KUTOKA JF: WAISLAM KATIKA VITA VYA MAJIMAJI 1905 - 1907

 Re: Ukweli wa Vita vya MajiMaji

 By chipanga 

Kwa niaba yake nakuomba useme kuhusu Maji Maji mzee ili na sisi tuelimike.

Chipanga,

Hayo hapo chini ni kutoka kitabu changu: "The Life and Times of
Abdulwahid Sykes (1924 - 1968) The Untold Story of the Muslim Struggle
Against British Colonialism in Tanganyika," Minerva Press London, 1998.

Hivyo vita ninavyovieleza ni Vita Vya Maji Maji na hayo mawasiliano ni kati
ya baadhi ya viongozi wa vita hivyo.

Soma kwa utulivu na tafakari:

Islam has always been the ideology of resistance against colonial rule or any other authority which tried to subjugate Muslims. Consequently, no government in power either indigenous or foreign has ever been kind or supportive to Islam, and likewise Muslims have always been engaged in a continuous struggle to preserve their faith and fight for their rights. Christianity was resisted by Muslims right from the beginning. In any uprising against the colonial government, Muslims took the opportunity to attack missionaries and Christian establishments. Muslim perceived both missionaries and the colonial government as fellow collaborators and therefore enemies to Islam. Islamic radicalism has therefore a long history in the struggle against colonial rule and Christianity. Christianity became a reactionary force siding with the colonial authority. One needs only to read the letter written by the Chief Songea bin Ruuf at the time when he was mobilising his people for war while at the same time trying to cement alliances with other chiefs in Southern Tanganyika and across River Ruvuma in Mozambique. This letter written to Sheikh and Sultan Mataka bin Hamin Massaninga reads:

"Sultan Songea bin Ruuf writes: To the Shaykh and Sultan Mataka bin Hamis Massaninga. Greetings, etc. I am sending you a letter through Kazembe. We have received an order from God that the Europeans must leave the country. We are in the process of fighting them here. I believe that we have long since been reconciled,[so] send me your children, so that we may make an alliance. I had wanted to send you some cattle as a gift, but am not able to

do so, as the war which God desired is continuing. Send me a hundred riflemen, and support me in storming the Boma (Songea).

I am also sending you a flask of the Prophet Muhammad, which contains the means for conquering the Europeans. Have no doubt about it, it possessed great power. And when we have taken the Boma (Songea), we shall go on the stations on the Nyasa together, you and I. Now, let us forget our old quarrels.

This bottle, with a da’wa, has been sent by Chinyalanyala himself, the war leader. He also sends the container (kombe), and sends you many greetings.

If your men will come, then Chinyalanyala himself will come and will give you many of the holy things.

Hassan bin Isma’il greets you.

Many salutations,

Sultan Songea bin Ruuf.” [1]

A point to note here is that this letter, beautiful as it is, it is being doubted by Becker, who maintains that the origins of the letter are dubious.[2] This is the stand which many Christian researchers have taken when faced with the realities of Islam in Tanganyika.

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[1]C.H. Becker, ‘Material for the Understanding Islam in German East Africa,’
Tanzania Notes and Records, No. 68, February, 1968, p.58.

[2]Ibid.

Last edited by Mohamed Said; Today at 20:03.