Abdullah Hakim Quick – Untold Stories Of Muslims In South Africa World History 2

			Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. I praise Allah
subhanaw taala I send peace and blessings to the last prophet Mohammed Abdullah Abdullah, the seal
of the messengers to his family, his companions, and all those who called his way today of judgment,
I greet you with peace. Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullah
		

			Muslims during the golden age of Islam, between the seventh and the 17th centuries AD, traveled
throughout the planet, and had a profound impact upon human relations. And when the Portuguese had
finally, overcome the Muslims in Al Andalus, and 1492, we find the last stronghold Granada falling.
They inherited a technology that was a combination of the technologies of China and India, in
ancient Europe and Africa, and the world. And it is reported that one of the Conqueror is known as
an explorer, Vasco de Gama. He rounded the Cape of Good Hope in the 15th century, and he was seeking
a way around Southern Africa.
		

			It was not surprising that he was able to do this because his boat was designed by Muslims. And he
carried an astrolabe with him and other devices. And moriscos were on his boat and he hired a
navigator Ahmed bin magic. And so he found his way around with Islamic help and reached into the
Indian Ocean. And the Arab sea failed seafarers were familiar with the Indian Ocean from earliest
times. Now, historians and geographers are really realizing that not only did they travel the East
African coastline, but they went deep into the South. What is reported is that they actually went
around the southern part of Africa. And they made it into the Cape of Good Hope, long before
		

			European presence.
		

			The first recorded presence of Muslims in the cape, where we actually have written records is coming
in, in the Western Cape around the 1650s.
		

			And in what is now known as Cape Town,
		

			the Dutch established a colony on the coastline.
		

			In this colony, they brought slaves and political prisoners from India, from Indonesia, from New
Guinea, from Malaysia, from Madagascar, and from East and West Africa. And this base of operations
that the Dutch had developed, you could say or is now known as the mother city of South Africa. And
within the cape itself, there were a number of early Islamic personalities.
		

			In these personalities, there was one Metatron who was a prisoner on Robben Island. There was also a
tuin ramen, and tuin Muhammad, who came from Sumatra in Indonesia.
		

			In 1667, they were able to establish a community in an area of Cape Town that is known as
Constantia.
		

			And by 1694 and especially in April 2 of 1694. A special personality comes in
		

			into the cape region. That is Chef Youssef of Mikasa. He arrived as a political prisoner. And he was
known to be a very important person within Indonesia and all of the Malaysian lands. He came in with
his family and 49 followers. He was related to one of the Sultans of Indonesia. He had made
pilgrimage to Mecca in 1644. He stayed in Mecca, and he became fluent in the Arabic language, he
memorize the Quran, he became proficient in Quranic interpretation known as tafsir. He studied the
Hadith, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, he studied jurisprudence. He studied
the traditional Islamic sciences. And he became a very important person within the culture of the
		

			people of the cape.
		

			He is known to have struggled in Indonesia. And it is through his efforts that a community starts to
develop. And we find, again a beautiful blending that is happening within cultures that develops the
culture of the people of the cape. The Dutch had used their superior weapons to defeat the
Indonesians. They also use division between Amir's and kings and greed, something similar to what
happened in Andalusia.
		

			She accused of himself resisted colonization. And with 4000 fighters, he resisted for a long period
of time, until finally he was captured and exiled to Sri Lanka, from Sri Lanka, he then entered into
the cape. And so, he is recognized as a very important personality within South African Muslim
culture. He is looked upon as the father of the Muslims within the cape
		

			in his group, his colony that was set up with 12, Imams, and their wives and their children. And
they settled in the mouth of the earth river, and shared use of Mikasa Rahim Allah, he was able to
rally the Muslim slaves to conduct religious services. And he spread Islam, to the indigenous white
white people who were living in that region. He died in 1699. But he is still known today as the
father of the Muslims of the cape. And as a very important figure within Islamic history in southern
Africa. He wrote books in three languages, he wrote in ballet, booga, nice and in Arabic. And his
memory is cherished by the people of the cape, and recognized as one of the most important
		

			individuals in the history.
		

