New Caliph of the Layenes: A “Light Against the Obscurantism” of So-Called “Modern” Societies

A few months before the 146th anniversary of the Call of Seydina Limamou Lahi al-Mahdi (pbuh), which the community will commemorate on January 20, 2026, an urgent question arises:
What is the true worth of the “modernity” of a world sinking into moral confusion, social violence, and spiritual famine while claiming to be enlightened?

At the heart of this paradox, one figure stands out:
Seydina Mouhamadou Lamine Lahi, 7th General Caliph of Imam al-Mahdi (pbuh), heir to a light that depends neither on screens, nor on algorithms, nor on worldly powers.

A Saturated Modernity… Yet Empty

Contemporary societies boast unprecedented progress: technological power, advanced medicine, instant communication, artificial intelligence, space exploration.
But beneath the polished surface lies a darker reality:

• disoriented youth,

• broken families,

• a frantic pursuit of profit,

• tragic migrations toward illusions of happiness,

• an inner loneliness that neither entertainment nor consumption can fill.

Never has mankind had so many tools to communicate—
and yet never has it been so alone, so fragmented, so detached from the meaning of its own existence.

We speak of freedom, yet the soul is imprisoned by passions.
We speak of progress, yet hearts regress.
We speak of light, yet most eyes avoid the only illumination that never fades: the Light of God.

It is in this context that the relevance of the Layene Caliphate emerges—
not as a folkloric refuge or frozen heritage, but as a spiritual alternative, a reformed perspective, a powerful reminder:
true modernity begins with updating one’s heart before the Creator.

The Mahdi: A Prophetic Response to the Crisis of Meaning

In 1883, on the beach of Yoff, Seydina Limamou Lahi al-Mahdi (pbuh) issued a Call that continues, point by point, to answer the deviations of our era.

His message rested on simple yet revolutionary pillars:

• purifying one’s intention and worshipping God sincerely,

• turning away from passions leading to lies, injustice, pride,

• working honestly, never living at the expense of others,

• respecting one’s fellow human being regardless of origin, status, or belief,

• rejecting violence, hatred, and oppression,

• seeking knowledge before speaking.

“Learn about everything before pronouncing on it”: this requirement, repeated by the Mahdi (pbuh), sounds like a radical antidote to today’s culture of gossip, viral rumors, empty controversies, and disdain for scholars.

Faced with a modernity that creates illusions, the Call of the Mahdi (pbuh) proposes inner modernity:

• a human being who knows why he lives,

• a family strengthened by faith,

• a community organized around justice, zakat, and sharing,

• a society that centers the soul rather than the marketplace.

The New Caliph: Continuity of Light, Break With Illusions

Since April 9, 2025—upon the passing of his revered cousin Seydina Mouhamadou Makhtar Lahi—Seydina Mouhamadou Lamine Lahi has emerged as a discreet yet firm guide, deeply rooted in the heritage of the Mahdi (pbuh) and fully aware of this century’s challenges.

His direction is clear:

• restore zakat to the center of practice—not as an optional gesture but as a structuring tool of social justice;

• organize the community: map its members, reinforce concrete solidarity in a world that isolates individuals;

• call for knowledge: return to the sources, revisit the Mahdi’s sermons, study, verify, reject superficial discourse;

• protect the youth from illusions that push them to risk their lives at sea or fall into destructive addictions;

• pacify hearts through restraint, dialogue, and preservation of the sacred nature of religious cities.

In an era where obscurantism hides not only in ignorance but also in the excesses of pseudo-modernity—ego worship, total relativism, commodification of the sacred—the Caliph stands as a compass.
His words may not make media noise, but they awaken consciences:
return to God, return to truth, return to balance.

Light vs. Darkness: Two Models of Society

The contrast is striking:

On one side:

• the so-called modern society, saturated with images yet devoid of meaning;

• radical individualism;

• wounded identities ready to explode;

• opinion wars;

• networks spreading rumors faster than truth.

On the other side:

• a community united around a Call launched more than a century ago on a beach;

• a chain of Caliphs succeeding not to dominate, but to serve;

• symbolic places—Yoff-Diamalaye, Cambérène, Ngor, the Grotto, the mausoleums—where people seek calm, mercy, and light;

• a consistent message: peace, justice, inner discipline, submission to the Lord of the Worlds.

Modern obscurantism is not merely the rejection of science.
It is also:

• the rejection of spirituality,

• contempt for the sacred,

• forgetfulness of death,

• denial of moral responsibility.

In this sense, the Caliph is not a figure of the past:
he is a central actor of the future, because he raises the question modernity avoids:

What becomes of humanity when it loses the meaning of its destination?

Before the Call: A Meeting With Oneself

On January 20, 2026, in Yoff, Cambérène, Ngor, and other centers of the community, thousands of believers and visitors will gather to commemorate the Call of the Mahdi (pbuh).
This will not only be a religious event—it will be a moment of truth.

Each year, this celebration invites us to:

• hear once more the founding words of the Mahdi (pbuh),

• measure the gap between his teachings and our daily practices,

• renew our allegiance—not only to the Caliph, but to God through him,

• ask how, in our family, work, or neighborhood, we can radiate a part of this light.

The new Caliph, Seydina Mouhamadou Lamine Lahi, did not come to add another chapter to a frozen history.
He came to reactivate a message, awaken consciences, and organize a community in a world that disorganizes souls.

A Modernity of Light

Perhaps it is time to reverse the question:
What if true darkness lies in ultra-lit cities that are spiritually extinguished?
And what if true light shines in places where God is invoked at dawn, where zakat is shared with the needy, where children learn the story of a man who, with a gesture, made the sea retreat—and with his mission, pushed back the darkness?

At a time when humanity seeks direction, the figure of the Mahdi (pbuh) and the Layene Caliphate remind us:

• progress that does not elevate the soul is an illusion;

• modernity without a compass is a journey without destination;

• a people who forget their guides of light deliver themselves to the flames of their own passions.

As we prepare for the celebration of the Call, one question remains open for each of us:

Which side do we choose?
The side of ephemeral lights that blind the eyes?
Or the side of the inner light that brightens hearts, homes, and society?

The new Caliph has chosen his side: the side of light.
It is up to us to answer the Call.

Ousmane Ndoye
Digital consultant, member of the “communication monitoring unit”