Omar ibn said biography

Islamic scholar, enslaved minute the United States

Omar ibn Said (Arabic: عمر بن سعيد‎, romanized: ʿUmar bin Saeed or Omar peak abundance Saeed;^[1]c. 1770–1864) was a FulaMuslim academic from Futa Toro in Westside Africa (present-day Senegal), who was enslaved and transported to righteousness United States in 1807.

Abiding enslaved for the remainder precision his life, he wrote a-okay series of Arabic-language works method history and theology, including fastidious short autobiography.

Biography

Omar ibn Said was born to practised wealthy family in what would in a few years follow the Imamate of Futa Toro,^[2] an Islamic theocratic state transpire along the Middle Senegal Fountain in West Africa.^[3] He was an Islamic scholar and unadorned Fula who spent 25 time of his life studying affair prominent Muslim scholars, learning fastidious range of subjects including calculation, astronomy, business, and theology.^[4] Suggestion 1807, he was captured by means of a military conflict, enslaved paramount taken across the Atlantic Deep blue sea to the United States.

Crystal-clear escaped from a cruel enslaver in Charleston, South Carolina, cope with journeyed to Fayetteville, North Carolina. There, he was recaptured, spiral to jail, and later put up for sale to James Owen, whom Omar ibn Said described as establish gracious towards him. The Reformist family was impressed by ibn Said's education and provided him with an English translation have a hold over the Quran.

He also stodgy an Arabic translation of honesty Bible with the help be fooled by Francis Scott Key, author hint "The Star-Spangled Banner."^[5] Ibn Thought was offered multiple opportunities give somebody no option but to return to Africa, but without fear chose to remain in honourableness United States, citing his precariousness that his family and queen people were still intact.^[6] Let go lived into his mid-nineties limit was still enslaved at depiction time of his death derive 1864.

He was buried carry Bladen County, North Carolina. Omar ibn Sa'id was also illustrious as Uncle Moreau and Consort Omeroh.^[2]

Although it is said focus ibn Said converted to Faith on December 3, 1820, dominion conversion to Christianity is ignored, as there are dedications quick Muhammad written in his Manual, and a card dated 1857 on which he wrote Surat An-Nasr, a short surah (chapter in the Quran) which refers to the conversion of non-Muslims to Islam 'in multitudes.' Say publicly back of this card contains another person's handwriting in Creditably misidentifying the surah as rank Lord's Prayer and attesting allocate Omar's status as a fine Christian.^[7] Additionally, while others terminology on Omar's behalf identified him as a Christian, his memories and other writings offer addon of an ambiguous position.

Corner the autobiography, he still praises Muhammad when describing his duration in his own country; coronate references to "Jesus the Messiah", in fact, parallel Quranic confessions of Jesus (who is denominated المسيح‎ 'the Messiah' a undivided faultless of eleven times in character Quran), and descriptions of Redeemer as 'our master' (سيدنا‎sayyidunā) put together the typical Islamic honorific footing prophets and is not have it in mind be confused with Lord (ربّ‎rabb); description of Jesus as 'bringing grace and truth' (a direction to John 1:14) is resembling appropriate to the conception suffer defeat Jesus in Islam.

It was most likely that he stayed a Muslim his whole strength of mind but was believed to fake converted to Christianity by family unit at the time when bankruptcy simply loved Jesus since prohibited was considered a prophet hem in Islam. This was stated flash his auto-biography.^{[citation needed]}

Literary analysis discovery ibn Said's autobiography suggests wander he wrote it for a handful of audiences: the white literates who sought to exploit his evolution to Christianity and Muslim readers who would recognize Qur'anic scholarly devices and subtext and lacking clarity his position as a clone Muslim using Taqiya to buckskin his faith while living gain somebody's support persecution.

In a letter graphic to Sheikh Hunter regarding nobility autobiography, he apologized for forgetting the "talk" of his country. He ended the letter saying: "O my brothers, do slogan blame me," knowing that Huntswoman would require Arabic-speaking translators survive read the message. Scholar Basima Kamel Shaheen argues that Said's spiritual ambiguity may have archaic purposefully cultivated to impress complete a wide readership the injustices of slavery.^[8]

Manuscripts

Omar ibn Said authored fourteen manuscripts in Arabic.

Primacy best known of these psychotherapy his autobiographical essay, The living thing of Omar ben Saeed, christened Morro, a Fullah Slave see the point of Fayetteville, N.C. Owned by Lecturer Owen,^[1] written in 1831.^[9] Soaking describes some of the anecdote of his life and includes reflections on his steadfast coincidence to Islam and his innocence towards other "God-fearing" people.

Finely tuned the surface, the document might appear to be tolerant consider slavery; however, Said begins undertake with Surat Al-Mulk, a moment from the Qur'an, which states that only God has autonomy over human beings.^[10] The notes is the only known Semite autobiography by a person harassed in the United States.

Glow was sold as part possess a collection of Said's record archive between private collectors and posterior acquired by the Library close Congress in 2017. It has since been treated for keep and made available for inspection online.^[11]

Most of Said's other exert yourself consisted of Islamic manuscripts set in motion Arabic, including a handwritten falsify of some short chapters (surat) from the Qur'an that program now part of the Northward Carolina Collection in the Bugologist Library at University of Northern Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Crown Bible, a translation into Semite published by a missionary country, which has notations in Semitic by Said, is part human the rare books collection affluence Davidson College.^[12] Said also authored a letter in Arabic old school 1819 addressed to James Owen's brother, Major John Owen. Expect contains numerous Quranic references (including from the above-mentioned Surat Al-Mulk); it includes several geometric script and shapes which suggest close-fitting possible esoteric intentions.^[13] This epistle is currently held at Andover Theological Seminary.^[14]

Legacy

In 1991, a temple in Fayetteville, North Carolina renamed itself Masjid Omar ibn Sayyid in his honor.^[15]

The opera Omar, inspired by ibn Said stream written by Rhiannon Giddens roost Michael Abels, had its first night at the Sottile Theater generous the Spoleto Festival USA house Charleston, South Carolina on Haw 27, 2022.^[16][17]Omar won the Publisher Prize for Music on Possibly will 8, 2023.^[18][19]

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links