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BRIEF HISTORY OF KHOJA SHIA ITHNAASHERI JAMAAT OF DAR-ES-SALAAM.
Our origin has a small interesting history. Our great grand fathers were
converted from Lohanas into Muslims. Lohana means the leaders. The name given to
the new community had to befit the dignity of their origin and they were called
“Khwajas” which also means the leaders. However in due course, following the
convenience of pronounciation, it became Khojas. Our immediate forefathers
resided in Kutch, Kathiawad and Gujrat – the present state of Gujarat in
Independent India. They were mostly merchants and a few were farmers. They were
also daring and enterprising people who, in search of better opportunities began
moving in early 18th Century to Bombay and then to Aden, Makalla and
Zanzibar.
They came to Bagamoyo and Kilwa in the mid 19th Century. In the
year 1890, German Government began to build Central Railway Line from Dar es
Salaam to Kigoma, thus shifting the commercial balance from Bagamoyo to Dar es
Salaam, and we being a trading community preferred to follow the winds of change
to shift to Dar es Salaam.
From an old report of the Jamaat, we derived that our community members first
landed at Dar es Salaam in the year 1875. Dar es Salaam was the a village south
east of the present city at a place called Nyimwema. In the year 1900, a
general-purpose hall for prayers was established somewhere around the present
Clock Tower vicinity. It was later shifted to a place behind the present
Telephone House on India Street. When the German Governor allocated a plot to
Jamaat on the present site of our Mosque in the year 1904, immediate steps were
taken to construct a concrete mosque there between the years 1904 to 1908
through the efforts of Marhum Haji Sachoo Pira and others. Although there were
only 9 families living here at the time, they built a large mosque which served
our purpose upto the year 1965. It was a system to use wooden beams for the roof
at that time, but Haji Noormohamedbhai Sachoo used iron girdles, which were
specially imported from India, to achieve long duration. All this shows the
farsightedness of the then Jamaat leaders. The 9 families living in Dar es
Salaam in the early 1900 were of Haji Sachoo Pira, Haji Nasser Mawji, Haji
Nasser Rattansi, Haji Molloo Kanji, Bhai Nasser Bhalloo, Bhai Merali Muraj, Bhai
Pirbhai Rattansi, Bhai Dhalla Nanji and Bhai Ali Walli.
Imamwado.
The plot of Imamwado where it stands now was a Shamba. Haji Sachoo Pira
obtained it in exchange with his own plot in Zanzibar. Initially a corrugated
iron sheet walled Imambara was built. This was expanded as the community
multiplied. In 1941, on the 1300th anniversary of Sayyedu Sho’hada a
concrete Imambara was built at a cost of Shs. 95,000/-. Marhum Haji Gulamhussein
Virji and Marhum Haji Abdulrasul Rajabali Alidina took a lot of pain in
accomplishing this task. The Imambara was extended in 1965 at a cost of Shs.
150,000/-. The contractors were the firm of Br. Yusuf Moledina.
Graveyard.
In 1908, the widow of Sabar Ibrahim died and there arose a need for burial
place. Marhum Sachoo Pira allowed her to be buried in his Shamba. Later he
donated the whole shamba for use as Kabrastan. It was a very big plot and part
of it was used as a sports ground where we had a cricket pitch, volleyball
courts and a small football ground.
The government however decided to construct a road through this plot and the
present Bibi Titi Road passing adjacent to Kabrastan divided the plot in two
portions. Jamaat received a compensation of Shs. 45,000/- for it which was used
to build a concrete border wall around the graveyard. On the remaining plot on
the other side of the road, three buildings were constructed and the flats were
sold to community members at reasonable prices and on easy terms.
Mehfile Abbas.
A plot was obtained and Mehfile Abbas was established in 1937 with the
dedicated efforts of Marhuma Fatmabai Shariff who raised funds for the same from
community members and personally supervised its construction. The possession of
Mehfil was transferred in Jamaat’s name in February 1941. Fatmabai Shariff
however continued to manage the Mehfil affairs until 1962 when Jamaat appointed
a Ladies Committee to run the Mehfil.
We have to acknowledge the invaluable services of the well-known Zakira of
the time, Marhuma Kulsumbai Abdalla Khimji, who recited majlises in Cutchi at
Mehfile Abbas for over two decades. Her majlises were most effective and very
much appreciated by the ladies. Marhuma Mulyani Fatmabai Valji also recited
majlises and Duas at the Mehfil for many years.
