Great Magal
of Touba

The Essence of the Magal: Gratitude to Allah

Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba is renowned for dedicating the 18th of Safar to gratitude (shukr). This is reflected in his famous words:

“Today, I present to You a form of gratitude that is unique to me and unmatched by anyone else.”

This is, in essence, the meaning of the Magal: a day devoted to expressing gratitude to Allah (AWJ).

Gratitude is a command from Allah (AWJ). The Holy Qur’an repeatedly emphasises its importance:

“So remember Allah’s favours, so you may be successful.”
Al-A‘raf 7:69

“As for the blessings of your Lord, proclaim them.”
Surah Ad-Duḥā 93:11

This teaches us an important principle: gratitude is felt in the heart, expressed openly and shared with others.

“Work, O family of David, in gratitude. And few of My servants are truly grateful.”
Surah Saba 34:13

Satan, the accursed, vowed that he would lead people away from gratitude, saying: “And You will find most of them ungrateful.” It is for this reason that Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba devoted himself to becoming one of the truly grateful servants of Allah.

When we gather for the Magal, we celebrate the immense favours and privileges Allah bestowed upon the Sheikh—favours that, by virtue of our attachment and companionship with him, extend to us as well. This is what we celebrate on the 18th of Safar.

We could have chosen to gather and commemorate the hardships endured by the Sheikh. His exile was painful and his suffering immense. In Jazaa’u Shakuur, the Sheikh stated that, apart from death, what he experienced was even more difficult and painful. Yet, as Murids, this is not the focus of our Magal celebrations.

Following the Sheikh’s teachings, we do not dwell on pain, sorrow or hardship. Rather, we concentrate on gratitude. He advised us to put suffering behind us and focus instead on thanking Allah for His countless blessings.

“If you are grateful, I will surely increase you in favour.”

The greatest way to honour the Sheikh is not merely to remember his trials, but to emulate his gratitude. His legacy is one of unwavering thankfulness to Allah in every circumstance. As we commemorate the 18th of Safar, may we strive to become among those few servants whom Allah describes as truly grateful, recognising that gratitude is the path to increase, the key to nearness to Allah and the essence of the Magal itself.