Nupe Ajami Materials of Middle Belt, Nigeria
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Item Video interview with author and manuscript owner Sheik Abdurrahman Aboki(2019-06) Aboki, Abdurrahman; Kurphi, Mustapha HashimVideo interview with author and manuscript owner Sheikh Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki. Sheikh Aboki is the Chief Imam of Central Mosque of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida—Niger State (Middle Belt of Nigeria) and the author of the manuscript in this collection titled "Ishriniyyah".Item Gwalagi Eni Tijāni (Stanzas in Nupe Ajami praising Tijāni)Unknown; Alkali Maregi Bangbara (scribe)This manuscript titled Gwalagi Eni Tijāni is a eulogy in Nupe Ajami, praising and eulogizing the Sheik Ahmad Tijāni, the leader of the Tijjāniyyah Movement. The poem does not contain the author’s name, nor does it indicate the date for which it was written. The name of the scribe was written beneath, in Latin script, including his address "Alkali Maregi Bangbara, Bida – Near the gate of the town." Similar to most poems in the Ajami tradition, this manuscript begins with a complete Basmalah - "Bismillahir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm. The Arabic short form Bismillahi appears in the first stanza and the rest of the poem is written in Nupe Ajami. The majority of poems in Ajami end with a conclusion but this one appears to have none. There is a total of eleven (11) stanzas, but there is a missing catchword at the end, which would signify that there are more stanzas to be read or chanted on the following page(s). This facsimile is part of what Sheikh Imam Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki examined in his 1991 dissertation.Item Alowo (Political posters in Nupe Ajami)(2019-02) Usman, Abubakar; Usman, Abubakar (scribe)These materials are collectively called "Political posters in Nupe Ajami." The four (4) posters were unlike most Ajami manuscripts in sub-Saharan Africa, since the scribe -- Alhaji Abubakar used the Mashriqi style rather than the Maghribi. These posters speak to the importance of Nupe Ajami in the people’s day-to-day activities. They also point to the fact that Ajami script has been used for both sacred and secular purposes. Included below is a summary of the contents of each poster: 1. A poster published during the recently conducted 2019 general elections. It depicts the image of the then Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari under the banner of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who eventually emerged the winner for the second term. The translation of the Nupe Ajami inscription at the top reads "Vote President 2019" and the second line says "Let's vote credible president for positive change." To the left is the political party's logo. The last Nupe Ajami inscription, beneath the candidate's image (in red) also says "For president." Lastly, the candidate’s name is written in Latin script. 1. A poster published during the recently conducted 2019 general elections. It depicts the image of the then Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari under the banner of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who eventually emerged the winner for the second term. The translation of the Nupe Ajami inscription at the top reads "Vote President 2019" and the second line says "Let's vote credible president for positive change." To the left is the political party's logo. The last Nupe Ajami inscription, beneath the candidate's image (in red) also says "For president." Lastly, the candidate’s name is written in Latin script. 2. A poster published during the recently conducted 2019 general elections, depicting the picture of the Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, under the platform of the opposition party -- the People's Democratic Party (PDP), who lost to Muhammadu Buhari. The translation of the Nupe Ajami inscription at the top reads "Vote President 2019." The second line from the top reads "Let's vote credible president for positive change." To the left is the party's logo. The last inscription (in red) says "For president" then followed by the candidate's name written in Latin script. 