The Taiman Herbalists of Omdurman

Background to This Week’s Text

This week’s text is a 4-minute interview by S24 Sudania TV with the softly spoken and kindly al-Sadiq Babekir al-Haadi Mohammad Awad, descendent of the famous Taiman brothers (Twins), founders of one of the earliest and most respected herbal medicine, perfumes and spices businesses (perfumery/herbalists/ spice merchants/ apothecary) based in Omdurman market. The Taiman incense mix sold there plays a central role in northern Sudanese daily and spiritual life. The Taimans’ establishment is held in great affection by the Sudanese.

Although the text is lower-intermediate – easy intermediate in level, its biggest challenge is the herbal lexis used so it is an excellent resource for refreshing herbs and spices vocabulary in Sudanese Arabic.

Below, a sufi worshipper bearing an incense burner during Friday worship at Hamid al-Nil in Omdurman.

Read the fascinating story behind Taiman incense in

Incense in Sudan

Below, some of the herbal remedies sold in the Taiman pharmacy.

Approaches to the Text

If you are interested in herbal medicine, you might like to predict the types of ailments Sadiq Babekir mentions in his interview and the treatment he recommends for them. Would you / do you use any of the remedies mentioned?

Alternatively, you might like to focus on the history of this legendary business. How and when did the business come about? At the end of this post is a brief history in English, provided by Dr. Ahmad Al-Safi, expert in Sudanese Traditional Medicine, of the business, together with a photo of one of the Taiman founders’ illustrious grandsons.

If you would like to focus on specific details, why not make a note of all the herbal remedies discussed in the interview and their uses. How are customers referred to the Taiman? How does Sadiq Babekir see the role of the Taiman in relation to conventional medicine? What is his daily routine?

Lexical Focus

Sadiq Babekir mentions of the foods pictured below. Can you name them in Arabic? In case some are difficult to identify, I have listed them in English below.

From top left, lupini beans, turmeric, linseed/ flax, from bottom left, pomegranate eucalyptus, anise and rhubarb.

If you are interested in Sudanese medicinal plants, you might enjoy

Milk and Thorns and The Camel and the Sesame Seed

What common ailments do you think will be mentioned in the interview?

What do the photos below show? Can you explain in Arabic? What health problems are associated with these parts of the body?

You will also hear terms for herbal medicine, consultation, prescription, complementary, cosmetic, revolution and capture / imprisonment. What religious phrase, popular in Sudan, is used to express respect and gratitude to someone, referring to health?

Below, Sadiq Babekir taking medicines from his shelves.

Watch the Interview here:

Transcript

Transcript with Explanatory Notes

• 1 and of course, our forefathers / grandfathers were captured (noun, asr; capture/ seizure / imprisonment) in the Wad Nujūmi campaign (during the Mahdist revolution)

• 2 and on their return to Sudan after (their release from) prison, they set up perfumeries in Omdurman market and they brought with them
• 3 the herbs / plants (herbal remedies) Also, in other contexts, grasses (herbal medicine; aTTib al- `ashaab
• 4 as complementary (mukammil, also supplementary / additional) to (conventional) medicine
• 5 our work concentrates/ centres on traditional remedies / treatments
• 6 such as palm seeds / palm seed oil
• 7 pomegranate peel
• 8 linseed / flax
• 9 anise
• 10 rhubarb
• 11 turmeric
• 12 cosmetic treatments / medicines
• 13 such as lupin / lupini beans
• 14 to be updated
• 15 rosewater
• 16 Indian barley, pictured below;

• 17 kidney stones

• 18 prescriptions (from holy men / healers / sheikhs
• 19 and it has proved effective
• 20 joint (mufaaSil) pains (pl of alam)
• 21 eucalyptus oil
• 22 commonly / most commonly found

• 23 damsissa; ambrosia maritime, (also effective against bilharzia snail carriers)
• 24 germ(s)/ bacteria (plural, jaraathiim)(affecting)
• 25 the stomach
• 26 and we as a family do excellent / high quality (raaqiah; elegant/ classy; high quality, upmarket) work in considering / carefully deliberating …
• 27 literally, the dean of the family (respected elder and expert)
• 28 May God grant him health and wellbeing
• 29 consult (istishaara)
• 30 morning hours
• 31 groups
• 32 we chat with our friends (wannas; to chat, wannaas; entertaining talker, wanasah; chat)
• 33 and our customers come to us, literally intermittently (mutaqaaTa `)(perhaps as our customers drop in at different times over the day)
• 34 until
• 35 something that, if it doesn’t work (benefit) someone, it doesn’t harm them

Below, from Traditional Sudanese Medicine by Dr Ahmad al-Safi

Below, Al-Sadiq Al-Nafrawi Osman, grandson of Al Taiman