Laa kaazibu (What is said is not false)
OA Version
Citation
Kurfi, Mustapha Hashim, Ngom, Fallou, and Castro, Eleni (2019). African Ajami Library: Digital Preservation of Nupe Ajami Materials of Middle Belt, Nigeria. Boston: Boston University Libraries: http://hdl.handle.net/2144/38121.
Abstract
This 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!
Description
The entire manuscript is available for download as a single PDF file. Higher-resolution images may
be available upon request. For technical assistance, please contact open-help@bu.edu. Fieldwork Team: Dr. Mustapha Hashim Kurfi (Principal Investigator), Alhaji Abubakar A’ishatu (Local Project Manager), Usman Abdullahi Nagya (General Field Facilitator) and Mohammed Yahaya Isah (Gatekeeper), Technical Team: Prof. Fallou Ngom (Director African Studies Center), and Eleni Castro (Technical Lead, BU Libraries). This collection of Nupe Ajami materials are copied as part of the African Studies Center’s African Ajami Library. Access Condition and Copyright: These materials are subject to copyright. All rights reserved to the author. For use, distribution or reproduction contact Professor Fallou Ngom (fngom@bu.edu). Citation: Materials in this web edition should be cited as: Kurfi, Mustapha Hashim, Ngom, Fallou, and Castro, Eleni (2019). African Ajami Library: Digital Preservation of Nupe Ajami Materials of Middle Belt, Nigeria. Boston: Boston University Libraries: http://hdl.handle.net/2144/38121. For Inquiries: Please contact Professor Fallou Ngom (fngom@bu.edu).
Provenance and Condition: This manuscript is owned by Sheikh Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki, the Chief Imam of Central Mosque of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida—Niger state (Middle Belt of Nigeria). The manuscript Laa Kaazibu was one of the Nupe Ajami manuscripts that Sheikh Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki examined in his Master’s Dissertation titled "Nupe Islamic Verses in Ajami Edition: Transliteration and Translation of Islamic Studies Manuscripts of Nupeland" submitted to the Department of Education, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of a Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction (Islamic Studies) and approved in 1991 C.E./1412 A.H.
Provenance and Condition: This manuscript is owned by Sheikh Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki, the Chief Imam of Central Mosque of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida—Niger state (Middle Belt of Nigeria). The manuscript Laa Kaazibu was one of the Nupe Ajami manuscripts that Sheikh Alhaji Abdurrahman Aboki examined in his Master’s Dissertation titled "Nupe Islamic Verses in Ajami Edition: Transliteration and Translation of Islamic Studies Manuscripts of Nupeland" submitted to the Department of Education, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of a Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction (Islamic Studies) and approved in 1991 C.E./1412 A.H.
License
These materials are subject to copyright. All rights reserved to the author. For use, distribution or reproduction contact Professor Fallou Ngom (fngom@bu.edu).