A Wolof Poem Praising Maam Jaaratul Laahi (Qasidak Wolofalu Maam Jaaratul Laahi)
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| Title | A Wolof Poem Praising Maam Jaaratul Laahi (Qasidak Wolofalu Maam Jaaratul Laahi) |
| Author or Owner | Soxna (Lady) Amina Mbakke and Seriñ Muusaa Ka |
| Subject | Biography, Praise, Women in Islam, Muridiyya, History, Virtues, Character |
| Content | The document deals with Soxna Maam Jaarra Buso (c. 1833-1864), mother of Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba (1853-1927) who founded the Muridiyya Sufi order in Senegal. Taking the form of a praise-song, it highlights her good character and virtue, encouraging faithful Murids, especially women, to emulate her life. It also discusses the founding of the Màggal of Poroxaan, the day commemorating Maam Jaara’s life, work and virtue. It touches, as well, on her significant Quranic education, and how this influenced her son, Bamba’s upbringing and education. Of special note throughout the poem is the belief that a child’s success and virtue can be attributed to the mother’s hard work and character. She is repeatedly praised as having brought goodness, infrastructural improvements, light and faith to West Africa by bringing Bamba into the world. Readers may also be interested in the poem’s co-authorship. While the poem’s primary author was Soxna Amina Mbakke (one of the daughters of Bamba), it was edited and enhanced by Muusaa Ka (as noted on page 22). Ka’s voice is heard throughout the poem, as on page 13 when he refers to “my older man.” Readers will also note Maam Jaara’s devotion to work and household chores – which the authors refer to as “public works” (Page 7). The authors hold Buso up as a role model to other Muslim women in West Africa and the broader Islamic world. Finally, the poem argues that, in no small part because of Maam Jaaratul Laahi, Tuuba and Senegal have become as important as Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Language | Wolof |
| Script | Wolof Ajami |
| Manuscript condition | Printed, good condition, twenty-three pages |
| Type | Printed |
| Publisher | Ibraahiima Joxaane |
| Provenance | Touba, Senegal |
| Source Reference | Fallou Ngom’s personal collection |
| 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, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Gana Ndiaye, Eric Schmidt, Martin Aucoin, Cheikh Mouhamadou S. Diop, Alison Parker, Frank Antonelli, Shawn Provencal, and Mark Lewis. |
| Required citation information | Fallou Ngom (PI), Gana Ndiaye, Cheikh Mouhamadou S. Diop, Martin Aucoin, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, and other contributors. 2022. “A Wolof Poem Praising Maam Jaaratul Laahi.” https://sites.bu.edu/nehajami/the-four-languages/wolof/wolof-manuscripts/qasidak-wolofalu-maam-jaaratul-laahi/ |
Manuscript
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Transcription and Translations
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Multimedia