Ibrahima Fall

[1] The Bimestriel Islamique (2000, December) claims that French West Africa called him the minister of economic affairs in the Mouridism.

[2] Serigne Bassirou Mbacké, son of Sheikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke, claims that Ibrahima Fall renovated the Mouride Brotherhood.

Serigne Moussa Kâ understands that “Fall initiated devoting ones life to his Sheikh in search of aura (Wolof tarbiya).

[2] However, all agree that the turning point of his life was Fall's search for Shaikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke.

One major study of Ibrahima Fall reports that two versions exist of his search for Shaikh Aamadu Bàmba.

But after meeting Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke in Mbacké Bari, Fall gave up business to become Bamba's disciple.

Adama Gueye conducted Ibrahima Fall through mystic ways to Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke in 1883.

[2] Savishinsky claims “Fal (Ibra Faal) performed his obeisance to Ahmadu Bamba in crown-slave style disrobing and falling forward to the ground.

"[1] Serigne Bassirou (1995) narrates the famous speech that Ibrahima Fall and Ahmadou Bamba exchanged: Ibrahima Fall: “If I found only your gravestone, be aware that the force of my intention would satisfy my objective” Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba: “If I found only the stars and the sky that Muhammad watched at, I’m sure that I could attain my objective with my strong love of the prophet [...] Know that from this life, I’ll neither protect you from sun nor provide you material goods.

Within this contract called “Diebelou”, Savishinsky claims that Ibrahima Fall displayed an absolute, slave-like devotion to his master.

In fact, Fall started “growing food, cutting firewood, fetching water and building shelters and mosques” (p. 213).

Likewise, Serigne Moussa Kâ tells us that Fall reshaped quickly the relation between a disciple and his guide.

On 11 November 1902, Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke returned to Senegal and awarded Ibrahima Fall the degree of Sheikh.

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.

For this contribution, Serigne Fallou (2nd Caliph after Aamadu Bàmba) named him “Lamp Fall" (the light of Mouridism).