Many Baye disciples know Médina Baye well, but few are aware that a large part of the history of the Faydatou Tidjania began elsewhere, in a discreet place filled with blessings: Kossi Baye Niass. This small village in Ndiaffate, in the Kaolack region, is much more than just a dot on the map. It is here that Cheikh Al Islam El Hadji Ibrahima Niass, known worldwide as Baye Niass, took his very first steps on the path of knowledge and spiritual mission.
In 1911, his father, El Hadji Abdoulaye Niass El Kabir, settled in Kossi, when it was still just a small hamlet. He taught the Qur’an there, trained disciples, and cultivated the land. It is even said that his presence protected the fields from predators. In this peaceful setting, the young Baye memorized the Qur’an and learned the religious sciences under the watchful and caring eye of his father.
In 1929, while most people were still unaware of the importance of this village, Baye Niass made a historic call there: “Let whoever wants to know God join me in Kossi.” This call attracted disciples from various countries, marking the birth of the Faydatou Tidjania. The place then became a spiritual center where teaching, meditation, and agriculture came together in a spirit of devotion and faith.
Today, however, Kossi remains in the shadow of Médina Baye. Few disciples take the time to walk its paths, to see the fields Baye cultivated, or to pray in the mosque he had built. Yet those who go there feel a unique atmosphere, as if the history and baraka of the guide were still present in every stone and every breath of wind.
It is time for Baye’s disciples, in Senegal and around the world, to rediscover Kossi. Do not stop only at Médina Baye during your travels. Come here, to this village where the light of the Faydatou Tidjania first began to shine. Come to pray, meditate, and find inspiration where it all started, to honor the spiritual legacy of Baye Niass and his father.