Tierno Bokar (born in 1875 with Ségou) is the founder of a Koranic school with Bandiagara, with the Mali.

Biography

Tierno Bokar is born in 1875 with Ségou on Right Bank from the river Niger. By his mother, he is the grandson of El Hadj Seydou Hann, large main Soufi haoussa of Sokoto (N.O of current Nigeria), installed with Ségou in 1862, with the call of El Hadj Omar which wants to develop the teaching of Islam according to the tradition of the Tidjaniya. By his father, he is prince Toucouleur, of the family of El Hadj Omar, him also disciple of Tidjaniya. Thus its family origins bring to him, across the unit of the Soufisme, the diversity of the African traditions.

With the French conquest, the family of Tierno Bokar must leave Ségou: she thus settles with Bandiagara, in country Dogon, with the Mali. There it finds the teaching of a large Master soufi mystical Tidjani: Amadou Tafsirou Bâ which opens to him makes it possible its library and him to discover the thought of El Hadj Omar and especially that of If Ahmed Tidjani, founder of the order. However, while giving access to the books to him, Amadou Tafsirou Bâ the met very firmly keeps some against the use of texts badly included/understood taking again in that engagement with the " large Djihad " taught by the family example: the effort towards God passes initially by a fight against oneself.

Foundation of the zaouïa

In 1908, after the death of Tinder Tafsirou Bâ, Tierno Bokar founds its clean Zaouïa, i.e. its Koranic school, with a boarding school. The life for all is very strictly regulated there.

Every morning, the Master lifts himself to a height of three hours and meditates, until the rising of the day. At this time there, it awakes the pupils for the first prayer which they recite in the zaouïa whereas Tierno Bokar goes to the mosque. After the first meal taken jointly, teaching starts, until and second the prayer lunch of the day. Then teaching begins again until the prayer of the afternoon, after which the pupils are free. Prayer of the Maghreb (setting) to that of the night, Tierno Bokar is with the mosque. After this last prayer, it takes a light meal and chairs taken care. Of midday Wednesday at the Friday evening, the pupils profit from a leave. The rate/rhythm of the life of the zaouïa is modified only at the time of the wintering, when everyone must take part in the agricultural work; the moments of teaching are then reduced. Teaching is free. The life is simple, but it is not puritan, Tierno Bokar being vigorously opposed to the Moslem puritanism of type Wahhabite.

French colonization

Several tens of children thus collect the teaching of Tierno Bokar whose end of the lifetime however is dramatically plunged in insulation: French colonization evil informed of the religious and family quarrels of the Black Africa cannot recognize the depth of the message of Love and Peace of Tierno Bokar. Badly advised and incompetent to include/understand the basically pacifist attitude of the Master, it constrained to close the zaouïa and prohibits any contact with him. Tierno Bokar, which included/understood the misunderstanding, saw, in spite of insulation, in the hope and the search of Knowledge and the Truth, only able to bring the religious reconciliation and the Love. Across the injustice which is made to him, its concern, the day before its death, at the end of the years 1930, comes especially from the land-mark report of the decline of the spirituality and the role growing of the money.

One could better know the teaching of Tierno Bokar thanks to Amadou Hampâté Bâ, one of his disciples as well in his book of memories of childhood Amkoullel, the child peul as in his little book Vie and teaching of Tierno Bokar .

Random links:

Galanga | Three Imaginary Servant boys | Solid mass of Arbailles | Hébesphénoméga-crown | Code legal organization