IRCICA AwqafSA IPCSA UKZN

Second International Congress on Islamic Civilization in Southern AfricaMarch 4-6, 2016 – University of KwaZulu Natal, Republic of South Africa

History, Contribution, and Challenges

Muslim Contribution to the Heroic Struggle for Freedom in South Africa

(1668-1994)

Haroon Aziz

Premise

• Surah Al-’Aşr = The Flight of Time• Historical Time• Faith• Good Actions• Truth• Patience• Overcome Chaos of History

Chaos of History

• Apartheid• Colonialism• Imperialism• Zionism

Islamic Techniques

• How Muslims used:• Historical Time• Faith• Good Actions• Truth• Patience• Help overcome apartheid as chaos of

history

Time Consciousness

• ‘Aşr – historical time

• dahr – infinite time• • fid dunya wal akira

Accountability

• Conscience• People• God• ____________________________________ • Internal Motivation • Compassionate Action • People Benefit

Nothing but Faith

• Character of Muslim Pioneers• Zanj = Land of Blacks (Cartography)• Arabic word from Farsi• Azania• Zanzibar

Embodiment of Faith

• Sheikh Matebe• First physical embodiment of faith• In Africa South• May 13, 1668• From Sumatra• First political prisoner on Robben Island• Forests of Constantia• Malaysian, Bengali, & other slaves - Students

Chemistry of Faith

• Neuro-chemicals• Neuro-hormones • Cortico-thalamic brain processes• Lived Faith

Tutu on Faith

• ‘Islam is a potent force in Africa. To carry on a dialogue with Muslims, we must know their faith well.’

(Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu)

Seeds of Faith

• Sheikh Matebe• Planted first two seeds of faith on:• Robben Island• Forests of Constantia• Faith & not material things is the basis of

Islamic civilization in South Africa• Islamic consciousness determined Muslim

being

Organizing Principle

• Faith is the organizing principle of Islamic civilization

• Architecture showcased faith:• Mas’jids• Madressas • Darul ulooms• Architecture refunctionalized communities• Cohesion – religious, social, cultural

Sheikh Yusuf

• 1664 Dutch captured Macassar• Prevented Sheikh Yusuf from returning to

Macassar• Spent 20 years in formal study of Islam in

Mecca & Medina• Settled in Bantam in Java• Counselor to Sultan Tirtayasa• 1680-83 War of Independence

Prisoner of Conscience

• 1684 Sheikh Yusuf captured• Imprisoned in Batavia • 10-year exile in Sri Lanka• Exiled to Cape Colony• April 2, 1694 – 50 arrived in Cape Colony• Dispatched to Zandvliet (Macassar)• ‘Resettlement’ cost of 12 rixdollars• = >11 pennies per exiled person

First Muslim Community

• 50 1st Muslim community• 10 years after death of Sheikh Matebe• Germination of seeds of faith• not on basis of material things • They lived not by bread alone but by faith• Continuity to Muslim identity• Islam liberating force• Resisted mental colonization by Christianity

Recognition by Democratic State

• Sept 27, 2005 • Conferred The Order of The Champions of O R

Tambo in Gold on Sheikh Yusuf• 306 years after his death• 36th anniversary of martyrdom of Imam

Haron

Art of Freethinking• 1716 – Sheikh Mubeen• Imprisoned on Robben Island• Taught Islam to slaves at night in underground• Renowned for physical stamina• At age 80 years – forced labour – corvée• Sufism to slaves, exiles, ex-prisoners• Freedom from daily humiliation, indignity, pain &

suffering space of mental freedom• Freedom of thoughts – SA Constitution • Intangible asset of Islamic civilization

Intangible Assets• April 6, 1780• Sheikh Abdullah + 2• 12 years on Robben Island• ‘Ma’rifant al-Islam wa al-Islam’• The Holy Qur’an – transcribed from memory• ________________________________________• Intangible assets:• Jurisprudence (lifelong)• Memorization skills• Writing skills

After Robben Island

• 1792 – Sheikh Abdullah released from Robben Island

• Post-1793:• Structured madressa• Arabic literacy to children of freed indigenous

& Asian slaves• First mas’jid in open space of disused quarry• Jumuah salah – objection from Whites

Slavery

• Cape Colony• 1701 – 0.67 slave : 1 colonist• 1797 – 1.18 slave : 1 colonist• 25754 slaves : 21746 colonists• Military weapons + organs of coercion• Alter demographics• 1798 – torture abolished in Holland but not in Cape

Colony• Prisoners from Batavia sent to Cape for punishment

Legal Punishment

• Decapitation• Being burned alive• Chopping off limbs• Bones being broken by 8 blows• Having flesh nipped by red-hot iron • Hacked right hand thrown to face• Live body being dragged through town • Etc.

