Omar Al-Fouti, a scholar, mujahid and sheikh, one of the symbols of the reformist call in Senegal, fought the French presence in West Africa, and founded the Takrour Empire, or the "State of the Tijanis", which lasted for nearly 50 years.

Birth and upbringing

Omar bin Saeed Al-Fouti, nicknamed "Omar Tal", was born in 1797 in the Fouta Toro region in northern Senegal, to a religious family that teaches the Holy Qur'an and is interested in the Arabic language. He grew up and was influenced by his environment.

Study and formation

Sheikh Omar Al-Fouti began his education by studying the Noble Qur’an, so he completed his memorization when he was eight years old, and then after that he began to study the Arabic language and jurisprudence. Forensic sciences.

At an early stage of his life, Al-Fouti made many scientific trips that contributed to expanding his knowledge and highlighting his talents. He traveled to the city of “Hamd Allah” in the current state of Mali and heard from its scholars, then he went to Egypt and stayed in Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and learned from his scholars.

In the year 1827, he made the pilgrimage to the Sacred House of God, and moved to Medina, and there he met Sheikh Muhammad al-Ghali al-Maghribi (a student of Abi al-Abbas Ahmed al-Tijani, the founder of the Tijani order), and it took him 3 years until he was granted the title of caliph.

On his return from Hajj, he passed by the city of "Hamdallah" and met its king, Sheikh Ahmadu, and weaved good relations with him, but he was kidnapped and captured for a period of time by the leader of the Kingdom of the Bambra.

Omar bin Said bin Othman Al-Fouti was born around 1797 in northern Senegal (social networking sites)

Scientific experiment

After the death of Prince Muhammad Bello, Sheikh Omar chose independence by himself and his followers, so he landed his trip in "Futa Jallon", which most of its residents embrace the Islamic religion, especially the city of Dingray, and there he established his zawiya in 1840.

From that zawiya (a place of worship and sheltering the mujahideen, the needy, and students of knowledge), he began teaching knowledge and spreading the Tijaniyya method among the tribes of the region, and he formed followers and followers to help him spread his doctrine among the various populations.

And his method formed the followers and followers of "absolute and blind obedience to the sheikh, and considered that whoever did that was as if he had pledged allegiance to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace."

The choice of Dingray to be the headquarters of the corner was due to its importance, as it is located at the crossroads of trade caravans operating in the field of gold and weapons.

When he made missionary tours in the villages and countryside near his zawiya, his followers multiplied and people gathered around him.

In the year 1847 he returned from a missionary trip in the tribes and the Emirates, and many people followed him, and he had an army and soldiers guarding him, so the King of Fota Gallon feared him and ordered him to leave and move away.

The cover of the book Remembering the Heedless of the Ugliness of the Believers' Difference by Sheikh Omar Al-Fouti (Al-Jazeera)

Establishment of the state and resistance to the French

In 1851, he landed in Dingray, which belongs to the Timba region, in northern Guinea, and began establishing his state, and hastened to establish forts and castles and train the military.

And soon a confrontation took place between him and the pagan prince of Tampa, "Yimba Sakho", and the footy was able to eliminate him and seize the riches of his kingdom.

The victory over the pagan king was the beginning of a new phase of jihad and the establishment of the state in 1852.

His relationship with the French was initially based on cautious coexistence, as he did not wish to confront them for fear of their support for the pagan tribes against which jihad was declared, and the French garrison in Saint Louis was avoiding confrontation with him because he had wide popularity that enabled him to move the Islamic tribes against them. .

In 1854, France appointed General Louis Federib as governor of Senegal to implement the plan of incursion and expansion, and soon a confrontation took place between him and the forces of Sheikh Omar Al-Fouti.

On January 9, 1855, Al-Futi announced the confrontation with the French occupation, as he attacked the commercial agencies in the Khasu region of the French protectorate.

In February 1855, Haji Omar's forces arrested the governor of Sinodibo, "Girardo", and released him after paying a ransom of 45 guineas. They also sank a French ship in the waters of the Senegal River and arrested some of its passengers.

Senegal is seeking to restore the Omar Al-Fouti library located in the French National Library (AFP)

On March 15, 1855, the French forces pursued a scorched earth policy, burning the lands of farmers and tribes, besieging them and looting their livestock so that they would not support Haji Omar's movement.

In 1857, Sheikh Omar Al-Fouti raided the city center of the French forces, but he suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat towards Fouta Gallon.

In 1858, he returned to his original homeland, Fota Tour, north of Senegal, and began urging people to wage jihad, resist the colonialists, and leave east towards his Islamic state, with its center in Dingray, Guinea, at present.

But the French forces tracked him down and besieged his tribes until he headed east towards the financial lands.

Treaty and peace with the French

When Hajj Omar Al-Fouti's forces were defeated and his pursuit began, he headed east to fight the pagan and Islamic emirates together.

To ensure the continuity of his new empire, which includes parts of Senegal, Guinea, Niger and the Kush region in eastern Mauritania, he signed a draft treaty with the French governor in Senegal, General Louis Federib, on August 18, 1860;

Under that treaty, Sheikh Omar accepted that the Senegal River be a common border between the two countries.

After that, the footy headed towards the financial lands, seizing the city of Sego, the capital of the Kingdom of the Bambara in 1861, then headed to the city of Hamdallah and besieged it until it fell into his hands in 1862.

The book "The Spears of Hizb Al-Rahim on the Neck of the Hizb Al-Rajim ... Teachings, Etiquette and Widows of the Tijani Way" written by Omar Al-Fouti (Al-Jazeera)

Jobs and responsibilities

Sheikh Omar Al-Fouti combined the sword and the pen, so before establishing his scientific angle, he worked with Muhammad Bello, Emir of Sokoto, where he admired him and appointed him as an advisor in his court and a military commander in his army in 1833.

Al-Fouti had met Muhammad Bello on his pilgrimage trip, and married his daughter Maryam, which strengthened his position and increased his fortune.

During this stage in which he fought the pagan tribes, he proved his military and intellectual abilities, and his reputation spread and his command spread among the people.

literature

Although Sheikh Omar Al-Fouti was preoccupied with reform and expansion of his state, he did not neglect writing, writing, and writing eloquent Arabic poetry.

He left a number of books, the most important of which are:

  • "The Party of the Compassionate on the Path of the Party of the Resurrected", in which he defended the Tijaniyya method.

  • "Divan of the Ship of Happiness for the People of Weakness and Help", which is a praise for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace.

  • "A reminder of the heedless of the ugliness of the differences of the believers."

  • And he has a lot of Aragiz, poems and supplications.

Omar Al-Fouti's sword was kept in the Museum of Black Civilizations in the Senegalese capital (Agence France-Presse)

Death

Sheikh Omar Al-Fouti died on February 12, 1864, after he was trapped in a cave and detonated on him in the city of "Hamd Allah", after his failure to seize the city of "Timbuktu", which was controlled by the Arab Islamic tribes, which adopt the Qadiri method as a method and path for the Islamic religion. .

Restoration of Omar Al-Fouti's sword

On November 18, 2019, Senegalese President Macky Sall received from French Prime Minister Edward Philippe the sword of Hajj Omar al-Fouti, after the French forces transferred it in 1894 on the anniversary of the victory over the Mujahid movement. The sword has been preserved in the Museum of Black Civilizations in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

Senegal is seeking to restore the Haj Omar Library, which is located in the French National Library in the Oriental Manuscripts Department.