			By 1725, the cape is now developing, and slaves are being brought in, again, from Indonesia, from
Madagascar, from East Africa, from different parts of Sri Lanka and India. And it is reported that
3000 convicts, prisoners of war were brought in specially to work on the harbor itself. And amongst
these prisoners of war are people that they call bandit Imams, or exiled imams. And these imams work
directly with the people. And what they presented for the slaves at that time was an alternative
culture. So you could say in the sense that it was a form of resistance. And that's why the
authorities called the bandits although they were highly religious people. But they were giving an
		

			alternative to the alcohol and the adultery. And the confusion that was coming within the
predominant our Dutch culture at the time. These imams conducted special gatherings in private
homes, especially those that were owned by freed Muslims. And they resistance became powerful, and
many slaves as especially those people who were able to come out of slavery to commit themselves and
were free entered into Islam.
		

			Another important issue happening in the cape region at the time is that wind becomes an important
export. And
		

			the Muslim slaves now did not drink alcohol, but they were involved heavily in education, and they
preferred not to drink so they were more sober.
		

			The non Muslim people who were there who were working in the region. And so large numbers of people
accept Islam. And upward mobility is actually developed through accepting Islam. And the Dutch
authorities, although they hated the resistance in the Muslims. They wanted to have Muslims working,
because they weren't drunk. They were honest people, and they prayed. And that is a benefit for
somebody who's controlling an area and needs strong, sober, sustained help. When the British
abolished slavery, and they freed African people in a number of their colonies, about 5000 of these
Africans came into the region between 1808 and 1856.
		

			They came mainly from Mozambique. And when they came into the region, they actually saw Islam as the
best alternative for their lives. So they entered into Islam in large numbers, and they boasted the
Muslim community and strong addresses start to develop, so that by the year 1780, individuals are
rising up, one of them known as one guru, in the Malaysian language, or Mr. Abdullah, even tardy
Abdul salam, he comes out, he emerges as the strongest personality at that time, he was banished to
Robben Island, the same place where President Nelson Mandela suffered during the apartheid regime to
end guru was banished to Robben Island. And finally, when he came out in 1793, he wrote the code and
		

			the whole court and from his memory, and this text is still found today in the first mosque, that
was established in Cape Town. And this Masjid that was established around 1834, is known as a well,
Musk. And so it is the first mosque to be established in the cape. The Imam, of course, coming out
of the tradition of Turin guru,
		

			and right in line with these teachings,
		

			helps the people to come into Islam. So what happens is that to end guru and the others who follow
Him, then convert many people, not by force, not by violence. But people come into Islam through
education.
		

			People see Islam as a means of raising this status in life as a means of understanding what is
happening in the world. And it is reported
		

			that those who are still in ball and chain slavery, those who who could not move around in the
evening because of the chains would get up in the middle of the night, and pray tahajjud prayer with
chains, they would get up in the middle of the night, and read the core and in chains. This is a
powerful part of the history of Muslims living in the cape. And this is part of the important
understanding, which is now arising out of the cape region that shows the connection between Muslims
in southern Africa with Muslims living in East Africa, Madagascar, Malaysia, Indonesia. And we find
from the writings and the teachings of the scholars, that the Muslims in South Africa in the early
		

			period, were also connected with the Muslims in Arabia, they are leaders and studied in Mecca. The
teachings were coming from traditional Islamic sciences and the the the the culture that develops
becomes connected directly to the Muslim world. Let's take a break now. And then continue on with
our understanding of the Muslims living in the southern part of Africa in Cape Town.
		

			Welcome to this new episode of focus points. The new generation is has the good the habit of reading
more than before.
		

