Tierno Bokar

'Master Bokar'[note 1]), full name Tierno Bokar Saalif Tall (1875 – 1939), was a Malian Sufi mystic and a Muslim spiritual teacher of the early twentieth century famous for his message of religious tolerance and universal love.

By the age of 15, Tierno had memorized most of the Quran, Islamic rituals and laws, and the lives of many saints.

At the age of 18, he studied under Amadou Tafsir Ba, who introduced him to the secrets of the thought of the Tijani founder, Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani.

The morning would be dedicated to the Koran first, after which the law and commentaries would be studied until the second meal and Zuhr prayer of the day.

A disagreement over the proper number of repetitions for a Hamallayya Sufi prayer rose dramatically in scale.

The difference in repetitions held little to no religious significance but, due to historical factors, was associated with rival clans.

In Bandiagara, Bokar was ostracized by his clan and family and forbidden to teach or pray publicly.

Bokar died in Bandiagara in 1939, where he is buried in the cemetery "at his mother's feet, under a small tree".

Bokar taught that no matter how rigorous the trials around Paradise are, the torments of hell are worse.

Tierno Bokar advocated for civil inter-religious dialogue (al-Nahl 16:125, al-Ankabut 29:46) and admonished religious bigotry or chauvinism.

Throughout the increasingly violent fighting, Bokar preached a message of religious tolerance and universal love.