Job Ben Solomon Jallo
From Mw
Introduction
Job was one of many many Muslims enslaved by the Europeans and shipped to the US. see List of Early African Muslims in the USA, and Islam in the United States. What made Job difference was that his story was told. Thousands of other equally articulate, intelligent and practicing Muslims that were enslaved in the Americas remain unknown to us, except through slave records, or newspaper clippings of runaways. Job offered Salat 'At least once a white boy threw mud in his face as Job prostrated as a Muslim in prayer'.He refused wine and regulary wrote copies of the Qu'ran, and Arabic Scripture, impressing a Mr Bluett by writing copies of the Qu'ran from memory and praying publicly five times a day and maintaining his dietry restrictions.
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| History of Slavery in The Americaas |
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Job Ben Solomon Jallo • Ibrahim Abd ar-Rahman • Lamine Kebe • Yarrow Mamout• Kunta Kinte |
| Areas where African Slaves came from |
| Coloninal Legislation on Slavery |
| African American Heritage |
| African American Journeys |
| African Muslim Tribes |
Contents |
[edit] Early years
Ayuba Suleiman Diallo (Hyuba, boon Salumena, boon Hibrahema or Ayuba bin Sulaiman bin Ibrahim in Arabic), also known as Job ben Solomon was born around 1702 CE (1113 AH). He was a Fulbe of the clan Jallo, born in Bondu, present-day Senegal, West Africa. He came from a prominent family of Muslim religious leaders. His grandfather had founded the town of Bondu. Job studied Islam under his father along with Samba Geladio Jegi the heir (kamalenku) to the Kingdom of Futa-Toro. At fifteen Job was an apprentice Imam.
[edit] Jobs Family
At 15 Job married the daughter of Alfa of Tombut. They had three sons: Abduallah, Ibrahim and Samba. He took a second wife in 1729 CE (1141 AH),daughter of the Alfa of Tomga, who gave him a daughter.
[edit] Jobs Capture
In 1730, Job became a victim of the ever-growing slave exploitation of the Senegambia region. Job, with two servants, was sent to the distant Gambia River by his father to buy paper from the English, and to sell two slaves. His father warned him against crossing the river into enemy Mandingo territory. Such trading ventures to dispose of criminals or enemies were not uncommon. Job negotiated with Captain Pike, but disagreed with his price for the two men, so he sent his two personal servants home, engaged a translator, Loumein Yoai and crossed the river. There he traded his two captives for some cows.
While he was resting, having removed his "Gold hilted Sword, a Gold Knife, which they wear by their Side, and a rich Quiver of Arrows", seven or eight men took him and Loumein captive. Their heads were shaved to make them appear as war captives, and thereby supposedly legitimately enslavable, as opposed to their actual condition of people captured in a kidnapping raid for the specific purpose of selling slaves for financial profit. The two men were sold to factors of the Royal African Company. Job subsequently convinced English Captain Pike of his high social status, and explained his father was capable of paying ransom. Pike granted Job leave to find someone to send word to Job’s family. But after a week passed and the messenger did not return in time, at the behest of Captain Henry Hunt, Pike’s superior, Job and Loumein were sent across the Atlantic to Annapolis, Maryland, in the US, the same journey that the famous Kunta Kinte, Alex Haleys distant relative made famous in the epic novel Roots, went. Later Job heard that his father had sent slaves to be traded for him and that his friend Samba had made a successful war on the Mandingoes, but they were too late to help Job.
[edit] Account of Jobs time in the US
- The slaving agent in Annapolis, Vachell Denton, sold Job to a Mr. Tolsey in Kent Island, Maryland, and was initially put to work preparing tobacco; however, after being found unsuitable for such work, he was placed in charge of the cattle.
- His unhappiness and his faith led him to much praying. At least once a white boy threw mud in his face as Job prostrated in prayer.
- He ran away only to be captured and imprisoned at the Kent County Courthouse in southeastern Pennsylvania.
- First contact with Thomas Bluett.
- A slave who could speak Wolof, a language of a neighboring African ethnic group that Job understood, was able to translate for him, and it was discovered who Job's master was and what Job's problem with him were as well as that he had aristocratic blood.
- Returned to Mr Tolsey under better conditions - allowed to pray
- Wrote a letter to his father in Arabic, that was sent via England.
- The letter reached the philanthropist James Oglethorpe, Director of the Royal African Company and founder of the colony of Georgia. After having the letter authenticated by John Gagnier, the Laudian Chair of Arabic at Oxford, he helped arrange a bond to release Job on a promise to pay his happy-to-sell master.
- He bought Job for ₤45 and sent him to the London office of the Royal African Company in London.
- In March 1733, Job and Bluett set sail for England.
[edit] Account of Jobs time in Britian
- On the way to England impressed Bluett and others by writing out the Qur'an from memory; by his religious devotion, praying publicly five times a day; his adherence to Muslim dietary rules; and by his pleasant way with the officers and crew.
- Bluett and the captain took it upon themselves to teach Job English. By the time they had arrived in England, Job was able to take part in common conversations.
- He arrived in late April 1733.
- After being bought free in England he fraternized with London’s elite, obtaining many gifts and new friendships.
- Job was in the company of many prominent people, including the royal family and the Duke and Duchess of Montague.
- He also politely disputed with Christian divines and wrote three Qur'ans from memory;
- He translated Arabic for Sir Hans Sloane (one of the founders of the British Museum) and others, probably including George Sale, whose translation of the Qur'an in English in 1734 was hailed as the best to date.
- Job was also elected to the prestigious and intellectual Spalding Gentlemen's Society, which may have put him in the company of philosopher-physicist Sir Isaac Newton and poet Alexander Pope.
- On August 8 1734, Job returned to Gambia and returned to his homeland in June 1735. His father had died, and his first wife had remarried.
- In June 1736, he was imprisoned or held as a parolee by the French. He was held perhaps for a year by the French, when Ayuba's local countrymen, rather than the British, secured his release.
- He later sent letters to the London RAC to visit London, but gifts were sent to him instead.
- His death was recorded in the minutes of the Spalding Gentleman's Society in 1773.
[edit] References
- Allan D Austin African Muslims in Antebellum America ISBN 0-41591270-9
