Omar ibn Said

Last updated

Omar Ibn Said
Omar Ibn Said (nicknamed Uncle Moreau) A Slave of Great Notoriety of North Carolina, restored and colourised ambrotype circa 1850.jpg
Restored and colorized ambrotype of Omar ibn Said, c.1850
Born
Omar ibn Sayyid

c.1770
Died1864 (aged 9394)
Other namesUncle Moreau, Prince Omeroh
EducationFormal Islamic education in Senegal
Known for Islamic scholar, author of slave narratives

Omar ibn Said (Arabic : عمر بن سعيد, romanized: ʿUmar bin Saeed or Omar ben Saeed; [1] c.1770–1864) was a Fula Muslim scholar from Futa Toro in West Africa (present-day Senegal), who was enslaved and transported to the United States in 1807. Remaining enslaved for the remainder of his life, he wrote a series of Arabic-language works on history and theology, including a short autobiography.

Contents

Biography

Omar ibn Said was born to a wealthy family in what would in a few years become the Imamate of Futa Toro, [2] an Islamic theocratic state located along the Middle Senegal River in West Africa. [3] He was an Islamic scholar and a Fula who spent 25 years of his life studying with prominent Muslim scholars, learning a range of subjects including mathematics, astronomy, business, and theology. [4] In 1807, he was captured during a military conflict, enslaved and taken across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States. He escaped from a cruel master in Charleston, South Carolina, and journeyed to Fayetteville, North Carolina. There he was recaptured, sent to jail, and later sold to James Owen, whom Omar ibn Said described as being gracious towards him. The Owen family was impressed by ibn Said's education, and they provided him with an English translation of the Quran. He also received an Arabic translation of the Bible with the help of Francis Scott Key, author of "The Star-Spangled Banner." [5] Ibn Said was offered multiple opportunities to return to Africa, but he chose to remain in the United States, citing his uncertainty that his family and his people were still intact. [6] He lived into his mid-nineties and was still enslaved at the time of his death in 1864. He was buried in Bladen County, North Carolina. Omar ibn Sa'id was also known as Uncle Moreau and Prince Omeroh. [2]

Although it is said that ibn Said converted to Christianity on December 3, 1820, his conversion to Christianity is disputed, as there are dedications to Muhammad written in his Bible, 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.' The back of this card contains another person's handwriting in English misidentifying the surah as the Lord's Prayer and attesting to Omar's status as a good Christian. [7] Additionally, while others writing on Omar's behalf identified him as a Christian, his own autobiography and other writings offer more of an ambiguous position. In the autobiography, he still offers praise to Muhammad when describing his life in his own country; his references to "Jesus the Messiah" in fact parallel Quranic descriptions of Jesus (who is called المسيح 'the Messiah' a total of eleven times in the Quran), and descriptions of Jesus as 'our master' (سيدناsayyidunā) employ the typical Islamic honorific for prophets and is not to be confused with Lord (ربّrabb); and description of Jesus as 'bringing grace and truth' (a reference to John 1:14) is equally appropriate to the conception of Jesus in Islam. It was most likely he stayed a Muslim his whole life, but was believed to have converted to Christianity by people at the time when simply, he loved Jesus, since he is considered a prophet in Islam. This was stated in his auto-biography.

Literary analysis of ibn Said's autobiography suggests that he wrote it for two audiences, the white literates who sought to exploit his conversion to Christianity and Muslim readers who would recognize Qur'anic literary devices and subtext and understand his position as a fellow Muslim using Taqiya to hide his faith while living under persecution. In a letter written to Sheikh Hunter regarding the autobiography, he apologized for forgetting the "talk" of his homeland and ended the letter saying: "O my brothers, do not blame me," with the knowledge that Hunter would require Arabic-speaking translators to read the message. Scholar Basima Kamel Shaheen argues that Said's spiritual ambiguity may have been purposefully cultivated to impress upon a wide readership the injustices of slavery. [8]

Manuscripts

Surat Al-Mulk from the Qur'an, copied by Omar ibn Sa'id in a rudimentary Fulani script Surat al Mulk bu Omar bin Said (1770-1864).jpg
Surat Al-Mulk from the Qur'an , copied by Omar ibn Sa'id in a rudimentary Fulani script

