In the path of Allah : the passion of al-Hajj 'Umar : an essay into the nature of charisma in Islam

The book deals with an important figure in 19th-century African history: a man who was Muslim reformer, sufi, and warrior, and led a jihad, as he saw it, to purify and propagate Islam in West Africa, establishing a Muslim empire in the Western Sudan. Cover Page 1 In the Path of Allah 4 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Dedication 8 Table of Contents 10 Acknowledgements 12 Preface 14 I. The 'Umarian Jama'a 18 II. Jihad Fi Sabil Allah 46 III. The Turudiyya and the "Seal" of Jihad 74 IV. Pilgrimage in the Path of Allah 95 V. Hijra in the Path of Allah 122 VI. The Jihad 144 VII. The Mystic Shaykh 162 VIII. Dissension in the Niger Bend 183 IX. The Collapse of Hamdullahi 209 Glossary 245 Bibliography 251 Index 264 'Umar, An Essay into the Nature of Charisma in Islam'

A West African Sufi and religious reformer (c.1794-1864), struggled to reconcile the temporal achievements of his jihad with his mystical calling. The fame of Shaykh Omar rested on his reputation as a worker of miracles, and the success of jihad in his path to Allah.

This work describes the fame of Shaykh Omar, a West African Sufi and religious reformer (c.1794-1864), who struggled to reconcile the temporal achievements of his jihad with his mystical calling.