WARSHA

A GLIMPSE OF PROFESSOR MOHAMMED HUSSEIN MALIK’S LIFE IN TANZANIA

By Eng. Alliy S. Kilima

On extreme right is Eng. Alliy Kilima as he was in 1988

Eng. Alliy Kilima (centre) as he is now

1.       Prelude by Mwalimu Mavura

In 1964, Mwalimu Khatib Mavura upon graduating from the Muslim Academy in Zanzibar was earmarked to join a higher Islamic learning institute, again in Zanzibar known as Bayt Ras for further studies. But fate had alternative plans for him. The outbreak of Zanzibar revolution forced him to come back to Dar es Salaam. The Ministry of Education, through an officer of the Ministry, Ramadhan Mshui, awarded him a teaching certificate so that he could be able to teach Islamic Religion in secondary schools. Circumstances forced him to go to Kigoma to join his wife who was posted there to work as an officer in the then Ministry of Community Development. To join his wife? Yes, temporarily, but his agenda was to secure transfer for the lady to join him in Dar es Salaam where he was planning to pursue further Islamic studies.

He brought his issue to the then Regional Commissioner, Mr. Rajab Semvua (who happened to be his home boy). Semvua discussed the matter with the Kigoma Area Commissioner, Mr. Abdunur Suleiman. They both agreed to assist the young man but each with a different idea on how he was to be helped. Semvua decided to write a letter to the Minster for Community Development (Then Mr. Cleopa Msuya) with a request for transfer of services for Mrs. Mavura and at the same time to employ Mr. Mavura in the Ministry. Mr. Suleiman was of the opinion that since Mavura was inclined towards religious services and studies; let him be given the opportunity for the career of his desire.  Semvua was adamant, he stuck to his opinion and the letter was hand delivered by Mavura to the Minister. 

The lady was eventually transferred and Mavura declined the offer for employment with the Ministry of Community Development. He decided to pursue the career close to his heart; serving Islam by teaching Islam in secondary schools. Abdunur Suleyman had referred Mavura to Mzee Omar Muhaji who facilitated his joining the offices of the East Africa Muslim Welfare Society (EAMWS) as an Instructor in Dar es salaam Secondary schools but his base was at Jamiatul Islamiyya Primary school along Lumumba Street in Dar es Salaam. Mwalimu Mavura pointed out that, most of the times when he was going to teach religion in schools in the outskirts of Dar, he used to be given a car ride by Christian priests who were going to the same school for teaching, as the timetables coincided.

However, subsequently in 1968, EAMWS was declared as an illegal society by the Government, and BAKWATA took over assets and activities of EAMWS[1]. As such Mavura was absorbed in the establishment of BAKWATA.

2.      First Mavura’s Encounter With Sheikh Malik

In 1966 Mwalimu  Mavura’s assignment among others was to go around  Dar es Salaam secondary schools and colleges and collect information on the timetable allocation of periods for religious studies. When on this errand, at Tambaza Secondary School while talking to the Headmaster on his assignment, an old man standing on the side was paying glued attention.

Having finished with the Headmaster, the old man accosted Mavura and introduced himself as Mohammed Hussein Malik, teaching Mathematics in the school and that he was from Pakistan. He then posed a question, “Would it be alright if I join you in this work?” Mavura quickly and readily replied positively with a condition that the office has to approve his participation. The BAKWATA secretariat (headed by Sheikh Mohammed Ally) accepted Malik’s offer without hesitation.

Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Malik, before coming to Tanzania in 1964, he was a teacher in Mauritius. His first station in Tanzania was Morogoro Secondary school in Morogoro owned by the Agha Khan Community. After sometime he moved to Dar es Salaam to teach Mathematics at Aga Khan Secondary School (Now Tambaza Secondary School) which was also owned by The Aga Khan Community prior to nationalization of schools. He was accommodated at the Agha Khan flats near Mzizima  Secondary School.

3.      Sheikh Malik’s First public Lecture 

While still teaching at Tambaza, he then started visiting other secondary schools, colleges and mosques. He also used to give lectures at Sheikh Said Musa’s residence corridor (constricted as it was!) along Swahili Street in Kariakoo, Dar es Salaam.

Mwalimu Mavura recollects that the first public lecture given by Sheikh Malik was delivered at the Chang’ombe Teacher Training College (currently Dar es Salaam University College of Education – DUCE) This was upon request by the Muslim students of the college who approached Mwalimu Mavura. The student leaders were Hashim Semkuya, Rashid Mallya, Saad Fundi and Juma Rashid.

The title of the first lecture was “Revealed Religion and Science.” The lecture was open to all religious denominations. On that day, which was normally a debate day, the debate was cancelled to listen to Sheikh Malik. The lecture resulted in a very lively discussion in the Question and Answer session. 

