Ibrahima Fall

Sheikh Ibrahima Fall (1855–1930) was a disciple of Sheikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke, founder of the Mouride Brotherhood movement in West Africa. Well known in the Mouride Brotherhood, Ibrahima Fall established the influential Baye Fall movement.

Neil Savishinsky (1994) contends that Sheikh Ibrahima Fall is “one of the first and most illustrious of Ahmadu Bamba’s disciples" out of 39 before him who gave allegiance to the sheikh. The Bimestriel Islamique (2000, December) claims that French West Africa called him the minister of economic affairs in the Mouridism. Ibrahima Fall catalysed the Mouride movement. Fall led all the labour work in the Mouride brotherhood. Fall reshaped the relation between Mouride Talibes (Mouride disciples) and their guide, Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke. Fall instituted the culture of work among Mourides with his concept of Dieuf Dieul “you reap what you sow”. According to Mbacké, Ibrahima Fall introduced giving money to Aamadu Bàmba. Sheikh Diop (1980) confirms the great importance of Ibrahima Fall to Mouridism, stating that “Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba and Sheikh Ibrahima Fall realise the symbiosis of Mouride values, pray and work” .

Origins

Ibrahima Fall belonged to an aristocratic Wolof family from Cayor. A scholar confirms that Fall came out of an animistically influenced Muslim tradition, but believes Fall's family was nevertheless prosperous and traditionally powerful in Cayor. Other sources contend that Fall's grandfather, the Damel Dethialaw, was a ruler of the Cayor kingdom.

Family and education Ibrahima Fall was born around 1855 in a northern village, Ndiaby Fall, Cayor. His original tyeddo name was Yapsa Khanth Fall. Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke later gave him the name Ibrahima Fall. Ibrahima Fall was a son of Amadou Rokhaya Fall and Seynabou Ndiaye. At an early age, Ibrahima Fall learned the Qur'an in a neighbouring village, Ndiaré. Aamadu Bàmba ordered Ibrahima Fall to work for Sherif Hassan. He did so until 1901, when Sherif Hassan died. In this interval (1895–1901), Fall kept sending money (in Wolof “Adiya”) to the Shaikh until his return in 1902. On 11 November 1902, Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke returned to Senegal and awarded Ibrahima Fall the degree of Sheikh.

Return of Aamadu Bàmba In June 1912, the French kept Aamadu Bàmba under house arrest in Ndjarèem, Diourbel. Consequently, Sheikh Ibrahima Fall followed him to Diourbel. In Diourbel, Fall created a famous district, Keur Sheikh. In Keur Sheikh, the Baye Fall movement consolidated and expanded very quickly. Many tyeddos became his disciples. In 1925, the French banned construction of the Touba Mosque. Sheikh Ibrahima Fall enclosed the area of the mosque with timbers Fall carried from Ndjarèem to Touba.

In 1927, at the death of Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke, Sheikh Ibrahima Fall performed among the first obeisance to the Shaikh's son, Serigne Moustapha Mbacké. Sheikh Ibrahima Fall participated in the difficult creation of the railroads between Diourbel and Touba. Sheikh Ibrahima Fall died 9 June 1930 after helping the succession of Aamadu Bàmba. He lies in Touba.

Recognition by the Mouride Brotherhood Sheikh Ibrahima Fall obviously helped Shaikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke to expand Mouridism, particularly with Fall's establishment of the Baye Fall movement. For this contribution, Serigne Fallou (2nd Caliph after Aamadu Bàmba) named him “Lamp Fall" (the light of Mouridism). In addition, Ibrahima Fall earned the title of “Babul Mouridina”, meaning "Gate of Mouridism".