Some Aspects of the Umari Branch of the Tijaniyya

Abstract

Those who have studied the history of the Tijaniyya as a whole, are struck by the warlike character of the Umari branch which was so different from that of the other branches of the order in North West Africa and the Senegal. Hajj Umar's career as a religious warrior seems to have been shaped by two important influences: (1) the doctrines of the Tijaniyya, and (2) the ideas of Uthaman Danfodio and his son Muhammad Bello.