Mehfile Asgheri.
It was first started by Aziz Sachedina in early 1950’s and initially majlises
for children were held at his residence on Sultan Street (now Libya Street). It
was from here that the first Ashura Night Juloos began in 1950’s mainly for
children, starting from Mehfile Asgheri and ending at Mehfile Abbas. The present
Mehfile Asgheri premises on Libya Street was donated by the family of Late
Amersi Alibhai.
Musafirkhana.
The construction of Musafirkhana adjacent to our mosque was initiated by Haji
Nasserbhai Virji, who was the executor of the will made by late Abdullabhai
Hemani of Udjidji in German East Africa during his lifetime and which was
registered at the court in Bagamoyo.
The building of the Musafirkhana, in accordance with the expressed wish of
the deceased in his Will was commenced in September 1912 and was completed in
April 1914. Haji Nasserbhai Virji had given the responsibility of supervising
the construction work to Abdulrasulbhai Sachoo Pira and Noormohamedbhai Sachoo
Pira. The opening ceremony of the Musafirkhana for the use of the Khoja Shia
Ithnaasheri Community was performed by H.E. the Governor Dr. Schnee on 30th
April, 1914. The possession and documents in respect of the building were handed
over to the then Mutwallies of the Mosque, Abdulrasulbhai Sachoo Pira and
Kassambhai Walli.
Madressa.
Marhum Daya Walji had donated a hall for Madressa in 1940’s. This was later
redeveloped into a four-storeyed building. He had also donated another
2-storeyed building adjacent to Madressa. The income derived from it was to be
used for running the Madressa.
The old Madressa buildings made room for a multi-purpose Tabligh Centre which
is now completed. The ground floor and first floor are rented to Habib African
Bank.
The remaining floors will be utilized by Tabligh for their offices, library
and Boys maderssa. Also the coaching classes by Ladies Managing Committee will
also be conducted from here.
Board of Trustees.
The Board was officially formed on 4th September, 1937. The Rules
for the Trustees of the Jamaat were discussed and approved at the Jamaat’s
General Meeting held on the same day and the following four members were elected
as Trustees.
Proposed by
Seconded by.
1.
Bhai Nurmohamed
Jessa
Abdulrasul Molloo Chatoo. S.K. Dalal.
2.
Bhai Mohamed Abdulla
Khimji Dawood
Mohamed
S.K. Dalal.
3.
Bhai Suleman Daya
Walji
Rustamali
Ladha
S.K. Dalal
4.
Bhai Juma
Haji
Haji Jiwan
R.N. Rattansi.
Jamaat had the following properties at that time.
1.
Mosque.
2.
Imambaras.
3.
Burial Ground.
4.
The house built on Merali Muraj’s Plot.
5.
Shamba of Merali Muraj.
6.
Musafirkhana.
Housing.
The need for housing for the community was realized by our forefathers long
ago and various plots and buildings were donated to Jamaat by the well-wishers,
most of which are now occupied by our community members and the income derived
from these properties is used in accordance with the Trust and for the benefit
of the community.
In addition to the ones already mentioned in this report elsewhere, the other
Trust properties held by Jamaat were donated by the following: -
1.
Late Merali Muraj - Building on India Street. (1920)
2.
Late Alli Walli. -Building on Indira Gandhi Street
(formally Windsor Street) 1931
3.
Late Amersi Mawji. - House at Mataka Street. (1957)
4.
Late Sherbanubai Walimohamed Shamji. - House at Changombe
(1994)
5.
Late Ismail Alibhai. - Building at Asia Street (1988)
6.
Late Jenabai Hasham. - Building at Uhuru Street (1958)
7.
Late Juma Haji. - Building at Maweni Street (1989)
8.
Late Kanji Damani. - Plots on Indira Gandhi Street (formally
Market Street) 1954 &
Libya Street (1960)
9.
Late Mohamedali Janmohamed family.- Building on Livingstone
Street (Zainabia
Manzil) 1994
The recent additions were flats donated by: -
a.
Shabbir M.R. Somji. - a flat at Livingstone Street, Kariakoo.
b.
Late Amir Dharsee. - 2 flats at Msimbazi.