Omar ibn Said authored fourteen manuscripts in Arabic. The best known of these is his autobiographical essay, The life of Omar ben Saeed, called Morro, a Fullah Slave in Fayetteville, N.C. Owned by Governor Owen, [1] written in 1831. [9] It describes some of the events of his life and includes reflections on his steadfast adherence to Islam and his openness towards other "God-fearing" people. On the surface, the document may appear to be tolerant towards slavery; however, Said begins it with Surat Al-Mulk , a chapter from the Qur'an , which states that only God has sovereignty over human beings. [10] The manuscript is the only known Arabic autobiography by a person enslaved in the United States. It was sold as part of a collection of Said's documents between private collectors and later acquired by the Library of Congress in 2017. It has since been treated for preservation and made available for viewing online. [11]

Most of Said's other work consisted of Islamic manuscripts in Arabic, including a handwritten copy of some short chapters ( surat ) from the Qur'an that are now part of the North Carolina Collection in the Wilson Library at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His Bible, a translation into Arabic published by a missionary society, which has notations in Arabic by Said, is part of the rare books collection at Davidson College. [12] Said also authored a letter in Arabic dated 1819 addressed to James Owen's brother, Major John Owen. It contains numerous Quranic references (including from the above-mentioned Surat Al-Mulk) and includes several geometric symbols and shapes which suggest to its possible esoteric intentions. [13] This letter is currently held at Andover Theological Seminary. [14]

Legacy

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

The opera Omar , inspired by ibn Said and written by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, had its debut at the Sottile Theater during the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina on May 27, 2022. [16] [17] Omar won the Pulitzer Prize for Music on May 8, 2023. [18] [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

Shirk in Islam is a sin often roughly translated as 'idolatry' or 'polytheism', but more accurately meaning 'association [with God]'. It refers to accepting other divinities or powers alongside God as associates. In contrast, Islam teaches God does not share divine attributes with anyone, as it is disallowed according to the Islamic doctrine of tawhid. The Quran considers shirk as a sin that will not be forgiven if a person dies without repenting of it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Owen (North Carolina politician)</span> American politician

John Owen was the 24th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina and the state's first Democratic governor from 1828 to 1830.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Imran</span> 3rd chapter of the Quran

Al Imran is the third chapter (sūrah) of the Quran with two hundred verses (āyāt).

At-Tawbah is the ninth chapter of the Quran. It contains 129 verses and is one of the last Medinan surahs. This Surah is known by two names, At-Taubah and Al-Bara'at. It is called At-Taubah in light of the fact that it articulates taubah (atonement) and informs about the conditions of its acceptance.. The name Bara'at (Release) is taken from the opening word of the Surah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Anfal</span> 8th chapter of the Quran

Al-Anfal is the eighth chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, with 75 verses (āyāt). Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation, it is a "Medinan surah", completed after the Battle of Badr. It forms a pair with the next surah, At-Tawba.

An-Nisa' is the fourth chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, with 176 verses (āyāt). The title derives from the numerous references to women throughout the chapter, including verse 34 and verses 4:127-130.

The Covered is the 74th chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an, with 56 verses (āyāt).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic views on evolution</span>

Islamic views on evolution are diverse, ranging from theistic evolution to Old Earth creationism. Some Muslims around the world believe "humans and other living things have evolved over time", yet some others believe they have "always existed in present form". Some Muslims believe that the processes of life on Earth started from one single point of species with a mixture of water and a viscous clay-like substance. Muslim thinkers have proposed and accepted elements of the theory of evolution, some holding the belief of the supremacy of God in the process. Some scholars suggested that both narratives of creation and of evolution, as understood by modern science, may be believed by modern Muslims as addressing two different kinds of truth, the revealed and the empirical. Others argue that faith and science can be integrated and complement each other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Najashi</span> Ethiopian ruler of the Kingdom of Aksum

Aṣ-ḥamah also spelt as Aṣ-ḥama, was the Negus ruler of the Kingdom of Aksum who reigned from 614–630 C.E.. It is agreed by Muslim scholars that Najashi gave shelter to Muslim emigrants from Mecca, around 615–616 at Axum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic views on slavery</span>

