Shia Islam Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, m ...

in Senegal is practiced small number of

Senegalese people This article is about the demographic features of the population of Senegal, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. About ...

, as well as by the Lebanese community in Senegal.

Background

According to historian Alioune Badiane, Shia Islam has been present in Senegal for many centuries, and can be traced back to the

Idrisid Dynasty The Idrisid dynasty or Idrisids ( ar, الأدارسة ') were an Arab Muslim dynasty from 788 to 974, ruling most of present-day Morocco and parts of present-day western Algeria. Named after the founder, Idris I, the Idrisids were an Alid an ...

. Unlike

Shia Islam in Nigeria Although the majority of the Nigerian Muslim population is Sunni, there is a small Shia minority, particularly in the northern states of Kano and Sokoto. However, there are no actual statistics that reflect a Shia population in Nigeria, and a f ...

, in Senegal Shia Islam has generally coexisted peacefully with the dominant Sunni Islam branches and the Senegalese government. Shia Islam is the primary religion of the Lebanese community in Senegal, which has been established in Senegal for over a century. It is also practiced by a growing number of native Senegalese, including the

Wolof Wolof or Wollof may refer to: * Wolof people, an ethnic group found in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania * Wolof language, a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania * The Wolof or Jolof Empire, a medieval West African successor of the Mal ...

and

Fula Fula may refer to: *Fula people (or Fulani, Fulɓe) *Fula language (or Pulaar, Fulfulde, Fulani) **The Fula variety known as the Pulaar language **The Fula variety known as the Pular language **The Fula variety known as Maasina Fulfulde *Al-Fula ...

peoples. Since the 1970s, the number of native Shi'i Senegalese has steadily increased in both urban and rural areas.

Lebanese community

Lebanese have historically formed economically dominant communities in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

, including in Senegal. The Lebanese community in Senegal was established around the turn of the 20th century. Hence, many Lebanese in Senegal were born outside Lebanon, do not hold Lebanese citizenship, and have never been to Lebanon. Unlike Shia Islam in some other Islamic countries, Shia Islam in Senegal has not experienced significant conflicts with the state or with other branches of Islam. Rather, in Senegal, Shia Islam organizations and leaders have focused much more on social development, education, and charity.Leichtman, Mara A. (2016)
Interview on book with ISLAMiCommentary, a Public Scholarship Forum Managed by the Duke Islamic Studies Center
Transcultural Islam Research Network.

Anthropological studies

Mara A. Leichtman, an American anthropologist at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

, has spent over a decade carrying out fieldwork on Shia Islam and Sufism in Senegal, and has published various books and papers on her fieldwork. Leichtman distinguishes between the form of Shia Islam practiced by the Lebanese community in Senegal, as well as an "indigenous African Shi'ism" growing in popularity among local Senegalese. Leichtman has also conducted anthropological studies of major Shia organizations in Senegal such as the

Mozdahir Mozdahir (also known as the ''Mozdahir International Institute''; French name: Institut Mozdahir International or IMI) is an international non-governmental organization based in Dakar, Senegal. Overview It has branches in different African countr ...

International Institute, headed by Senegalese Shi'i religious leader

Cherif Mohamed Aly Aidara Cherif Mohamed Aly Aidara is a Senegalese-Mauritanian Shia religious leader who is known for his work on international development in West Africa. He is one of the primary Shia religious figures in Senegal and West Africa. Early life and family ...

. According to Leichtman (2017), Mozdahir's various rural development projects help bridge the urban-rural divide among Shi'i Muslims in Senegal, and have helped to increase the number of Shi'i Muslims in Senegal.Leichtman, Mara A. (2017)
The NGO-ization of Shi'i Islam in Senegal: Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide
ECAS7: 7th European Conference on African Studies. Basel, 29 June - 1 July 2017.

References

External links

Mozdahir International Institute
{{Islam in Senegal

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

Islam in Senegal

Background

Lebanese community

Anthropological studies

See also

Further reading

References

External links