The Book Begins (Kitaaboo Foloota)
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| Title | The Book Begins (Kitaaboo Foloota) |
| Author or Owner | Ibrahima Bayo (owner), Aboubacar Dabo aka Arfaŋ Sitookoto Daabo or Arfang Sitokoto Dabo (author) |
| Subject | Exceptionality of Muhammad, Miracles of Prophet Muhammad, Battle of Khaybar, Battle of Hunayn, the Night Journey |
| Content | The manuscript is a copy of the Mandinka religious poem by Sitookoto Daabo (1857-1971) titled “The Book Begins.” The poem is very popular among Mandinka scholars and has been found in several collections. The poem conveys the exceptionality of the Prophet Muhammad by describing some of his attributes such as generosity and wisdom, recounting some of his miracles, and describing his various roles (such as intercessor for humanity on Judgement Day, bringer of solutions, refuge for humanity, and more). The poem discusses the Prophet’s close companions (the four Rightly Guided Caliphs) and their roles in the battles of Khaybar (AH 628) and Hunayn (AH 630), while also noting the fates of those who doubted or antagonized the Prophet. The poem states that no other prophet will appear after the Prophet Muhammad. |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Language | Mandinka |
| Script | Mandinka Ajami |
| Manuscript condition | The manuscript is in good condition |
| Type | Handwritten |
| Publisher | Unpublished |
| Provenance | Sedhiou, Senegal |
| Source Reference | British Library: https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP1042-26-8;
Ngom, Fallou, Castro, Eleni, & Diakité, Ablaye. 2018. African Ajami Library: EAP 1042. Digital Preservation of Mandinka Ajami Materials of Casamance, Senegal: https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/37268 |
| 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, Ablaye Diakite, Bala Saho, Ousmane Cisse, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Rebecca Shereikis, Eric Schmidt, Marie Binta Badji, Alison Parker, Frank Antonelli, Shawn Provencal, and Mark Lewis. |
| Required citation information | Fallou Ngom (PI), Ablaye Diakite, Bala Saho, Ousmane Cisse, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, and other contributors. 2022. “The Book Begins.” https://sites.bu.edu/nehajami/the-four-languages/mandinka/mandinka-manuscripts/kitaaboo-foloota/ |
Manuscript
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Transcription and Translations
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Multimedia