Studies commissioned by the organizing committee of the great Magal of Touba indicate that 5,875,536 people responded to the call of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba on Monday, September 4, 2023. The figure is the conclusion of investigations conducted by a team of experts led by Moubarack Lô, economist. In comparison with 2015, the difference is enormous even if, in its time, 4,119,551 pilgrims were counted in the religious city.

Ahmadou Bamba died in 1927 in Diourbel. But his legacy is perpetuated since then by his sons: Serigne Mouhamadou Moustapha Mbacké (1927-1945), El Hadj Falilou Mbacké (1945-1968), Serigne Abdoul Lahat Mbacké (1968-1989), Serigne Abdou Khadr Mbacké (1989-1990), Serigne Saliou Mbacké (1990-2007).

The disappearance in 2007 of Serigne Saliou Mbacké opened the accession of grandsons to the Khalifat: Serigne Mouhamadou Bara Mbacké (2007-2010), Serigne Sidy Moctar Mbacké (2010-2018).

Serigne Mountakha Bassirou Mbacké is the General Caliph of the Mourides since 2018.

The Magal, a Wolof term meaning to pay tribute, celebrate, magnify, is commemorated in memory of this exile which marks the beginning of a sum of hardships borne in conscience by the sheikh, following a pact contracted with his creator.

Each year, tens of thousands of pilgrims take the city of Touba by storm to gather and pray on the occasion of the Magal, which is also a moment of conviviality and hospitality through the ‘Berndae’, these hearty meals served to pilgrims.

Bandits killed seven worshippers praying in two mosques, including the head of a village self-defense group in volatile northern Nigeria, Kaduna State Police announced on September 1, 2023.

Early Friday evening in Ikara district, a dozen members of criminal gangs arrived on motorcycles and opened fire on worshippers from the Saya-Saya community who were praying in a mosque, killing six of them, the state police spokesman said, Mansir Hassan, in a statement issued Saturday.

The attackers then attacked another mosque in a nearby village, where they killed one person and wounded three others, before stealing four motorcycles and disappearing into the bush, he added.

According to Abdulrahman Yusuf, the head of the Say-Saya community, the head of the village self-defence group is among those killed.

“We believe that he was the main target of the attack and that the bandits followed him to the mosque,” added Mr. Yusuf, one of the faithful survivors of the attack.

Kaduna is one of the states in central and northwestern Nigeria regularly bloodied by bandit groups that attack villages, kill and kidnap residents and burn their homes after looting them.

Criminals regularly target mosques and churches where they kidnap worshippers to obtain future ransoms or to avenge their comrades killed or arrested by local self-defence groups who fight them.

The Kaduna authorities are worried about a growing rapprochement between these gangs and jihadist groups that have been fighting the state for nearly 15 years for control of the northeast.

As at the Korité festival, Senegal also celebrates Tabaski in the division. The Coordination of Muslims of Dakar (CMS) has set a date for this Wednesday, June 28, 2023, joining many Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia that will celebrate Eid El Kabir, one day after the Arafat station.

On Mermoz’s side Imam El Hadji Ravane MBaye informed that the prayer of Eid El Kebir will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 28 (day after Arafat) at 9:15 am in the Great Mosque Fenetre

Note that the Senegalese in their majority, will follow the National Consultation Commission on the lunar crescent making Thursday, the date of the feast of Tabaski, two days after Arafat.

The Commission bases its decision on the fact that, after scanning the sky on the evening of Sunday 18 June, the moon was not seen in Senegal.