[Lumières de la Foi] Cheikh Déthialaw Seck : Le « Lion de Ngourane » et l’appel mystique du puits
In this blessed month of Ramadan, Seneweb continues its series dedicated to the great figures of Senegalese spirituality. For this second installment of our "Lights of Faith" section, we travel to Cayor, to Ngourane, following in the footsteps of a man whose destiny was sealed by a mystical encounter in a well. Discover the life and work of Mame Cheikh Déthialaw Seck, the "Wolof of Cheikhna Cheikh Saad-Bouh," who transformed a land of warrior traditions into a vibrant center of the Khadriyya Sufi order.
Ngourane, a village located 7 km from Ngoumba Guéoul, became a center of the Khadriyya Sufi order thanks to Sheikh Déthialaw Seck, a native of the village and one of the illustrious companions of Sheikhna Sheikh Saad-Bouh. The "Lion of Ngourane" or "Borom Ngourane" was a great defender of Islam. He received the blessing of the entire Sharifian family. Among the most devoted disciples of Sheikh Saad-Bouh—who said, "Whoever sees Sheikh Déthialaw has seen me"—this holy man, born in the 1850s, remains the divine light that illuminated this predominantly "Ceddo" part of Cayor: Ngourane.
Sheikh Déthialaw Seck is a revered figure in the Khadrya community. The reason? This holy man holds a special place in the heart of Sheikhna Sheikh Saad-Bouh. Moreover, he was elevated by the holy man of Nimzath to a very high rank in the hierarchy of knowledge and scholarship: the "Khutbaniya." This spiritual responsibility testifies to the nature of the mission entrusted to the one who was constantly referred to in Nimzath and the surrounding area as "Saad-Bouh's Wolof."
It fell to Sheikh Déthialaw, born in the 1850s, to have the distinct honor of working to promote Islam in this part of Cayor.
The mere mention of Sheikh Déthialaw Seck's name fills an entire village community, and indeed a whole community of Muslim faithful in Senegal who identify with the Khadriyya order, with pride. And rightly so! The holy man of Ngourane embodies the mystical dimension of Sheikhna Sheikh Saad-Bouh Abihi, but also, and above all, the place that Black people, and Senegalese people in particular, occupy in the religious approach of the revered guide of Nimzath. In Ngourane, it is a source of pride to be Khadre and to keep alive the flame rekindled by Sheikh Déthialaw nearly a century ago.
The mystical encounter at the well
The story of Sheikh Déthialaw and Sheikhna Sheikh Saad-Bouh Abihi is one of profound spiritual encounter. It is the story of an orphan (both fatherless and motherless), deeply rooted in his homeland and immersed in a "Ceddo" environment, and of a scholar who chose to guide him in fulfilling his destiny. In Ngourane, this pivotal meeting is fondly remembered.
One day, while digging a well with his half-brother, Mandione, Sheikh Déthialaw was enveloped by a divine light. The figure of Sheikhna Sheikh Saad-Bouh, dressed all in white and facing east, appeared to him in the middle of the well. A few words resonated in Sheikh Déthialaw's ear: "I will make you a 'Waliyou'; a master on the path laid down by Allah the Almighty." Overwhelmed, Sheikh Déthialaw asked his brother if he had seen this man of luminous whiteness.
Mandione, for his part, had seen and heard nothing. This light had asked him to meet him in Nimzath. Around 7 p.m., explains his grandson, Cheikh Nah Seck, "Cheikh Déthialaw made the call to prayer and prayed for the first time, at the age of 20. That night, he made the firm decision to leave Ngourane to answer the call of the turbaned man."
The Journey to Nimzath and the 114 Surahs
Upon leaving his native village, Sheikh Déthialaw was welcomed by Sheikhna Sheikh Saad-Bouh, who chose to guide him. "Between Ngourane and Keur Ma'Ndiaye, Allah the Almighty enabled him to master all 114 surahs of the Quran," his grandson maintains. A feat that demonstrates the destiny of God's chosen ones.
Continuing his journey, he stopped at Pallène Séllé Diagne, Keur Maguèye Salla, and Sahm before reaching Saint-Louis to rejoin the caravan departing for Nimzath. During the journey, he cared for his guide's camels with such devotion that he ended up injuring his foot. Seeing him unable to walk, the caravaneers chose to leave him in a village. Once in Nimzath, Cheikhna, dissatisfied with this treatment, entrusted Ibn Hambal with his own route to meet him. Cheikh Déthialaw, however, refused to mount the camel, preferring to walk despite the pain to reach his master. When he found himself face to face with the holy man of Nimzath, he immediately recognized the figure he had seen in the well.
Cheikhna then entrusted it to a wise man named Mohamed Ibn Abdallah; upon the latter's death a few days later, Cheikh Déthialaw inherited its entire spiritual dimension.
Ascetic steeped in Sufism
In Nimzath, Sheikh Déthialaw, having taken the name Sheikh Ahmed Ibn Malick, had earned a great reputation for his propensity to chant the name of Allah. Even in Morocco, where Sheikhna often sent him, he displayed his knowledge and mysticism. His close relationship with Sheikh Saad-Bouh made him an ascetic steeped in Sufism. Although he wished to remain and serve his master in Nimzath, Sheikhna personally wrote a diploma conferring upon him the title of "Sheikh," the highest rank in the Khadre hierarchy, so that he could return to Senegal.
Upon returning to Ngourane, he worked to spread Islam in a region that was then resistant to it. His reputation grew following numerous miracles, such as the transfer of tombs with "religious precision" and the resurrection of a disciple in Loumpoul. Another remarkable event was the crossing of the Mauritanian desert by twelve of his disciples to deliver corrugated iron sheets to Nimzath, sustained only by a few dates and rice, and all of them lived to be a hundred years old. The place where he has rested since 1934 was blessed by Sheikhna Sheikh Saad-Bouh, who recited the Quran seven times there during his last visit.
The mission entrusted to the "Lion" among the three Sheikhs
One day in Saint-Louis, Sheikh Saad-Bouh gathered three distinguished Sheikhs: Sheikh Déthialaw of Ngourane, Sheikh Pathé Sarr of Mérina, and Sheikh Aldiouma Bâ of Guet Ardo. He entrusted them with sacred missions. Sheikh Pathé Sarr was entrusted with the celebration of Mawlid (Gamou). Sheikh Aldiouma Bâ was given the mission of building a mosque and making the pilgrimage to Mecca. Finally, Sheikh Déthialaw Seck was entrusted with the mission of celebrating the 15th day of Ramadan each year, a night dedicated to Sheikh Abdoul Khadr Jelani.
Until his death in 1934, the holy man celebrated this "Gamou Khadre" of Ngourane, which he had initiated in 1880. Today, his family perpetuates this legacy. His successors, including Sheikh Alioune Seck, have given this event an international dimension. Every year, the memory of this holy man brings together the faithful, particularly in the Medina of Dakar at the home of Sheikh Assane Fall Sadiawar, to celebrate the work of the "Lion of Ngourane."
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