SUFI POETRY IN SOMALI

54.

to the needs of the ordinary peopie. Their Somali poems

are principally directed to men who, in contrast to women,

usually already have some knowledge of Arabic acquired in

Quranic Schools which seem ubiquitous in the Somali speaking

terri tories both in towns and in the rural area.s. Thus the

Sufi poets, who themselves have in most cases much higher

Arabic and Islamic education than their female counterparts,
can also expect from their predominantly male audiences a
higher level of religious knowledge. This determines, it
seems, the content of their poems which covers a wide variety

of theological themes within the context of Sufism.

Their poetry is recited mainly at the Remembrance

devotions, RAMA1;)AN evening meetings and pilgrimages. Since

the introduction of broadcasting their poetry is also used

in religious programmes of Radio Hargeysa and Radio Muqdisho.

As is indicated in Part One (Documentation and Sources)

only a few Sufi poems in Somali are available in published

form.

VII

Sufi Poetry in Somali Composed by Women

As far as I have been able to ascertain Sufi poetry in

Somali composed by women had not yet been given any attention

in the literature on Somali. My own information about it is

based on a series of interviews I had with Khadiija Faarax

Maxamuud, who is a Sufi of the QADIRIYYAH order and who

has been granted the mantle (KHIRQAH) and the initiating

licence (IJAZAH) by the deputy (KHALIFAH) of the order in

I