3. A poster published during the recently conducted 2019 general elections, depicting the picture of a gubernatorial candidate in Niger State, Alhaji Abu Sani (Lolo) of the ruling party -- the All Progressive Congress (APC), who was bidding for a second tern and won. The translation of the Nupe Ajami inscription at the top reads "Vote Governor 2019." The longer second line from the top says, "Vote Governor for the Progress of the state." The logo at the center is that of the candidate's political party. To the left (in yellow) reads "Vote Governor" followed by Alhaji Abu Sani Bello (Lolo) boldly written in capital letters using the Latin script. 4. A poster published during the recently conducted 2019 general elections, depicting the picture of a gubernatorial aspirant in Niger State, Alhaji Umar Nasko of the ruling party -- the opposition party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP). The translation of the Nupe Ajami inscription at the top reads "Vote Governor 2019." The logo to the left is that of the political party. The longer second line from the top says, "Vote Governor for the Progress of the state." The Nupe Ajami inscription to the left, a little below the center (in red) reads "Vote Governor." Then the name of the aspirant Alhaji Umar Nasko is written in Latin script.Item "Pentastichs" Fiqhu (Fiqhu -- Jurisprudence in Nupe Verses)UnknownThis manuscript titled "Pentastichs" Fiqhu contains poems on Islamic Jurisprudence in Nupe Ajami. It has a set of verses that consist of fifty four (54) Pentastichs. The first and second pentastichs introduce and enumerate the topics covered in the poems, which include: Ablution, Ritual Bath, Tayammum (the Islamic dry ablution using sand or dust), Ṣalāt, as well as prostrations of forgetfulness in Ṣalāt. Also, as part of the introduction, the number of compulsory, supererogatory, and recommended steps of each of the aspects mentioned above are given. The details of each of these practices is provided in the main body of the work. The last part of the pentastichs is a eulogy of the Prophet with supplications. Following the Maliki School of Thought, this work was written using the Maghribi writing style but with bold ink. Purely in Nupe Ajami, the manuscript has not indicated the name of the author or scribe, and there is no date. The Pentastichs is one of the manuscripts that that Sheikh Imam Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki examined in his 1991 Master’s level dissertation. These poems, along with more details about them can be found in his dissertation from pages 97 to 110.Item Khutbah -- Etikpe (A Friday Sermon)Aboki, AbdurrahmanThis manuscript titled, "Khutbah – Etikpe" is one of the weekly (Friday) Sermons composed and read by Sheikh Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki, the Chief Imam of Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State. As with all Islamic sermons, this one also opens with Basmalah and prayers for the Noble Prophet, thus: "Bismillahir-RaḥmānirRaḥīm! Ṣallallāhu ’Alā Man lā Nabiyya Ba’dahu! Sālām!" The sermon then goes on to address the subject matter for the week and finally closes with thanks to the Almighty Allah as follows: "Al-Ḥamdu Lillāhi Rabbil-’Ālamīn!"Item Laa kaazibu (What is said is not false)Aboki, AbdurrahmanThis manuscript is titled "Laa kaazibu", which is an Arabic expression that means "there is no falsehood in what is being said". The name was taken from the title of the verse as it occurs at the end of each line. The verse is known by this name to many people in Bida town and beyond. Sheikh Aboki, our source for this verse in Nupe Ajami helped us trace the origin of the manuscript. He said, "Its popularity can be credited to Alhaji Abdulkadiri, a professional reciter whose name was then changed to 'Baba Laa Kaazibu'. According to Baba, he had been chanting the verse at religious occasions since 1360 A.H./1941 C.E." As such, the precise date the verse was written is not recorded, and the original author’s details are not provided. However, Baba’s heirs claim that it was their grandfather who composed it. Similar to other Islamic eulogies, "Laa Kaazibu" begins with Basmalah and greetings to Prophet Muḥammad Peace be upon him. It reads "Bismillahir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm! Ṣallallāhu ’Alā Man lā Nabiyya Ba’dahu!" Then the first stanza begins with the short version of Basmalah, i.e. Bismillahi and then the poem in Nupe Ajami. There are sixty-five (65) stanzas, full of praises and commendations to Prophet Muḥammad, Peace be upon him. Written exclusively in Nupe Ajami, the scribe used the Mashriqi writing style instead of the Maghribi, but retains the diacritics