SHEIKH HASSAN B. AMEIR ASH-SHIRAZI (1880-1979): HIS CONTRIBUTION TO ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN EAST AFRICA.

 

Dr. Issa Haj.i Ziddy, University of Zanzibar, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

INTRODUCTION

In the last decades, the ‘Alawi tradition of Islamic learning in East Africa has attracted the bulk of academic attention (see el-Zein 1994, ALA III, Bang 2000, Pouwels 1987 etc.). By contrast, non ‘alawi traditions of learning have been rather neglected, at least by western academia. Still, these traditions of learning, often connected with the Sufi brotherhoods of the Qadiriya and Shadhiliya exist and have also considerably contributed to the development of Islamic learning in East Africa.

 

A major personality in Qadiri networks of scholars in the 20th century was Sk. Hassan b. Ameir ash-Shirazi (1880-1979) from Makunduchi, Zanzibar. His life and legacy are the focus of the present contribution.    

 

HIS LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS

 Sk. Hassan b. Ameir (1890-1979) died on October 8,1979, he was undisputedly one among the international scholars, mubalighs, educationists and Muslim writers in East and Central Africa. He is remembered with ever smiling face and pleasant manners among his students and Muslims of this region as a whole. People who wanted to shake his hand or kiss him or discuss about current views of Islamic education surrounded him everywhere he went. His reputation extended beyond the boundaries of East Africa, from Egypt in the north and South Africa in the south, to Burundi, Ruanda and Congo where he conducted darsas now and then when his Headquarter was in Dar es Salaam at the Ngazija/Commorian Mosque before he was deported to Zanzibar (1968) to complete his ten remaining years of life. His name, conduct and Islamic education theory and ideas spread to every corner of Tanganyika and East Africa because of his great work as a Mubaligh in the East African Muslim Welfare Society -EAMWS- (1945-1968). “Perhaps the most popular teacher in terms of numbers of students in Tanzania (at least after 1940, when he moved there from Zanzibar) was Sk. Hassan b. Ameir Al-Shirazi. His popularity stems from his having traveled extensively throughout East Africa to teach. He eventually settled in Dar es Salaam, where he opened his well patronized Madrasat al Shiraziya in the Commorian Mosque.” (August H. Nimtz Jr. 1980. 23).

 

Born in Makunduchi Zanzibar on 1880 into a family of religious leaders and well distinguished in the sourthern District of Zanzibar. Sk. Hassan b. Ameir studied the Qur-an from Maalim Majaaliwa and memorized the whole Qur-an at a very young age. He then started to help his teacher to teach, reciting and memorizing Qur-an to his fellow students.

 

Because of his strong desire for Islamic education, Sk. Hassan b. Ameir traveled to Dunga Kiangale (Central District of Zanzibar) to take the Science of Qur-ani (Uluumul Qur-ani) at the hands of Sk. Muhammed b. Ali Bar-wan. After that, he went to Upenja (Central District of Zanzibar) to read Ahkaam Taj-wiid. His eagerness for education made him almost always to be seen concentrating on new Islamic books and Zanzibar ‘Ulamaa. He loved reading both Nakli (criticism, glossary, summarizing, writing composition, essay etc.) and ‘Akli (logic, research, comprehension, philosophy etc.) knowledge. He started purchasing Islamic books and established his own library since he was very young. While colleagues of his age engaged in leisurely activities, he used most of his time revising and following ‘Ulamaa here and there.

 

When Sk. Hassan b. Ameir died, he was the most accomplished and respected ‘Alim in the Global world of Swahili. “Until (and after) his departure from (Dar es Salaam) to Zanzibar in 1968, Sk. Hassan was recognized as the leading Sheikh in mainland Tanzania” (ibid). He was also the Mufti of East Africa. His incomparable contribution to Islamic Education reached its peak with the publications (using Arabic language) of his famous books in different fields of Islamic issues from Fiqhi, ‘Akida, and Tasawwuf to Ibaadat. He was the first prominent Scholar from Ng’ambo and Shamba area of Zanzibar to write and publish nine Islamic books such as Wasilatul-Rajaa ‘ala safinatu nnajaa, Madarijil-‘ulaa sher-he Tabaraka dhil-‘ulaa etc. and write other unpublished manuscripts.

