highlights of bilal muslim mission of tanzania (1965 - 1986)

8/10/2019 Highlights of Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania (1965 - 1986)

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HIGHLIGHTS OF

BILAL MUSLIM MISSIONOF TANZANIA

(1965 - 1986)

BY:

The Managing Committee

BILAL MUSLIM MISSION OF TANZANIA

P. O. BOX: 20033

DAR ES SALAAM

TANZANIA


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ISBN 9976 956 07 x

Published by:

Bilal Muslim Mission o anzaniaP.O.Box 20033

Dar es Salaam anzania


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CONTENTS

Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1. Message of the Chairman of the K.S.I. Supreme Council. . . . . . . . . . . . 22. Prologue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43. Establishment of anzania Mission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124. Religious Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195. Islamic Correspondence Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266. Masomo ya Ki-Islamu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277. Islamic Religious Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288. Replying to Religious Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

9. Seminars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2910. Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3211. Printing Press. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3312. Te Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3413. Sauti Ya Bilal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3514. Branches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3715. Religious Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

16. Eye Camps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4117. Health Clinic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4218. alks On Radio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4319. Saba Saba rade Fair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4320. Development Plans:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 (A) Madrasa and Husainiya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 (B) Alims Flats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 (C) Housing Scheme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

21. Our Emblem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48


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PREFACE

It gives me a pleasure to write these ew lines as Preace to this booklet,which gives a condese and comprehensive picture o the activities o theBilal Muslim Mission o anzania or the period 1965 - 1986.

It is necessary to mention in this connection the wholehearted supportthe Mission has been getting rom the K.S.I. Supreme Council o Arica,and particularly rom the present officials o the Council, especially HajiMohamed G. Dhirani, the Chairman. Teir dedication to abligh work hasbeen a source o strength or the Mission. Haji Mohamed Hasham (Hon.reasurer o the Council) is a Committee member o the Mission, and his

advice, help and support has been very valuable to us in all these years.

My predecessor, Haji Ahmad Hussein Sheriff Dewji, guided the Missionwith devotion and dedication since its establishment upto the last year;and continues to take deep interest in the progress and development o theMission.

I must also express the Missions gratitude to the generous donors, devotedmembers, dedicated teachers, muballigheen and staff, without whose whole-hearted cooperation and support the Mission could not achieve what it hasdone.

We regret that at the time o compiling this booklet, we could not find someimportant photos, or example, the scenes o the eye-comps, or the pictureso some volunteers and past officials o the Mission.

Dar es Salaam Fidahussein Abdullah21stAugust, 1986 Chairman


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MESSAGEOF

Haji Mohamed G. M. Dhirani,

Chairman,Te Federation o Khoja Shia Ithna-asheri

Jamaats o Arica

We offer our gratification to Allah Subhanahu waaala or having bestowed upon the Bilal MuslimMission o anzania thedouble achievement o

opening the Howza-e-Ilmiya and laying theoundation stone o the Markaz as-Sayyid ai- Khoui.

With the initial establishment at D'Salaam theactivities o the Mission have spread and are nowstrongly rooted as ar as Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda,Zaire, Madagascar, Mauritius and some WestArican countries.

Tis being the religion o Allah, it is He who takes its care and sees to itsprogress.

On our part it is our Islamic obligation to endeavour to spread the religiono Allah. In this respect it must be mentioned that so ar the tablighi workhas been carried on by dedicated workers on purely voluntary basis. It is

through their selfless and untiring efforts that the Bilal Muslim Mission hasreached the present stage. o all o them we must pay due respect and leaveit to Allah to reward them here and in hereafer or their services in Hiscause.

It was HujjatuI Islam Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi who initiated the idea othe Mission and then turned the idea into act. It was through his efforts thatthe activities commenced in anzania and it is a pleasure to note that he is


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again with us to enhance the tablighi activities.

oday we must also remember late Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakeem who had reminded the Community that we were answerable toAllah i we did not do any efforts in this respect.

Our present Marja, Ayatullah al-Uzma as-Sayyid Abul Quasim al-Khouitakes a very keen interest in the activities o the Mission and is a source oencouragement to it in all respects.

I offer my prayers or urther success o the Mission

Dar es Salaam, MOHAMED G.M. DHIRANI20th August, 1986 Chairman


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I A, B, M

PROLOGUE

Now Shia madh-habis firmly rooted in Arican soil. Wherever you go inanzania or Kenya, Burundi or Zaire, Nigeria or Ghana, Sierra Leone orSenegal, Ivory Coast or Madagascar, you will find indigenous Aricans who

are proud to call themselves Shia Ithna-asheri. Tey have their Hawzasand Madrasas, schools and hostels, Mosques and Husainiyas; they havereligious books and magazines in their own languages; there are ulama andmuballigheen among them as are the teachers and writers - who use theirtalents in the service o Islam.

wentyone years ago, the scene was different. In 1964, you could have

travelled rom Somalia to Madagascar and rom anzania to Nigeriawithout finding a single Arican Shia.

It all began here in anzania, when the Bilal Muslim Mission wasestablished to propagate rue Islam according to the Quran and Sunnah.

W M

Islam is the religion or the whole mankind. Its God is Rabbul-Alamin(Lord o the Worlds); its book is Dhikrul-lil-Alamin (Reminder to all theworlds); its Prophet was sent ilannasi Kaffatan (to whole mankind); itscentre o worship, Kaaba, is hudan wa Mubarakal-lil-Alamin (Guidanceand blessings to all the worlds). Tese clear declarations are enough toinspire the Muslim community to convey this universal religion to everycorner o the globe.

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Moreover, numerous Ayas o the Quran exhort the Muslims to call thepeople to the path o righteousness.

Te Holy Prophet o Islam always ended his sermons with the words:

(Tose who are present should convey it to those who arenot here). Tus every Muslim is obliged to convey the Message to those whohave not heard it yet.

And it was Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) himsel who laid the oundation omissionary work by sending his companions to neighbouring tribes andcountries inviting them to accept Islam.

Also he told Imam Ali bin Abi alib (a.s.):O Ali: I Allah guides someone through you to the right path, it is betteror you than all the world and its riches.

In the light o these Ayas, traditions and precedents; there is no need toemphasize the importance o abligh, i.e., missionary activity to conveythe message o true Islam to those who until now have not been properlyapproached.