Wages for Torture

• @ 1970 calculations:• 6 shillings – killing• 1s 6d – torture• 2s 0d – flogging• branding with red-hot iron• cutting off ear • boring hole through tongue• cutting off hand • gouging an eye

Res Nullius

• Res Nullius Principle of English law • justify colonial theft of land• justify torture• Res Nullius = belonging to nobody• San & Khoi belonged to the land• BUT the land belonged to nobody• Therefore, the British could occupy the land

Indian Slaves

• Nov 16, 1860• Natal Colony• 342 slaves from India – sugar cane fields• 24 – Tamil-speaking Muslims• 9 remained behind• Hazrat Badsha Peer – planted seed of faith• – no material things

Variation in Slavery

• 1834 – Abolition of Slavery Act• Myth of ‘indentured laborers’• Circumvent abolition• Retention of 3 elements of slavery:• 1. Private ownership of laborers• 2. Dependence on owners for food• 3. Dependence on owners for shelter

Barbaric Punishment

• Women whipped on heads – failure to deliver quotas of loads

• Verbal abuse to exact production• Wilful infliction of injuries on slaves• Imprisonment with hard labor

No Sunday Picnic

• Establishment of Islamic civilization• No Sunday picnic • Pain & suffering• Congealed blood• Rancid sweat• Salty tears

Islam Institutionalized • 1895 – death of Hazrat Badsha Peer• – arrival of Hazrat Sufi Saheb• 1903 – Land on banks of Mgeni River:• madressa • orphanage• old age home• cemetery • ablution facilities • kitchen for mass feeding• travellers’ lodge• residential area for Muslims• rehabilitation center• clinic • institutionalized Islam in Natal Colony

‘Zanzibari’ Slaves

• Aug 4, 1873 – H M S Briton – 113 slaves• 1874 – H M S Kaffir – 81 slaves• 1876 – 226 slaves • 1880 – Total 420 slaves • Myth of ‘indentured laborers’• British colonialism vs Portuguese colonialism

After Slavery

• ‘Resettled’ on 5.2ha of land in King’s Rest, Durban• Faced identity crisis • Unique Spice Island culture• Makua language• Practice of Sufism (of Persia/Iran)• Built small mas’jid re-functionalized community • Planted seed of faith without material things

Race Engineering

• Humiliated by racial classifications:• ‘Lost Tribe’• ‘Freed Slaves’• ‘Bantu’• ‘Coloreds’ • ‘Other Asiatics’• ‘Other Asians’

Physical Uprooting

• 1961 – within 3 days of legal notice• – uprooted from King’s Rest• – ‘resettled’ in Chatsworth

Islam in Transvaal

• Muslims from India• Delagoa Bay (Mozambique)• Durban (Natal Colony)• Some made way to Transvaal• Few merchants• Majority hawkers – ‘pedlars’ urban poor

Islam Institutionalized • Transvaal Republic:

• Charitable Muslims built:• Mas’jids• Madressas• Secular schools• Community halls • Refunctionalized Muslims as religious community

Hindus & Chinese as political community • Mahatma Gandhi, Thambi Naidoo, Ahmed Cachalia leaders

Islam in Zimbabwe• 684 CE – followers of Suleiman & Said fled • Oman• 720 CE – followers of Zaid fled Yemen• – persecuted for rebellion against ‘Abd al-Malik

ibn Marwan and his 4 successors Fifth Umayyad Caliphate

• Reached Sofala on Mozambique coast – found inland route to Zimbabwe

• Used expertise terracing, mining, irrigation, agriculture Zimbabwe fortifications

Umayyad Expertise

• Commerce, agriculture, engineering, architecture

• Minted the first money in Muslim world• Innovated postal service • Created literature in Arabic • Built the iconic Dome of the Rock • Built bai’tul mal in Al-Quds• Converted Slavs to Islam (Bosnia)

Migrant Labor Trail

• 1870s – exploitation of goldmines• – migrant labor trail in southern Africa• Muslim Zimbabweans & Malawians• – planted seeds of faith in goldfields• without material things• – brought Arabic alphabets & numbers• – Malawians – secret practice of Sufi order –

via Timbuktu – traceable to Imam Hassan alphanumeric system perpetuate Sufi order

Clear Evidence

• All pioneering Muslims were:• 1. People of the Book and the Hand• 2. Planted seeds of faith without material • possessions• 3. First, intangible and, second, tangible • assets of Islamic civilization

Nelson Mandela• ‘South Africa’s own Islamic heritage has been a vital part of our

history.’• ‘Our country can proudly claim Muslims as brothers and sisters,

compatriots, freedom fighters, and leaders, revered by our nation. They have written their names on the roll of honor with blood, sweat, and tears.’

• _______________________________________________ • 1960 – ANC banned• 1961 – ANC military wing formed (MK) • – MK modeled on FLN of Algeria • – Algeria politico-military training + materiel • + funds

Challenges

• 1. End neocolonialism, imperialism, Zionism• 2. Assert inherent peaceful nature of Islam • 3. Strategic unity of Muslims • 4. Stop violence & terrorism• 5. Overcome the chaos of history• 6. Unite all Palestinian organizations • 7. Ideological, cultural, political tolerance• 8. R&D of intangible assets of Islamic civilization

Youth Challenges• 1. Overcome terrorism & bitterness• 2. Dialogue & mutual consultation• 3. Confront painful matters – find solutions• 4. Mobilize 1.8-billion youths • 5. Peace through safety & security• 6. Learn lessons from hardships• 7. Main challenge Palestine• 8. Assert humane values & ethics• 9. Resist cultural imperialism• 10.Cultural exchanges on equal basis• 11.Deep analyses of regional & world situations

Historical Challenges

• 1. Share tangible + intangible assets of • Islamic civilization• 2. Locate Islam in gap between poverty & • wealth• 3. (1) + (2) key to indigenizing Islam for • exponential growth of Islamic • civilization in Southern Africa

Faith vs Material

• ‘Aşr and dahr• • Fid dunya wal akira

• 245 ayats faith

• 2 ayats material things

Battle of Bad’r

• 313 Muslims defeated 1000 enemy soldiers

• ‘Allah is sufficient for us.’• (3:173)

IRCICA AWQAFSA IPCSA UKZN

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