Biography of Lady Asta Waalo Mbakke (Soxna Asta Waalo Mbakke)
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| Title | Biography of Lady Asta Waalo Mbakke (Soxna Asta Waalo Mbakke) |
| Author or Owner | Les Structures Soutenant l’Université du Magal (author) |
| Subject | Biography, History, Gender, Women, Education, Wolof Society |
| Content | The document deals with the life of Soxna Asta Waalo Mbakke, also known as Asta Walo Mbacké. She is the mother of Maam Jaara Buso, the mother of Ahmadu Bamba (1853-1927). The document discusses her exceptionally long life (130 years), her scholarly works and her longstanding commitment to teaching. According to the document, she taught her daughter the collection of prayers for the Prophet Muhammad, called Dalāʾil al-Khayrāt, authored by the Morrocan Shadhili Sufi Al-Jazūli (d. 1465). The prayers are widely used in Muslim communities in North and West Africa. It also discusses her relationship with her grandson, Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba, and their exchange of religious scholarship. The document shows that she founded the present-day town of Naawel where she is buried. It discusses the challenges she faced with the traditional Wolof aristocracy in the area, especially Gidel Mbooj. Finally, it shows that there were women who were both well-respected Islamic teachers and founders of villages in Senegambia in the 19th century. This document highlights Soxna Asta Waalo Mbakke’s prominent position within Senegal’s religious history. |
| Genre | Prose |
| Language | Wolof |
| Script | Wolof Ajami |
| Manuscript condition | Printed, good condition |
| Type | Printed |
| Publisher | Université du Magal |
| Provenance | Touba, Senegal |
| Source Reference | Les Structures Soutenant l’Université du Magal, Jaar-Jaari Magi Murid yi: Xaaj bu Njëkk [The Itineraries of Murid Elders: Part 1] (Touba, Senegal: Université du Magal, 2015), 132-134. |
| 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, Elhadji Djibril Diagne, Cheikh Mouhamadou S. Diop, Eric Schmidt, Martin Aucoin, Alison Parker, Shawn Provencal, and Mark Lewis. |
| Required citation information | Fallou Ngom (PI), Elhadji Djibril Diagne, Cheikh Mouhamadou S. Diop, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Martin Aucoin, and other contributors. 2022. “Biography of Lady Asta Waalo Mbakke.” https://sites.bu.edu/nehajami/the-four-languages/wolof/wolof-manuscripts/soxna-asta-waalo-mbakke/ |
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