Still it was necessary to mention these acts because many un-inormedMuslims in East Arica are o the opinion that there is no need o suchorganised effort, because, according to them; there was no such organisa-tion in the days o the Holy Prophet. Tey orget that during his lie, theProphet being the absolute ruler was himsel HE ORGANISAION.

In act, these Muslims are victims o the propaganda o the ChristianMissions. ime and again one comes accross statements by Christianmissionaries that, in spite o all the efforts o Christianity in Arica, Islamgets 3 or 4 times more converts than the Christianity.

According to the Newsweek (New York) the number o Roman Catholics- mind you, only Roman Catholics - in Arica increased rom 20 million(in 1965) to 65 millions in 1985. We have yet to see in Arica even five


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million newly-converted Muslims in place o these 45 million newly-converted Catholics! According to our thinking such statements are adouble-edged sword: they lull the Arican Muslims to contented sleep,leaving the field to the Christian Missions; and they stir the religious andphilanthropic institutions and oundations in Europe and America, to pourmore and more monev into the coffers o the Missions in Arica.

B

Te Shia Ithna-ashari who settled in East Arica in the last quarter o the19th century were mostly Khoja by origin and traders by proession.

Tey had themselves separated rom H.H. the Aga Khan, and, as a result othat upheaval, were acing social and economic troubles. Naturally, in thatsituation, they were more concerned with establishing their own identity,rather then reaching out to others. No attention was given to channellingtheir religious zeal towards propagation o the aith among other groups;and, unwittingly, the Arican Muslims came to look upon this holy aithas something that originated in India. Tus, in their minds, Shia aith hadnothing to do with the original Islam!

Te myths prevalent at that time in East Arica about the Shia make onelaugh today; but at that time it was hardly amusing.

In the mid-fifies, Mulla Husein Alarakhya Rahim wrote in the Zanzibarbased religious Gujarati periodical SALSABIL about the need to spreadthe message o Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.) among the indigenous inhabitants o the

continent; the late proessor Khwaja Mohamed Lati Ansari o Pakistan haddrawn the attention o the community to this need in his address deliveredat Arusha Conerence in December 1958. Beore him late Allamah SayyidIbne Hasan Jarchawi (Pakistan) and thereafer late Zakir Husain Farooqi(India) drew attention to the importance o tabligh. But it was all a cry inwilderness. Te talk never reached the stage o serious discussion.

Afer describing the condition o Shia community in early 1960s, Al-Haj


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Mulla Asgharali M.M. Jaffer writes in his booklet Outline o Shia Ithna-ashari History in East Arica: As these novel ideas suffered the pangs olabour, a young Aalim rom India set his eet on land in Dar-es-Salaam,anzania. With an analytic bent and genius, vast knowledge and readinessto meet with the new challenges, this young Aalim was destined to set thewheels o change moving. He was Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi.Whether he himsel was aware o the new directions to which Shia Ithna-ashari community o Eastern Arica was being led by his efforts and whetherhis efforts were intentional and thus motivated, is difficult to ascertain. Butthat his arrival heralded a new era in the Shiite society o East Arica isindisputable. Among the Ulema who now remained to discharge their setrole, he was perhaps the first to walk down briskly rom the pedestal o

mere adoration. Maulana set himsel to learn kiswahili, the lingua ranca oanzania and Kenya and language adopted in Zaire, Uganda, coastal partso Madagascar, Comoro islands and boundaries o Somalia. With greatdiligence, he perected his English. He was now equipped and prepared tomeet with the new demands in which he himsel was a ervent and ardentbeliever. Tis was indeed very important; or the new venue o service wasnot imposed him; it was charted by himsel.

A scheme or tabligh was prepared by Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizviand sent to secretariat o the Khoja Shia Ithna-ashari Supreme Council atArusha in 1962. In 1963, he was transerred to Arusha and the plan wasdiscussed at length. At that stage it could not be implemented as suggested,but a pilot plan was put into effect. Meanwhile late Ayatullah Sayyid Muhsinal-Hakim gently admonished some leaders o the Khoja Shia Ithna-asharisto preach the ruth to the Arican masses and thus to absolve themselves o

the sacred responsibility to Allah Almighty. In 1964 Maulana Sayyid SaeedAkhtar Rizvi submitted another detailed memorandum on the missionaryactivities beore the conerence o the ederation convened at anga,anzania. Te 1964 memorandum was received with mixed eelingsbut it got a boost rom a resolution sent by Dar-es-salaam Jamaat to dosomething in this (tabligh) connection. With valuable support o Al-HajMulla Asgharali M.M Jaffer and Al-Haj Ali Mohammed Jaffer Shari, the


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Late Ayatullah al-Uzma as-Sayyid MUHSIN AL-HAKEEM whose encouragement and patronageput the Mission on sound ooting.


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scheme was ultimately adopted as a policy by an appreciable majority.Tis is how a new field o activity appropriately named BILAL MUSLIMMISSION1was begun.

1 Afer the great Arican companion o the Prophet, and first Muazzin oIslam Hazrat Bilal, may Allah bestow upon him His pleasure.

(Late) Al-Haj MohamedaliMeghji ex-Chairman o the K.S.I.Supreme Council: during hischairmanship, Bilal MuslimMission was estabibshed andprogressed.

Al-Haj Mulla Asgharali M.M.Jaffer who in his capacities asthe K.S.I. Supreme CouncilsHon. General Secretary, Vice-Chairman and then Chairman,nurtured the Bilal Muslim

Mission leading it romstrength to strength.


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Hujjatul Islam Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi


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A committee was ormed at Mombasa (where Supreme Councilsheadquarters were now placed) with Haji Mohsin Ali Mohammed Jaffer asits convenor. Simultaneously work was started at Dar-es-salaam by MaulanaSayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi (where he was transerred as the resident Alim).Soon afer his arrival Haji Hussein Nasser Walji and Haji FidahusseinAbdullah Hameer were elected President and General Secretary o theDar-es-salaam Jamaat respectively. With their active and enthusiasticsupport, Maulana began abligh work.

For two years, the Dar-es-salaam Jamaat nursed the mission during itsinancy.

Al-Haj Ali Mohamedjaffer Shariff Aounding Member, who even at thisage spends all his time and energy inabligh activities.


