Roaming about for God's Sake: The Upsurge of the Tabligh Jama'at in the Gambia

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Periodical article

Title:	Roaming about for God's Sake: The Upsurge of the Tabligh Jama'at in the Gambia
Author:	Janson, Marloes
Year:	2005
Periodical:	Journal of Religion in Africa
Volume:	35
Issue:	4
Pages:	450-481
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Gambia
Subjects:	Islamic movements fundamentalism Islam Religion and Witchcraft revival & reform
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/27594353.pdf
Abstract:	The proliferation of the Tabl_igh Jam_a'at, an Islamic missionary movement that strictly observes the fundamentals of the faith, is a manifestation of the recent Islamic resurgence in West Africa. The movement originated in South Asia, but has expanded to Africa. Despite the Jam_a'at's great influence on the lives of many West African Muslims, sub-Saharan Africa is a region that has been ignored almost completely in studies of the movement. This article focuses on The Gambia, which appears to be a booming centre of 'Tabl_igh' activities in West Africa. On the basis of the conversion stories of a male and a female Tabl_igh activist, the central themes in the Gambian branch of the Tabl_igh Jam_a'at are explored. These themes result from local factors such as the socioeconomic crisis and gender relations. Nevertheless, they also bear similarities with recurrent subjects in other 'fundamentalist' movements throughout the world. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]