A “Widow House” the cost of which was donated by Marhum Alibhai Ebrahim was
constructed on top of the Ebrahim Haji Building in 1960’s. It is actively
operated by Jamaat and we have about 15 widows having shelter in this Bewakhana.
Medical.
a. Ebrahim Haji Hospital.
The Building was donated by Juma Haji family in 1953 to be used as a
Dispensary. It could not however take off properly due to financial constraints.
Several attempts were made with the assistance from Juma Haji family and other
members of the community to revive it, but the Dispensary remained dormant until
1976. In 1977, at a cost of TShs. 175,000/-, the Dispensary was renovated and it
was re-opened in October, 1978.
In 1991, the Dispensary was upgraded to Hospital when a 21-bed in-patient
wing was completed comprising 2 Bed I.C.U., 10 Bed Medical and 9 Bed Paediatric.
The in-patient wing was officially opened by the then Minister of Health
Professor P. Sarungi on 22nd February, 1992.
b. Temeke Dispensary.
Marhum Abbas Alloo, who was Jamaat’s Hon. Secretary in early 1980’s
initiated the idea of building a Dispensary near Bilal Muslim Mission complex in
Temeke to serve the people living around there. He donated Shs. 200,000/- for
Ithale Thawab of his Late mother for this purpose. It was however in November,
1989 that the idea was refloated to construct the Dispensary at Temeke. The
total construction cost amounted to approx. Shs. 35.0 million with Shs. 1.0
million paid to Architect/Consultants, which was entirely met by some generous
donors of the community. The Dispensary started its operations on 7th
March, 1995. It has recently been extended with the purchase of an adjacent
plot, the total cost of which was donated by Al-Haj Anverbhai Dharamsi.
A useful property belonging to Korean Embassy situated along Morogoro Road
was purchased by Jamaat in 1998 which consists of an Auditorium which is now
used for social functions, seminar etc. Presently it is named as Jaffery
Complex.
Education.
Before Independence Gujarati language was medium of education in Indian
Primary Schools and continued to be part of curriculum in secondary education.
Africans had different schools by law. Our community was spread in the town and
in the villages all over Tanzania. Their children had to come to cities for
secondary education. To cater for them, Boarding House was built in 1955, the
finance being donated by the whole K.S.I. Community throughout the then
Tanganyika. The major donor being Haji Mohamed Jaffer of Lindi, the Boarding
House was named after him. Khoja students throughout Tanzania came for education
to Dar es Salaam. Since it belonged to all Khojas of Tanganyika it was run under
Tanganyika Education Council created by Federation of K.S.I. Jamaats of Africa.
After Independence separate system of Education was established and a
common curriculum adopted for all Tanzanians by law. The utility of Boarding
House stopped altogether due to lack of boarders.
Union Nursery School was started by the Youth wing of the Jamaat, i.e.
Ithna-Asheri Union in the year 1954 in Ismail Alibhai building, the premises in
which the present Jamaat office is located. It was moved to the Boarding House
in 1975. The School was run under the administration of Ithnaasheri Union until
1996 when it was decided that the administration of all Jamaat Schools be
centralized under the Central Board of Education. There was a deep felt gap of
our own primary and secondary schools which the law did not allow at the
material time. After liberalization, the law prohibiting private schools was
relaxed and we established Al-Muntazir Islamic Seminary (Secondary School) in
1986 in the Boarding House grounds.
Permission was granted to us to start Primary School in 1992 and this was
established initially in the Boarding House Complex. However space was not
adequate to accommodate all the students and we therefore constructed another
Junior School at Ocean Road on the plot donated by Marhum Daya Walji family.
The Al-Muntazir Union Nursery School was in the meantime shifted to
Ashrafbai Memorial Building on Kipalapala Road which was donated to Jamaat by
Al-Haj Mustafabhai Kassamali Nasser. A new building was however constructed on
this site in the year 2001 which gave additional classrooms. The school can now
accommodate upto 670 pupils. Currently it has approx. 400 students.
The acquisition in 1998 of the Ex-Korean Embassy Complex, strategically
situated adjacent to our Al-Muntazir School and Boarding House, gave us the
opportunity to expand our educational facilities. This also enabled us to
establish separate Primary and Secondary Schools for Boys and Girls.
Currently we have a total student population of approx. 2600 students in
all our Schools of which approx 1500 are community students. All the Schools –
Nursery, Primary and Secondary are under the title of Al-Muntazir Schools and
managed by the Central Board of Education.