Islamic views on slavery represent a complex and multifaceted body of Islamic thought, with various Islamic groups or thinkers espousing views on the matter which have been radically different throughout history. Slavery was a mainstay of life in pre-Islamic Arabia and surrounding lands. The Quran and the hadith address slavery extensively, assuming its existence as part of society but viewing it as an exceptional condition and restricting its scope. Early Islamic dogma forbade enslavement of dhimmis, the free members of Islamic society, including non-Muslims and set out to regulate and improve the conditions of human bondage. Islamic law regarded as legal slaves only those non-Muslims who were imprisoned or bought beyond the borders of Islamic rule, or the sons and daughters of slaves already in captivity. In later classical Islamic law, the topic of slavery is covered at great length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sa'id Akhtar Rizvi</span>

Sayyid Sa‘eed Akhtar Rizvi (1927–2002) was an Indian born, Twelver Shī‘ah scholar, who promoted Islam in East Africa. He was given authorizations by fourteen Grand Ayatullahs for riwayah, Qazawah, and Umur-e-Hasbiyah.

The rules and regulations concerning prisoners of war in Islam are covered in manuals of Islamic jurisprudence, based upon Islamic teachings, in both the Qur'an and hadith.

Senegalese Americans are an ethnic group of Americans of Senegalese descent. In the surveys of 2019, 18,091 people claimed to be of Senegalese origin or descent in the United States. However, many West Africans trafficked by enslavers to the United States were also of Senegalese origin. Thus many African Americans may also have some ancestors of this country.

Among the books considered to be revealed by God in the Quran, the three mentioned by name are the Tawrat, the Arabic-language name for the Torah within its context as an Islamic holy book believed by Muslims to have been given by God to the prophets and messengers amongst the Children of Israel; the Zabur (Psalms) revealed to Dawud (David); and the Injil (Gospel) revealed to Isa (Jesus). The Quran mentions the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel as being revealed by God in the same way the Quran was revealed to Muhammad, the final prophet and messenger of God according to Muslims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of slavery in the Muslim world</span>

The history of slavery in the Muslim world began with institutions inherited from pre-Islamic Arabia. The practices of keeping slaves in the Muslim world nevertheless developed in radically different ways in different Muslim states based on a range of social-political factors, as well as the more immediate economic and logistical considerations of the Arab slave trade. As a general principle, Islam encouraged the manumission of Muslim slaves as a way of expiating sins, and many early converts to Islam, such as Bilal, were former slaves. However, Islam never banned the practice, and it persisted as an important institution in the Muslim world through to the modern era.

Gibril Fouad Haddad is a Lebanese-born Islamic scholar, hadith expert (muhaddith), author, and translator of classical Islamic texts. He was featured in the inaugural list of The 500 Most Influential Muslims and has been called "one of the clearest voices of traditional Islam in the Western world", a "prominent orthodox Sunni" and a "staunch defender of the traditional Islamic schools of law." He holds ijazas from over 150 scholars across the Muslim world. He was a visiting fellow (2013-2015) then senior assistant professor (2015-2018) at the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Center for Islamic Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. He is also a staunch critic of Wahhabism and Salafism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of slavery in North Carolina</span> Aspect of history

Slavery was legally practiced in the Province of North Carolina and the state of North Carolina until January 1, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Prior to statehood, there were 41,000 enslaved African-Americans in the Province of North Carolina in 1767. By 1860, the number of slaves in the state of North Carolina was 331,059, about one third of the total population of the state. In 1860, there were nineteen counties in North Carolina where the number of slaves was larger than the free white population. During the antebellum period the state of North Carolina passed several laws to protect the rights of slave owners while disenfranchising the rights of slaves. There was a constant fear amongst white slave owners in North Carolina of slave revolts from the time of the American Revolution. Despite their circumstances, some North Carolina slaves and freed slaves distinguished themselves as artisans, soldiers during the Revolution, religious leaders, and writers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Zayni Dahlan</span> Ottoman Grand Mufti of Mecca (1816–1886)

Ahmad Zayni Dahlan (1816-1886) was the Grand Mufti of Mecca between 1871 and his death. He also held the position of Shaykh al-Islam in the Hejaz and Imam al-Haramayn. Theologically and juridically, he followed the Shafi'i school of thought.

