Although the celebration of the Holy Month is similar in all Islamic countries;
For there is no doubt that each country has its own distinct customs and traditions.
In Senegal, Teranga, meaning generosity in the Wolof language (the most common among the local languages), Ramadan has its own customs.
The anticipation is a trait of lovers
The people of Senegal have a visitor who celebrates Ramadan, and the lover's longing for the beloved longs for him.
And for that, they await his coming, and are preparing for him according to what suits him.
Ibrahim John, a professor at the Faculty of Arts at the International University of Africa, in his testimony to Al-Jazeera Net, says, "The movement of the markets will inform you of the approaching holy month. Every family is striving to buy Ramadan needs, and the government and businessmen make great efforts to reduce prices than they were before," but the most important features Preparing for Ramadan, in his opinion, preparing mosques and praying throughout the months of Rajab and Sha`ban, that God inform them of Ramadan, and arranging the schedules of imams and lecturers.
John says that, "If you went to arrange a lecture or a lesson after Shaaban's recusal, then most likely you will not find room in the schedule of a preacher or sheikh."
Although these are some of the features of Senegalese preparations to receive the honorable guest, the writer Fadhel Guy, president of the Senegal Literary Club, and editor-in-chief of the daily electronic daily Rafi Dakar brings us closer to other features, saying, “Before Ramadan mosques are prepared, and committees are formed to organize tarawih and collective breakfasts in homes. God".
“Our grandparents from the sheikhs of the country welcomed the month with beautiful poems, such as the poem of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba (1853-1927), which starts with:
Oh good guest brought humans and durations
Welcome and welcome without a number
The writer Fadhel Guy, president of Senegal Literary Club, says that grandparents used to receive Ramadan with praise poems (social networking sites)
Day episodes and night prayers, between group breakfasts
Preparing and decorating mosques is an act that is active in the months of Rajab and Sha`ban, but in Ramadan the crowding of worshipers and worshipers is the most prominent feature, especially in large mosques and Sufi orders, according to the testimony of Dr. Muhammad Niang, who stops at something that is almost common in the mosques of Senegal.
He says, “After the noon prayer, the worshipers gather to receive lessons, and the lesson in the afternoon is often an interpretation of the Noble Qur’an, and there is a lesson after the afternoon prayer in the provisions of fasting.” Although there is agreement on the interpretation of the Qur’an in the afternoon, there is a difference in the details and methods.
This is what Senegalese poet Mohamed Al-Amin Job explains by saying, "Some sheikhs are keen to pass all parts of the Holy Quran during Ramadan, while the majority interpret without restriction, but the sheikh will initiate the interpretation next year from where this year ended."
As is the case in all parts of the Islamic world, Muslims regularly perform Tarawih prayers throughout the nights of the month, and tahajjud during the last ten days of the month, and the Imam often seals the Qur’an in Taraweeh.
And between mosque architecture, with lessons during the day and night prayers, collective breakfasts are active in mosques, and in particular in large mosques, and Dr. Muhammad Niang continues his testimony, saying, "A mosque in Senegal is not without a collective breakfast, and philanthropists rush to provide the requirements for these breakfasts, and this strengthens community ties."
Tolerance and forgiveness
The vast majority of the Senegalese people owe Islam, while there is a percentage of Senegalese who adhere to the Christian religion, and that Ramadan is a religious occasion, but tolerance between the components of the Senegalese people pushes those who are not in Islam to congratulate Muslims on the month, and even prepare breakfast and distribute it to the fasting people as the Church does In Dakar, the streets of the capital witnessed the distribution of breakfast for cars and bystanders fasting.
The Muslims among them spread the spirit of tolerance and ask each other for pardon, and rise above the rivalry this month, and there are Senegalese customs that support this atmosphere, especially in the family sphere.
Ibrahim John says in his connected testimony that "family sessions are one of the most important customs that Senegalese are keen on, and in which the family is reunited and its issues are discussed, and all that matters to them, and these sessions contribute to solving many problems and the prevalence of an intimate atmosphere."
"Checking the neighbors, checking their situation, and exchanging breakfast between families shadows Senegalese society in a cloud of tolerance and friendliness that extends throughout the month," added John.
Song and literature praise the Prophet
The prophetic praise literature has a long history in Senegal, and a large number of poets wrote in formal Arabic and local languages, but more eloquent, and the Sufi orders may have been among the reasons for this to be popular, according to the testimony of the poet Mohamed El-Amin Job. It was written by notables of Sufis, such as Sheikh Ahmed Bamba, Sheikh Muhammad al-Khalifah Aniyas, and Sheikh of Islam Ibrahim al-Kulkhi, and they are poems that are high in their meaning and structure.
TV channels and radio stations create space for it, according to Ibrahim John, "The area of religious matters expands in the media, and the prophetic praise and his chant enjoys a distinctive position in their programmatic maps."
As for Dr. Muhammad Niang, who in his doctoral thesis dealt with this literature (Prophetic praise in Senegalese Arabic poetry), he sees Ramadan as one of its most important seasons in writing and spreading, and he says that “Prophetic praise literature flourishes in Ramadan as well as its chanting, and for that, circles and sessions are held, and the Senegalese contribution to that. Large, though not famous in the east. "
Niang comments on the presence of this literature on television programs, saying, "Sometimes it is the literature itself, and other times it is mentioned in connection with its poets who are sheikhs and preachers, and some programs talk about them."
Ramadan sugar and the humor of "Al-Misharati"
Before the month, and in the last half of Ramadan, families exchange Ramadan baskets, or the so-called (Ramadan sugar), which was originally sugar given in Ramadan, and then evolved over the course of days to surpass sugar in other things, according to what was reported by the journalist Fadel Guy - to Al-Jazeera Net - he said "Women buy some foodstuffs to give to their husbands' sisters and sisters on the occasion of the blessed Ramadan."
But the matter transcended its origin - as Fadel Guy says in the continuation of his speech - "Some of them reached the point of buying gold, and the most luxurious clothes to honor the mothers and sisters of their husbands."
While the matter was originally praiseworthy in terms of exchanging gifts, the pride that occurred to him does not appeal to many.
Muhammed Al-Amin Job continued to testify about the sugar in Ramadan, saying that "gifts and exchanging them is a good thing. Giving them brings affection, but being proud and choosing precious gifts puts pressure on many and costs them beyond their ability."
The habits of the Senegalese Ramadan vary, and in a widespread habit among Muslim peoples, young people roam the neighborhoods, especially the popular ones, in the dark of the night, hitting the tambourines to wake up those who are fasting to eat the pre-dawn meal.
In this, Dr. Muhammad Niang says, "Young people beat tambourines around the alleys to wake up those fasting, and they often compose light songs on these rhythms whose words have a light and cheerful character, and may include some names in them."
Eid is the joy of fasting and "Andondell" children
The holiday is a joy at the end of a month of obedience, affection and patience for the fasting person. The children have an atmosphere of joy and happiness that increases with the gifts given, or as it is called by the lofty “niane Ndewénale”. Eid gifts.
It is noticeable that they mostly wear their various national costumes, which Niang describes as being different in their types and agreeing in their high cost, as families pay their fabric to sewing shops since the first days of Ramadan, and families insist on them in order to maintain customs and introduce joy, and everyone exchanges phrases of congratulations on Eid “Your Eid Mubarak (Duet).