Islam in Zanzibar

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Malindi Mosque in Stone Town
KizimkaziMosque2.JPG
Kizimkazi Mosque

Islam is the most prominent religion on the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago and could be considered the Islamic center in the United Republic of Tanzania. Around 99% of the population in the islands are Muslim, with two-thirds being Sunni Muslim and a minority Ibadi, Ismaili and Twelver Shia. [1] [2] Islam has a long presence on the islands, with archeological findings dating back to the 10th century, and has been an intrinsic part in shaping mercantile and maritime Swahili culture in Zanzibar as well as along the East African coast. [3]

Contents

History of Islam in Zanzibar

Origins

Archeological findings suggest that Islam has been present in the Zanzibar archipelago for more than a millennium. Of the oldest archeological findings are large Friday mosque in Ras Mkumbuu, which has been dated back to the 10th Century, [4] and Kufic inscriptions on the mosque in Kizimkazi dated at A.D. 1106. [5] There are different historical accounts on how Islam was introduced along the East African coast, the Zanzibar archipelago included. Some suggesting that Islam was brought through Arab traders from the southern part of the Arabic peninsula, others consider the spread was initiated by groups of Zaidites from Ethiopia and Somalia, and a third group suggest that Islam came via Persia. [5] Despite these different trajectories Islam has worked as unifying force, through which a mercantile, cosmopolitan and urban Swahili culture was formed in relation to the African hinterlands.

Civilization

Historically, being Swahili along the East African coast has meant having an understanding of the message of Islam and, at least nominally, some active participation. In a context of trans-cultural interactions Islam connected people via common ethics and moral conduct and placed people along the coast within a universal imaginary of the Islamic umma . [5] Swahili townspeople were viewed to have more in common with their trade partners and fellow Muslims abroad than they had with groups in the nearby African mainland. [6] This often meant that ancestral roots were placed outside Africa, with groups stressing shirazi origin of Persia [7] and with Zanzibar becoming a central location for the Omani sultanate in the 1800s also of Arab descent. [8] Over time Islam became valued as a central aspect of what it meant to be a civilized person (in Swahili muungwana, mstaarabu), that contained assigning prestige to things connected with the distant Islamic heartlands. [9]

Islam and Culture

Islam after the revolution

Muslim Denominations

Sunni

In Zanzibar today, around 90 percent of all Muslims belong to the Sunni tradition and generally follow the Shafi’i and Maliki school of jurisprudence.

Sufi Movements

Sufi brotherhoods include the Qadhriyya and Shadhiliyya. Sufi brotherhoods grew in influence during the 19th Century in relation to increased movements and flows of migrants during a time when the archipelago was a cultural, commercial and religious center along the Swahili coast. Spread through migrants from Hadramaut (Yemen) and Benadir (Somali Coast) Sufi brotherhoods were in contrast to Ibadï Islam of the ruling Omani ruling class open to former slaves and came to facilitate ways of integrating people from the African hinterlands into the Swahili society. [10]

Salafi Movements

Salafi inspired groups have been present in Zanzibar during the last part of the 20th century, and includes the Wahabi-influenced movement Ansâr Sunna (the "defenders of the Sunna"). [11] The latter are characterized by engagement in da'wa (mission) in order to revive Islam while criticizing the impact on local and traditional customs (mila) on Muslim practices on the Archipelago. This includes critique of practices such as ziara (visiting tombs of shaykhs), tawasud (blessing of saints in prayers), khitma (prayer for the dead), and Maulid celebrations (the birthday of the Prophet). Salafi groups critique also include practices of traditional healing (locally referred to as uganga) and western influences, the latter especially in relation to Zanzibar's growing tourist sector which are seen related to a general moral decay in the society such as increased alcohol consumption, improper clothing and prostitution. [12]

Shia

Shia Muslims in Zanzibar include Shia Ithna’asharis, Shia Bohras and Shia Ismailis. Many within the Shia minority are of Asian descent with origins in India. For Shia Bohras, links to India remain important and are manifested in for instance marriage practices aimed at maintaining Asian identity. For Twelver Shia, Sheikh Abdulrazak Amiri, a Pan-Africanist Shia cleric based in Arusha, is working hard to spread the teachings of Ahlulbayt in Zanzibar. [13]

Muslim Institutions

The Wakf and Trust commission

The Kadhi Courts

The Mufti's Office

The Muslim Academy

Notable Muslim clerics

Muslim Politics

Uamsho

Uamsho (lit. awakening) is the popularized name of Jumuiya ya Uamsho na Mihadhara ya Kiislamu Zanzibar (the Association of Islamic Awareness and Public Discourse in Zanzibar)—also known by its Swahili acronym Jumiki. Uamsho was formed in the late 1990s and registered as an NGO in 2002. The organization's aim was to promote Muslim unity and Muslim rights via public preaching. [16] Uamsho was from the start critical towards the political party of Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), accusing the government of restricting Muslim rights and corrupting Zanzibar by its inability to uphold moral order in society. In 2012, Uamsho engaged in widespread protests for a more autonomous Zanzibar in relation to a constitutional review process in Tanzania leading to tensions with the state after holding a public march in May 2012 despite a ban on religious public meetings. With the arrest of the Uamsho leader Sh. Musa Juma, supporters took their anger to the streets leading to riots with institutions linked to CCM and Christian churches being attacked. With tensions escalating during 2012 with a new round of riots in October all of Uamsho's main leaders, such as Sh. Farid Ahmad, were eventually arrested and jailed. [17]