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Mulla Asgharali M.M Jaffer writes in his above mentioned book:As I have mentioned earlier, the incessant and untiring efforts andcontributions by Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi in this direction havebeen decisive and o great importance. His knowledge o Swahili and Englishenabled him to offer his service without undue hesitation. He was appointedChie Missionary o Bilal Muslim Mission - an appellation signiying thenew role o an Aalim among the Khoja Shia Ithna-asheri. For the first timein its history the community lent its credence to this new appointment andrealised that the unction o an Aalim could be much more beneficial, variedand discursive.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MISSION:

Te expansion o the missions activities in Dar-es-Salaam and its vicinitynecessitated the establishment o an autonomous body, BILAL MUSLIMMISSION OF ANZANIA, as a subsidiary o the Khoja Shia Ithna-ashariSupreme Council. A Constitution was prepared by the secretariat, and acommittee ormed, with Haji Ahmad Hussein Sheriff Dewji (Moshi) as itspresident and Haji Mohammedrafiq G. Somji as the Hon. Secretary. FiveFounders signed the constitution:

1. Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi2. Haji Ahmad Husain Sheriff Dewji3. Haji Ali Mohammadjaffer Sheriff4. Haji Fidahussein Abdullah Hameer5. Haji Hussein Nasser Walji.

Te Mission was registered on 16/4/1968. Registered rustees o theMission were incorporated on 18/10/1968.

Te Mission is run by voluntary donations and subscriptions, and the grantso the said Federation. It has achieved its aims and objectives through books,periodicals and education.

Te Maraje taqleed, Ayatullah Sayyid Mohsin al-Hakim and Ayatullah


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Al-Haj Ahmed H. Sheriff, A FoundingMember; First Chairman o the Missionrom 1967 to 1985.

Al-Haj Mohammedrafiq Somji,Hon. Secretary 1967 - 1982

Mr. Sherali Hon. Secretary,1983- 1985


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Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Khui have attached great importance to the activitieso the Mission, and have expressed their ull support; blessing the Missionwith their earnest prayers. Recently the Islamic Propagation Organization othe Islamic Republic o Iran has established close relations with the Missionto help it with teachers, books and scholarships etc

SOME DISTINCTIONS

Te Mission, in a short period has earned many distinctions to its credit.

Afer Sayyidana Jaaar ayyar (who preached in the court o Ethiopia 6 or 7years afer the advent o Islam), Bilal Muslim Mission was the first and or a

long time the only institution dedicated to the abligh o rue Islam in thesub-Saharan Arica.

Also, it is the first Shia Mission established outside traditional Shia centres.

Te oundation o the Mission was laid with the teaching o religion tointerested Aricans. Te aim, rom the very beginning, was to create acadre o Arican scholars capable o conveying the message o Shiaism in

this part o the world. As a result the Mission is the first and the only Shiainstitution (outside the traditional Shia centres) which is run almost entirelyby indigenous preachers.

Te Mission began its activities in a remote corner away rom Middle East,India and Pakistan. Now this organization, born in a hut o coconut leaves,has secured or itsel a niche o honour and is acknowledged as one o theimportant centres o Shiaism. Our brethren in many other countries looktowards it or religious guidance and help. Now, we serve, and help ourMuslim brothers in Middle East, Europe and U.K, Central, Southern andWest Arica, Canada, U.S.A, Guyana, India, Pakistan, Ceylon, Tailand,Indonesia, Philippine, Malaysia, Australia and Poland.

Te Mission, although situated in anzania and Kenya, has spread thelight o rue Islam ar and wide. Its impact may be seen in the act that


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Ayatullah al-Uzma Aqa-e-Al-Haj as-SeyyidAbul-Qasim al-Khoui (Naja); whose patronageand unrestricted support has brought the Missionto its present stage o development and progress.


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when Hujjatul Islam Shaykh Houssein A. Chahada (a Lebanese Muballigh)established his society in Sierra Leone (West Arica) he named it BilalMuslim Mission. Later on Bilal Muslim Mission du Burundi and MissionIslamique do Malagasy were established on the same pattern under theumbrella o the Khoja Shia Ithna-ashari Supreme Council to carry on the

abligh work in Burundi and Madagascar respectively. Tese two missionswork in close cooperation with the anzania and Kenya Missions.

We most humbly thank Allah (s.w.t.) that He made us instrumental inspreading His message not only in Arica but as ar field as Guyana andrinidad. Now as a direct result o the efforts o the anzania Missionthere is the Pioneer Shia Muslim Association o Guyana (now run with the

help o the World Ahl ul Bayt IslamicLeague) which has also successullyestablished the rue Faith in the rinidad and obago.

Our sister organization, the Kenya Mission, has succeeded in spreadingthe message o truth in Ghana (where there are now two Shia Associationsin Accra and amale) and Nigeria (where a sizeable number have beenconverted.)

Also the anzania Mission has established its oothold in Zaire.

We have converts also in Malawi, Mauritius and Comoro Islands.

OUR ACTIVITIES

It is not possible, within this limited scope, to enumerate all the activities

o the Bilal Muslim Mission o anzania in detail.

Te Mission publishes two bi-monthly magazines: Sauti Ya Bilal (Te Voiceo Bilal) to cater or the Swahili readers; and Te Light which now enjoysglobal readership. o its credit the Mission has more than sixty English andSwahili books written on a wide range o Islamic topics.

It has 15 branches in anzania, which are run by the Arican Muballigheen


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and teachers trained at our Hawza at emeke. Many Muballigheen andteachers trained by us are serving in several centres in Kenya.

Te Mission runs successul Correspondence Courses in English andSwahili, which have substantial enrolment o students rom as ar as WestArica, South America and Australia.

We broadcast Islamic talks on Radio anzania

In ollowing pages you will find some details about various departments.

PRESENT MANAGING COMMITTEE

First line: (R to L) Haji Alihussein M. Janmohamed (Member); Haji Fidahussin A.Hameer (Chairman); Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi; Haji Mohamed RazaDungersi (Hon. Secretary); Haji Mohamed A. Khalan (Member): Haji Roshan A.Fazal (Advisor or Dispensary).

Second line: (R to L) Haji Mushtaq G. Fazal (Member); Haji Mustaa A. R. Alidina(Member); Haji Mohamed Hasham (Member).Not in picture: Haii Muslim Habib (Hon. reasurer).