Sports.
In 1952, the Ithnaasheri Union Sports Club was instituted which brought
together phelomaths (catering to Table Tennis and Literary activities), Twilight
Club (catering to Badminton) and Radio Club (catering to snooker) who combined
together in a respectable and popular organization called Ithnaasheri Union
Sports Club. Until then the Youths played for other teams and although there was
a sense of communal comraderie, a sense of belonging and a craving for identity,
we did not have a base. Ithnaasheri Union, Jamaat’s Youth wing was formally
established in 1954.
Our youths excelled in various sports and some of their notable
achievements were as follows: -
Cricket:
a.
The Community produced great cricketers like F.H.R., Muslim Kara,
Nazirhussein Jafferali Nurmohamed, Pyarali Merali in 1950’s.
b.
Many of our youths played for the national team. They included
players like Nazirhussein, Mahmood Nurmohamed, Bashir Tejani, Mohamed Nathoo,
Shakir Sheraly, Hasnain Tejani, Kazim Lakha, Yusuf Kermali, Amir Yusuf.
c.
Five of our cricketers had the honour to lead the National Team in
various international tournaments. They were Mahmood Nurmohamed, Bashir Tejani,
Mohamed Nathoo, Yusuf Kermalli and Shakir Sheraly.
d.
From 1973-1992, Union Sports Club dominated the Cricket field and
won the Championship 18 times.
Volleyball.
The Ithnaasheris team which had skilled players like F.H.R., Muslim Kara,
Hussein Bhalloo, Akber Sumar, Pyarali Haji, Raza Panju, Mohamedali Jaffer, Yusuf
Datoo was an unbeatable side in the 1950’s. Union Sports Club continued to
dominate the game and won many trophies in the following three decades.
Badminton.
Raza Virjee won the Dar es Salaam Open title in late 1950’s and Ahmed
Rattansi also won the same title in 1960. Mahmood Nurmohamed became the youngest
player (15 yrs) to win the Kenya Open Championship in 1964 and was recognized as
the East African Champion a year later when he won all the three titles that is
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania Open Championships. Aga Sadri was one of the leading
players in 1970’s and his son Ibrahim also won a few club tournaments.
Tennis.
Akber Mithani and Anver Mithani won the Dar es Salaam Open Asian
tournaments in 1950’s. Yusuf Somji and Baker Tejani were also leading players in
this Sport. Raza Virjee represented Tanzania team in 1972 in the 2nd
All Africa games held in Nigeria. Rizwan Jaffer and Ali Gulam Dewji also
excelled in this game in 1990’s.
Squash.
Hasnain Virjee won the Tanzania Open Crown in 1977, 1979 and 1980 in his
younger days. Twenty years later he came back to win the Veteran’s tournament in
1998 and 2000. Munir Daya was another leading player at National level.
Milestone:
Dar es Salaam Jamaat can well be described as mother of Africa Federation,
as it from was here that the idea of its formation was first floated by Marhum
Azad Sachedina in an article in the Magazine “MUNADI” published by him. He had a
noble vision of a united and progressive union of all Jamaats in different
countries to cater for needs, development and unity of our community. This
vision was followed up by late Mohamedalibhai Janmohamed and late Gulamhussein
Virjee who made efforts to organize a meeting of leaders from various Jamaats of
Africa to discuss the issue. The meeting was held at Anjuman Islamia Hall in Dar
es Salaam in 1946 under the Chairmanship of late A.H. Nurmohamed of Mombasa. A
Constitutional Conference was then called in Dar es Salaam in 1947 when Africa
Federation was formally established and the late A.H. Nurmohamed was elected as
its first Chairman. Mombasa became its first Headquarters. The Federation’s
Headquarters shifted to Dar es Salaam for 18 consecutive years from 1983 upto
2001 under the Chairmanship of Al-Haj Mohamedbhai Dhirani (1983-1989 and
1995-2001) and Al-Haj Habibbhai Mulji (1989-1995).
Bilal Mission.
Dar es Salaam has remained the Headquarters of the Bilal Muslim Mission
since its inception in 1964. Jamaat was very fortunate that the Chief Missionary
of Bilal Mission, Allamah Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi resided in Dar es Salaam and
was ever ready to guide and advise the Jamaat in religious matters whenever the
need arose.