Related Research Articles

Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims, and simultaneously the largest religious denomination in the world. Its name comes from the word Sunnah, referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagreement over the succession to Muhammad and subsequently acquired broader political significance, as well as theological and juridical dimensions. According to Sunni traditions, Muhammad left no successor and the participants of the Saqifah event appointed Abu Bakr as the next-in-line. This contrasts with the Shia view, which holds that Muhammad appointed his son-in-law and cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanzania</span> Country in East Africa

Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to the south; Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, is in northeastern Tanzania. According to the 2022 national census, Tanzania has a population of nearly 62 million, making it the most populous country located entirely south of the equator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zanzibar</span> Autonomous region of Tanzania

Zanzibar is an insular semi-autonomous region which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 km (16–31 mi) off the coast of the African mainland, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. Its historic centre, Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site.

A madhhab refers to any school of thought within Islamic jurisprudence.

The Swahili people comprise mainly Bantu, Afro-Arab and Comorian ethnic groups inhabiting the Swahili coast, an area encompassing the Zanzibar archipelago and mainland Tanzania's seaboard, littoral Kenya, northern Mozambique, the Comoros Islands and Northwest Madagascar.

The Zaramo people, also referred to as Dzalamo or Saramo, are a Bantu ethnic group native to the central eastern coast of Tanzania, particularly Dar es Salaam Region and Pwani Region. They are the largest ethnic group in and around Dar es Salaam, the former capital of Tanzania and the 7th largest city in Africa. Estimated to be about 0.7 million people, over 98% of them are Muslims, more specifically the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam. Zaramo people are considered influential in Tanzania popular culture with musical genres like Sengeli originating from their commonity in Kinondoni District. Their culture and history have been shaped by their dwelling in both urban and rural landscapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Kenya</span> Religion in Kenya

Kenya has a Christian majority, with Islam being the second largest faith representing 11% of the Kenyan population, or approximately 5.2 million people as of 2019 census. The Kenyan coast is mostly populated by Muslims. Nairobi has several mosques and a notable Muslim population. The faith was introduced by merchants visiting the Swahili coast, which led to local conversions and foreign Muslims becoming assimilated. This would later result in the emergence of several officially Muslim political entities in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Africa</span> Muslim religion in Africa

Islam in Africa is the continent's second most widely professed faith behind Christianity. Africa was the first continent into which Islam spread from Southwest Asia, during the early 7th century CE. Almost one-third of the world's Muslim population resides in Africa. Muslims crossed current Djibouti and Somalia to seek refuge in present-day Eritrea and Ethiopia during the Hijrah ("Migration") to the Christian Kingdom of Aksum. Like the vast majority (90%) of Muslims in the world, most Muslims in Africa are also Sunni Muslims; the complexity of Islam in Africa is revealed in the various schools of thought, traditions, and voices in many African countries. Many African ethnicities, mostly in North, West and East Africa consider Islam their Traditional religion. The practice of Islam on the continent is not static and is constantly being reshaped by prevalent social, economic, and political conditions. Generally Islam in Africa often adapted to African cultural contexts and belief systems forming Africa's own orthodoxies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swahili culture</span> Culture of the Swahili people in Africa

Swahili culture is the culture of the Swahili people inhabiting the Swahili coast. This littoral area encompasses Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique, as well as the adjacent islands of Zanzibar and Comoros along with some parts of Malawi and the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo. They speak Swahili as their native language, which belongs to the Bantu language family. Graham Connah described Swahili culture as at least partially urban, mercantile, and literate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Tanzania</span> Religion in Tanzania

Tanzania is a Christian majority nation, with Islam being the largest minority faith in the country. According to a 2020 estimate by Pew research center, Muslims represent 34.1% of the total population. The faith was introduced by merchants visiting the Swahili coast, as it became connected to a larger maritime trade network dominated by Muslims. This would lead to local conversions and assimilations of foreign Muslims, ultimately causing the eventual formation of several officially Muslim political entities in the region. However, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), 55.3% of the population is Christian, 31.5% is Muslim, 11.3% practices traditional faiths, while 1.9% of the population is non-religious or adheres to other faiths as of 2020. The ARDA estimates that most Tanzanian Muslims are Sunni, with a small Shia minority, as of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swahili coast</span> Coastal area of the Indian Ocean in southeast Africa

The Swahili coast is a coastal area of East Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean and inhabited by the Swahili people. It includes Sofala ; Mombasa, Gede, Pate Island, Lamu, and Malindi ; and Dar es Salaam and Kilwa. In addition, several coastal islands are included in the Swahili coast, such as Zanzibar and Comoros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tumbatu</span> National Historic Site of Tanzania

Tumbatu is historic Swahili settlement located on Tumbatu Island, Kaskazini A District of Unguja North Region in Tanzania. This site is a significant archaeological site that contains a large number of collapsed coral stone structures including private houses and several mosques, the largest of which is located on the shore facing the village of Mkokotoni on Unguja. Pearce initially looked into the ruins in 1915 and wrote about the mosques, palace, and other stone homes.