exclusively for Nupe Ajami. The last part of the verse is a prayer for the Noble Prophet, popularly known as the Ṣalāt Ibrāhimiyyah and the last words were Al-Ḥamdu Lillāh!Item Qasidah al-Ishriniyyah fi Madhi Khair al-Bariyyah (A poem of twenty rhyming verses praising the best of humankind)(2010) Aboki, Abdurrahman; Al-Fazazi; Aboki, Abdurrahman (scribe)This manuscript is titled Qasidah al-Ishriniyyah fi Madhi Khair al-Bariyyah, popularly known as Ishriniyya (or Ishriniyyat). The poem was originally written in Arabic by Sheikh Abu Zayd Abd al-Rahman ibn Yakhlaftan ibn Ahmad al-Fazazi (popularly known as Al-Fazazi). The etymology of Ishriniyya is from ‘Ishreen – meaning twenty, and Ishriniyyat -- the twenties. This work is named as such because the poem consists of sets of twenty rhyming verses for each letter of the alphabet. It was believed that Sheik Al-Fazazi composed them in Cordoba in the year 604/1207-8. A poet and mystic, Sheikh Al-Fazazi died in Fez, present Morocco in the year 627AH/1230CE). The Ishriniyya is among the most celebrated and popular poems for the Prophet Muhammad, especially among Muslim communities in sub-Saharan Africa. The author of the current Nupe Ajami manuscript -- Sheikh Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki had written the poem in both Arabic and Nupe Ajami using Arabic script, followed by Nupe Latin script. The Nupe Ajami version of Ishriniyyah is a large book which contains the complete Arabic version of the poem, alphabetically arranged. Each letter addresses specific themes that go back to an applause, praise, and commendation for Prophet Muhammad (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). Unlike most Ajami manuscripts in sub-Saharan Africa that use the Maghribi style of writing, Sheikh Abdurrahman Aboki uses the Mashriqi style to write his book. In an interview with the author, he explained how daunting the task was, yet he was determined to accomplish his mission in 2010 C.E.. The book cover includes the image of the author.Item Bãki Nupe Ajami (Nupe Alphabet in Ajami)(1991) Aboki, AbdurrahmanThis manuscript is titled Bãki Nupe Ajami, which means Nupe Alphabets in Ajami. It is a two-page manuscript that provides two tables. The first is for the Nupe Alphabet in both Latin and Ajami script. It equally captures the vowels used in Nupe Ajami – five (5) as rather than the three (3) found in the Arabic alphabet. This table is presented on page xx of the Sheikh’s Dissertation. The second on page xxi of the same source captures an advanced table that shows the Nupe Ajami phonetics system with a Latin script equivalent. It is interesting how the author used a typewriter to write the Roman vowels and phonetic system, yet used ink to handwrite (longhand) the Nupe Ajami equivalent using the Maghribi writing style. This demonstrates the scribe’s ability to capture the nuances and peculiarities of the vowels and the phonetics. Overall, the Nupe vowels and phonetic system are essential instructional material that lay the foundations for learning the Nupe language in general, and especially Nupe Ajami. Importantly, it points to the ingenuity of the Nupe Muslim clerics, who improvised new vowels using the existing Arabic ones, which were not comprehensive enough to cater for the tones inherent in Nupe language. By so doing, it made it easy to effectively communicate, using the Arabic script, but also adapting it to fit the additional Nupe vowels. These manuscripts have further reinforced and demonstrated the continuous relevance of Ajami to the contemporary society in social, religious, and educational spheres.Item Etankpincici (Memoirs in Nupe Ajami)(1984-11-02) UnknownThis manuscript titled Etankpincici, Memoirs is a collection of poems in Nupe Ajami. The set of poems seem to be authored by one scribe and at the of one of them, two different dates were recorded: The Islamic calendar dated 11/10/1393 A.H. and a Gregorian date 11/02/1984 A.D. Nevertheless, this does not suggest that all the poems in this collection Etankpincici -- Memoirs in Nupe Ajami were composed in the year 1984. In fact, it could be the date the manuscript owner accessed the manuscript. Memoirs in Nupe Ajami, like the other manuscripts in this collection, constitute part of what Sheikh Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki examined in his Dissertation (1991). The poems eulogize the Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him. All the