The Great Cleric : Saints of the Savannah Series

 

Savannah Series

Buffalo and lions were abound in the areas around the swamps which were not inhabited, with the exception with those of the Kikuyu and Maasai people, who often brought their cattle for grazing. The land was infertile, damp and an altitude of over 2,000 feet and a high altitude, the Maasai called the area "Enkare Nyorobi" which means 'the place of cool waters'. The area was not intended to become an established settlement, however, in 1896 there was a change when Lunatic Express arrived. The railway's builders line built a tiny camp and depot in the plains. There was no other plan than that. Nairobi was simply one link within a chain of supplies depots.

A colonial officer wrote " Nairobi must remain the way it was...a slow-moving creature that was not suited to reign over such a gorgeous a country." However, this creature, contrary to every expectation, began to develop an identity of its own. In 1900 the town was made up of one street powered by commerce, in the midst of South Asian railway builders settled in tin shacks across the flat.  Nairobi was becoming a bit of the wild west of an African interior. Strangers from all over started to flock to the new city that was booming.

In the past, there was a lot of sexual immorality. In her research paper, The Comforts of Home Prostitution during Colonial Nairobi, Luise White describes how the oldest profession in the world assisted the city in its early days to maintain an employment force by offering companionship to bachelor laborers who were migrant. Racist segregation, too, was beginning to emerge. The laws on segregation were legally binding, reserving the most fertile areas for European colonists, leaving the remainder for those who were part of the Indian (including Muslim) railway force and any remaining parts to native Africans. The swampy settlement was plagued by disease. In 1902, a bubonic disease was spotted in this town. In 1903, Dr. Moffast who was the principal medical officer in the East Africa and Uganda Protectorate was adamant about calling Nairobi unsafe and faulty. A second plague began to spread the year following. In 1913 alone 14,000 new cases of malaria were discovered from Nairobi.

There were other issues that were brewing, mainly on religious lines. From the Indian Muslim labourers, the majority were Sunni However, at this time the missionaries of a new movement began preaching their own doctrines in the frontier. They claimed that a new prophet had been given to them in India. In 1917, the preachers had established associations that preached this doctrineand converted numerous Muslims to their beliefs.

In this setting that was ravaged by illness and religious conflict, that a shining figure emerged.

Sayyid Abdullah Shah

On the 11th of October, 1898, a boat arrived within Mombasa, Swahili port town of Mombasa On the ship was Sayyid Abdallah Shah, who came from an Afghan family that was descended from his father, the prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  After a long time of seeking knowledge that was sacred as did many others from his area of the globe, traveled towards East Africa, but with the goal to practice dawah (proselytisation) with the intention of proselytising.

He was eventually in Nairobi and started to debate non-orthodox preachers who were part of the new doctrine  and helped convert thousands of people to Islam thanks to his wisdom charisma, piety, and devotion.

Many stories are shared about his power of miraculous events. One story, told by oral accounts, relates an incident in which Sayyid Abdullah Shah summoned those who were the leaders of his heterodox community to a gathering of the public within the town of Mombasa. Then he made a a prayer and prayed that those who belong to both groups is under the right direction, won't be injured by poison. The astonished crowd, he then consumed the poison in a glass, and was not hurt, while the preachers who were heterodox resisted the threat.

A first-hand account of 1942 tells of how a woman called "Hakam Bibi' (who was the eyewitnesses' mom) who lived in Nairobi was struck down and violently vomiting blood. The chances of her being able to live were almost eliminated as two prominent doctors did not have an explanation for her condition. However, Sayyid Abduldallah is believed to have handed her a small prayer amulet and instructed she should go to bed. After waking, all of her symptoms disappeared and the amulet gained its weight. 

As his name began become known, more Muslims began to visit the brand new Jamiah Mosque where he was as Imam, seeking his assistance. The imam would distribute prayers to the faithful, along with advice and reminders to the burgeoning Muslim population.  Thus, Islam in this young flourishing city, was able to find an anchor that was safe. Sayyid Abdallah was a frequent visitor not just by the Indian Muslims of the new settlement, but also by Muslims from other races too and, even during an era of racial discrimination was treated everyone with respect and respect. The Jamiah Mosque was a place to learn lessons for students in Urdu, Arabic, Swahili and Somali which was a step forward which attracted many new believers and followers to the masjid and the study of religion. Sayyid Abdallah erected an extensive library made up of his personal collection of Islamic books that would later become the primary center for religious studies located in the capital city. The library of the mosque has expanded to provide computer classes for the in need and marginalized residents of this city.

