Good leaves I Dabakh, the pedagogy of kindness, by Sidy Diop (3/5: The day the light took root again) September 14, 2026
In March 1957, Tivaouane went through one of the most painful weeks in its history. In four days, two caliphs, sons of Seydil Hadj Malick Sy, disappeared, leaving the holy city in mourning and the Tidjaniyya facing a succession fraught with challenges. It is in this context that the figure of Serigne Abdou Aziz Sy emerges, called to become the third caliph general of the Tidianes. In this third part of the good leaves of Dabakh, the pedagogy of kindness, Sidy Diop recounts the circumstances of this accession and the first gesture of the one who would place reconciliation and family unity at the heart of his mission.
The day the light took root again
It was a week of shadow and silence in Tivaouane. Between March 25 and 29, 1957, the holy city experienced what the ancients will long call the days of tears. Two caliphs, two sons of Seydil Hadj Malik Sy, left this world four days apart. The city was still vibrating with the chant of funeral prayers and mourning was already resounding again. In this atmosphere of astonishment and uncertainty, a name stood out, not as an ambition, but as evidence: Serigne Abdou Aziz Sy.
History will record that his accession to the caliphate was not a conquest, but a burden placed on shoulders which had never sought it. Two brothers preceded him: Cheikh Aboubacar Sy, first caliph, then El Hadj Mansour Sy, father of Serigne Mbaye Sy Mansour. One joined his Lord on March 25, the other on the 29th. Four days, two funerals, a family torn between pain and responsibility.
In the bereaved homes, tears mingled with murmurs: “Who will now carry the light? »
Because the torch of Tidjaniyya, passed from father to son, threatened to waver. And it was then that the calm figure of Abdou Aziz Sy appeared. He entered history as one enters into prayer, without noise, but with the gravity of those whom God prepares for trials before they face them.
On May 13, 1957, under a heavy sky, the man with peaceful eyes received the allegiance of his father’s scholars, disciples and companions. The witnesses from the first hour, Thierno Saïdou Nourou Tall, Cheikh Youssouf Diop, Cheikh Mohamed Al-Hadi Touré, Mohammed Al-Amin Ngom, came to him, bearers of ancient knowledge and new confidence. They saw in him not the successor of a lineage, but the guardian of a spiritual heritage threatened by discord.
When he became the third Caliph General of the Tidianes, Serigne Abdou Aziz Sy did not begin with words, but with a gesture, that of extending his hand. The Sy family, as vast as a tree with a thousand branches, bore the wounds of misunderstandings and misunderstandings. The disciples, scattered by rivalries or pride, were waiting for a sign. This sign came from a man who, before being chief, was a brother.
He proclaimed, in a calm voice:
“I consider myself primarily responsible for the affairs of the entire family. I will not listen to myself or anyone, no matter how close they are, if they act or speak to fan the fire of division. » (…).
DIOP Sidy, Dabakh, the pedagogy of kindnessÉditions du Soleil, Dakar, 2026.