			Question was named basically the problem of us who lost the function in society
		

			The Muslims in southern Africa, living at the Cape developed a beautiful culture, which was another
blending of Islamic cultures and the indigenous languages and understandings of the region. And this
is in line with what happened with the Swahili youth, who developed a culture based upon Arab
merchants who are coming into East Africa, and intermarrying with the indigenous people of East
Africa. In this case, we have
		

			slaves and political prisoners, who are coming from the east, coming from Indonesia and Malaysia,
from Sri Lanka, from Madagascar, from East Africa, and even from West Africa, all coming into the
cape, and they are being controlled by the Dutch, they are also living within South Africa and the
leading of the major indigenous group or the hoy people and so, their language, the indigenous
language, now mixes with Malaysian languages, and then mixes with the Dutch language. And from out
of this comes a new language and this Dutch base language is called Afrikaans. And so, basically,
what it is is a creole form of Dutch, but there is so much influence from Malaysian languages and
		

			some touches of hoy also, that it takes on a new form. And what is interesting about Afrikaans is
that it is expressed by the people in a local way, and also it is written in the Arabic script. So
that what we are finding is that in the same way, that in Al Andalus, that Spanish was written in
Arabic script.
		

			Also in West Africa, we find that mandinka languages the song guy language, the Fulani language,
Wolof, the language is
		

			also written in the Arabic language, we find that Persian is expressed to the Arabic language,
Turkish is expressed through the Arabic language. So we find that Arabic becomes a lingua franca, it
becomes a language of education, a language of culture, a language of even transmitting our non
Arabic expressions. This is a powerful testimony to this language. And at that point in history,
Arabic was still dominating much of the world.
		

			Muslims were the first to write Afrikaans, in Arabic script. And so the early expressions of
Afrikaans are coming out within Islamic texts. So we find, for instance, books on arcada, on faith,
books, on grammar of Arabic, on interpretation of the Koran, and on the traditions and sayings of
the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. They are written in Afrikaans, but it's an Arabic script. So
these textbooks, actually now are considered to be one of the most important aspects of the written
heritage of Southern Africa. And it is now being brought together in the African Union, to to make
part of the rich culture of the African continent, which brought together people from different
		

			continents and different languages. And again, it is so interesting that Arabic is at the basis of
this. And Muslims are the agents of bringing together different nationalities and also raising
education to a high level within society. So this young Muslim community, living in the bondage of
slavery, then becomes liberated when slavery is abolished. But Following this, a
		

			terrible period of colonialism is developed in South Africa, which eventually leads into what is
known as apartheid. And that is where people are separated based upon their color, and based upon
their nationalities. And so within the apartheid system, the white complexion people live in a
separate area. They live on the high grounds, and they get the best area, the middle people called
the collets. The people who are mixed are living in the middle regions and they usually work as
artisans and they
		

			Work as domestics and some semi skilled jobs, and the African people are living on the bottom, and
are working in the gold mines, and the diamond mines. And the most menial jobs within a society
itself. Muslims find themselves in the middle, they find themselves not in the top dominating
classes, and not in the lowest, most oppressed class. But they were oppressed and put into a very
strategic position. So many of the Muslims were involved in the struggle against apartheid. They use
their their education, they use their their their intelligence, to try to bring the oppressed people
from out of a state of oppression, from the time of to end Google, you go back to the 18th century,
		

			and even before that, to the time of Shaq use of lacasa. Back in the 17th century, Muslims were
providing upward mobility through Islam, that people who did not know how to express themselves,
through written languages, could not read, textbooks carrying science and literature, were
introduced to writing through the Arabic language to the reading of the court. And they were able to
then go into the revelation, they were able to learn the sayings of the great alaba, who came out of
the Middle East and out of much of Africa. And so Muslims provided this upward mobility for the
oppressed people through the religion of Islam, and through the learning of Arabic, and the
		

			memorization of the Quran. And the great writings of the Allah, who came from all parts of the
Muslim world.
		

