"When someone responds to a request by saying, Yes, I promise to do that, inshallah (if God wills), it may not be a real promise. The illocutionary intention of the speaker must be ascertained from a shrewd assessment of his past history, present circumstances, and future possibilities-- in short, nothing less than the powers of a seer will do. But if one wants a true promise, then one must somehow wring out of the respondent imanah (in God's faith). That is final. That is a firm commitment as one is likely to get." (p. 36)
Caton, Steven. "Peaks of Yemen I summon" : poetry as cultural practice in a North Yemeni tribe . Berkeley : University of California Press, 1990.
Caton, Steven. "Peaks of Yemen I summon" : poetry as cultural practice in a North Yemeni tribe . Berkeley : University of California Press, 1990.
True promises and final commitment for me, please.
Imanah.
Imanah.
