|
|
- Permanent Link:
- http://digital.soas.ac.uk/LSMD000355/00001
Notes
- Abstract:
- The poet describes in verse elements of Islamic belief and practice, with the five pillars of Islam forming the poem’s organisational basis. Some elements of the poem, such as prayers and Qur’anic verses, appear in Arabic and do not conform to the Swahili verse structure. These generally appear in brown ink. While the poet uses the utenzi form, he concerns himself with instruction rather than narration. The poet begins by naming the five pillars of Islam. He then outlines the life of the Prophet Mohammed, explaining that this understanding is also a duty of Muslims. He describes Mohammed’s nature and physical appearance, gives his lineage and names his children. He then discusses the second pillar, prayer, at length and gives detailed instruction on preparations for prayer (including, for example, the appropriate ways of washing different types of beards.) He describes each rakaa, or ritual bowing and rising in prayer. He also describes actions that nullify prayer. The author discusses giving alms, fasting and making the pilgrimage to Mecca. He then considers wrongdoing, dividing sins into minor and major. A small amount of marginal commentary is included. Errors in spelling suggest that the scribe may have been relatively unschooled in his task. The representation of Swahili in Arabic script accords with an older method that does not allow representation of some vowels and consonants. The manuscript ends with a note by Muhammad bin Nassir that gives the date 1348 and explains how the manuscript became his property. ( en )
- General Note:
- Biographical information: MS 380739 gives Mwenye Mansab’s date of birth as 1223 AH (1808 AD), and that of his death as 1340 (1921); Knappert (1999) gives 1828-1922 AD. Mwenye Mansab was born in Lamu. He was well-known as a man of intense religious devotion who spent his days in Lamu’s Rawdha mosque, where he wrote religious poems and translated Arabic religious texts into Swahili poems. He was a respected source of information on questions of religion, known for his ability to respond instantly to queries. Many of his exchanges with questioners are recounted in stories. One concerns his assertion that through good acts people earned themselves houses in heaven (‘umejengewa nyumba,’ he would tell someone who had acted well). When asked once whether heaven must not be growing awfully crowded with houses, Mwenye Mansab responded that not only did good acts build them, but bad ones tore them down, and in heaven as many houses were being demolished as were being constructed. -- The scribe of this manuscipt writes that Mansabu wa Abdirrahman made this verse translation in Unguja and brought it to Lamu. A note at the beginning of the manuscript explains that the poem was created as a translation of a work in Arabic by Sayidi Muhammadi al-Habshi.
- General Note:
- Date of Composition is unknown
- General Note:
- Languages: Swahili (Arabic script)
- General Note:
- Dialects: KiAmu
- General Note:
- Poetic Form: Utenzi
- General Note:
- Extent: 16 small pages
- General Note:
- Incipit: Naanda Bismillahi, walhamdullilahi, sallalahu ‘alaihi, Muhammadi wasallamaa, mewajibisha rasuli, mwanamke na mvuli, kutefuza kulla hali, ilimu kwenda kusoma
- General Note:
- Unguja Island is the largest and most populated island in the Zanzibar archipelago. It is sometimes known as Zanzibar Island
- General Note:
- Africa -- Eastern Africa -- Kenya -- Lamu County -- Lamu -- Lamu Island
- General Note:
- Africa -- Eastern Africa -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar -- Unguja Island
- General Note:
- Purchased from Dr. J. Knappert, March 1993
- General Note:
- Scribe: Hasan bin Nassir
- General Note:
- Publication information: Harries, L. 1958. Maulid Barzanji. The Swahili Abridgement of Seyyid Mansab. Afrika und Ubersee, 42: 27-39
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 380555 ( SOAS manuscript number )
MS 380555a ( SOAS manuscript number )
|
|
