Thousands of followers of a unique Senegalese Muslim community, the Baye Fall, worked with electric fervour on a recent morning preparing iftar meals for breaking the Ramadan fast, even though they themselves were not fasting.
Unlike other Muslims, the Baye Fall for the most part neither pray nor fast, despite the two practices falling under the five pillars of Islam.
kAms:DE:?8F:D965 3J E96:C DEC:<:?8 2AA62C2?46[ >6>36CD @7 E96 C6=:8:@FD 8C@FA H62C 5C625=@4<D[ >F=E:\4@=@FC65 A2E49H@C< @FE7:ED 2?5 ?F>6C@FD 2446DD@C:6D 36=:6G65 E@ 92G6 >JDE:42= A@H6CD]k^Am
kAmx? $6?682=[ H9:49 :D 23@FE hd A6C46?E |FD=:>[ >@DE 7@==@H6CD @7 xD=2> 36=@?8 E@ @?6 @7 7@FC $F7: 3C@E96C9@@5Di E96 |@FC:56[ %:5:2?6[ {2J6?6 @C z925C6[ 2== @7 H9:49 A=2J 2 >2;@C C@=6 :? D@4:6EJ]k^Am
kAmtG6CJ #2>252? E96 q2J6 u2==[ H9@ 2C6 |@FC:56D[ @C82?:D6 76DE:G:E:6D :? %@F32[ 2 4:EJ :? 46?EC2= $6?682= E92E :D E96:C 42A:E2=[ 5:DEC:3FE:?8 :7E2C >62=D H:E9 E9@FD2?5D 7=@4<:?8 7C@> 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ E@ A2CE:4:A2E6]k^Am
k9am\ $A:C:EF2= 24ED \k^9am
kAmp G2DE 4@FCEJ2C5 2?5 DFCC@F?5:?8 2C62 E66>65 H:E9 A6@A=6 2?5 >@E:@? @? 2 |2C49 >@C?:?8[ 56DA:E6 DE:7=:?8 5FDE 2?5 962E]k^Am
kAm~C82?:D65 :?E@ 8C@FAD 2?5 25@C?65 :? E96:C 6>3=6>2E:4 2EE:C6[ E96 q2J6 u2== H@C<65 H:E9 56G@E:@?[ 2D 7:C6H@@5 D>@<6 2?5 E96 2C@>2 @7 7@@5 5C:7E65]k^Am
kAm|6? 2?5 H@>6?[ @=5 2?5 J@F?8 96=A65 H:E9 D=2F89E6C:?8 =:G6DE@4<[ AC6A2C:?8 7@@5[ 49@AA:?8 7:C6H@@5[ 4@==64E:?8 82C3286 2?5 H2D9:?8 5:D96D]k^Am
kAmq2J672==:D> 42>6 23@FE >@C6 E92? 2 46?EFCJ 28@ 2?5 :D 32D65 @? E96 AC24E:46D 2?5 =:76 @7 |2>6 r96:<9 x3C29:>2 u2== W`gdd\`hb_X[ <?@H? 2D Q{2>A u2==Q WQ{:89E u2==Q :? t?8=:D9X[ H9@ H2D @?6 @7 E96 7:CDE 5:D4:A=6D @7 E96 7@F?56C @7 |@FC:5:D>[ r96:<9 p9>25@F q2>32]k^Am
kAmw2C5 H@C<[ D6=7=6DD?6DD 2?5 C6A62E65=J :?G@<:?8 v@5VD ?2>6[ 2D H6== 2D D6CG:?8 :7E2C >62=D E@ E96 72:E97F=[ 2C6 E96 7@F?52E:@?D @7 E96 72:E9[ p3@ u2==[ @?6 @7 {2>A u2==VD 56D46?52?ED[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmq2J6 u2== =:E6C2==J >62?D Q5:D4:A=6 56 u2==Q]k^Am
kAmxE :D 2 Q>JDE:42= $F7: xD=2> H96C6 6G6CJ E2D<[ 6G6CJ 5FEJ A6C7@C>65 C6AC6D6?ED 2 DA:C:EF2= 24EQ[ D2:5 s@F5@F |2?6 s:@F7[ H9@ 2FE9@C65 2 3:@8C2A9J 23@FE u2==]k^Am
kAm$:?46 :ED :?46AE:@?[ q2J672==:D> 92D 2EEC24E65 >2?J A6@A=6 ?@E ;FDE :? $6?682= 3FE 2=D@ 23C@25]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 244@F?ED 2?5 4@?E6>A@C2CJ E6DE:>@?:6D[ u2== 565:42E65 9:D =:76 E@ D6CG:?8 9:D >2C23@FE[ @C DA:C:EF2= 8F:56[ 2?5 ?68=64E65 9:D @H? H6==\36:?8]k^Am
