This study revolves around the emergence and spread of the “Community of the Divine Flood,” established in 1929 by Ibrahim Niasse, a leader of the Tijaniyya Sufi order from Senegal. Based on a wide variety of written sources, mostly in Arabic, and encounters with leaders and ordinary members of the movement, the book analyzes the teachings and practices of this community, most notably those concerned with mystical knowledge of God. It presents an intimate portrait of the community's formation in Senegal and its subsequent transformation into a transnational movement in West Africa and beyond. ... More

This study revolves around the emergence and spread of the “Community of the Divine Flood,” established in 1929 by Ibrahim Niasse, a leader of the Tijaniyya Sufi order from Senegal. Based on a wide variety of written sources, mostly in Arabic, and encounters with leaders and ordinary members of the movement, the book analyzes the teachings and practices of this community, most notably those concerned with mystical knowledge of God. It presents an intimate portrait of the community's formation in Senegal and its subsequent transformation into a transnational movement in West Africa and beyond. The book exposes the intellectual roots of Niasse's Sufi revival by examining the religious ideas and writings of scholars associated with the Tijaniyya. Tracing Niasse's ascension as the widely acclaimed “Supreme Saint of His Era,” the study shows how the stages of his career intersect with the development of his mystical teachings, as well as with the historical context of late colonial West Africa. Against the widely held view that Sufism is not compatible with modernity, the book demonstrates how Sufis have managed to adapt to changing environments. Through a combination of textual analysis with empirical research, the book bridges the divide between the anthropological study of popular religion at the expense of the intellectual side, on the one hand, and the philological focus on the intellectual and contempt of the popular, on the other, thus making a compelling case for studying Sufis and their literary production in their social and historical contexts.