4.      Sheikh Malik at Work

Sheikh Malik planned to initiate full scale da’awah programme. He thought of reaching all levels of the Muslim community. At the level of the common Muslim he was faced with the challenge of the medium of communication. He was strong and fluent in Urdu and English and passable Arabic and Fursi, but weak in Kiswahili which is the medium of communication among Muslims in the country. His first step was to train a strong youth group in and out of schools who spoke English. The prominent among these youth are Khatib Mavura, Mtengwa Burhani, Hamza Soko, Yusufu Ngirini, Saad Fundi, Hashim Semkuya, Musa Mdidi, Swaleh Shaqsy, Mohammed Kassim, Ahmed Olotu, Hassan Mshinda, Alliy Kilima and some others. 

It was based on his guidance supported by Sheikh Muhammad Ally Al Buhry (then the Secretary General of BAKWATA) that the famous Muslim youth organization known as WARSHA YA WAANDISHI WA KIISLAMU (Muslim Writers Workshop) was formed and nurtured. WARSHA used to write books and pamphlets in Kiswahili founded on Malik’s lectures. The first book was translation of the booklet “Islamiat” which was authored by Sheikh Malik. The Warsha literature came to be very popular and was spreading like wild fire and this raised some eyebrows. 

It was this Malik’s group which later in the process of time, with a multiplier effect opened up secondary schools, some of which are now at college level. They initiated tuition programmes to assist Muslim secondary school students to perform better in final exams and be competitive in higher studies and employment. This was an effort to close the chasm which was created to suppress Muslims advancement. Most of the Muslim elite of the current generation, in one way or another benefited from these efforts.

Sheikh Malik field of operation, as mentioned earlier was schools, colleges and mosques. He used to conduct lectures at the University of Dar Salaam, Dar es Salaam Technical College, Chang’ombe Teacher Training College and in secondary schools like Minaki, Kibaha, Pugu, Ruvu, Tambaza, Azania, Forodhani, Kisutu and Jangwani.

Among the mosques which he used to conduct classes were Sunni, Madina, Kipata, Bungoni, Majumba Sita, Shadhilliy, Kimamba, Mwembe Chai, Magomeni Makuti, Sunni and Mtambani. In the mosque classes he was always accompanied by his students, one of whom would serve as an English – Kiswahili  interpreter. In most cases the interpretation was done by either, Mavura, Mtengwa, Mdidi, Shaqsy, Yasin Kachechele or Kilima. The main subject in the mosques was thematic translation and interpretation of the Qur’an. 

With the ever increasing load of work, Malik realized that he needed a means of conveyance for ease of movement. It was then that he acquired a second hand VW Beetle (which he donated to  MSAUD upon his departure from Tanzania after he was declared a prohibited immigrant by the government). As Mavura was moving very closely with Sheikh Malik, he once commented (to Sheikh), “ Your schedule is very taxing, why don’t you make Sunday a resting day?” His response was: “Khatib, if you rest in this world, what are you going to be doing in your grave?!”

Sheikh Malik used to exclusively feature in a popular weekly programme on Radio Tanzania-External Service. The title of the programme was “The Islamic Quarter Hour.”  It was aired every Friday from 8:45 to 9:00 pm. The main focus of this programme was to expound the basic teaching that Islam is a complete way of life as revealed by Allah. In those days, the Marxist ideology and its protégé - Dialectical Materialism - were in vogue. In this programme Sheikh Malik very ably demonstrated how these ideas and many other man-made ideologies were fallacious and were meant to espouse exploitation of man by man, and that the only savior of mankind was divine revealed religion in its pristine purity.  This programme was very popular to the English speaking community both Muslims and non-Muslims. Later on this programme was run by Mtengwa Burhan and Musa Mdidi (both of them deceased) based on the lecture notes of Sheikh Malik.

It is worth noting that there was a small Indian/Pakistan community which was very close to Sheikh Malik led by Harun Sajjan and the late Hashim Garana who used to support some of Malik’s activities.

Sheikh Malik enjoyed firm support from his family which included his wife, daughter and his son Fuzail who used to accompany him in some of his da’awah trips. Fuzail was a teacher at Kinondoni Muslim Secondary School.

5.      Accommodation of WARSHA in BAKWATA

In the year 1980 due to close working relations with BAKWATA, WARSHA took an active role in the operations of BAKWATA at the headquarters. This relationship took roots due to the da’awah activities of WARSHA under the able leadership of the late Musa AbduRahman Mdidi and guidance of Sheikh Malik, which kindled a new Islamic awareness in the Islamic Ummah. The BAKWATA leadership, specifically the Secretary General, Sheikh Muhammad Ally, took this as an opportunity to work with WARSHA to put Islam and Muslims in their right position in this country.  Although the cooperation of the two was brief, there was tremendous progress in the activities of BAKWATA. Within that period two major developments were attained:

                    i.            The conversion of the two secondary schools (Kinondoni Secondary School in Dar es Salaam and Jumuia Secondary School in Tanga) owned by BAKWATA into Muslim seminaries, a change which would admit Muslim students only, a move which drew the attention and wrath of the first phase government of Julius Nyerere.

                  ii.            The launching of the first Muslim monthly newspaper, Muislamu which was edited by two ex-MSAUD members (Yasin Kachechele and Burhan Muhunzi) after being approached by the then BAKWATA Secretary General, Sheikh Muhammad Ally Al-Buhry. 

