)
Birth: a son born in Djolof
Serigne Abdoulahi Mbacké was born in 1907 in Thiéyène, in the Djolof region, shortly after his revered father, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, returned from exile in Mauritania. The Cheikh was then living under surveillance in Thiéyène, and it was there that he welcomed this son and gave him the name Abdoulahi, “servant of God.”
He was the fifth son of Serigne Touba, after Cheikh Mouhamadou Moustapha, Serigne Fallou, Serigne Mouhamadou Lamine Bara and Serigne Bassirou.
A mother from a great scholarly family
His mother, Sokhna Fatima Koubra Al Kuntiyu, was the granddaughter of Cheikh Sidy El Moukhtar Al Kuntiyu, a great spiritual master of the Kunta family, renowned across West Africa for its scholarship and piety. Serigne Abdoulahi thus carried in his heritage two great traditions of knowledge and spirituality.
A brilliant mind in the service of knowledge
Like his elder brothers, he began learning the Holy Quran under Serigne Ndame Abdourahmane Lô, at the Quranic school of Darou Halimoul Khabir. His teachers soon noticed his exceptional intelligence and remarkable memory.
He then continued his studies with Mame Thierno Ibra Faty, at Darou Mouhty, and with Serigne Cheikh Bousso Kany. Finally, he received his education directly from his father, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, in Diourbel.
He excelled not only in the Islamic sciences, but also in astronomy, medicine and agriculture, a range of knowledge rare in his time.
An accomplished Sufi
Those who knew him described a man of unmatched courage, noble soul and complete intelligence. Serigne Abdoulahi is remembered as an accomplished Sufi, devoted to God and faithful to the teachings of his father. Within the community, he is also affectionately known as Borom Deur Bi.
The founder of Darou Rahmane
In 1930, Serigne Abdoulahi founded Darou Rahmane, about 7 kilometers from Touba. The village became a center of prayer, learning and work.
He also founded several other villages, including Tip, Bogo, Sadio and Gnibi Lambay. In these places, he put into practice the Mouride ideal of combining prayer and work: he farmed the land, built water systems to support agriculture, raised livestock, traded, and above all educated his disciples.
Return to God and legacy
Serigne Abdoulahi Mbacké returned to God on January 15, 1960, and rests in the cemetery of Touba.
His family has carried his mission forward. His first successor at the head of the family was Serigne Cheikh Darou Rahmane, and his legacy continues today through his descendants and the disciples of Darou Rahmane.