Acts of Worship (Coora)
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| Title | Acts of Worship (Coora) |
| Author or Owner | Oumar Bah (author), El Hadj Mouhamadou Sall (owner) |
| Subject | God, Divine Punishment, Hell, Divine Commandments |
| Content | The poem was written by a Fuuta Jalon scholar who sought to help humankind avoid eternal punishment. Many important figures of Abrahamic religions are discussed in the poem. The poet urges people to seek guidance and protection from God. It seeks to improve faith and compliance with God’s commandments. It tells the story of Barasiisal Aabidu (Barsisa, the Worshipper) who was tricked by Satan (Iblis) to commit murder. It also narrates the story of Iblis who is promised hellfire because of his refusal to prostrate before Adam, thereby challenging God. The poem also deals with the obligations of women and their children to follow God’s command and the story of Canaan (son of Noah) and his mother. The story of Bilaali (Bilal ibn Rabah) who led the call to prayer in the early days of Islam is also told. The poem contains numerous religious and moral lessons, including how nothing is possible without God’s mercy and the punishment awaiting those who are wealthy but don’t follow God’s injunctions. The poem discusses many significant figures who performed their duties as Muslims despite the challenges they went through, leaving no excuse for those who do not properly undertake their religious responsibilities. |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Language | Fuuta Jalon Fula |
| Script | Fuuta Jalon Fula Ajami |
| Manuscript condition | Poor with fraying around the edges |
| Type | Handwritten |
| Publisher | Unpublished |
| Provenance | Labe, Fuuta Jalon, Guinea |
| Source Reference | Mouhamadou L. Diallo and Fallou Ngom. 2016. African Ajami Library: Digital Preservation of Fuuta Jalon Pular Ajami Manuscripts: https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/18702 |
| Access condition and copyright | These materials are subject to copyright and are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. For use, distribution or reproduction beyond these terms, contact Professor Fallou Ngom (fngom@bu.edu). |
| Contributors | Fallou Ngom, David Robinson, M. Lamine Diallo, David Glovsky, Ndieme Sow, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Boubacar Biro Diallo, Omar Diallo, Eric Schmidt, Alison Parker, Frank Antonelli, Shawn Provencal, and Mark Lewis. |
| Required citation information | Fallou Ngom (PI), Mouhamadou L. Diallo, David Glovsky, Boubacar Biro Diallo, Ndieme Sow, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, and other contributors. 2022. “Acts of Worship.” https://sites.bu.edu/nehajami/the-four-languages/fula/fula-manuscripts/coora/ |
Manuscript
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Transcription and Translations
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Multimedia