Intellectuels de la Khadara Malikiya 1/3 : De la Sorbonne à la Grande Mosquée de la rue Blanchot, le parcours hors norme du Pr Rawane Mbaye
Professor El Hadj Rawane Mbaye, patron of the 2016 General Competition, is one of Senegal's most respected academics for his research on Islam and the Tijaniyya Sufi order. Fluent in both Arabic and French, he exemplifies the successful integration of these two disciplines within the Senegalese education system. Holding a Doctorate in Literature (History of Thought), defended at the Sorbonne (France) in 1993, the former Commissioner General of the Hajj pilgrimage to the Holy Sites of Islam has taught at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar since 1975.
He was among the guests of the King of Morocco at the inauguration of the Higher Council of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema at Al Qaraouiyin University in Fez, Morocco. Among the numerous studies devoted to the work and legacy of Maodo, one thesis remains an essential reference: that of El Hadji Rawane Mbaye. This masterful work was shared on the occasion of the 2026 Gamou celebration, in order to revisit Maodo's life and better grasp the depth of his spiritual and intellectual legacy.
The eminent imam and renowned scholar recalled that the Mawlid an-Nabi, commonly known as Gamou in Senegal, was instituted by Seydi El Hadji Malick Sy, also known as Maodo, emphasizing its ascetic dimension, combined with an unparalleled intellectual stature, which makes him one of the most studied figures in Senegal and throughout the West African sub-region. A former Inspector General of Education, the chief imam of the old Grand Mosque on Rue Blanchot in Dakar since 1981, is a specialist in Islamic law and legal methodology.
A leading expert on the Tijaniyya order, Rawane Mbaye is a member of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He is the author of several works, including "The Great Scholar El Hadji Malick Sy - Thought and Action," "Guide for the Pilgrim," "Khilasou Dhahab," and "Pure Gold on the Life of the Prophet (PBUH)." In May 2013, he won the fifth Ibn Khaldoun-Léopold Sédar Senghor Prize for his translation from Arabic into French of "Pearls of Meaning and Realization in the Flow of Abu-l-'Abbas at-Tijani by Sidi Ali Harâzim Ibn Al-'Arabi Barrâda."
The translation was published in a bilingual Arabic-French edition by Éditions Albouraq (Paris). The jury, chaired by Ms. Tahani Omar, Honorary President of the French University of Cairo (Egypt), praised the quality of the translation of the imam of the mosque on Rue Blanchot, both the prose and the poetry. "The text required many years of effort to meet all the scholarly requirements (rigor of translation, concern for clarity). It was judged to be far removed from any literal transcription that would compromise the moral value of the original text and its stylistic richness," the jury stated.
Author of several books and research in various scientific journals
Born in Dakar in 1934, Professor Rawane Mbaye received his basic education in grammar and language at madrassas. He then earned a baccalaureate in philosophy and literature in Dakar, followed by a bachelor's degree in Arabic and Islamic studies, as well as a bachelor's degree in modern and contemporary history. He obtained a master's degree and a doctorate from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, and a state doctorate in literature from the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. He was appointed as the representative of the Republic of Senegal to the Council of the International Academy of Islamic Fiqh on November 19, 1984.
He held numerous positions, including: Director of the Center for Islamic Studies, Research and Training; Director General of the Islamic Institute of Dakar; Inspector General of National Education; and Advisor to the Head of Government. He also worked as a lecturer at Cheikh Anta Diop University, a full professor at Cheikh Anta Diop University, and Head of the Admissions Jury Committee for the National School of Administration and Magistracy of Senegal.
He was also appointed an expert to the Human Rights Committee, a consultant to UNESCO, and head of the International Scientific Committee for the drafting of the UNESCO Encyclopedia of Islamic Culture. He worked as a visiting professor at the University of Memphis, USA, where he taught pre-Islamic literature, ancient Arabic grammar, jurisprudence, the art and method of translation, Islamic civilization in the medieval period, the history of Islam, Islam in Africa, Sufism, and the history of thought. Professor Mbaye is the author of several books and scholarly articles published in various academic journals.
