The History of the “Baaye Lahad” Clothing Style
The Baaye Lahad is a sublime attire symbolizing the crossroads between the spiritual and the cultural. This charismatic garment, with its wide sleeves and embroidered collar, is inspired by the immense-sleeved boubou worn by Serigne Touba. It radiates great respect, much like the extraordinary traditional masterpiece attributed to Serigne Abdoul Ahad Mbacké, the third Caliph General of the Mourides (1914–1989).
As for the origin of the Baaye Lahad outfit, a son of Serigne Hamza Diakhate—familiarly known as Serigne Amsatou—a disciple and one of the scribes of the Great Sheikh and maternal uncle of Serigne Abdou, namely Serigne Cheikh Diakhate (therefore his maternal cousin), recounts that one day Serigne Abdoul Ahad came to his house and asked him, as usual, to open his wardrobe. He did so, and Serigne Abdou searched and found a garment sewn in the style that would later become the Baaye Lahad. Cheikh Abdoul Ahad asked where this clothing came from, and Serigne Cheikh replied that he had inherited it from his father, Serigne Hamza, during the division of the estate. At that moment, Serigne Abdoul Ahad took the boubou and swore on the spot that for the rest of his life he would wear only this style.
Serigne Cheikh Diakhate added that the original boubou was of simple tailoring with no ornamental patterns, and it was Serigne Abdoul Ahad who introduced the embroidery on the collar, the chest pockets, and the border in a rectangular shape, either with rounded or non-rounded corners.
The logical conclusion from this account is that Cheikh Abdoul Ahad was indeed the designer of the Baaye Lahad. Hence the justified and meaningful name of this modest clothing style, which directly evokes this tireless builder, full of courage and commitment—a righteous and persevering man. The Baaye Lahad is truly his signature creation.
With his usual charisma and personality, Cheikh Abdoul Ahad once made a recommendation that spoke volumes about his rare approach to dressing: “Never try to resemble what you would not want to be associated with.” In other words, one should assert their identity through their appearance. This is why he provided us with an original attire that allows us to express our mouridiyyah.
What must be remembered is that this authentic garment, commonly called in Wolof Baaye Lahad in homage to Serigne Abdoul Ahad, is a visual emblem of Mouride orthodoxy. Its history shows that it is anything but ordinary. Before being elevated to the rank of Caliph General of the Mourides, Serigne Abdoul Ahad did not wear this style, but rather large boubous. However, when he became the leader of the Mouride community, a generous benefactor offered him one of these large boubous. He responded: “I wore such clothes when I was in pursuit of this fleeting world, which now pursues me. My firm intention is that it should never catch me.”
This statement requires careful understanding and interpretation, for it carries a parabolic meaning. There is no doubt that Serigne Abdoul Ahad was never attached to worldly riches. He dedicated his life to spirituality and hard work. Through these words, he expressed his aspiration to find a way of dressing that symbolized his ardent desire to serve his revered father and his complete indifference to worldly possessions. Thus, the Baaye Lahad style became a working attire that reconciled his asceticism with his determination to serve. This commitment, worthy of the elect, reflects his wish to devote his life entirely to the service of the Servant of the Chosen One (SAWS). It also carries a message to all Mouride disciples, urging them to see this attire as a means of avoiding the traps of this world. This unwavering stance serves as a guiding principle for the behavior and actions of anyone wearing this unique garment. It proves that this legendary clothing did not arise from a mere aesthetic whim, but from a passionate desire for spirituality expressed through hard work and service. This is why the garment inspires deep and unanimous respect, elevating its wearer to a virtuous dimension and commanding admiration through dignified conduct.
This highly regarded esteem, inspired by this attire, comes from Serigne Abdoul Ahad, who—through his customary elegance and imposing personality—exerted a profound influence on his contemporaries, fully assuming his role as an educator. This architect of virtue taught the love of truth, sincerity in speech, and transparency in action. Moreover, this clothing style holds many secrets. Among its countless virtues, one recalls Serigne Abdoul’s own testimony about this attire: “The Baaye Lahad protects its wearer from Satan, the accursed.” Furthermore, this garment emerged in a cultural context of crisis and tension.
Some view it as the symbol of a timely cultural alternative. This period was marked by socio-cultural revolutions shaking the world (such as the May–June 1968 events), where identity-seeking was a major preoccupation for a disoriented youth lacking role models. It was in this context that Serigne Abdoul Ahad became the supreme guide of the Mouridiyya in August 1968. Aware of the challenges of that time, this resolute nationalist and knight of Islam spared no effort in protecting Mouridism from external threats. Culture thus became a central tool in solving the identity crisis by bringing forward the teachings of the founder of the Mouride community, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba.
One of the first measures Serigne Abdoul Ahad deemed urgent was to awaken the consciousness of Muslims in general—and Mourides in particular—about the harmful effects of both Westernization and Arabization. In this specific context, the Mouride Students’ dahira was born in December 1975 on the campus of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, a cultural and intellectual crossroads. This religious and social organization would later become the Hizbut Tarqiyyah movement under the guidance of Serigne Abdoul Ahad. Accustomed to wearing this distinctive clothing style, the Hizbut Tarqiyyah movement contributed to spreading the Mouride cultural model. Very quickly, Mouride disciples rushed to copy and adopt this previously unknown style of dress, which embodied both cultural and spiritual elevation. Over time, it became an essential cultural element in Mouride society—a traditional yet modern style that continues to defy fashion trends, a garment that embodies elegance, nobility, courage, and hard work.
This style expresses the spiritual aspiration of the Mouride through Xidma (service). Thus, the Baaye Lahad is a work garment that must never be associated with practices contrary to Islamic principles, nor with folkloric rituals that distort its essence of work and righteousness. The Baaye Lahad reminds its wearer of the moral sense and code of conduct imposed by their Mouride identity. More than an ordinary piece of clothing, it is a cultural and spiritual heritage bequeathed to the Muslim posterity—and particularly to the Mouride youth.