The Sufi Muslim orders to which the vast majority of Senegalese belong are the most significant institutions of social organization in the country. While studies of Islam and politics have tended to focus on the destabilizing force of religiously based groups, the author argues that in Senegal the orders have been a central component of a political system that has been among the most stable in Africa. Focusing on a regional administrative centre, he combines a detailed account of grassroots politics with an analysis of national and international forces to examine the ways in which the internal dynamics of the orders shape the exercise of power by the Senegalese. This is a major study that should be read by every student of Islam and politics as well as of Africa.

‘… the detail of political relationships at a local level has never been as well presented as in this exemplary study, centred on the Serer town of Fatick. A wide and critical reading in the politics of Islam, and on state-society relations in Africa, situate the case study in a clear and well-argued theoretical perspective … Beautifully researched, rich in oral as well as documentary material.’

Source: African Affairs