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Ayatullah ul-Uzma Aqa-e-al-Haj as-SayyidRuhullah al-Khomayni, the Founder o theIslamic Republic o Iran.

Te Islamic Propagation Organisation (Iran)has recently established close relations with theMission


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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Islam does not believe in orced conversion or in one obtained throughmaterial inducement. Proceeding rom this sel-evident truth, the Missionhas steadastly kept its activities confined to conveying the message.Tis has been done through teachings in madrasas and schools, through

various Correspondence Courses, through literature in Swahili and Englishand through personal contacts.

Our very first step in 1965 was to start a class or Islamic history- Tereafer,a night madrasa was started by Shaykh Mohammad Ali Ngongabure atemeke in his house - a small hut thatched with coconut leaves. Te

students were taught by Shaykh Ngongabure and Maulana Seyyid SaeedAkhatar Rizvi. On 27/9/1968 five o them were sent to Naja where theypersued their studies under the patronage o late Ayatullah Sayyid Mohsinal-Hakeem. But due to the ast deteriorating conditions under the Bathist

Te hut at emeke where our activities began.Shaykh Mohammad Ali Ngongabure is standingwith students o the childrens madrasa.


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rule, they were transerred to Sur (Lebanon) under the care o Ayatullah as-Sayyid Musa Sadr, and later on to Darut-abligh, Qum (Iran). On 30/6/73two more students were sent to Qum. (Afer coming back, three o themare serving religion at Madrasatu Ahl il-Bavt (A.S.) emeke, and two atMombasa madrasa. Afer the Islamic revolution o Iran, many morestudents have gone to Iran, among whom there are some even rom

Tis photo was taken afer arewell party given to the five studentssent to Naja in 1968.

First line:

Te students (R to L): Abdullah Sei Linganaweka, AbdallahQasim Nguranga; Suleiman Juma Mahanaka; Abdur-RahmanRashid; Harun Rashid Pingili.

Second Line:(R to L) Shaykh Mohammad Ali Ngongabure, Maulana SayyidSaeed Akhtar Rizvi; Sayyid Muhammad Mahdi MusawiShushtari.


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Burundi, Uganda, Malagasy and Comoro Islands.

And again to quote Mulla Asgharali M.M. Jaffer, among the great changesit has wrought in the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Community is a act that itspurred and prompted the Khoja boys and girls to engage in the advancedreligious studies. With the Arican boys and girls in Iran today, we havea number o Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri students all busily pursuing higherreligious education.

Construction o the Missions first mosque and a 2-room madrasa beganat emeke in February, 1969. Te Muharram majlises in Swahili (whichthe previous year were held at Shaykh Mohammad Ali Ngongabures

house) were held in 1969 in the yet incomplete mosque. Te mosque andmadrasa were officially opened by Maulana Sayy,d Saeed Akhtar Rizvi on15th October, 1969. Te Madrasa was now shifed to its own building.

Te First Building:Te Bilal Mosque and the 2-roomed Madrasa at emeke


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Later on 2 more rooms were added to it. It was at this time that Boardingwas started (with 5 student) in a rented house.

In October 1970, M/S Combined Enteprises, Dsm., donated a Pre-abhouse or use as Boarding House. Te students were shifed therein. M/SCombined Enterprise then donated another Pre-ab house to ease theproblem o space. In 1975 a spacious boarding house and madrasa wasbuilt by Mrs. Kulsumbai Husein Sheriff o Arusha. At that time we had 16boarders.

When our 3 students came back rom Qum in 1973, the level o teachingwas enhanced too.

Te Building donated by late Mrs. Kulsumbai Husein Sheriff (Arusha).Now it contains offices o the Mission, Printing Press, Maktabatu-th-Taqalayn Library etc.


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In 1977 we purchased a spacious house adjacent to our plot or BoardingHouse, because the number o students had increased to 32. Now thereare about 48 boarders, coming rom all over anzania, as well as ComoroIslands and Burundi. Tere are at present 6 well-qualified teachers to teachthem.

Te oregoing account gives you an over-all View o gradual growth anddevelopment o the Madrasa and Boarding.

o alleviate the space problem, Haji Haidar Khaki has generously added onemore story on the above-mentioned Madrasa (that was built in 1975), andwhich is being opened today.

We still need a hall or Husainiya and rooms or starting tecnical classes.Foundation Stone or this spacious 3-story building is also laid today. Itsground floor will be used as Husainiya and 10 rooms in two upper storieswill be used or classes including cutting and tailoring class, cooking class,typewriting class and subjects like that.

An important development in this field has been the arrival o Hujjatul

Islam alib Husain aqi al-Khazraji, and Hujjatul Islam Abbas MahdiAhmad al-Muwahhidi.

When Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhatar Rizvi came to anzania or a monthin 1985, a decision was taken in consultation with Supreme Council,whereby Maulana went to Iran and made an agreement with Sazman-e-ablighat-e-Islami (Islamic Propagation Oraganization), ehran. TeSazman, by this agreement, undertook to send competent teachers in order

to improve the teaching methods and raise the standard o studies, and toprovide the Mission with all necessary text books. It was also agreed thatthe Mission shall try to open autonomous Missions in the countries rangingrom Somalia to Mauritius; the Sazman will provide at least one teacheror each country. It was urther agreed that the main centre should be inDar-es-Salaam. All the teachers (even i they are to be posted to othercountries) shall be sent at first to Dar es Salaam in order that they may bebrieed by Hujjatul Islam Aqa-e-al-Haj Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi. Afer this


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reorientation they will be sent to their appointed places.

Haji Haidar Khaki

Te New BuildingTe newly-built Upper story (to be opened today) reserved or theHawza-e-Ilmiya


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We are glad to record that, accordingly, our well-qualified teachersarrived on 28/4/86. Teir lncharge, Hujjatul Islam Shaykh Ali AsgharAwhadi reached Dar es Salaam (via Nairobi) on 9/5/86. Various Syllabi weremade or various groups:

1. Four-year syllabus or the emekes Hawza IImiya, which now has beennamed, Madrasatu Ahlil-Bayt (A.S.) lil Uloom-il-Islamiyyia.

