In this video, Allen Roberts explains how images of Sufi saints like Sheikh Amadou Bamba function as icons in Senegalese mystical Islam. These images are believed to carry the active presence and blessings (barakah) of the saint, offering spiritual protection and guidance. Roberts compares this to the veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Latin American communities, where images similarly serve as a means of divine intercession. Through such images, followers experience a tangible connection to the saint’s spiritual power and legacy.