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- Permanent Link:
- http://digital.soas.ac.uk/LSMD000067/00001
Notes
- Abstract:
- This section contains two long Utendi given to Allen by Sharif Shee Ahmad bin Sheikh al-Hussayini, from Lamu Kinooni. . The first is entitled Utendi wa Sharifu ya Lamu (355) and it is a poem in honour of the death of Shariff Muhammed bin Adnan, a prominent religious man from Lamu. Shariff Muhammed was considered almost like a saint by his community, and he was in fact called ‘walii’, a pious man. He was believed to have divine powers given to him by God and for this he was very much respected in Lamu and along the East Africa coast. The poem also provides information about his entire life. The Utendi was written in Lamu in 1963AD-1383AH by Fatuma binti Salim Basaida, of whom we have not biographical information. The second is an historical legendary long poem about the early Islamic wars. We entitled it the ‘Utendi wa Mtume alipokuftahi Mecca’ (356), which reflects the content of the poem. The poem was written by Nana Somo from Lamu. We do not have much biographical information about this lady poet, but by reading the last line of the poem we can gather that she was a very well known and respected poet from Lamu. The story narrates of the time when the Prophet Mohammed went to Mecca and destroyed all the pre-Islamic religious statues (masanamu wa wanawa-abudu) and conquered the city. This episode is called, in the Qur’an, the Battle of Hunein. Once the Quraishi, the people of Mecca, realised what has happened they go to ask for support at Malik bin Auf, the head of one of the Arab clans. AS soon as Malik bin Auf knows that Mohammed had destroyed all the Gods statues he gathered the Other Arab clans to fight against the Prophet. However, Mohammed, helped by Jibril, manages to win over them and to continue to rule Mecca. ( en )
- General Note:
- Date of Composition: 1963 AD1383
- General Note:
- Languages: Swahili (Arabic script)
- General Note:
- Dialects: KiAmu
- General Note:
- Poetic Form: Utenzi
- General Note:
- Extent: 68 leaves
- General Note:
- Incipit: Kwa jina lake tukufu la Mola wangu latifu Mwando nimeliswanifu Bismillahi jaliya
- General Note:
- Donated to SOAS in 1982
- General Note:
- Quraysh (Arab tribe) (قريش) is sometimes spelled Qureshi, Quraishi, Quresh, Qurish, Kuraish, Qurayshi, and Coreish
- General Note:
- Africa -- Eastern Africa -- Kenya -- Lamu County -- Lamu -- Lamu Island
- General Note:
- Asia -- Arabian Peninsula -- Saudi Arabia -- Makkah Province -- Makkah Al Mukarramah Governate -- Mecca
- General Note:
- Scribe: Fatuma binti Salim Basaida, Nana Somo
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- SOAS University of London
- Holding Location:
- Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- This item may be in the public domain. Its status has yet to be assessed.
- Resource Identifier:
- MS 279888-Vol.7 ( SOAS manuscript number )
Mss 355-356 ( SOAS manuscript number )
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