 

Sk. Hassan b. Ameir was an enthusiastic scholar since his early years. He was lucky because at that time, Zanzibar was in its educational, economical and social peak. It was of the time when Zanzibar retained some of the centuries old Islamic educational Institutions. Sk. Hassan b. Ameir left Makunduchi and joined in these Institutions, which were filled with other students from inside and outside Zanzibar under the guidance of Intellectual U’lamaa. Sk.Hassan b. Ameir studied in Kutani Institute under great Sheikhs. He also took other studies in his working place as a Clerk in Kadhis Offices or when he was a teacher in the Government schools. He believed that it was very important to seek education at any place and any time. Some of the great scholars who had got an opportunity of teaching Sk. Hassan b. Ameir were:

Sk. Hamdan b. Abubakar Al Qahtan, where Sk. Hassan attended his Darsa every evening. (Farsy. 1972. 65). Sk. Abdalla b. Amour Al- ‘Azry, the Ibadhi teacher. He met him in Chake Chake Pemba and learned from him until he became the man who came to be (Ibid). Sk. Said b. Muhammad b. Dahman. Sk.Muhammad b.Abdalla b. Waziri. Sk. Ali b. Abdulla b. Mundhiry. Sk. Abdurahim b. Mahmoud Al-Washili. Sk. Abdulrahman b. Hassan. Sk. Muhammad b. Ali b. Khamis Al-Bar-wani. Sk. Ali b. Muhammad Al-Mundhiry (Ibadhis Kadhi). Sk. Sayyid Ahmad b. Abubakar b. Sumayt (Sunni Kadhi) who gave him special Certificate/Ijaza, and Sk. Sayyid Salim b. Hafidh b. Sheikh b. Abubakar b. Salim who also gave him Ijaza. (Salmin Hafidh.2000. 2).

 

In 1910’s, Sk. Hassan b. Ameir enrolled in the Department of Education after he successfully passed the course organized by the Department under the great Tutor from Al-Azhar scholar Sk. ‘Abd al-Bari al-‘Aji-zi who taught how to teach Arabic language and Islamic Studies subjects in primary Schools. Also Mr. Rivers Smith who was the first Director of the Zanzibar department of education and the first to introduce the Roman alphabets to replace the Arabic transcript, taught how to read and write Kiswahili by using Roman alphabet instead of Arabic one. Sk. Hassan was a teacher in his village, Makunduchi School and Muyuni School and Kiembe Samaki School and then in Chake Chake School in Pemba.

 

In 1920’s, and 30’s Sk. Hassan served in different Courts of Zanzibar as a clerk. It was during this time that came to be in good direct contact with the great Ulamaa with different specialization and experiences especially Sayyiid Ahmad b. Abubakar b. Sumayt (1881-1925) who served seven Sultans (Anne K. Bang.16). Sk. Hassan also benefited a lot from the Ibadhi Kadhi Sk. Ali b. Muhammad Al-Mundhiry (1866-1925). Sk. Hassan did also clerical job with Kadhi Burhan b. Abdulaziz Al-Amawi (1861-1935), from whom he gained a lot of experience and political sciences. Sk. Hassan also got an opportunity of doing clerical job with Sk. Tahir b. Abubakar Al-Amawi (1877-1938). All these scholars enabled Sk. Hassan to build his strong Shakhsia because various types of knowledge.

 

Besides mastering the rudimentary teaching of Islam at his Madrasa Ash-Shiraziya in Misufini (Ng’ambo area), Sk. Hassan penetrated deeply in Arabic grammar and poems. In 1946 he published his famous book known as ‘Aqdul ‘Aq-yaani ‘ala maulidi jaylaniy. This book, which explains the life and history of Sayyid ‘Abdul Qadir Jaylaniy the founder of Tariqatul Qadiriya by using Arabic poem ­indicated the high level of education that Sk. Hassan and Zanzibar ‘Ulamaa were capable of disseminating at the time.

 

The intellectual performance of Sk.Hassan b. Ameir in secular education was equally impressive. When Zanzibaris citizens hesitated to send their children in the newly established government schools, which opened since 1907, Sk. Hassan did a big job to convince them by himself joining in Seminar and Teacher Training courses. He also sent all members of his family to these schools.

 

In 1940, Sk.Hassan b. Ameir left Zanzibar the center of Islamic knowledge and went to live in Tanganyika for the purpose of Daawa and Tabligh. His aim was to spread Islam in all regions after his students from there told him of the importance of Daawa in those places. On his first journey, he visited Burundi, Ruanda, Congo and returned via Kigoma, Dar es Salaam, then Kilwa at Somanga Village, he went to Mbwera village and married, and at the end he stayed in Dar es Salaam and opened his Madrasa and Daawa Institute, Its name was Sk. Hassan b, Ameir Missionary East Africa which had Branches in all East African Countries and also in Great Lakes Countries where for some time Bujumbura was his headquarter of his Daawa (Salmin Hafidh. 2000. 4).

 

When Sk. Hassan stayed in Dar es Salaam since 1940’s he realized that the Colonial Government didn’t gave the Muslims chances to get Education. They were poor without education and living in an underdeveloped situation. Only the Missionary schools were there, and Muslims were afraid to join in these schools because they feared to changing their religion!

