Aḥmadu Bamba’s Pedagogy and the Development of ͑Ajamī Literature

While African literature in European languages is well-studied, ͑ajamī and its significance in the intellectual history of Africa remains one of the least investigated areas in African studies. Yet ͑ajamī is one of the oldest and most widespread forms of literature in Africa. This article draws scholars’ attention to this unmapped terrain of knowledge. First, it provides a survey of major West African ͑ajamī literary traditions and examines the nexus between the pedagogy of Aḥmadu Bamba and the development of Wolofal (Wolof ͑ajamī). Then, with reference to excerpts from Sëriñ Masoxna Ló’s 1954 eulogy, it discusses the role of Wolofal in the diffusion of the Murīd ethos.