Sacred Paternal Devotion and Filial Intimacy in Kiswahili Classical Poetry: An Electra Complex Reading of the Prophet Muhammad–Fatuma Relationship in Utenzi wa Fatuma

Abstract

This paper examines the representation of the father–daughter relationship between Prophet Muhammad and Fatuma Bint Muhammad as depicted in the Kiswahili classical poem Utenzi wa Fatuma, attributed to Binti Said Amin bin Uthman of Lamu (1800–1900). While existing studies are primarily focused on religious, moral, and gendered dimensions of the text, limited attention has been paid to the affective and psychological dynamics underpinning the Prophet Muhammad–Fatuma bond. Drawing on an Electra complex reading as a critical and interpretive framework, this paper interrogates how the poem constructs and amplifies paternal devotion and filial intimacy within a sacred Islamic context. The study purposively sampled episodes and poetic expressions that foreground the interaction between Prophet Muhammad and Fatuma within the poem. Using textual analysis, the paper explores key narrative moments, including the Prophet’s care and protection of Fatuma, his involvement in her marriage preparations, his prayers for her well-being, and his affection for her children. Data were analysed thematically through close reading and interpretive textual examination, and the findings are presented descriptively in relation to the major themes emerging from the poem. These elements are analysed not as literal psychological claims, but as discursive strategies that elevate Fatuma’s moral, spiritual, and symbolic status within the poem. The paper argues that Utenzi wa Fatuma mobilizes sacred paternal imagery to construct an idealized model of filial intimacy that operates at the intersection of religion, gender, and literary aesthetics. Ultimately, this paper contributes to Kiswahili literary scholarship by offering a nuanced, interdisciplinary reading that bridges psychoanalytic theory and Islamic literary traditions, while also foregrounding the role of affect in the construction of female sanctity and authority in Kiswahili classical poetry.