poems begin by thanking the Almighty Allah and praising the Prophet before proceeding to describe the outstanding qualities of the Prophet. Each poem concludes with thanking Allah Al-Ḥamdu Lillāh for sending the Prophet to humanity.Item Fiqhu (Islamic jurisprudence poems)UnknownThis manuscript titled Fiqhu, is a set of three (3) different poems. We treat them as one manuscript because their source is the same and the owner of the manuscripts (Sheikh Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki) examined them all at once. The title Fiqhu – Islamic jurisprudence captures the contents, dealing with two different topics: 1. "Etun na zai lo na" (translated as the work that one does). There are 32 stanzas in twos. This opens with prayers and supplications: Bismillahir-RaḥmānirRaḥīm! Ṣallallāhu ’Alā Man lā Nabiyya Ba’dahu! Divided into two parts – the first part describes the qualities of the Imam and what one should see in him when he leads Ṣalāt. The second part, starting at the 16th stanza is yet another section with the title Bābu mā yufsidus- Ṣalāt "section on what vitiates Ṣalāt." As always, the poem concludes with praises to Prophet Muhammad and thanks to the Almighty Allāh. It is not uncommon to find Tammat (The end/The writing ends) at the end of an Ajami work. After the last stanza (32nd), the writing stops there, indicating Tammat. The manuscript has up to thirteen detailed footnotes. 2. "Ekpe Farilla" (Knowledge of Obligations). This is a longer poem in comparison to the preceding one, and has nearly ninety verses/stanzas. It deals with twelve (12) aspects of the Islamic ritual (Ṣalāt). Each of the themes is clearly demarcated from the others, with a title as a section. These themes are outlined as follows: i. Obligatory Acts of Ablution ii. Sunnah Acts of Ablution iii. Desirable Acts of Ablution iv. Purify from Allah v. Conditions for the Obligation of Ṣalāt vi. Conditions for the Soundness of Ṣalāt vii. Obligatory Acts of Ṣalāt viii. Sunnah Acts of Ṣalāt ix. Desirable Acts of Ṣalāt x. Keeping up the Prayer xi. Fast, Zakāt and Hajj xii. Conclusion The above stanzas were accompanied with approximately fifty-one (51) footnotes. Similar to the poem before it, Ekpe Farilla (Knowledge of Obligations) ends with praises for the Prophet and supplications to Allāh. It also ends with the term Tammat, meaning "The end/The writing ends." These copies constitute part of what Sheikh Imam Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki examined in his Dissertation (1991). The author primarily used the Mashriqi writing style, with some Maghribi.Item Ejinda (Encomium in Nupe Ajami)UnknownThis manuscript titled Ejinda, is a eulogy or encomium in Nupe Ajami. This poem is eulogizing Sheik Ahmad Tijāni, the leader of the Tijjāniyyah Movement. There is no author name, nor does it indicate when it was written. Similar to other poems in the Ajami tradition, Ejinda opens with supplications and seeking blessings to the Prophet of Islam. It reads: Bismillahir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm. Ṣallallāhu ʿalā Sayyidina Muḥammadin wa Saḥbihi wa Sallama Taslīman. This facsimile constitutes part of what Sheikh Imam Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki examined in his Dissertation (1991). There are five stanzas, each with five lines. Clearly, this is the beginning of the poem, but the end of the poem or encomium appears to be missing. Further proof to that is the catchword "Ibrāhīm" at the end of the page, which shows that there should be more to be read or chanted on the following page(s). The majority of poems in Ajami end with a conclusion, but this one has none.Item Egimika (A note in Nupe Ajami)Aboki, AbdurrahmanThis manuscript Egimika – is a note in Nupe Ajami. This personal note--as the tradition has it--begins with Basmalah -- Bismillahir-RaḥmānirRaḥīm at the top right-hand side of the page. This two-page manuscript, does not include the scribe’s name, but includes the following identifying information in Latin script above the Basmalah: "By Man Dokoci for his wife." Using the Maghribi style of writing, the author used ink and not pen. This has been the practice in most sub-Saharan African Muslim communities when writing Ajami, especially in the past centuries. This is attributed to: the sacredness of the writing, which the users believe that Arabic script has over Latin; and, due to the accessibility of the ink, which is locally sourced and produced.