2. Tree-year syllabus or the childrens madrasas - to be implemented invarious branches o the Mission.

3. Seven-year syllabus or religious education given in the govts PrimarySchools.

4. One-year eachers raining Course.

5. Tree-month Crash Course or teachers.

Hujjatul Islam Shaykh Bahauddin Najafi was posted to Nakuru MadrasatulQuran. (He had to return to ehran because o personal problems).

Hujjatul Islam Sayyid Murtaza al-Milani was posted to Burundi. (He hasrecently gone or Hajj.)

As stated above, Hujjatul Islam al-Khazraji and Hujjatul Islamal-Muwahhidi have been given charge o Madrastu Ahlil Bayt and itsBoarding House respectively. Tey are staying at emeke and within theshort period they have been here, the progress and improvements havebeen very impressive. We hope we will benefit rom their zeal, experienceand knowledge or a long time to come.

Taqalayn Library: Te Library o the Madrasa was disorganized. Now

Hujjatul Islam al-Muwahhidi has taken its charge. It has been shifed in thelarge hall, and daily attendence has been made compulsory or the students.We hope when the books promised by the Sazman-e-ablighat-e-Islamiwill arrive, the Library will become a treasure o knowledge.


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ISLAMIC CORRESPONDENCE COURSE

In 1967, on the advice o Haji Hasan Ali Mohamedjaffer Sheriff (the thenHon. reasurer o the K.S.I. Supreme Council) the mission started theIslamic Correspondence Course (ICC) with the aim to acquaint our youthswith the important aspects o Islam. Te level was a bit high and thereadership was limited to the students o the secondary schools or higher.

Each unit would be explained in a booklet and accompanied by questions.Te first unit was published on 16/4/1970. Te next 7 units and also 17and 21 were written and published without much delay. But the increasingpressure o work did not leave much time to Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar

Rizvi to write the remaining booklets.

However, the course, even in its incomplete orm, became popular andmany units have been reprinted by publishers in Pakistan, Iran, and USA.Some o them have been translated by other publishers in India into Urduand Hindi. Te Mission has translated most o them in Swahili.

Haji Muslim HabibHon. reasurer (rom 1979).


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MASOMO YA KI-ISLAMU KWA NJIA YA POSTA

ICC lessons are in English and aim at a higher level. In order to ulfil theneed o the general public, the mission embarked in December 1972 uponthe project o correspondence course in Swahili language.

Te course consists o our booklets on Roots o Religion and Biographyo the Prophet, Biographies o the 12 Imams and Bibi Fatemah Zahra,Branches o Religion, and Islamic Ethics and Manners. Afer successulcompletion o the course, the student is awarded a beautiul certificate.

Te first student was enrolled on 8/12/1972.

Until now more than our thousand have completed the course. Tere aremore than three thousand presently on roll. Tey come rom anzania,Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi and Zaire. Tese arearmers, secretaries, officers, teachers, school and university students andactory workers among them. Tey ollow Shafii, Ibadhi and Hanafi schoolso thought; also there are many Christians rom various denominations.

As a direct result o this course, some Aricans accepted the Shia aithin Bundibugyo (Uganda) years afer the sel-made Field Marshal IddiAmin turned out all the people o Indian Origin (including Khoja ShiaIthna-ashari) rom Uganda.

With increase o students in Kenya, our sister organization, Bilal MuslimMission o Kenya, ound it necessary to print the books in Mombasa andnow the Kenya brethren are served rom there.


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ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS COURSE

With ever increasing popularity o Swahili Correspondence course (MYK)it was decided to publish it into English also in order that its benefits mightreach to English speaking countries.

It will not be out o place to mention that in the original Swahili course, thefirst three books were translated by Shaykh Mohammad Ali Ngongaburerom an Arabic book with a lot o changes and additions made byMaulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi. Te ourth book was an original work,in Swahili, authored by Sayyid Muhammad Mahdi Shushtari (the then Asst.Chie Missionary o the mission).

Ten the course was translated into English by Haji Mohsin M.R. Alidina(Dar-es-Salaam University) and published under the title Islamic ReligiousCourse (IRC)

Like the original Swahili, it is divided into our parts, each explained in aseparate book.

Te lessons have proved so educative and became so popular that apublisher in Karachi had plagiarized the whole set, bringing it into onebook with a new name - without mentioning the names o original authors,translators and publishers.

Our sister organization in Kenya have popularized the course in Ghana andNigeria. Now there are two Shia organizations in Ghana, which are now alsosupported by the World Ahl ul-Bayt (A.S.) Islamic League, London.


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REPLYING TO RELIGIOUS QUESTIONS

Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, the Founder Chie Missionaryrequently receives questions on religious matters, not only rom Aricabut also rom Europe, North and South Americas, Middle East, IndianSub-continent and Southeast Asia. Among the correspondents are theMuslims as well as Non-Muslims.

From time to time important questions have been compiled and publishedin book orm, so that its benefit might reach a wider circle. Between 1973and 1979 our parts o this series were prepared:Vol. 1: Answers to 1 31 questions received mostly between 1968 and 1971.

Vol. 2: Correspondence between Mr. Dhikiri Omari Mohamed Kiondo andthe author, between 1968 and 1974. It contains answers to about ninetyquestions o various types, plus our Appendices.

Vol. 3: Contains replies to 117 questions received between January 1972 andMarch 1975.

Vol. 4: Replies to 105 questions received rom April 1975 to June 1978, plusone Appendix.

Tis series contains a treasure o knowledge.

SEMINARSMost o the converts in anzania have accepted the rue Faith as a result

o the Masomo Ya Ki-Islamu kwa Njia ya Posta. Te Mission tries to invitethem to Dar es Salaam or to send them to a nearby Jamaat or practicaltraining o prayers etc. But not all o them can avail themselves o thisopportunity.

Tereore, it was decided in 1976 to hold regional seminars rom time totime to teach the converts.


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Te purpose o holding such Seminars was to gather new converts andacquaint them with each other and teach them important matters oreligion.

MWANZA SEMINAR:Mwanza was chosen as the venue o the first Seminar (26th-28th November,1976). When approached, Mwanza Jamaat very generously offered to hostthe Seminar. It was attended by 28 participants, some o them reached thereafer considerable hardship owing to lack o adquate transport.

