The Peul (also Pular, Fulani, Fulfulde) are a large ethnie group that reaches from Senegal to Chad along the high plateau of the Sahel. Their numbers are more than 40 million and are spread from the Sahara to the rainforest. Among the first West Africans to become Muslims, the Peul have lost many of their traditional practices and rituals, but they have become adept at Africanizing their Islamic practices. In many respects, the Peul, alongside the Wolof and Serer, have articulated a special relationship to Islam and Christianity. Their languages, probably influenced by and influencing Arabic in West Africa, have grown to show an affinity in expression and attitude.

According to some scholars, such as Moussa Lam, the origin of the Peul is ancient Egypt. His ...