Touba Magal attracts millions of pilgrims

Touba Magal (a religious gathering) that brought together more than three million people of different nationalities, on Thursday came to a successful ending in the Northern Senegalese spiritual City of Touba.

The event was characterised by the recitation of the Holy Qur’an at the Grand Mosque of Touba, and preaching conducted by the mourides (Muslim believers in the teaching of Serign Touba Mbacke), and prayers. The Khalifa-General, Serign Saliou Mbacke, gave out alms and led the congregation on a conducted tour to the tomb of Serign Mohammad Mbacke, the late Spiritual lLader of the Mourides Brotherhood, who was widely known as Serign Touba.

At the Magal, Serign Saliou Mbacke, urged all the mourides to follow the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PUBH), obedient to the law and always stick to hard working.

Some of the mourides revealed that the Khalifa- General devotes most of his time reading the Holy Qur’an and worshipping Almighty Allah.

Some Gambians, who attended the event, described it as unique and urged other Muslims around the world to throng the city.

The Magal catered for food and drinks for the pilgrims, regardless of nationality.

Serign Touba fell out with the colonial authorities in Senegal, because of his strong propagation of Islam. He was then detained at St Louis for some days and later taken to Dakar, before he was transferred to Gabon, where he remained in exile for seven years and 11 months.

Upon his returned to Senegal in 1903, he told his disciples to henceforth mark the day when he was forced into exile.