Te Seminar, held under Chairmanship o Maulana Sayyid SaeedAkhtar Rizvi, was addressed by Haji Ali Mohamed Jaffer Sheriff, Shaykh

Mohammad Ali Ngongabure, Sheikh Haroon Rashid Muba and MzeeKhamisi Kitumboy, and drew tremendous response.

KALEMIE SEMINAR:Mr. Suleiman Banza, a Muballigh working in Bujumbura (Burundi),under Central Committee o Bilal Muslim Missions o Arica, came romBujumbura to Dar es Salaam in January, 1977; and reported to the ChieMissionary o anzania Missions that during his visit o Kalemie, he oundsome Arican people claiming to be Shia though they knew nothing aboutShia aith. When Mr. Banza introduced himsel as a Shia Muballigh, theywere highly pleased and asked him to bring some Shia Muballigheen toKalemie. Tey collected some und which was deposited in the bank in thename o Bilai Muslim Mission du Zaire. Tey decided to hold a Seminar on27th February.

Te invitation was accepted, Shaykh Mohammad Ali Ngongabure (ourMuballigh at Bagamoyo) and Mr. Khamisi Kitumboy proceeded to Kigomaon 19th February, and rom Kigoma went to Kalemie on 24th.

Tere, as a result o the contacts established, about 70 people acceptedShiaism.


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TeGroupPh

otooftheMwanzaSeminar


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wo Madresas, containing 83 and 13 students respectively, asked the BilalMissions to send Muallims to teach them Shia aith.

ARUSHA SEMINAR:

Tis Seminar was held on 15th - 17th July, 1977, in which converts romArusha and neighbouring regions participated. Te Arusha Jamaat verygenerously hosted the Seminar; participants were accommodated at ArushaGuest House, and the Seminar held in the Madresa; it was chaired by (late)Mulla Gulamhussein A. Peera, and addressed by Shaykh Abdullah KasimNgurangwa, Mulla Gulamhussein A. Peera and Shaykh Harun RashidPingili.

Tere is need to revive this system in order to keep in touch with our newlyconverted brethren.

BOOKS

Te Mission uptil now has published more than sixty books in English andSwahili on a wide range o Islamic subjects.

Its English books are extremely popular; may publishers have reprintedthem in Iran, India, Pakistan and the U.S.A. - most o them with ourpermission. Some books have been translated in French, Italian, Persian,Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati, Burmese, Tai, Indonesian, Japanese, and Hausalanguages.

Uptil now, the general practice o Shia writers was to translate books romArabic, Persian and Urdu into European languages. Now, or the first time,some English publications o Bilal Muslim Mission o anzania have beentranslated into Arabic, Persian and Urdu. Te Mission is the first, and as aras we know, the only, Shia institution whose publications have been givensuch recognition.


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PRINTING PRESS

Our printing work since the first day was done by the Dar es Salaam PrintersLtd, Dar es Salaam.

In 1980, they donated an offset printing press (Gestetner 211), a camera, aplate-making machine and a stitching machine.

Since then the Light and Sauti ya Bilal are printed in our own press. Recentlya donor has given us a new printing machine (Gestetner 311). With the twomachines we will be in a position to bring our printing programme up-to-date.

But the biggest bottle-neck is the type- setting - which keeps us behind theschedule.

We have recently purchased a second-hand type-setting machine locally.Hopeully now we shall be able to make proper plans or our publications.

But our responsibility would not end here. We should endeavour to give thebooks and magazines widest circulation.


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THE LIGHT

How it started:In 1963, the Executive o the K.S.I. Supreme Council (then at Arusha)suggested to Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi to publish every month asmall article on religion and send it to our youths studying in Europe andAmerica, in order to keep them in touch with religion. Tus, the first issueo Te Light was published in March 1963. It was cyclosted job (1 pages,oolscap size) and a grand number o 75 copies were printed. By the end o1964 about 15 issues were published and readership had increased to 300.

In 1965, Maulana Rizvi started publishing it rom Dar-es-Salaam - printed

at the Dar-es-Salaam printers Ltd on large size. Afer a ew issues, it startedcoming out under the auspices o K.S.I. erritorial Council o anganyika.

When the Mission was registered in 1968, Maulana Rizvi suggested thatnow the Light should be published by Bilal Muslim Mission o anzania.Since then it is published as the main organ o the Mission. Gradually itspages have increased and printed has gone rom linotype to offset.

Te magazine enjoys world-wide readership and is recognized as anauthentic and authoritative voice o the Shia aith. Its articles are copied- sometimes without acknowledgement - in Islamic magazines in India,Pakistan, Iran, UK, USA and even South Arica. Occasionally they aretranslated and published by Arabic and Persian magazines.


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SAUTI YA BILAL

Sauti ya Bilal (Te Voice o Bilal) was started by Haji Mohsin AliMohammedjaffer Sheriff, who was appointed the Convenor o the BilalCOmmittee at Mombasa. Tree issues o different sizes were published romMombasa in 1965 and 1966.

In 1967, the Bilal Muslim Mission o anzania took it over.

Al-Haj Sayyid Mohammad Mahdi-al-Musawy, the Asst. Chie Missionaryo Bilal anzania became its editor; since then it is published as a bi-monthlymagazine.

Te magazine is very popular in anzania, Kenya and adjacent Swahilispeaking areas.

Sayyid Muhammad Mahdi al-Musawi ShushtariEditor, Sauti ya Bilal (1967 - 1976)


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Maulana Sayyid Sajjad Husain

Haji Mohammad Hussein Rajani(Haji Saheb)

Haji Mohsin A.M. Jaffer

Maalim Dhikiri U.M. Kiondo


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BRANCHES

Te Mission has fifeen branches in anzania, out o which ten areoperational.

DAR ES SALAAMemeke Centre is not only our Head-quarters, it has a branch too.

In this branch, there is a Nursary Madresa, a Primary Madrasa, and an AdultGirls Madrasa.

(A) ADULT GIRLS MADRASATere are 42 girls in this Class, who are diligently taught by Mrs. aheraRajani, our Head Lady eacher, who spends her time in this noble work fisabilillah.

She recommends that we should also start stitching, knitting, cutting anddress-making classes as well as yping classes in order to help the girs intheir struggle or lie.

As soon as the new building (whose oundation stone is being laid today) isready, the Mission shall implement this scheme, Insha -All ah,

(B) PRIMARY CLASSwo teachers teach 112 students in this section.