There are a variety of titles are used to refer to the penultimate prophet of Islam, Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus), in the Quran. Islamic scholars emphasize the need for Muslims to follow the name of Isa (Jesus), whether spoken or written, with the honorific phrase alayhi al-salām, which means peace be upon him. Isa is mentioned by name or title 78 times in the Quran.

<i>Omar</i> (opera) 2022 opera by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels

Omar is an American opera, composed by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, with a libretto by Giddens. It had its world premiere at the Spoleto Festival USA in 2022. It had its West Coast premiere at Los Angeles Opera in October 2022. It was performed at Carolina Performing Arts in February 2023, and had its New England premiere at Boston Lyric Opera in May 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 "Image 1 of The life of Omar ben Saeed, called Morro, a Fullah Slave in Fayetteville, N.C. Owned by Governor Owen". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  2. 1 2 Said, Omar ibn (July 1925) [1831]. Jameson, John Franklin (ed.). "Autobiography of Omar ibn Sa'id, Slave in North Carolina, 1831". The American Historical Review . 30 (4): 787–795. Archived from the original on 2012-12-11. Retrieved 2022-06-01 via University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  3. Parramore, Thomas (1979). Powell, William S. (ed.). "Omar ibn Said, b. 1770?". Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. University of North Carolina Press. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  4. "NPS Ethnography: African American Heritage & Ethnography". National Park Service . Acculturation & Cultural Resistance. Archived from the original on 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  5. McLaughlin, Eliott C. (2019-01-17). "Autobiography from 1831 provides rare, firsthand account of a Muslim slave in America". CNN . Archived from the original on 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  6. "Enslaved and Freed African Muslims: Spiritual Wayfarers in the South and Lowcountry". Lowcountry Digital History Initiative. Omar Ibn Said (ca. 1770–1864). Archived from the original on 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-01 via College of Charleston.
  7. Horn, Patrick E. "Omar ibn Sa'id, African Muslim Enslaved in the Carolinas". University Library, University of North Carolina . Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  8. Shaheen, Basima Kamel (2014). "Literary Form and Islamic Identity in The Life of Omar Ibn Said". In Finseth, Ian; Aljoe, Nicole N. (eds.). Journeys of the Slave Narrative in the Early Americas. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. pp. 187–208. ISBN   978-0-8139-3637-6. OL   28800322M . Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  9. Curiel, Jonathan (2008-11-17). Al' America: Travels Through America's Arab and Islamic Roots . New York City: The New Press. pp. 30–32. ISBN   978-1-59558-352-9. LCCN   2008024217. OCLC   227016079. OL   16909197M . Retrieved 2022-06-01 via Internet Archive.
  10. Quran   67:1  (Translated by  Pickthall). "Blessed is He in Whose hand is the Sovereignty, and He is Able to do all things."
  11. "Only Known Surviving Muslim American Slave Autobiography Goes Online at the Library of Congress". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  12. "Search Results for: Omar Ibn Sayyid". Davidson College Archives & Special Collections. Archived from the original on 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  13. Hunwick, John O. (2004). ""I Wish to be Seen in our Land Called Āfrikā": ʿUmar B. Sayyid's Appeal to be Released from Slavery (1819)". Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies . 5: 62–77. doi: 10.5617/jais.4572 . Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  14. Published in Allen Austin's African people that are Africans : A Sourcebook.
  15. Ivins, Tammy (June 2007). "Omar ibn Sayyid". Davidson Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  16. Cooper, Michael (2019-06-10). "Rhiannon Giddens Is Writing an Opera" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2022-05-22. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  17. "Omar". Spoleto Festival USA . Archived from the original on 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  18. Barone, Joshua (2023-05-08). "Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels Win the Pulitzer Prize for Music" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2023-05-08. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  19. Ulaby, Neda; Gomez Sarmiento, Isabella (2023-05-08). "Here are the winners of the 2023 Pulitzer Prizes". NPR . Archived from the original on 2023-05-08. Retrieved 2023-05-09.

Further reading