Ayuba Suleiman Diallo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ayuba Suleiman Diallo
Portrait of Diallo by William Hoare (1733)
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Sunni
Other names	Job ben Solomon
Personal
Born	1701 Bundu (present-day Senegal)
Died	1773 (age 71–72)

Ayuba Suleiman Diallo (1701–1773), also known as Job Ben Solomon, was an important Fulani Muslim prince. He came from West Africa, in a country now called Senegal. Sadly, he was kidnapped and taken to the Americas during the Atlantic slave trade.

Ayuba's story was written down in one of the first books about enslaved people. It was called Some Memories of the Life of Job. This book was written by Thomas Bluett. Another book, Travels into the Inland Parts of Africa by Francis Moore, also tells about Ayuba's capture and his journey home.

Early Life and Capture

Ayuba Suleiman Ibrahima Diallo was born around 1701 in a place called Bondu. His family were well-known religious leaders. His grandfather even founded Bondu. His father, Suleiman Diallo, was a leader in both religion and politics.

As a child, Ayuba studied the Quran and Arabic with Sambo, the prince of Futa. By the late 1720s, Ayuba was married and had several children.

In 1730, Ayuba traveled to the coast to buy supplies. While there, he and a translator named Lamine Ndiaye were captured by Mandingo people. They were then sold into slavery. The people who captured them shaved their heads. This was done to make them look like war captives, which was a way to make their enslavement seem "right."

Ayuba and Lamine were sold to people working for the Royal African Company. Ayuba managed to convince the ship captain that he was important. He explained that his father could pay a ransom. The captain allowed Ayuba to send a message to his family. But the messenger did not return in time. So, Ayuba and Lamine were sent across the Atlantic Ocean. They arrived in Annapolis, Maryland, in America. In America, Ayuba became known as Job Ben Solomon.

Life in America

Ayuba was bought by Mr. Tolsey in Kent Island, Maryland. At first, Ayuba worked in the tobacco fields. But he wasn't good at that work. So, he was put in charge of the cattle instead.

While he was enslaved, Ayuba would go into the woods to pray. One day, a child made fun of him while he was praying. Ayuba ran away in 1731. He was caught and put in prison. No one understood why he ran away until an African translator was found. Once Ayuba could explain, his owner gave him a special place to pray without being bothered.

At the prison, a lawyer and priest named Thomas Bluett met Ayuba. Bluett was amazed by Ayuba's ability to write in Arabic. Bluett wrote about it, saying:

When we talked to him and made signs, he wrote a line or two. When he read it, he said "Allah" and "Mahommed". From this, and his refusing wine, we knew he was a Mahometan (Muslim). We could tell he was no ordinary enslaved person by his kind manner.

Later, another African person who spoke Wolof helped translate. It was then discovered that Ayuba came from an important family. Mr. Tolsey allowed Ayuba to write a letter in Arabic to his father in Africa. This letter eventually reached James Oglethorpe, who was a director of the Royal African Company. After checking that the letter was real, Oglethorpe bought Ayuba for £45.

Journey to England and Freedom

Oglethorpe was touched by Ayuba's story. He bought Ayuba and sent him to London, England. Bluett and Ayuba traveled to England in 1733. During the trip, Ayuba learned to speak English.

When Ayuba arrived in London, he heard rumors that he might be sold again. He was afraid of more tricks. So, he contacted Bluett and other people he had met. Bluett took Ayuba to his own home. He promised not to sell Ayuba without telling him.

People in London who had met Ayuba collected money. They paid for his "freedom in form," which was an official document. This document made sure he was truly free. Ayuba was now able to meet many important people in London. He even met members of the royal family. He also helped Hans Sloane organize Arabic writings at the British Museum.

While in England, Ayuba continued to pray and follow his Islamic faith. He was said to have copied the Quran three times from memory. Some people tried to convert him to Christianity. They gave him an Arabic version of the New Testament. Ayuba knew about Christian beliefs. He agreed that Jesus was a prophet. But he did not believe in the Trinity (God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). He felt his belief in one God was different from the Christian idea of the Trinity. He also disliked the idea of using human images for God.

In July 1734, Ayuba freely returned to Gambia. Later, he went back to his homeland. Bluett wrote:

Around the end of July, he sailed on one of the African Company's ships. We hope he arrived safely in Gambia, bringing great joy to his friends and honor to England.

Ayuba found that his father had died. One of his wives, thinking he had died, had remarried. His homeland was also suffering from war. But because he was a successful person, he was able to get his old life back. Ayuba's story was very rare. Because of his education and money, he was able to escape slavery and return home.

Ayuba faced more difficulties later. In 1736, he was held by the French for about a year. He may have been targeted because he was friends with the British. His own countrymen helped him get released. Ayuba also kept asking his friends in London to help free Lamine, his translator. With Ayuba's efforts and Bluett's help, Lamine was finally freed in 1738. He also returned to the Gambia region.

Ayuba Suleiman Diallo died in 1773.

Portrait

A famous portrait of Ayuba Diallo was painted in 1733 by William Hoare. It shows him wearing traditional West African clothes called Agbada. This painting is very important to British history. The Qatar Museums Authority bought the original painting in 2009.

The UK government temporarily stopped the painting from leaving the country. The National Portrait Gallery, London tried to raise money to buy it. They wanted to keep it in Britain. Most of the money came from big funds, and the public helped raise the rest. Even though the money was raised, the Qatar Museums Authority agreed to lend the painting instead.

See also

• List of enslaved people