Tlgrinya 'Ajamjon Naja.Si Philological Analysis of Sayij 'Umar Abrar's Manuscripts
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Date
2011-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This thes is exa mines a manuscript in Tigrinya that is written in the Arabic script. A text in a nonArabic
language that is written in the Arabic script is known in Arabic as 'ajaml. The 'ajaml
manu script the thes is dea ls with focuses on the 7'h-century king of Abyssin ia, popularly ca lled
Najasl by Mus lims. He was contemporary with the Pro phet Mul,ammad . The manuscript was
written by a Mus lim clerical scholar of the Tigray region, Say!] 'Umar Abrar, who lived in the
last quarter of the 19'" century .and the first half of the 20'" century. In addit io n to a detai led
philological a nalys is of the manuscript on Najasl, the thes is provides brief descriptions of
fourteen other manuscripts of the Say!]. It is believed that this thesis const itutes the first scho larly
treatme nt ofTigrinya 'ajaml.
Most of the manuscripts of Sayl] 'Umar are in Tigrinya 'ajaml; some are in Arabic and a few in
Amharic 'ajaml. Apart /i'om the one on Najasl, the other manuscripts deal with such to pics as
inheritance, genea logy, j urisprudence and Mawlid.
Based on the manuscripts of Sayl] ' Umar, especia lly on the aspects concerning the emigrant
companions of the Prophet who were welcomed by Najasl, the thesis hopes to contr ibute to the
histo ry of Is lam and Muslims in northern Ethiopia.
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Philology