When Tanganyika parliament passed the “Islamic Law (Restatement) Act” in
1964, which empowered the Minister responsible for Legal affairs to prepare and
publish a statement of Islamic Law after consultation with learned persons in
the Islamic schools of law, Mohamedbhai Dhirani, who was at the time the
President of the K.S.I. Territorial Council of Tanzania, arranged for Allamah
Rizvi to meet the lawyer in charge of that project in Attorney General’s
Chambers. At his request, Maulana wrote in English the detailed Shia law on
related matters for use by the Attorney General’s office. This covered “Islamic
Laws concerning marriage, dissolution of marriage, acknowledgement, will,
inheritance and waqf”. Br. Bashir Rahim, then Senior Parliament Draftsman
finalised four chapters of marriage as accepted by three principal schools of
Islamic Law – Shafi, Hanafi and Shia and it was published, under authority of
Mr. Rashidi Kawawa, then Second Vice-President of Tanzania. It appeared as the
subsidiary Legislation under the Restatement of Islamic Law Act (No. 56 of
1964), the Gazette Supplement No. 34 of 27th June, 1967.
At the request of the then Supreme Council Chairman Late Alhaj Mohamedali
Meghji, Maulana also wrote a Memorandum on Matrimonial Laws and a Memorandum on
the Laws of Succession in August, 1967 which was submitted to a Commission on
the Laws of Marriage set up by the Kenya Government under the Chairmanship of
Mr. Justice Spry of Kenya High Court. The Commission was to make recommendations
for a new law providing a comprehensive uniform law of marriage and divorce
applicable to all persons in Kenya.
Maulana also wrote a Memorandum on “Tanzania White Paper on Uniform
Marriage Law” submitting the views of the Shia Ithnaasheri Community on the
Government Proposals on Uniform Law of Marriage (Government’s Paper No. 1 of
1969). This was published in the ‘Standard’ newspaper of Dar es Salaam on 8th
December, 1969.
It was also because of Maulana’s Memorandum on ‘Hijab and Succession’
submitted to His Excellency Al-Haj Ali Hassan Mwinyi, the then President of the
United Republic, on behalf of representatives of various Muslim Organizations of
Dar es Salaam in 1990, that all Muslim students were allowed to wear ‘Hijab’ in
Schools.
The Shia Community lost one of its most learned and respected Alims when
Maulana Syed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi passed away in Dar es Salaam on 20th
June, 2002. He was given a befitting funeral attended by well over a thousand
people including members of other communities.
Jamaat Leadership.
In the early 1900’s, the Jamaat affairs were run by the elders of Sachoo
Pira family. Records show that Hon. Abdulla Khimji (Member of Legislative
Council) served as the President of Jamaat in the year 1927 with Gulamali Damji
as the Hon. Secretary. In the years 1928/1929 Siwjibhai Somji was the President
and Sulemanbhai Daya the Hon. Secretary. Gulamalibhai Damji took over the
Presidentship from then until 1938.
The first Constitution of Jamaat was prepared in September 1937 under the
Chairmanship of Gulamalibhai Damji. The Hon. Secretary then was Murabbi Haji
Jiwan. The Jamaat was officially registered as a religious and charitable
organization on 13th November, 1939.
The other elders who served as the President from then until to-date were
as follows: -
Murabbi Pirbhai Alibhai
- 1938-1939)
Murabbi Gulamali
Jiwan
-
(1939/1940.)
Murabbi Ebrahim Haji
Murabbi Mohamed Abdalla Khimji
Murabbi Kermali Alibhai
Murabbi Noormohamed
Nasser
-
(1953-1959)
Murabbi Mehmood N.
Rattansi
-
(1959-1961)
Murabbi Allarakhia Kermali Alibhai
-
(1961-1963)
Murabbi Hussein Nasser
Valji
-
(1963-1969)
Murabbi Mohamed
Dhirani
-
(1969-1971, 1973-1983)
Murabbi Rajabali Amarsi Alibhai
-
(1971-1973)
Murabbi Gulamabbas Janmohamed
-
(1983-1985)
Murabbi Aliraza
Rajani
-
(1985-1994)
Murabbi Asgher
Bharwani
-
(1995-2002)
Murabbi Pyarali
Shivji
-
(2002-2004)
The current President is Alhaj Anwarali Dharamsi who took office from July
2004.
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