Exam 2 Defs and ?s

Question 1

“we” produce knowledge

Answer 1

Pluralis Ethnographicus

Question 2

beggar-pupil, Qur’anic student who earns living by begging

Answer 2

Garibus

Question 3

official/primary language

Answer 3

Lingua Franca

Question 4

Magical amulet

Answer 4

Gris-gris

Question 5

government controlled by religious leader, religious gov

Answer 5

theocracy

Question 6

soft water, curdled milk mixed w/sugar and water

Answer 6

baani hari

Question 7

Qur’anic student, particularly student at advanced level of Islamic education

Answer 7

Talibé

Question 8

method of divination based on Arabic geomancy

Answer 8

Turaabu

Question 9

alms, donation

Answer 9

saraa

Question 10

school

Answer 10

Madrasah

Question 11

religious teacher

Answer 11

Marabout

Question 12

jar holding the water in which pupils at Qur’anic schools wash off their writing boards

Answer 12

Nesi-kusu

Question 13

spirits

Answer 13

Djinn

Question 14

ritualized self-flagellation of one’s body in grief

Answer 14

Latmiya

Question 15

Shi’i supreme religious leader

Answer 15

Marja’

Question 16

What methods did Mommersteeg employ for his research?

Answer 16

He used participant-observation where he lived and participated in the community with the people he was working with, interviewed people, and collected personal histories.

Question 17

Briefly discuss Ramadan

Answer 17

Ramadan is the month of fasting and abstaining, it’s the fourth pillar of Islam

Question 18

How old is “ancient Djenné”? And what size of the population of this old city drop as they moved to the nearby new Djenné?

Answer 18

It’s been inhabited since the 3rd century BC, the population most likely dropped due to the rise of traders that distanced themselves from polytheistic practices, trading power of traditional merchants waning, and prosperity ending

Question 19

How many Qur’anic schools were in sixteenth-century Djenné?

Answer 19

60 schools

Question 20

What blessing should follow after someone speaks Muhammad’s name?

Answer 20

May God bless him and give him peace

Question 21

What does the author think determines the success or failure of anthropological fieldwork?

Answer 21

The kind of relationship fieldworkers establish w/people they are interacting with

Question 22

What is the distinction between “Islam” and “maraboutage” according to Boubakar?

Answer 22

Maraboutage is about esoteric knowledge and practices including amulet making and divination that can only be studied on location while Islam could be studied by reading in Arabic

Question 23

What are two kinds of marabouts according to Boubakar?

Answer 23

Sirri (amulet making, and divination, they work at night and pursue personal/worldly goals) and bayaanu (teach at Qur’anic schools and the 6 articles of faith are the heart of their knowledge, the Qur’an is where they gain knowledge)

Question 24

What are the five pillars of Islam?

Answer 24

Profession of faith, ritual prayers, paying alms tax to benefit poor, fasting during Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca

Question 25

What are the six articles of faith?

Answer 25

Oneness of God, prophets sent by God, holy books, angels/humans/spirits/demons created by God, God will destroy world and then resurrect people, everything is work of God

Question 26

What did the marabout tell the author he could do for people in the Netherlands?

Answer 26

He said he could ensure that their wealth would increase, could offer protection, help with jobs/exams/romance

Question 27

How do students learn to read and write in elementary Qur'anic schools in Djenné?

Answer 27

Marabout writes letters/words/verses on student's board and reads them, the student repeats the lesson until they can recite it perfectly, instruction doesn't lead to literacy and pupils might never really learn the meaning of what they're saying

Question 28

What are three occasions when a marabout might recite gaara?

Answer 28

Holiday celebrations, religious meetings, transitional periods (naming of child), boys emerging after two weeks of seclusion following circumcision, returning to house after burial of someone

Question 29

What are the two kinds of spirits?

Answer 29

Djinn and malaika (higher spirits/angels)

Question 30

What role does incense play in rituals to summon spirits?

Answer 30

It's the food for the spirits so it's used as an offering to the summoned spirit

Question 31

What is the origin of Arabic?

Answer 31

God gave the language to angels who passed it on to Adam (making it the oldest language)

Question 32

What are three kinds of amulets?

Answer 32

Alhidjaba- protection from dangers that threaten people Yer Koy naarey- all amulets, asking/entreating God, could insure someone is loved, raise intelligence, or guaranteeing a good harvest Dabari- something bad, can be used maliciously to harm or kill someone

Question 33

What is an example of bad work?

Answer 33

Fabricating money (accumulating wealth using sirri knowledge),

Question 34

Briefly explain baraka

Answer 34

A blessing or grace, it’s something that must be worked for and it can only be received by respecting others. Earning favor with God

Question 35

Provide three examples of change in Djenné in 2007

Answer 35

People have phones, more hotels, a dam and road were built, 2 secular schools established

Question 36

How does the layer of mud plaster covering the wall of the bathroom reflect change in Djenné?

Answer 36

The consequences of increased westernization have influenced home life, the pollution is seeping into the walls

Question 37

What is the purpose of Spellman-Poots’ article?

Answer 37

To reorganize and show how the young Shias in Britain are changing/modernizing traditional practices (how conceptions/practices of Shi’i faith are being questioned by young Shi’is in British society)

Question 38

In addition to expressing regret and solidarity with Hussein’s suffering, what do the lamentations and performance of latmiya bring to participants?

Answer 38

It brings them a holy reward (ajr) that can be used on judgement day

Question 39

Who was Zaynab and how is her role in Shi’a religion reflected in contemporary Ashura in Britain?

Answer 39

Hussein’s sister, she functions as an inspirational figure for Shi’a girls/women to stand up and speak out against injustice in the world

Question 40

What are some of the functions of the Ashura ritual in contemporary British society?

Answer 40

It allows for self reflection and purification, it serves as an educational tool to allow outsiders to learn more about the faith, and it allows people to call out injustice

Question 41

What role does the Imam Hussein Blood Donation campaign fill for contemporary Shiites in the UK?

Answer 41

It fills in for the act of shedding blood while allowing them to help others in need