Islamic manuscripts, locally referred to as kietaabs

Evidence

"Saarah Jappie’s master’s thesis – which focuses on Islamic manuscripts, locally referred to as kietaabs, written by Muslims predominantly in the nineteenth century – offered much to this inquiry. Her thesis refers to two collections of Arabic-Afrikaans texts donated by Dr Achmat Davids at the NLSA."

Remarks

These manuscripts, known as kietaabs, represent the earliest Afrikaans texts and were written in Arabic (Jawi) script (p. 66). They frequently contain culinary recipes written in the margins or corners of pages that were primarily intended for religious or educational instruction (p. 67). This practice reveals the importance of the kitchen as a space for cultural exchange and the formation of Cape Malay identity during the colonial period in South Africa (p. 69).