The role of writers in spreading Arab-Islamic education in Senegal: Pumb Mode writers as a model

Abstract

The traditional Arab-Islamic homes of teaching in Senegal have played a crucial role in the dissemination of the Muslim religion. The Arab-Berbers have been the pioneers before passing on the baton to the Senegalese who brilliantly took over from them, since the XIth century. From those Islamic centres of teaching, religious schools have expanded everywhere, among which that of Bamba Modou which has trained several generations. It was considered as a rural university in which several subjects have been taught. So, its impact has affected several regions in Senegal and in the Gambia, as well as in some bordering countries, from the XIXth century to nowadays, hence the flourishing of Muslim traditional schools called Daara among the Wolof people. In those institutions of religious teachings, the books on the syllabus were taught in national languages, and particularly in Wolof. That is what explains the influence of Arabic on the national languages and the numerous borrowings noticed in the speaking of the inhabitants of Senegal and the Gambia.Those school institutions have always been a melting pot of knowledge where numerous Muslim intellectuals had been trained. That new Muslim culture has been outstanding in the Senegalese society in all domains: religion, culture, society, politics, economy and Arts. That is what explains the borrowings of the national languages of the Senegambia from Arabic, hence that linguistic interpenetration. Thus, it (Arabic) has contributed, to a large extent, to modelling the Senegalese, to changing the way people think, and to transforming the individual and collective behaviours, to only name but those ones.