‘Abd al-‘Azīz al-Amawī (Arabic: عبد العزيز الأموي; 1838–1896) was a Somali scholar following the Shāfi‘ī school of jurisprudence and the Ash'arite school of theology, and was a Sufi shaykh of the Qādiryya Sufi order, of which he established his own branch. He was also adviser to several sultans of Zanzibar.

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References

  1. ↑ Bakari, M.A. "Religion, Secularism, and Political Discourse in Tanzania: Competing Perspectives by Religious Organizations". Interdiciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. 8 (1): 1–34, 7. Religious demographics always state an overwhelming Muslim majority in Zanzibar even though no official census of religious belonging has been made in Zanzibar since the early 1960s.
  2. ↑ "Tanzania". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  3. ↑ Bang, Anne K. (2017-10-16). "Islam in the Swahili world". The Swahili World. Routledge. pp. 557–565. doi:10.4324/9781315691459-48. ISBN   978-1-315-69145-9.
  4. ↑ Pouwels, Randall L. (2000). ""The East African Coast, C. 780 to 1900 C.E.".". In Randall L. Pouwels; Nehemia Levtzion (eds.). History of Islam in Africa. Athens: Ohio University Press. p. 252. ISBN   978-0821412978.
  5. 1 2 3 Middleton, John (1992). The world of the Swahili: an African mercantile civilization. New Heaven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 161, 191. ISBN   978-0-300-06080-5.
  6. ↑ Topan, Farouk (2006). "From Coastal to Global: The Erosion of the Swahili "Paradox"," in The Global Worlds of the Swahili: Interfaces of Islam, Identity and Space in the 19th and 20th-Century East Africa, ed. Roman Loimeier and Rüdiger Seesemann. Berlin: Lit Verlag. pp. 56–59. ISBN   9783825897697.
  7. ↑ Sheriff, Abdul (2001). "Race and Class in the Politics of Zanzibar". Africa Spectrum. 36 (3): 301–318 – via https://www.jstor.org/stable/40174901.{{cite journal}}: External link in |via= (help)
  8. ↑ Glassman, Jonathon (2011). War of words, war of stones racial thought and violence in colonial Zanzibar . Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp.  25. ISBN   978-0-253-35585-0. OCLC   800854256.
  9. ↑ Pouwels, Randall L. (1987). Horn and Crescent . Cambridge University Press. pp.  2. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511523885. ISBN   978-0-521-52309-7.
  10. ↑ Sheriff, Abdul (2001). "Race and Class in the Politics of Zanzibar". Africa Spectrum. 36:2: 301–318 – via JSTOR.
  11. 1 2 Gilsaa, Søren (2015-07-06). "Salafism(s) in Tanzania: Theological Roots and Political Subtext of the Ansār Sunna". Islamic Africa. 6 (1–2): 30–59. doi:10.1163/21540993-00602002. ISSN   0803-0685.
  12. ↑ Loimeier, Roman (2011). "Zanzibar's geography of evil : the moral discourse of the Anṣār al-sunna in contemporary Zanzibar". Journal for Islamic Studies. 31:1: 4–28.
  13. ↑ Keshodkar, Akbar (2010). "Marriage as the Means to Preserve 'Asian-ness': The Post-Revolutionary Experience of the Asians of Zanzibar". Journal of Asian and African Studies. 45 (2): 226–240, 227. doi:10.1177/0021909609357418. S2CID   143909800.
  14. ↑ Loimeier, Roman. (2009). Between social skills and marketable skills : the politics of Islamic education in 20th century Zanzibar. Brill. ISBN   978-90-474-2886-2. OCLC   731677136.
  15. ↑ Farsy, A.S. (1989). Baadhi ya Wanavyoni wa Kishafii wa Mashariki ya Afrika /The Shafi\i Ulama of East Africa, ca. 1830–1970. A hagiographical account. Translated, edited and annotated by R. L. Pouwels. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin.
  16. ↑ Turner, Simon (2009). "'These Young Men Show No Respect for Local Customs'—Globalisation and Islamic Revival in Zanzibar". Journal of Religion in Africa. 39 (3): 237–261, 241–242. doi:10.1163/002242009x12447135279538. ISSN   0022-4200.
  17. ↑ Olsson, Hans (2019-07-29). Jesus for Zanzibar: Narratives of Pentecostal (Non-)Belonging, Islam, and Nation. BRILL. pp. 44–51. doi:10.1163/9789004410367. ISBN   978-90-04-40681-0. S2CID   151571511.
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