Youssouph Demba Manuscript Collection
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Item Biography of Al-hadji Aliou KanteKante, AliouThe document is a biography of Al-hadji Aliou Kante, a Mandinka scholar from Kombo-Sifo in The Gambia. It documents his life, education, and experience with prominent religious scholars he encountered in his lifetime, including Mame Bamba Barro who was a disciple of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacke (1853-1927), the founder of the Muridiyya Sufi order. Besides his biography, other themes in the document include poetry that praises Prophet Muḥammad, the author’s interactions with local scholars, their names, and the places he visited in the region. Al-hadji Aliou Kante is celebrated in his community for having converted many people to Islam and having built several mosques in the Senegambia. This document is typed and written in Arabic.Item Kitaaboo Foloota: The Book BeganThe document is a Mandinka Ajami poem titled Kitaaboo Foloota (English: The Book Began), which alludes to the beginning of the Quran. This poem praises God and Prophet Muḥammad and teaches tawḥid (English: oneness of God). It was copied by the owner’s father. This poem is very popular among Mandinka scholars and copies have been found in several collections.Item Keñe Ramuloo: Divination on SandThe manuscript deals with divination techniques using sand. This form of divination is part of Khatt al-Raml in Arabic, which is very old and popular in Mandinka communities. The techniques include interpretations of sixteen signs to identify people’s problems and provide appropriate solutions. Each of the sixteen signs corresponds to a name of an Abrahamic Prophet. The manuscript is mostly written in Mandinka Ajami.Item Jajimo Ramuloo: Divination on PaperThe manuscript deals with divination techniques using a sheet of paper. This method of divination is part of Khatt al-Raml in Arabic, which is a very old and popular tradition in Mandinka communities. The divination techniques include utilizing astrological signs (seven stars) to diagnose the roots of people's concerns and to provide appropriate remedies. The manuscript is mostly written in Mandinka Ajami.Item Images of Youssouph Demba in Kabadio (Ziguinchor)(2018-05-08) Ngom, IbrahimaImages of manuscript owner Youssouph Demba in Kabadio, Ziguinchor, Senegal, for the manuscript digitization work done in April and May 2018.