 He was born in the village of Mbacké in Baol, the son of a marabout from the Qadiriyya, the oldest of the Muslim brotherhoods in Senegal.Amadou Bamba was a Muslim mystic and ascetic "marabout", a spiritual leader who wrote tracts on meditation, rituals, work, and "tafsir".He is perhaps best known for his emphasis on work, and his disciples are known for their industriousness.