'Stringing Coral Beads': The Religious Poetry of Brava (c. 1890-1975)

A Source Publication of Chimiini Texts and English Translations

Buch | Softcover

858 Seiten

2018
Brill (Verlag)
978-90-04-36288-8 (ISBN)

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This book presents Sufi poems from Brava (on Somalia’s Benadir coast) in the town’s vernacular (Chimiini). They allow insight into their authors’ intellectual world and show how the common people of this East African port city lived and learned Islam.

This book presents fifty-one didactic and devotional Sufi poems (with English translations) composed by the ulama of Brava, on Somalia’s Benadir coast, in Chimiini, a Bantu language related to Swahili and unique to the town. Because the six ulama-poets, among whom two women, guided local believers towards correct beliefs and behaviours in reference to specific authoritative religious texts, the poems allow insight into their authors’ religious education, affiliations, in which the Qādiriyyah and Aḥmadiyyah took pride of place, and regional connections. Because the poems refer to local people, places, events, and livelihoods, they also bring into view the uniquely local dimension of Islam in this small East African port city in this time-period.

Alessandra Vianello, (Law degree, 1970) is an independent scholar and researcher. She has co-edited Servants of the Sharia. The Civil Register of the Qadis' Court of Brava 1893-1900 (Brill, 2006) and many book chapters and articles about the language and history of Brava. Lidwien Kapteijns, Ph.D. History (1982), Wellesley College, is Professor of History at that institution. She has published several books, including two co-edited source publications, and many book chapters and articles about Somali and Sudanese history. Mohamed M. Kassim, Ph.D. History (2008), Seneca College, is Professor of Computer Science at that institution. He has co-edited Servants of the Sharia. The Civil Register of the Qadis' Court of Brava 1893-1900 (Brill, 2006) and has published many book chapters and articles about the history of Brava.

Editors’ Introduction
Acknowledgements
Note on Transliteration
Map of Brava in Regional Context

Introduction

Note on the Primary Sources of This Publication

Reference List to the Poets and Their Poems

Annotated List of Islamic Scholars and Texts Mentioned in the Sṯeenzi

The Poems

Sheikh Uways

Biography

Sheikh Uways’s Poem
1 Aḻfeeni msaḻiḻeeni (Ask God to bless him two thousand times)

Sheikh Qasim

Biography

Sheikh Qasim’s Poems
1 Daada Maasiṯi nsoomela duʾa (Dada Masiti, pray for me)
2 Chidirke ya Rasuuḻ Aḻḻah (Rescue us, O Prophet of God)
3 Salaaṯun saḻaamun ʿala aḻ-Musṯafa (Peace and blessings upon the Chosen One)
4 Meezi wa keendra (In the ninth month)
5 Hamziyyah, Jisi gani khpaandra mitume anbiya (Hamziyyah or How could the other prophets rise?)
6 Ḻa ilaaha ntaku Maʾabuudi wa haqi (There is no god but the true God)
7 Nakaanza khṯuunga marjaani (I start stringing coral beads)
8 Ya Sheekhi Abduḻqaadiri (O Shaykh ʿAbdulqādir)
9 Ya Nabiyi salaam ʿaleika (O Prophet, peace be upon you)
10 Ndruuza kasaani sowṯiya (O Brothers, listen to my voice)

Dada Masiti

Biography

Dada Masiti’s Poems
1 Baʾdi ya hayy ni mowṯi (After life comes death)
2 Sayyid Jamaladiini (Sayyid Jamaladdin)
3 Ya Rabbi ya Muṯaʾaali (O Lord, You who are Exalted)
4 Sharru ḻ-bilaadi (The evil that plagues the country)
5 Ya Rabbi ya Rahmaani (O Lord, You who are Compassionate)
6 Mowḻaana Muhyidiini (O our lord Muḥyī al-Dīn)
7 Aḻḻahu Akbar Aḻḻaahu (God is the Greatest, O God)
8 Sayyidi yiitu Siṯeeni (O our Lady)