 

In many magazines, newspapers, audio and video cassettes and even different historical books (especially for Muslim writers) and some missionary books stated that Sk. Hassan b. Ameir was a politician, and so because his name and pictures appeared more then one time in the Documents of Tanganyika independent activities and struggles lead by TAA (Tanganyika African Association) and TANU (Tanganyika African National Union). This picture is very open in the book of Said Muhammed. The life and Times of Abdulwahid Sykes (1924-1968). The untold story of the Muslim Struggle against British Colonialism in Tanganyika. 1998.  It is said that the cause of his deportation to Zanzibar was politics. However, some Students and Muriidi of Sheikh Hassan totally refused this thought. They said that he was not a politician, as it is known today, his aim was the struggle for Muslims Education, right and unity. He didn’t want to be a Minister or even Sheha (chief). “Sk Hassan did not involve himself in politics, but some of his Students were politicians, they invited him sometimes to say Fatiha in the end of their political meetings. Also some of them seek his advisement, like that of the TAA memorandum” (Ali Mzee Commorian. Interview. 2002). Also, his Students like Sk. Amour b. Hassan b. Ali and Sk. Muhammed b. Kombo and others denied the political side of Sheikh.

 

Because of this, what the Researcher has seen is that, Sk. Hassan b. Ameir wanted education and development to all Muslims of East Africa. His thought was how he can build the Unity of Muslims by teaching them their religion. His students were from different Madha-hib; he didn’t refuse Shia, Ibadhi, Answaar Sunna, Sufis and others. And because of his aim, he didn’t refuse any student from any Muslim group. Because of that, he was an active member of Al-jamiatul Islamiya (Muslim Association of Tanganyika), and Ad-Daawatul Islamiya (Muslim Call) and also the East African Muslims Welfare Society (EAMWS). By using these Societies, Sk, Hassan visited many Countries making Daawa for Muslims and non Muslims. His one student Sk. Ramadhan b. Jaafar told me that Sk. Hassan converted 7 million peoples to Islam. I asked him 7 million or 7 hundred thousand? He told me “ Sk. Hassan himself told me that 7 million” (Interview. 2002).

 

After the independence of Tanganyika, he continued his educational activities with all Muslims, but the time starting to change quickly inside the Muslim societies. In 1964, Sk. Hassan was among Muslim Scholars from EAMWS who visited the Islamic countries to explain to them the important of coo-peration in educational matters. In May 20 1964 they returned home with very good news, that The Government of Egypt will donate 55 million pounds to help building the Islamic University in Dar es Salaam. But the political situation has changed. And because of that  “ Sk. Hassan has been convinced by his friend and his nearest Student Sk. Mzee b. Ali Commorian to change the contents and methods of delivering his hotubas and darsas (not to touch political issues) because the time has changed a lot” (Bi Bahia b. Abdulrahman, Interview. October 2002).

 

Muhammed Said explains in his book that the Islamic Unity started to collapse after the independence. We have seen that a very famous student of Sk Hassan who used to gave him his seat to teach students during his visits to other centers sk. Abdalla Chaurembo made conflicts with his Sk. because of politics. And because of these internal conflicts among Muslims, there was no Islamic University built only the foundation stone were laid. In 1968, the EAMWS came to an end. Sk. Hassan tried to use his talents and efforts to support this Society. But Tanganyika Muslims were divided in to two different groups. The first group supported any government idea with out questioning if this new thought is Halal or haraam from Islamic point of view, while the second one supported the government only if its idea was Halaal. Because of this condition and conflict, many Sheikhs were imprisoned by the “Preventive Detention Act of 1962” (Muhammed Said. 1998, 368). In page 370, Muhammed Said stated how Sk. Hassan was deported from Tanganyika to Zanzibar.

 

His Students told us that he still insisted on the importance of education and unity between Muslims until the end of his life in 1978. 

Sk. Hassan used Tariqatul Qadiriya to attract his followers and to convince them to establish the Islamic institutions. He had Students from every corner of the country and East Africa. The present researcher has listed more then 50 famous students from Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Mafia, Mbwera, Burundi and other places of this region.

Sk. Hassan b. Ameir died, but his ideas and books are still present. Some of his students are republishing these books.

 

CONCLUSION

During its history, Zanzibar had many Scholars in different fields of traditional learning, religious and secular. Western historians and academia forgot some of these scholars, although they had connections with the Sufi brotherhood and wrote many famous Islamic books and served famous scholars and Kadhis both from Sunni and Ibadhi as their clerk.

 

This paper has mentioned one of those forgotten Scholars. His name is Sk. Hassan b. Ameir from Makunduchi. He studied from many famous great Sheikhs of Zanzibar town in a very famous Institute of Kutani. This shows that there were no boundary between Shamba and town ‘ulamaa. Sk. Hassan played a big role in spreading Islam in Tanganyika and East Africa, as he established many educational institutions and published many books in different fields of Islamic education.

 

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