kAmw:D 7@==@H6CD D2J 96 C67FD65 2== 7@C>D @7 A=62DFC6[ ?6G6C DEJ=65 9:D 92:C 2?5 ?6G6C 492?865 9:D 4=@E96D[ H9:49 96 C68F=2C=J >6?565 H:E9 D4C2AD @7 723C:4[ 96?46 E96 5C625=@4<D 2?5 A2E49H@C< @FE7:ED 3J 9:D 7@==@H6CD]k^Am
kAmw:D 2AA62C2?46 H2D 2=D@ 2 >62?D @7 Q2DD6CE:?8 9:D p7C:42? 4F=EFC6Q :? 2 4@?E6IE >2C<65 3J 4@=@?:D2E:@?[ s:@F7 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
k9am\ V"F:E6 F?:BF6V \k^9am
kAmp52> z925:>[ 3@C? 2?5 C2:D65 :? uC2?46 :? 2 $6?682=6D6 q2J6 u2== 72>:=J[ C646?E=J >@G65 E@ $6?682= :? @C56C E@ 36EE6C =:G6 3J 9:D 72:E9]k^Am
kAmq2J672==:D> 8:G6D 9:> 2 766=:?8 @7 QH6==\36:?8Q 96 D2:5[ 6G6? E9@F89 :E :D 2 QC2E96C 5:77:4F=E A2E9 3642FD6 E96C6 2C6 >2?J >@C6 >@C2= @3=:82E:@?D E92? C:89EDQ]k^Am
kAmpD E96 E:>6 2AAC@24965 E@ EC2?DA@CE E96 7@@5 E@ E96 9@>6 @7 E96 |@FC:56 42=:A9 86?6C2=[ H96C6 :E H@F=5 36 5:DEC:3FE65[ E96 6I4:E6>6?E :?E6?D:7:65]k^Am
kAmp 8C@FA 3682? 492?E:?8 C6=:8:@FD D@?8D :? F?:D@?[ E96 G@=F>6 8C@H:?8 =@F56C 2?5 5C@H?:?8 @FE 2== DFCC@F?5:?8 ?@:D6] %96:C 7246D DH62E:?8[ D@>6 A6@A=6 6G6? D66>65 E@ 36 :? 2 EC2?46]k^Am
kAmr96:<9 x3C2 u2== q2J6 s:6J6[ @?6 @7 E96 q2J6 u2== 2596C6?ED AC6D6?E 7@C E96 76DE:G:E:6D[ D2:5 E96D6 D@CED @7 >@>6?ED QC6A=246 72DE:?8Q]k^Am
kAm%96J 2C6 QE96C67@C6 G6CJ :>A@CE2?EQ 96 D2:5[ 5C6DD65 :? 2 J6==@H 2?5 3=24< A2E49H@C< EF?:4] Q(6 C64@??64E H:E9 @FCD6=G6DQ]k^Am
kAmq64@>:?8 2 q2J6 u2== C6BF:C6D 2596C:?8 E@ 46CE2:? CF=6D[ DF49 2D A=658:?8 2==68:2?46 E@ @?6VD >2C23@FE 2?5 7@==@H:?8 9:D :?DECF4E:@?D] x?5:G:5F2=D >FDE 28C66 E@ F?56C8@ DA:C:EF2= EC2:?:?8 H:E9 E96 >2C23@FE]k^Am
kAmx? %@F32 E96 q2J6 u2== A=2J 2 46?EC2= C@=6 5FC:?8 >2;@C C6=:8:@FD 6G6?ED E92E @7E6? 5C2H >:==:@?D @7 A6@A=6i E96J >2?286 D64FC:EJ 2?5 4=62?=:?6DD :? E96 4:EJ[ AC6A2C6 >62=D 2?5 @C82?:D6 7F?5C2:D:?8 5C:G6D]k^Am
kAm%96J 2C6 2=D@ <?@H? 7@C 36:?8 6IA6C:6?465 72C>6CD 2?5 AC@>@E:?8 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E2==J 7C:6?5=J =:76DEJ=6]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 2== E9:D E96J 2C6 @7E6? >:DF?56CDE@@5 :? $6?682= 2?5 DF3;64E E@ 4C:E:4:D> 3642FD6 @7 E96:C 5:776C6?E 2AAC@249]k^Am
kAmQ(6 2C6 BF:E6 F?:BF6 :? @FC AC24E:46D 2?5 E92E 42? 4C62E6 D@>6 4@?7FD:@? 2?5 >:DF?56CDE2?5:?8Q[ D2:5 z925:>[ H9:=6 2DDFC:?8 E96 5:776C6?46D 2C6 @?6D H:E9 H9:49 96 :D ?@?6E96=6DD 4@>7@CE23=6]k^Am
kAmD;5^37>^C9k^Am