Mallim Nuri

Biography

Mallim Nuri’s Poems
1 Shṯeenzi cha ahḻu al-sabri (The poem of those who were steadfast in adversity)
2 Shṯeenzi cha Aʾisha (The poem of Aʾisha)
3 Shṯeenzi cha Aamina (The poem of Amina)
4 Mooja mreheme Aṯeeni (O God, have mercy upon Ateni)
5 Chidirke Maana Faaṯima (Rescue us, O Lady Fatima!)
6 Shṯeenzi cha masadaaṯi (The poem of the Sharifs)
7 Shṯeenzi cha Hasani na Huseeni (The poem of Hassan and Hussein)
8 Shṯeenzi cha Haawa na Aadamu (The poem of Ḥawwāʾ (Eve) and Adam)
9 Shṯeenzi cha kibri (The poem of pride)
10 Madad madad (Come to our help O Prophet)
11 Shṯeenzi cha mahaaji (The poem of the pilgrims)
12 Shṯeenzi cha miʾraaji (The poem of the miʿrāj)
13 Mooja chiloongole (May God guide us)
14 Mooja ondrola d̲h̲ibu (O God, remove troubles)
15 Mṯawasuleeni Musṯafa (Seek the intercession of the Chosen One)
16 Shṯeenzi cha sabri (The poem of forbearance)
17 Shṯeenzi cha sala ṯimaamu (The poem of the correct prayer)
18 Shṯeenzi cha Sayyida Khadija (The poem of Lady Khadija)
19 Shṯeenzi cha Sheikh Nureeni (The poem of Sheikh Nureni)
20 Shṯeenzi cha Faaṯima (The poem of Fatima)
21 Shṯeenzi cha hijja (The poem of the pilgrimage)
22 Shṯeenzi cha soomu (The poem of fasting)
23 Shṯeenzi cha udhʾhiya (The poem of ritual sacrifice)
24 Zubadi (The Cream)

Sheikh Mohamed Sufi

Biography

Sheikh Mohamed Sufi’s Poems
1 Aadhaḻḻe aadha (Beware! Beware!)
2 Akhuaaniza kasaani (Listen to me, O brothers)
3 Salaaṯu na amaani (Blessings and peace upon the Prophet)
4 Susumuki (Will you not wake up?)
5 Iyi ni bishaara (These are glad tidings)

Abastide Mohamed Sheikh Abba

Biography

Abastide Mohamed Sheikh Abba’s Poems
1 Yā man yarā wa lā yurā (O you who see and are not seen)
2 Sheekhi Imaamu aḻ-Ghazaali (O Sheikh Imam al-Ghazālī)
3 Mtume shtiilo galadi na fadhiila (Through the Prophet we attain God’s support and favour)

Appendix 1: Names of God Mentioned in the Sṯeenzi
Appendix 2: Names and Attributes of the Prophet Mentioned in the Sṯeenzi
Appendix 3: Names of Fatima Mentioned in the Sṯeenzi
Appendix 4: Names of Angels Mentioned in the Sṯeenzi
Appendix 5: Names of Prophets Mentioned in the Sṯeenzi
Appendix 6: Musical Annotation of the Sṯeenzi
Glossary
Bibliography
General Index

Erscheinungsdatum	19.09.2018
Reihe/Serie	African Sources for African History ; 16
Übersetzer	Alessandra Vianello, Lidwien Kapteijns, Mohamed Kassim
Verlagsort	Leiden
Sprache	arabisch; englisch; Swahili
Maße	155 x 235 mm
Gewicht	1328 g
Themenwelt	Literatur ► Anthologien
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Islam
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft ► Anglistik / Amerikanistik
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft ► Literaturwissenschaft
ISBN-10	90-04-36288-6 / 9004362886
ISBN-13	978-90-04-36288-8 / 9789004362888
Zustand	Neuware