(C) NURSARY CLASSESTere are two section, comprising o about 80 children. Tere are two lady

teachers who take these classes. Porridge is given to the chidlren at therecess time.

COAST REGIONTere are three branches in the Coast Region:

(A) BAGAMOYOBagamoyo, the old capital o the then German East Arica, probably has the


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2nd oldest Shia lthanaashari Mosque in East Arica. With the transer o thecapital to Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo declined, and the Masjid and Imam-bara remained as relics, where the Dsm. Jamaat kept a watchman. Late Mr.Saleh Jacksie used to come, in Muharram, rom Zanzibar to Bagamoyo andhold Mailises there. It continued till 1935. Te Ithnaashari Union o uar es

Salaam holds a majlis there during Muharram/Saar which mumineen romDar. go to attend.

In 1965, it was decided to start a branch o the Mission in that Mosque. TeDar es Salaam Jamaat renovated it and a centre was established in 1966.Afer some time it had to be closed. Since than, it was opened and closedserveral times. But now since last two years, the Branch is progressing dayby day. Shaykh Hasan Ndimbo worked there alone or two years; now he is

assisted by another Muallim.

Te building and boundary wall have been repaired and renovated again.

Tere is a Madrasa with 34 students. Tere are other educational centresattended by our teachers.

(B) MSATAMsata, on the road between Chalinze and Korogwe, has a Madrasa whichhas 30 ull-time students. Our teacher, Hamisi Rabana, teaches in otherinstitutions also.

(C) IKWIRIRIIkwiriri branch was established in July 1970. Tere is a Madrasa in whichtwo teachers teach 117 students. Tey also teach in other institutions.

BUKOBA REGIONBukoba Branch is most active, and the dedication o the Bilal Regiona1Committee and Karutanga local Committee deserves appreciation. In 1984they added a library and class rooms to the existmg building o KarutangaMadrasa.Tere are our teachers in the Madrasa, who teach 201 children during day


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time; 35 adults are taught in the adult class six times a week.

RUVUMA REGIONLuwawasi, near the Songea airport, is the oldest branch; it was started in July1967 by Maulana Sayyid Sajjad Hussein.

A Madrasa was constructed on the plot donated by (late) Jumbe Idi.Foundation stone was laid on 3/2/1968 by Maulana Sayyid Saeed AkhtarRizvi.

Tere are two teachers and 33 students in the Madrasa; there is an adult classin which ten persons are taught religion six days a week.

Tis branch owes much to the moral and material support given by lateMulla Ali Hussein Nagji, Haii Karmali Rajani and Haji Akbar Rajpar.

Another branch in unduru is served by one teacher who teaches 59students; there is also an adult class o 5 persons.

ARUSHA REGION

One teacher is working at Arusha, where there are 83 children in theMadrasa. A ew years ago the Arusha branch was participating in the SabaSaba rade-are.

TANGA REGIONIn Kwembago (Dist. Lushoto) a teacher runs a Madrasa o 98 children.

Te branches at Ujiji and Kalela (in Kigoma Region), Lindi, Mwanza, anga

and Mboga (Coast Region) are dormant at present. Efforts are at hand torevive them.

TEACHING IN GOVT. SCHOOLSApart rom these ull-fledged branches, there are more than fify teachers in

various places who teach the syllabus provided by the Mission.

Also our teachers in various branches take religious classes in differentschools twice or thrice a week. In this way, they serve about 2,000 children


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in ten Primary and Secondary schools.*********************

RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONS

Religious unctions are held in many branches.

(1) TEMEKE CENTRE:As or the emeke Centre, Majlises are held or twelve days o Muharram;and Niyaz is arranged.

During Ramadhan nights, the programme starts one hour beore sunset,

when Dars-e-Quran is given. Afer prayer, Niyaz is served, ollowed byMawaidha, Dua-e-Ifitah and other Duas o the Ramadhan nights.

Majlises are held every Tursday night as well as on birth and deathanniversaries o the Masumeen. Dua-e-Nudba is recited every Friday aferFair prayer.

(2) BAGAMOYO: Ramadhan programme starts afer 8.30 p.m. Dua-e-

Ifitah and other duas are recited. ollowed by Mawaidha. Niyaz is served.

(3) IKWIRIRI:Ramadhan and Muharram programmes are held. Niyaz isserved.

(4) MSATA: Muharram Majlises were started ollowed by Niyaz in 1985.

(5) SONGEA: Muharram Majlises are held also at Luwawasi.

(6) ZANZIBAR: Since 1984, on the invitation o the Zanzibar Jamaat,Shaykh Abdullah Sei is posted there or the month o Ramadhan. Hisspeeches, delivered in Swahili, are appreciated very much.

In all the above unctions speakers and preachers are sent rom emekeCentre.


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EYE CAMPS

Te Missions real aim is to bring light into darkness, because Allah isthe Guardian of those who believe; He brings them out of the darknessinto the light.(2:257) Actually it means guiding the people to the light othe rue Faith: For surely it is not the eyes that become blind, but blindbecome the hearts which are in the breasts.(22:46)

Yet the Mission is helping the physically blind to see, as a maniest symbolat its spiritual endeavours.

Te plan to hold eve- camps was envisaged, on behal o the Mission, by Haji

Anverali Merali Ali Bhai, Haji Mohamed Hussein Rajani (Haji Saheb) andHaji Mustaa A.R. Alidina, in cooperation with the opthalmists M/S BashirH. Gulamali, Abdul Najaali Dhala, Murtaza Somji, Hasnain Fazal and Mr.Abdu.

At first, they covered the Bagamoyo area, where eye-camps were held at theMissions branch situated at the Bagamoyo Mosque.

In 5 tripes, held on various Sundays, about 1100 patients were screened. 30needed cataract operation, and were called to Dsm or it. Te rest were givenspectacles - ree o charge.In the last trip, Dr. Fuad H. Sheriff checked about 400 patients or B.P. anddiabetes.

Now, they are covering Ikwiriri in Rufiji area, where the Mission has abranch.

In two trips held in September, 1985 and July, 1986, 967 patients werechecked. 104 had matured or inmature cataract; 3 Glucoma, 3 blind eye,and 30 Amboloyopic, Matured cataract cases were advised to come to Dar esSalaam. Others with need o spectacles were given the spectacles, medicineand sun-glasses.