However, the two projects could not continue following drastic changes in the administration of BAKWATA in August 1982 which ousted the Secretary General, Sheikh Muhammad Ally Al Buhry along with the WARSHA youth members. These changes in BAKWATA were an outcome of the Extraordinary General Meeting held at the Ardhi Institute (now Ardhi University). The State machinery was plainly involved in the running and deliberations of this meeting. Sheikh Muhammad Ally was taken to task for welcoming, entertaining and entrusting the WARSHA group in running of BAKWATA affairs. It was alleged that the direction which now (then) BAKWATA was taking was not in the “interest” of the State. It was therefore decided that Sheikh Muhammad Ally and his group to immediately cease working for and with BAKWATA. Sheikh Musa Mdidi and other WARSHA members who were in that meeting were tipped by well wishing informants to sneak out of the meeting (which they did) lest they be arrested. That was the end of the union between BAKWATA and WARSHA. But, it was not the end of WARSHA’s activities in the interest of Islam. Actually this gave impetus to the group to find ways and means to foster education to the youth. A wave of opening Islamic  secondary schools (starting with Masjid Qubah and Islamic Center in Sinza), initiating tuition programmes with the intention of increasing intake of Muslims in secondary schools and ultimately  colleges of higher learning. This ripple effect is evident till today.

Salient Malik’s Emphases

a.       Themes

·   Islam as a complete way of life

·   Revealed religion versus man made religion

·   Revealed religion and science

·   Why Islam and no other religion

·   The misconception of dichotomization between religious and secular education

·   The conspiracy of the clergy, politicians and businessmen in spreading corruption on earth.

b.      Some Da’awah quotes

·   Make man an animal you can rule him and trample on his rights, but if you make him a man, it is next to impossible to rule him

·   Learn to ride your animal and do not let the animal ride over you

·   Do not criticize anyone in public

·   Educate people to know their rights so that they can claim their rights. But if you claim their rights for them, they will join the enemy and attack you.

·   Do not wait for an opportunity, create opportunities.

6.    Sheikh Malik’s Character

·   He loathed being venerated

·   He was generous

·   He was kind hearted

·   He was hard working

·   He loved reading and writing

·   He was time-conscious

·   He was true to his word

7.      Sheikh Malik and BAKWATA

On a fair note, the BAKWATA leadership of that time had very high regard of Sheikh Malik, specifically the Chairman Alhaj Salehe Masasi and The Secretary General Sheikh Mohamed Ally Al Buhry. They gave him all the support that he needed including paying him a salary for teaching in schools and colleges. Mavura narrates that on an occasion, Alhaj Masasi Told him (Mavura) that: “Do not leave this old man, he is a jewel”

8.      Malik and MSAUD

He used to give lectures in the University of Dar es salaam Mosque once in a week and public lectures in lecture theaters occasionally. Essentially he was an advisor to the MSAUD on Islamic issues. He used to contribute to the MSAUD monthly journal. It was in the early era of MSAUD that it became a powerful student association in all the then three campuses – Main Campus, Muhimbili Faculty of Medicine and Morogoro Faculty of Agriculture and had cordial relations with the Muslim community of the then Mzumbe Institute of Development Management (IDM) (Presently Mzumbe University). MSAUD had strong leaders the quality of Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad, Dr. Ibrahim Msabaha, Prof. Ibrahim Lipumba and Musa Mdidi and later on along the time line Dr. Ramadhan Dau, Mohammed Said (Historian), Hassan Mnjeja, Omar Msangi and others. MSAUD established relations with other student associations   around the Muslim world. And as a matter of policy MSAUD used to host annually an international conference in collaboration with The World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) under the auspices of Dr. Ahmed Totonji, drawing local and international participation. MSAUD used also used to be represented in similar conferences abroad. Later on MSAUD assisted by several donors initiated a Tuition Programme known by the acronym MTP (MSAUD Tuition Programme).

In short the significance of Malik’s role in fostering of MSAUD prominence is more enormous than can be narrated.

9.      Malik’s Exit from Tanzania

As destiny would have it, in 1982 Prof. Malik was declared a “persona non grata” status and given 24 hrs to leave the country by the Government of Tanzania. An average mortal would have been disheartened by this move. Not him; he drank it soberly and in one of his statements before departing he said “Alhamdullillah, with what I am leaving behind, I have not wasted my time” He was warmly welcome by the Muslim community in Nairobi Kenya where he stayed until 2008. Due to advanced age and failing health, he left Nairobi to go back to Lahore Pakistan where on 19th May 2009 he met his exit from this temporal world in transition to the next.

May Allah reward him abundantly for his unrelenting effort in the course of Islam.

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[1]  As an ex-officio, Mwalimu Mavura joined the team of EAMWS Trustees who were summoned by the Administrator General for a “ceremony”. The entourage consisted of Tewa Saidi Tewa, Bibi Titi Mohammed, Omar Muhaji, Azizi Khaki and Salehe Masasi. In a very short “ceremony,” The Administrator General announced to the trustees that from then on EAMWS ceased to exist in Tanzania. That was it, no discussion.