The mosque as well as Sayyid Abdallah became the locus of Islam in Nairobi. Writer Mohammad A. Quraishy remarked in 1974 that " The Jamiah Mosque became a landmark in center of Nairobi as a emblem for Islam across East Africa."

At the time of his death Sayyid Abdallah was renowned for his asceticism. He resided in the Hujra (small residence attributed to the pious) close to the mosque and was a slumbering in a bed.  Though he was devoted to worshipping God but he was aware of the world that was going on around his. In addition to discussing new heterodox ideas, he was well-informed about the latest news and had a newspaper in the morning that was delivered every day. A devoted follower from Mohammad Hussein Paracha,  who was employed by East African Standard newspaper. East African Standard newspaper, personally carried the daily paper to the Sayyid freshly printed and read it out loud to him. After prayers, every evening the cleric would take him for a ride around the city. Because he was on the world's pulse, he was aware of the needs of people outside of the Muslim community.

Each day, a number of Hindu fruit sellers would hand over baskets of fruit fresh to Sayyid Abdallah. They would to pay respects and ask his blessing.  He always made sure that his guests left his house with some fooditems, but he kept no food for his own consumption. Another fanatic who worked in the dairy colonial 18 often delivered an enormous container of milk. The milk was then put into a pot in the making of tea to all who came to Sayyid Abdallah.

A successful businessman with his name Sayyid Imtiaz Shah, an admirer and friend of Sayyid Abdallah Also, he made a mark on Nairobi and is closely linked to the legacy of Sayyid Abdallah. (Read details about his story in the fourth installment of the series).

So pious was Sayyid Abdullah's devotion and devotion towards Islam that he performed the Hajj in total 
times, bringing Muslims from the colonial settlements along with his.  Hajj in this period was no simple task. To complete it more than 27 times is a testimony to Sayyid's devotion, patience and faith in God. An article in the newspaper of the time, relates the 'High Priest' Sayyid Abdullah Shah's Hajj efforts - an interesting story for a colonial newspaper to write about.

In the course of his life, devoted to serving the Muslim community during his final days Sayyid Abdallah made a manifest wish to be transported to Medina and laid to rest in the Jannatul Baqicemetery. Following his death, during the Sunday, Easter, in the year 1952, Sayyid Abdallah was joined by several of his friends (photographed below) in a small plane owned by an European pilot. Due to its tiny size, the plane stopped for fueling at Kisumu (Kenya), Soroti (Uganda), Juba, Malakal and Khartoum (Sudan).  Every time it stopped the European pilot would then turn the plane toward Mecca in the midst of a crowd of Muslims were gathered to offer the funeral prayers and stand in front of on the plane  in honor of Kenyan saints. Indian Saint of Kenya.

Sayyid Maulana Abdullah Shah reached Medina on Friday morning, 18th April 1952. Many attended his funeral and the revered cleric was laid to rest in the jannatul Baqi and, as per an oral account, close to the burial site of Sayiduna Uthman Ibn Affan.

May Allah be merciful to Sayyid Abdullah Shah. And will he be reunited with the gratified Kenyan community, under his banner that represents his Prophet at Day of Resurrection. Day of Resurrection.

The story of Sayyid Abdallah is a great example of how one person of God can have a profound impact on a city. Nairobi has continued to prosper and expand, becoming the largest urban area of East as well as Central Africa today. In the eyes of the residents of Nairobi the name Sayyid Abduldallah Shah is associated with piety and orthodoxy as well as faith-based commitment. In addition, his mosque is considered to be a shining example of Islam not just within Nairobi, but in the larger region as well. His efforts to help his community did not go wasted.

The heterodox movement was unable to gain a foothold in Kenya following Sayyid Abdallah's time. And although it was easy to fall into all the modernizm and the godless that the colonial system eventually brought about, it was due to the efforts of individuals like Sayyid Abdallah, that Muslims could prosper in the 'land with cool, clear waters.'

" Exalted be He Who makes His saints known solely in order to make Hisself known, and who is able to lead toward them all those He would like to lead towards Hisself."

- Ibn Ata'illah Al-Iskandari