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A Spirit of Tolerance: The Inspiring Life of Tierno Bokar
Tierno Bokar (1875-1939), African mystic and Muslim spiritual teacher, was remarkable for the drama of his life story (which was made into a recent play directed by Peter Brook). His message of religious tolerance and universal love is profoundly important in a world where different faiths are often at odds with each other.
260 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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About the author
Amadou Hampâté Bâ
48 books45 followersAmadou Hampâté Bâ was born to an aristocratic Fula family in Bandiagara, the largest city in Dogon territory and the capital of the precolonial Masina Empire. After his father's death, he was adopted by his mother's second husband, Tidjani Amadou Ali Thiam of the Toucouleur ethnic group. He first attended the Qur'anic school run by Tierno Bokar, a dignitary of the Tijaniyyah brotherhood, then transferred to a French school at Bandiagara, then to one at Djenné. In 1915, he ran away from school and rejoined his mother at Kati, where he resumed his studies.
In 1921, he turned down entry into the école normale in Gorée. As a punishment, the governor appointed him to Ouagadougou with the role he later described as that of "an essentially precarious and revocable temporary writer". From 1922 to 1932, he filled several posts in the colonial administration in Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso and from 1932 to 1942 in Bamako. In 1933, he took a six month leave to visit Tierno Bokar, his spiritual leader.(see also:Sufi studies)
In 1942, he was appointed to the Institut Français d’Afrique Noire (IFAN, French Institute of Black Africa) in Dakar thanks to the benevolence of Théodore Monod, its director. At IFAN, he made ethnological surveys and collected traditions. For 15 years he devoted himself to research, which would later lead to the publication of his work L'Empire peul de Macina (The Peul Empire of Macina). In 1951, he obtained a UNESCO grant, allowing him to travel to Paris and meet with intellectuals from Africanist circles, notably Marcel Griaule.
With Mali's independence in 1960, Bâ founded the Institute of Human Sciences in Bamako, and represented his country at the UNESCO general conferences. In 1962, he was elected to UNESCO's executive council, and in 1966 he helped establish a unified system for the transcription of African languages.
His term in the executive council ended in 1970, and he devoted the remaining years of his life to research and writing. He moved to Abidjan, and worked on classifying the archives of West African oral tradition that he had accumulated throughout his lifetime, as well as writing his memoirs (Amkoullel l'enfant peul and Oui mon commandant!, both published posthumously).
(source: Wikipedia)
In 1921, he turned down entry into the école normale in Gorée. As a punishment, the governor appointed him to Ouagadougou with the role he later described as that of "an essentially precarious and revocable temporary writer". From 1922 to 1932, he filled several posts in the colonial administration in Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso and from 1932 to 1942 in Bamako. In 1933, he took a six month leave to visit Tierno Bokar, his spiritual leader.(see also:Sufi studies)
In 1942, he was appointed to the Institut Français d’Afrique Noire (IFAN, French Institute of Black Africa) in Dakar thanks to the benevolence of Théodore Monod, its director. At IFAN, he made ethnological surveys and collected traditions. For 15 years he devoted himself to research, which would later lead to the publication of his work L'Empire peul de Macina (The Peul Empire of Macina). In 1951, he obtained a UNESCO grant, allowing him to travel to Paris and meet with intellectuals from Africanist circles, notably Marcel Griaule.
With Mali's independence in 1960, Bâ founded the Institute of Human Sciences in Bamako, and represented his country at the UNESCO general conferences. In 1962, he was elected to UNESCO's executive council, and in 1966 he helped establish a unified system for the transcription of African languages.
His term in the executive council ended in 1970, and he devoted the remaining years of his life to research and writing. He moved to Abidjan, and worked on classifying the archives of West African oral tradition that he had accumulated throughout his lifetime, as well as writing his memoirs (Amkoullel l'enfant peul and Oui mon commandant!, both published posthumously).
(source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 20, 2008
Recently I returned from Mali where I traced the life of Amadou Hampate Ba. If I didn't know his books, the country could have looked very different.
En Afrique, quand un vieillard meurt, c’est une bibliothèque qui brûle. — "In Africa, when an old man dies, it's a library burning." Amadou Hampate Ba, 1960 at l'UNESCO.
If you are interested in reading his book, "Amkoullel, l'enfant peul" might be the best to understand the social, cultural and historical background of Ba's time and people.
En Afrique, quand un vieillard meurt, c’est une bibliothèque qui brûle. — "In Africa, when an old man dies, it's a library burning." Amadou Hampate Ba, 1960 at l'UNESCO.
If you are interested in reading his book, "Amkoullel, l'enfant peul" might be the best to understand the social, cultural and historical background of Ba's time and people.
June 25, 2008
I want to be like Tierno Bokar
July 13, 2020
Though I am a Christian (the book focuses quite a lot on Islam), I am also a Dogon, and as it was recommended by a friend I decided why not.
A beautifully written book about tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness and faith. Anyone who believes can learn a lot from Tierno Bokar. It's about total dedication to God. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I found the beginning a little slow.
A beautifully written book about tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness and faith. Anyone who believes can learn a lot from Tierno Bokar. It's about total dedication to God. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I found the beginning a little slow.
February 23, 2022
Tierno Bokar es el maestro espiritual de Hampâté Bâ del que ya habla en ‘Oui mon comamandant’. En la primera parte cuenta su vida y en las otras dos sus enseñanzas y su método. Quizás las dos primeras partes sean las más interesantes. Libro clave par entender acontecimientos históricos y la espiritualidad tidjani que acompañó al gran escritor.
February 20, 2019
Ase
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2025
Un livre remplis de sagesse universelle !
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews