Di Senegalese Muslims wey believe say hardwork na di way to heaven

As dusk begin settle over Mbacke Kadior, one village for central Senegal, di chants of di Muslim worshippers wey wear patchwork garments fill di air.

As dem gada for one tight circle outside one mosque, di Baye Fall followers dance and sing at di top of dia lungs, dia voices dey rise and fall in unison. Di flames of one small fire dey shake for di background, wey cast dancing shadows on dia multi-coloured clothes.

Dia dreadlocks too dey swing as dem dey move, and dia faces dey shine with sweat during dis sacred ritual, known as di "saam fall" - e be both celebration and an act of devotion.

Participants often dey appear to be in a trance during di chanting wey fit last for two hours - and e dey take place twice a week.

Di Baye Fall, a subgroup of Senegal large Mouride brotherhood, dey unlike any oda Muslim group.

Dem make up a tiny fraction of di 17 million population for Senegal, a mainly Muslim country for West Africa.

But dia striking appearance make dem to stand out, and dia unorthodox practices dey believed by some to go too far from Islamic norms.

For Baye Fall devotees, faith no dey expressed through five daily prayers or fasting during di holy month of Ramadan, like most Muslims, but through hard work and community service. For dia eyes, heaven no be a destination but a reward for those wey do di work.

Dem often dey misunderstood by oda Muslims - and e get a misconception in di West say some of dem dey drink alcohol and smoke marijuana, wey no be part of dia culture.

"Di philosophy of di Baye Fall community dey focused on work. E be like a mystical kind of working, wia labour imsef become devotion to God," Maam Samba, one leader of a Baye Fall group for Mbacke Kadior, tell di BBC.

Dem dey feel each task - weda na ploughing fields under di relentless sun, building schools, or crafting goods - all get spiritual significance. Work no merely be a duty; na meditative act, a form of prayer in motion.

Na for here in di village of Mbacke Kadior wey di community believe say dia founder, Ibrahima Fall, first meet Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, wey for di 19th Century establish di Mouride brotherhood, a branch of Sufi Islam, wey play influential role in Senegal.

Fall dem say bin dedicate imsef entirely to Bamba service and often neglect im own needs, including eating, fasting, praying and taking care of imself.

Im followers recount say over time, im clothes become worn and patched, reflecting im selfless devotion. Dis na how di Baye Fall philosophy and tradition of patchwork clothing originate from.

Dis kind of loyalty to a religious leader na wetin im followers now dey practise - a concept known as "ndiguel" - many Baye Fall even include di word in dia children names.

Fall work ethic also dey reflected in di heart of Mbacke Kadior for one workshop wia collaboration and creativity dey try to create beautiful patchwork clothing.

Women dey work with quiet focus, dipping plain fabrics inside dyes. With each dip, di cloth dey absorb layers of rich, bold colours, gradually transforming into ogbonge textiles.

Di men, go take di dyed fabrics and skilfully sew dem into garments wey be both a practical and expression of di Baye Fall distinct identity.

Di air dey full with purpose as di clothing take shape, a blend of artistry and labour wey show dia dedication. Dis finished pieces go dey distributed to markets across Senegal, wia dem dey sustain livelihoods and share di community philosophy far and wide.

"Di Baye Fall style dey original," na so Mr Samba explain, wey im late father bin be a respected Baye Fall sheikh, or marabout as religious leaders dey known for Senegal.

"Di patchwork clothing dey symbolise universality - you fit be Muslim and still maintain your culture. But no be evribodi wey understand dis. We say if you no accept criticism, you no fit progress."

While oda Muslims dey fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, na di Baye Fall wey dey dedicate demsefs to prepare food for di evening iftar meal when dem go break di fast for mosques.

Dis devotion no dey limited to manual tasks.

Di Baye Fall don establish co-operatives, social businesses, and non-governmental organisations wey aim to ginger sustainable development for rural Senegal. For dem, work no be just a means of survival but na expression of spirituality.

"We get schools, health centres and social enterprises to create work," Mr Samba explain. "In our philosophy of life, evritin must be done with respect, love, and attention to nature. Ecology dey central to our sustainable development model."

But di group also don receive criticism for dia practice of begging on di streets.

While asking for money no dey against di Baye Fall belief system, e dey traditionally done with di intention of taking di contributions back to di leader, wey go redistribute am for di benefit of di community.

"E get di real Baye Fall and wetin we call 'Baye Faux'- false Baye Fall," na so Senne, a former vice-chancellor of Alioune Diop University for di town of Bambey and expert on di Mouride brotherhood, tell BBC.

For urban centres like di capital, Dakar, di presence of dis "Baye Faux" don plenti well well.

"Dis na pipo wey dey dress like us and beg in di streets but dem no dey contribute to di community. Na serious issue wey dey harm our reputation," Mr Senne tok.

Di Baye Fall emphasis on hard work and community don loud beyond Senegal borders.

Among dia followers na Keaton Sawyer Scanlon, one American wey join a community after a visit in 2019. She since don get di Senegalese name Fatima Batouly Bah and she describe her first encounter with a marabout as a life-changing moment.

"E fall like say im body bin dey bring out light," she tell BBC. "My heart recognise truth. Dis na a big spiritual awakening for me."

Ms Bah now dey live among di Baye Fall, she dey participate in dia projects and embody dia culture of service. She be part of a small but growing number of international adherents wey don embrace di group unique path.

Di Baye Fall dey play a vital role in Senegalese society and dia involvement in a wide range of agricultural activities dey important for di economy.

Each year, dem dey swear allegiance to di current Mouride leader, known as di caliph or grand marabout, by donating money, cattle and crops to di brotherhood to show dia loyalty.

Dem also dey instrumental in maintaining di Grande Mosque for Senegal holy city of Touba, di epicentre of Mouridism - and dem dey in charge of im upkeep.

For Touba, dem dey serve as unofficial security guards for di Grande Mosque during big events, like di annual Magal pilgrimage wen hundreds of thousands of pipo dey come to di city.

For example, dem make sure pipo dey dressed modestly, no drugs dey sold in di area and say di caliph no dey disrespected.

"Di Baye Fall always dey guarantee di security of di caliph and di city," Mr Senne tok. "Nobody dare act improperly wen Baye Fall dey around."

Despite disapproval from some, di Baye Fall impact on Senegal cultural and religious landscape dey grow - though dem dey face challenges in balancing tradition with modernity.

Limited resources dey stop dia ambitious plans.

Yet dia vision remain clear: sustainable development, rooted in faith and service, wey fit also help some of di big numbers of unemployed young pipo for Senegal wey dey tired of finding a livelihood.

Many of di thousands of migrants making dangerous sea crossings to Europe come from Senegal.

"We want to do more," Mr Samba tok. "We want to create more employment - becos young pipo need am here for Senegal.

"We need collaboration with goments and international organisations. Dis na our hope for di future."

For dem, hard work na di answer to both di country economic and spiritual needs.