The Sojourn of Alihaj Alfa Umar Jalloh of Dinglayeah...from his birth to his travel from Guinea to Saudi

Report: The Sojourn of Alihaj Alfa Umar Jalloh of Dinglayeah

From his Birth to his Travel From Guinea to Saudi

July 18, 2010, By: M. Sekou Kanneh

Introduction


Sekou Kanneh of Philadelphia Pa

The story of a legendary Fulani icon Named Alihaj Alifa Umar Jalloh has been told by many. Griots from Mande have told the story in musical form, oratory historian have told the story in gatherings, grand parents have told the story to their grand children, while writers are yet to put it out for reading consumption. Even as West African historian touched it in few books, we are yet to read details, as legend would have it.

One nigh after a hectic farm work in my village Wangannehdu, and during the year 1964, we gathered around the burning firewood to listen to a Guinean guitarist named Mory Jabateh, who had promised us on previous day that he was going to narrate the story of Alhaji Alfa Umar Jalloh, a legendary Fulani scholar who was the first West African to travel by foot to Saudi Arabia for hadj. Truly, we were not disappointed. Mory kept us awake for two nights, melodiously presenting the story as we had our mouths opened to hear the climax. As a child then, I tried to remember the story as the contemporary guitarist, Mory Jabateh, told it. And so today I want you take a time off and enjoy the narrative. Have fun.

The Sojourn of Alihaj Alifa Umaru of Dinglayeah

Alifa and Safiatu got married at early ages; their marriage was an arranged one since their both parents were closed friends. Infact the payment of the equivalence of the two cows bride price that was supposed to be paid to Safiatu’s parent was deferred to anytime, since Alifa was not in the position to pay. He was told that whenever he got the cows, he would pass them over to his wife so that she can raise them for her yet unborn children.
Three years into their marriage Safiatu had not conceived a child, which became worrisome for the both parents.

One day, Alifa discussed with his parent about his desire to travel outside of his birth town Dinglayeah, a historic Fulani town, to at least explore his luck. His parent consented and arrangement was made to leave immediately after Friday prayer of the following week. Safiatu measured few cup of rice and some cooking utensils with few of their clothing and they left as planned. It took them almost several months for them to arrive at the town that was desire by Alifa, since his information was that; there were lot of well-learned men in this town who would pray for his wife to conceive while in their sojourn.

The people in the town were very much hospitable to the point that they gave Alifa and his wife a decent house to live. Since Alpha and his wife were much younger and could do any farming work for pay, the town’s people admired them. Before even taking any farming contract, Alifa would take Safiatu to see the farm and the both of them would determine the number of days it would require them to finish. In that case, it was just too obvious that the both of them worked on such farms equally.
They stayed in this town for several years working for people and saving the proceeds of their labor for their returns to their town Dinglayeah.

Alifa Married a Woman and Left Safiatu In Bondage

One day when they came from the farm, Alifa saw a beautiful young girl that he admired for a wife. He didn’t end there; since he knew the girl’s father, he went to him and asked him for his daughter’s hands in marriage, after few days of thinking over it and consulting his wife and daughter, the man accepted and Alifa was required to bring two cows as the bride price for their daughter. Happy over what he heard, he rushed home, sat Safiatu down and explained how the both of them have been yearning for a child for which they have not been lucky.” In that case” he told his wife, “I want to ask your indulgence to allow me marry this girl so she can bear a child for us.” “Well my husband, you are the man, and God forbid I will never argue with you on matters like this. If that is what that pleases you, go right ahead” Safiatu told her husband.

As Alifa began making arrangements, little did he know that the two cows bride prices requested by his fiancé parent was nothing to be deferred as was done in Safiatu’s case. So he called Safiatu again and told her what they had at hand regarding the bride price, “Well,” Safiatu said again, I know we have saved some money for our return to Dinglayeah, if you must take it to effect the marriage, I think you should do so.” Apparently the money in question could only purchase one cow, how to get the other one was the hitch. The tradition in this town was that if a suitor cannot afford a cow for a marriage, it was required of him to leave one person in place of the cow until the cow was brought before that person got out of bondage.

Again Alifa went to his wife and explained the intricacy surrounding the marriage. “I have no one else to leave as a bond besides you my dear wife, if you would agree to do so, I will go to Dinglayeah, mobilize the one cow and come back for you.” Again Safiatu submissively agreed to her husband’s personate pleads, and she was taking in place of the one cow, and Alifa became married to his second wife. Few days after their traditional honeymoon, Alifa told Safiatu that he and his new wife had to go and make sure that the cow is brought so that her freedom can be regained. Safiatu escorted them on the way to Dinglayeah and returned to her bondage.

Alifa arrived in Dinglayeah with his new wife, but told Safiatu’s parent he and Safiatu had agree for her to stay and undergo some herbal treatment so that she could be able to conceive a baby. The family believed him on grounds that the two families were very closed for Alifa to ever think about abandoning her for anything. They all prayed for the Almighty Allah to bestow his blessing on their daughter.

Kalamoh Alifa Became a Respectable Man

Few weeks after there arrival, Alifa father’s died and leaving him as the oldest son and heir of the father’s property, to take on the responsibility. He was left to teach his younger brothers, sisters along with others children. In that case, not only his student but also the entire town now called him Kalamoh Alifa. Few weeks after his father’s death, he realized that his young wife was pregnant. As a way of thanking and praising God, Kalamoh Alifa killed one sheep immediately and shared the meet among clerics of the town. Few months later the woman conceived with a bouncing baby boy, which was what Kalamoh prayed to God for anyway. A year later his wife had another baby. As the Fulani would say “ a man with one wife is always a bachelor whenever his wife conceives”. And so it became obvious that Kalamoh Alifa married another woman to back up in case of another pregnancy.

Kalamoh Alifa has now become a respectable family man. The wife he brought from the foreign land has had three children while the last one had conceived one. He became very busy with the affairs of his wives, his children and his herd of cows, sheep and goat to the point that history was leaving him behind. He had forgotten that he left a wife in bondage somewhere in foreign land who has stayed for so many years.

One day after Friday prayers, the Imam walked to Kalamoh Alfa and explained that he had a dream about him, “in this dream” he said, “I saw that a boy child was born in your house, and that child, as I saw in the dream, will be a well learned man the not only this land, but the whole continent will hear about. It was also reveled that until you make a peculiar cow with sacrifice that child will not be born”. The Imam told Kalamoh Alifa.
Kalamoh Alfa told the Imam that he had four children already which of them would be this child that the dream foretold? The Imam told him that what he saw was yet a child to be born. On the question of the peculiar cow, the Imam told him that is no need discussing it, “It is a cow that when you see you will be convinced immediately that it is the cow in question”. Kalamoh Alfa now began puzzling as to how possible that could be.

One day after several years, the Imam met Kalamoh Alifa again and reminded him of the dream; he told him that unless he made that peculiar cow sacrifice, he might get other children but certainly not the foretold one. Kalamoh Alifa decided to leave Dinglayeah and go look for that peculiar cow no matter where his search would carry him. He called his younger wife and told her to put some food together with few cloths so that he could begin his journey right after the following Friday prayers.

To be continued...