September 22, 2017: Reminder to God of Serigne Abdoul Aziz Sy Al Amine, the trustworthy one of Tivaouane
In Tivaouane, certain men never really leave the collective memory. Their disappearance erases neither their voice, nor their presence, nor the imprint left on the life of the city. Serigne Abdoul Aziz Sy Al Amine belongs to this generation of religious figures whose authority went well beyond the framework of the brotherhood.
A man of his word, mediator, educator and unifier, he devoted most of his life to the service of Islam, Tidjaniyya and social peace.
Born in 1928 in Tivaouane, he is the son of Serigne Babacar Sy, first caliph of Maodo, and Sokhna Astou Kane. Very early on, he evolved at the heart of the spiritual and intellectual environment of Maodo’s family. In his youth, he became his father’s private secretary, a responsibility which allowed him to interact on a daily basis with the great religious figures of his time and to immerse himself in their teachings.
His name, “Al Amine”, already carries a whole program. In Arabic, it refers to one who is trustworthy, faithful and secure. A qualifier which also evokes one of the nicknames attributed to the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) even before the start of his prophetic mission. With Serigne Abdoul Aziz Sy, this name will end up taking on a particular dimension, as it corresponded to the image he sent, that of a man attached to the truth, to the word given and to a sense of responsibility.
A voice that counted in the Tarikha
Over the years, Al Amine has established himself as one of the major voices of Tivaouane. Spokesperson for the Tidjaniyya, he does not just transmit religious teaching. He is also involved in the affairs of the city and in the major issues affecting Senegalese society.
In Tivaouane, several faithful keep the memory of a man whose words had a particular impact within the Tarikha. “Al Amine was a reference for many of us. When he spoke about the Tarikha, we felt that it was not just a matter of speeches, but of a heritage that he had received and that he had the responsibility to pass on,” testifies Mamadou Diop, faithful to the city.
His speech, often direct but always measured, made him a listener, even in moments of tension. This ability to dialogue and reconcile positions constitutes one of the most striking traits of his career.
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“He had this particular way of reminding people of the essential without ever trying to humiliate or divide. He defended the Tarikha firmly, but always with respect for other brotherhoods and other religious sensitivities,” underlines Ibrahima Fall, another faithful of the religious city.
Al Amine knew how to intervene when passions threatened to take over. He favored listening, consultation and the search for compromise. This disposition to mediate gave him a particular stature in the Senegalese religious landscape.
This influence also went beyond strictly religious circles. For Awa Ndiaye, a resident of Tivaouane who crossed paths with Zawiya Serigne Babacar Sy, her relationship with the faithful was also marked by a form of proximity: “What struck me about Serigne Al Amine was her availability. Even when he spoke with the authority conferred on him by his rank, one felt that he was mainly seeking advice and guidance. He had a lot of respect for the faithful and for the words of Maodo.”
The mediator in moments of tension
In 2012, during the desecration of the zawiya of Dakar, his role as mediator took on a national dimension. In a particularly sensitive context, his voice helped to restore calm and remind people of the need to preserve social cohesion. He then embodied this concept of a religious authority which is not limited to teaching, but which also assumes a responsibility in the preservation of peace.
On March 15, 2017, after his brother Sheikh Ahmed Tidiane Sy Al Makhtoum was reminded of God, Serigne Abdoul Aziz Sy Al Amine became the sixth Caliph General of the Tidianes. He assumed this position at the age of 89, at the end of a long life dedicated to transmission and service to the community.
His caliphate will be short-lived. Barely six months after his accession to the head of Tidjaniyya, he was called to God on September 22, 2017. This disappearance comes just a few days after the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the call to God of his uncle, Serigne Abdoul Aziz Sy Dabakh. Tivaouane is then plunged into deep sadness.
But the brevity of his caliphate cannot sum up his work. For decades, even before assuming this supreme responsibility, Al Amine had built a unique relationship with the faithful and with the whole of Senegalese society. His words were sought after for his frankness, his sense of proportion and his ability to reiterate the essentials when circumstances demanded it.
He thus leaves the image of a multidimensional man: learned religious, guardian of Maodo’s legacy, attentive mediator, committed citizen and tireless defender of unity. With him, knowledge never seemed dissociated from action, any more than authority from humility.
Eight years after his disappearance, his memory remains deeply anchored in Tivaouane. It now belongs to this collective memory where the great figures who contributed to shaping the spiritual and social identity of the city are found.
Serigne Abdoul Aziz Sy Al Amine occupies a unique place: that of a man who made trust, words and coming together the springs of a life entirely focused on service.
Cheikh Gora DIOP, special envoy to Tivaouane
