Tijaniyya

The Tijaniyya is a Sufi order founded by the Algerian scholar Ahmad al-Tijani in the late 18th century and centred on Fez in Morocco. It spread widely in West Africa, where its claim of a direct spiritual link to the Prophet attracted scholars and rulers. In the 19th century Umar Tall used its authority to lead the jihad that created the Toucouleur Empire, and it remains one of the largest Sufi orders in Africa.