Macky Sall to Professor El Hadj Rawane Mbaye
“Professor El Hadj Rawane Mbaye, Chair of Islamic Studies at Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD), and patron of the 2016 General Competition, is a leading figure in science, religion, and morality,” declared former President Macky Sall during the awards ceremony he presided over at the Grand Théâtre in Dakar. He continued, “Your patron is a scholar, known and respected by all for his complete dedication to education, training, and research at the Center for Research and Training on Islam (CERFI).”
According to Macky Sall, the imam of the Mermoz mosque and the Blanchot Street mosque contributed to spreading awareness of Islam and Sufism through the charismatic figure of Sheikh Ahmet Tidiane Chérif. "You are a source of pride for the nation and the Islamic Ummah," President Sall declared to Professor Mbaye. A native of the Dakar region, this brilliant intellectual is one of the twelve "pinthies" (elders) of the Lébou community. Born in Thieudème, he grew up on Mbaye Guèye Street (formerly Thiers Street), about a hundred meters from the Zawiya El Hadji Malick Sy.
Commentaires (30)
Un homme véritable
Un grand suffit
Un intellectuel hors du commun
Un tidiane confirmé
ceux qui ni leurs grands parents, ni leurs parents, ni eux meme qui n'ont jamais servi même à un chat continuent de critiquer et d insulter : la chose la plus facile ...,,
Les chiens aboient la caravane passe
Allah est plus savant
Merci Monsieur, en espèrent qu un jour nos routes se croisent
Une VALEUR sûre de l'islam
Merci de m'avoir encadré conseille et éduqué depuis plus de 40 ans
Un de ses amis d'enfance dans le plateau M TALL m’a dit une fois lors d’une conférence qu’il animé sur l'islam que IMAM Rawhane n’a jamais joué ne joue pas et ne jouera jamais
C’est un modèle de piété exceptionnel je m'incline devant lui pour avoir réveillé en cette parcelle divine qui dormait en moi
Jerrejeffeti Maître
Yalla nala Yalla faye yiww te taxawula Amiina
En le voyant on lui voue, sans le connaitre, RESPECT ET ADMIRATION.
Qu'Allah SWT lui accorde une longue sur une santé d'acier. Aaaaaaaaamiiiiin.
Il inspire le respect et la confiance.
Dou wakh lou mou khamoul. Sa piété et son attachement aux valeurs islamiques dépassent toute limite.
Yalla na ko Yalla doli defal soutoura par la grâce de notre bien aimé Saw.
Allah est plus savant
Signé un citoyen ordinaire.
A la fin des années 90', Mame Abdou Aziz SY (Khalife général des Tidianes) lui avait confié les travaux de la Grande Mosquée de Tivaouane.//
Commissaire Général au Pèlerinage (durant 14 ans). Le Sénégal était respecté par les saoudiens pour la bonne organisation de sa délégation.
A ce jour, des organisateurs et des pèlerins le citent toujours en exemple. //
Ceux qui le connaisse bien savent qu'en bon Professeur qu'il était toujours sur son ordinateur à la recherche du savoir, des informations, des textes, des érudits, .... Il remontait à la source des fatwa et des textes répandus dans la Communauté. //
Il veut qu'on s'en tienne aux sourates et à la charia. Il a dit ce qu'il pense sur plusieurs sujets et il a dérangé des gens. //
Le CERFI forme des fidèles à la prière mortuaire et aux bonnes pratiques islamiques.
Enfin, il a effectué un travail important sur les bons horaires de prières dans chaque ville du Sénégal. //
Cet homme est une fierté pour le Sénégal.
C'est grâce à des personnalités comme lui que la Oumah respecte le Sénégal. Ce qui nous a permis d'organiser deux fois le sommet de l'OCI.
A force de les admirer certains finissent par les vénérer. C'est la grande erreur de la masse. Non nous devons suivre les pas de nos guides sans les vénérer.
Aller à Tivaouane ou ailleurs pour tomber dans la vénération d'un humain est à éviter.
Sa réserve
Noppi na
Mandou na
Ses ouvrages en tomes
Thieuy ki !!!!!
Qu’Allah vous prête longue vie et vous comble de ses bienfaits. Vous avez été et demeure encore un maître et un modèle pour moi et ceux qui vous ont fréquenté dans le cadre des études et de la recherche.
Merci beaucoup pour tous les efforts consentis pour nous former et nous guider.
Paix, santé et bonheur à vous et à votre famille !
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