Introduction
As many of our readers know (such as our Facebook audience), I recently traveled to West Africa for the first time. The destination was The Republic of Senegal. Many people have been curious as to the motivation to travel to a place that is (in their eyes at least) "off the beaten track" for a vacation.
My answer to this is that "vacations" are not always fun and games, at least for me. I am a student of many fields, my interests are deep and diverse, and among the best ways to learn and grow is to see with our own eyes, to have physical experiences beyond the study of texts, to step out of our comfort zones, at least once in a while.
From a religious perspective, I believe this is one of the reasons that Hajj and 'Umrah are important. Muslims are commanded by the religion to make a pilgrimage a minimum of once in one's life, to Makkah, the site of the Ka'bah, the shrine built by the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim, 'alayhis salaam). People from all places, classes, castes and walks of life are told by Allah to offer the pilgrimage rituals, in the same place, time, space, even in the same clothing (ihraam, for the men). All of humanity converge at that place, forcing us to interact, learn and cultivate relationships with one another.
Thus, Senegal was, even from that perspective, a natural place of curiosity. It is a Muslim nation, with deep historical and cultural interests to someone like me .
(From top: site of the African Renaissance monument, walking in the streets of Dakar, minarets of the Grand Mosque of Touba city, a site revered by Senegalese.)
Spirituality
I found the people and culture to be very relaxed and an interest in spiritual development a normalized part of life. Everywhere we went we found people offering daily prayers, and the mosques are not only filled with worshipers, we were struck by the unique architecture and beauty of even the simple prayer halls.
West African Muslims generally follow the Maaliki madh-hab (school of jurisprudence) and Senegalese are typically associated with one of four Sufi orders, and this certainly reflected in the public display and practice of the religion, aspects which would be outside of the norm of experiences by those used to the format of practice in other Muslim contexts.
Recitation of religious songs (Qaseedahs, Nasheeds etc) is commonly heard throughout the country, and I have to admit a certain level of calm and peace can be found within the society.
( Images from the neighborhood mosque, Masjid Al Multazim. Notice the unique architecture)
( Images from The Mosque of the Divinity. French "
Mosquée de la Divinité overlooking the Atlantic ocean. Built by locals, amazing architecture)
Goree Island
The most famous site we went to is Goree Island, a site roughly five miles off the coast from the capital. It was an important port in the slave trade, containing one of the "points of no return". The fortress there has displays explaining not only this history, but other interesting aspects as well, such as the evolution of man in the region, the arrival of Islam in the area, and so forth.
The importance of travel in general
For African-Americans, traveling to West Africa in particular is important because it becomes a doorway of connection to the past. For Muslims of all backgrounds, I strongly recommend taking a trip to a place such as Senegal, as it would make a person appreciate a number of points, including the global impact of Islam and how one's culture can be retained and enhanced (and not destroyed or enveloped into another system of thought).
The Qur'an repeatedly encourages traveling (Q 10:19, 3:189 et al), seeing other cultures helps to eliminate xenophobia, ignorance and arrogance. It is lamentable that many Americans don't even have passports and limit their travels.
If more people left their comfort zones, even if for a few days, it would broaden their minds in countless ways. Indeed, travel is even an activity which addresses issues such as depression, in particular by seeing and experiencing the natural world.
We have produced one video ( see
here) from the Senegal trip, and soon will publish more, including a presentation hosted by the Divine Wisdom study group of Senegal on "The Relationship between Man and God". For updates, simply subscribe to our YouTube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/@Arifinlibrary) as well as this blog.