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Our sincere thanks to the organisers, the opticians, the cardiologist, thevolunteers and those brothers who are providing transport and money tomake this noble programme a success.

HEALTH CLINIC

In 1984, a hal-built house on an adjacent plot was purchased by theMission with a view to use it as a ree Health Clinic or the benefit o thegeneral public. Haji Abbas Alloo (o oronto, Canada) donated about hal othe cost. Te rest was raised rom general donation. Mr. Akhtar Nayani didthe decoration work without charging any labour cost.

Te Mission is highly obliged to Brother Habib Gulamali Damji or hisefforts to get approval or the dispensary rom the Ministry o Health. Assoon as we get the approval letter, arrangements will be made to employthe Doctors and Staff, purchase the equipments and medicine and othernecessary paraphernalia.

We hope the Mission will get the necessary support o the Community asusual or this project too.

Te Dispensary Building at emeke.


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RADIO AND TELEVISION

With the efforts o AI-Haj Mustaa A.R. Alidina and Al-Haj Roshanali Fazal,our members have been able to give lectures on Radio anzania as rom15th November, 1985.

AI-Haj Mohamed Khalan, Al-Haj Muhsin Alidina, Mulla MohammedHusein Kermali, AI-Haj Mohamed Raza Dungersi, and Al-Haj MuhammadNathani have already spoken on a variety o subject; i.e. auheed, Quran theUltimate Miracle, Moral Issues in Islam, Islamic History and the lie o HolyProphet (S.A.W.W.).

Al-Haj Maalim Ahmed Issa very kindly monitors the lectures and acts asadviser to the speakers.

Apart rom lecturers in English, Mr. Muhsin Alidina was also able to give atalk in Kiswahili on the lie o Nabi-e-Karim (s.a.w.w.) on the occassion oMilad-un- I Nabi (S.A.W.W.) which was very popular.

Audio-visual Programme on Zanzibar Television.

Our efforts in this direction are continuing and we hope Inshallah will bearruit very soon.

SABA SABA TRADE-FAIR

IN 1985, some enthusiastic youths, i.e. Murtaza Pyarali Ahmad Sikiladha,Sadik Hashm, Haji M.H. Rajani, Akbar Juma and others arranged with

Bakwata to use their stall (which they were not using) or Bilal MissionsBook Exhibition. Te programme was a great success. Apart rom bookssold or distributed, we got more than 300 students or the Swahili MasomoYa Ki-Islamu (Kwa Njia ya Posta).

Since then Haji Mustaa A.R. Alidina had been trying to get a plot allottedpermanently or the Bilal Mission. We are glad to report that now the rade


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Fair authorities have given us a plot, or which requisite ee etc. has beenpaid.

Te approval came a bit late. So the above-mentioned youths used thepavilion o Brother Mahboob Bharwani or Bilal. We are thankul to Brother

Mahboob or giving us hal o his pavilion or this purpose.

We plan to construct a building on our plot very soon, and next year weshall welcome you at our own pavilion, God willing.

DEVELOPMENT PLANS

Te development and growth o our Head-quarters and Hawza has beengradual, as must have been seen in preceding pages. Even the temporaryPre-abricated houses have continuously been used or classes. It is onlyafer the completion o the upper story building (which is officially openedtoday) that the classes have been shifed rom these houses and the mosque.Still there is need or urther rooms and halls.

When the original Masjid proved insufficient to accomodate the

participants, Maulana Sayyid Sajjad Husain requested some Brothers whomade the extension. Also, it was on the request o Mualana Sayyid SajjadHusain that Brother Akber M. Rajpar made the boundary wall, thus makingthe compound sae and manageable.

May Allah give good rewards to all the donors and volunteers whosegenerosity and services have brought the Centre to the present stage. Amen.

With increase o activities, need is still elt or more rooms, halls and flats.Accordingly, we have three Development Plans, a short description o whichis given here.

(A) MADRASA AND HUSAINIYAoday, the Foundation-stone o this 3-story building is to be laid byMaulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, the Founding Father o the Mission.


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ArtistssviewofMarkazal-Sayyidal-Khoui


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Te ground floor will serve as the Husainiya and alleviate the problemswe have been acing uptil now during Muharram, Ramadhan and otherunctions. Te first and second floor will have ten class rooms. Teseadditional rooms will allow us to open new classes, e.g. stitching, dress-making and typing etc.

Its cost is estimated to be 8.7 million . Shillings.

(B) ALIMS FLATS

We expect to regularly receive teachers and visiting teachers rom theIslamic Propagation Organisation, ehran.

At present we are acing problems in accommodating them. Plans have beenapproved by the City Council, Dsm., to construct two amily flats above the-building where presently Nursary and Primary Classes are held.

We have not yet ound any donor or it.

(C) HOUSING SCHEME

Tis is the most ambitious scheme which is directly concerned with welareo our Arican Shia brothers.

We have obtained a plot at Changombe (Opposite the Police Station), a ten-minute walk rom emeke Centre. We plan to build 18 houses on this plot- with a small Masjid in the middle. (I built double story, there can be 36houses).

At present we have been promised money or 8 flats; and the construction othis first phase will start as soon as the plan is approved by the City Council.

We shall give these flats to our Arican Shia brothers in Dar es Salaam.


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Plan o the Housing Scheme, Changombe.


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OUR EMBLEM

Our emblem was adapted rom that o Majlisul Muslimeen, Karachi. Teiremblem looks like a postage stamp. We took the central design and put it inthe outline o the map o Arica.

Te emblem has a dome and minaret o a mosque which denotesour devotion to the cause and zeal to call the people to Allah; Te word

is predominantly super inscribed which shows our acceptance othe call o Ghadeer-e-Khumm, and points to our own responsibility toconvey the Message. Tere are 5 stars symbolizing the 5 Holy patronages.Te date-tree points to Medina and has 12 ronds or the 12 Imams. It alsosymbolizes the Good tree whose root is firmly fixed and whose branchesare in Heaven (14:24). All is encircled by a tasbih o the Lady o Paradise,Hazrat Fatimah Zahra (a.s.). Te whole design is put inside the Aricanmaps outline to show that now the Shia aith is firmly rooted in Arica.


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highlights of bilal muslim mission of tanzania (1965 - 1986)

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