			The cape Muslims were able to travel out of South Africa. And it is reported that from way back in
the 18th century, some of them managed to actually reach Arabia, and they made a pilgrimage to make
to Arabia. So from the 18th century, into the 19th century, they had a term they called the Muslims
of the cape, a little calf, which we would know as the people of the cave. And there's a chapter
called sort of calf, or the chapter of the cave in the court, and maybe the Meccans considered the
cave, Muslims to be so far away, to be like in a cave or to be in a distant place. And they call
them a little calf. And they came into Mecca, and they made the pilgrimage and settled down in
		

			Arabia. Later on, during the colonial period, where Muslims were involved in
		

			being artisans and semi skilled labor, they became excellent tailors. So they made excellent suits,
and excellent clothing to the point where the ones were able to go to the pilgrimage to Mecca. And
they started to sew clothing for the people of Mecca, they became the tailors of the Ashraf, Ashraf,
and the tailors of the Sultan's, and they lived in Mecca, and they intermarried with the people in
that region. So they make a vibrant community. And what develops from the apartheid is a negative
and a positive. The negative is that Muslims are separated from other people. And they are oppressed
by a strong racial regime. But the positive is that Muslims are forced to come together to live in
		

			collectives, and this form type of mini Islamic State. So within the regions, especially in Cape
Town, where you come into the Muslim sections, you find the man being called openly, all of the
shops are selling halau food. The women are dressing according to Islam. Children are playing around
and they're mostly Muslims. And so it is a strange phenomena that happens. Muslims are forced
together. But through coming together in a state of Islam, they are able to actually preserve their
faith and to raise themselves to a higher level.
		

			So what develops out of this is that within the 20th century, Muslims then come to Cairo. They come
to Medina and Mecca, and they start to learn to read the Koran. What develops out of this is a type
of Kira. It is a level of the recitation of the Quran, that becomes world class and some of the
great hall files coming out of Egypt. Some of the greatest of the Quran, readers would go down to
the cape and read for the people in the cape, and they would involve themselves in Quranic
competitions. And this continues up until today, to the level of the people of the cape is one that
is recognized.
		

			by people throughout the planet, also the struggle, because the history of Cape of the cape is one
of struggle. The struggle then is is recognized not only within South Africa, but without South
Africa. So keep Muslims from the cape also are very much involved in the issues within the Muslim
world. And they have a very powerful voice. And although their number is small, their voice is heard
throughout the world. So, this culture of the cape is a beautiful blending and the capetonians who
are known as Malays, the terminology is using Malay, but actually it is a beautiful blending of
Asian, of African, of Indian,
		

			of Turkish, all types of blood of European, all types of blood are mixed together within the
capetonian community. And also different foods are found within their culture. So again, is it is
another beautiful blending of the cultures of the world. And that is one of the great blessings that
Islam has for the world. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, was surrounded by people of all
nationalities. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him did not submit to Arab nationalism, but taught
that the best amongst the Muslims is the one who has faith. It is not based upon the color of your
skin, nor is it based upon your class, or your lineage. So the Muslims of the cape continue in this
		

			tradition, and they are able to build over 150 masjids within Cape Town and its facility itself,
they are also able to export. There are Quran readers around South Africa around the southern
hemisphere. And they are being benefited from in many parts of the Muslim world today.
		

			This is part of the legacy of struggle, and from the early times, Sheikh Yusuf of Mikasa, to end
guru, and all those who were struggling to maintain the Arabic language, those who would get up in
the middle of the night and perform tahajjud prayer. Those who will read the Koran even though they
were tortured to the point of death. It is through this struggle that Islam continues and thrives
and that Muslims are able to participate in the struggles of other people in other parts of the
world. And so, we again, open up this gem of wisdom and Untold Story of Islam, and Untold Story of
world history. I leave you with this in peace. Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh