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The Mourides of Senegal: How a Sufi Order Built a Global Commerce Network

May 26, 2026

This brief provides a deeper look into the Mourides (Muridiyya) of Senegal's ability to combine religious organization, migration, and commerce to sustain extensive trade networks across West Africa, China, Europe, and the Americas. Rooted in an ethos that elevates work, discipline, and solidarity as spiritual obligations, the movement has fostered a distinctive entrepreneurial culture. These values enable Mouride adherents to adapt and prosper in both Senegalese and international contexts, linking religious devotion with economic success.

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