Shaykh ahmadou bamba (R.A.) (the “shaykh”) was born in the year 1271 (A.H.), that is 1853 in mbacke baol, a small village in Senegal. He is the son of muhammad, and grandson of abibul-allah, who was the son of muhammad. His father mohammad ibn habiballah was a famous juriconsult and well-respected imam. The shaykh’’s mother was known as diaratoullah (close to Allah) because of her renowned piety and chastity. He memorized the holy qu’ran very early.
Shaykh Murtada Mbacke was born in 1921, during the time of Khadim-r-Rassũl house arrest in Diourbel. His mother Soxna Fat Tout Diop, daughter of Soxna Fatu Tacko Diop, originated from Dorega, Coki. He was only five years old when his illustrious father passed away in 1927. He grew up under the wing of his eldest brother, Shaykh Muhammadu Mustafa (1888-1945), the eldest son of Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba, and first caliph of the Muridiyya, who particularly watched him, grew up and took personally care of his intellectual and religious education. Thus, he spent his youth with his brother Mustafa who, in spite of his other siblings, displayed so much affection for the young Murtada and took him later to other masters where he completed his memorization of the Holy Quran. He was later sent to Mauritania where he begun to study classical religious sciences like Theology (Tawheed), Law (Fiq), Sufism (Tasawwuf), grammar, rhetoric etc.
After his return he reunited with his brother who frequently traveled with him within the country in order to further his experience and improve his skills regarding the handling of the communities’ affairs.
He had a strong personality and the firm determination to possess orthodox science in accordance to the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh). He was already displaying in his youth eminent qualities befitting only those endowed with sainthood. He was armed with an unquenchable thirst for spirituality and Love of the Lord. So he decided later on, after the death of his illustrious tutor, to retreat himself for a long time in the company of a handful disciples, quietly in the forest of Bambuck (former far East Senegal) to meditate and devote himself to harsh religious practices.
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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.
