Paper short abstract:

Saying duawu (Muslim informal prayers) is an important part of everyday life for Bozo women in Mali. It is shaped by the many uncertainties of life. Although they are certain that Allah hears their duawu, uncertainty remains about whether and how he will answer their duawu.

Paper long abstract:

Due to dwindling fish stocks, the livelihood of the Bozo in Mali, whose main occupation is fishing, is full of uncertainty. The burden of making ends meet weighs heavily on the Bozo women. Their greatest worry is that their husbands catch enough fish. Having children, protection from shame, living in harmony with in-laws, and other preoccupations add to their burden. All these worries are expressed through duawu (Muslim informal prayers) to Allah.

Duawu are an important part of Malian cultures and Islamic religious practice. People usually translate it as bénédiction. Consequently, outsiders may think that duawu refer only to interpersonal wishes. Through my research I discovered that duawu have the less visible and private function of informal prayers.

Due to the heavy workload, most Bozo women spend a minimum of time fulfilling religious obligations and often have a limited understanding of Islam. On the one hand, all my interviewees expressed certainty that Allah hears their duawu. On the other hand, very few could give examples of how Allah answered their duawu.

This paper aims to show how Bozo women live in a field of tension between certainty and uncertainty - the uncertainties of everyday life, the certainty that Allah hears their supplications, and the uncertainty about whether and how Allah will answer their duawu.