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Published on 29th June, 2002
Passing
Away of Alama as-Sayyid Akhtar al-Rizvi
By
Munir Daya, Editor, Federation Samachar
INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHI
RAJIUN
 The sudden and sad demise of Allamah Sayyid
Saeed Akhtar Rizvi in Dar es Salaam on Thursday 20th June 2002
(8th Rabi-ul-Aakhar 1423) came as a shock to the community and
Muslims at large, around the world. Marhum Maulana Rizvi
was more like an institution rather than an individual
considering his intense involvement in propagating the Shia
faith around the world.
He was a scholar, a preacher and a writer. He acquired deep
knowledge of religion as well as of secular subjects and his
books have been used by children learning Islam, adults
wanting to know further about our religion and by new converts
and outsiders for who Marhum spent many hours enlightening
them on the true concepts of the Shia faith.
As a prolific writer he has over 140 titles to
his credit some of these have been translated into twenty two
languages. His books and correspondence have been instrumental
in spreading the true Islam from Philippines to Guyana and
around the world. His books on the Elements of Islamic
Studies, harmful effects of music, the ill effects of pork and
many others are a household name because they provide simple
and crucial explanations on many issues pertaining to Islam.
He also wrote numerous articles while excerpts from his 'Your
Questions Answered' editions have been regularly carried in
the Federation Samachar. His writing erudition also extends to
the English translation of the profound Tafsir Al Mizan of
Ayatullah Tabatabai.
A faqih and a muhaddith in his own right, he was also an
expert in tafseer and scholastic theology, a rijali and
historian, a poet and a linguist that all made him one of the
greatest Muballighs the Shia World has ever known. A
multitalented communicator, he spoke and wrote in Urdu,
English, Arabic, Persian and Kiswahili while also knowing
Hindi and Gujarati.
As a historian, his last mammoth work, on the
History of The Shia Communities, is in the process of being
published. In his tribute, the World Federation President,
Hasnainbhai Walji points out that Allama Rizvi authored the
very first monograph he ever read on the history of the Khoja
Shia Ithnaasheris. This was authored in conjunction with
Professor Noel King of Makerere University about a quarter of
a century ago.
The World Federation Secretary General, Sibtain Panjwani in
his condolence message says," ....I am reflecting on
those momentous and far sighted decisions made by the Supreme
Council of the Africa Federation in 1964 to create the Bilal
Muslim Mission with the support of Allama Syed Akhter Rizvi
and others who remained committed to this substantial task
during their lifetime ..." He adds, "...History will
record the work of the Bilal Muslim Mission as a legacy from
our community to the indigenous people of Africa."
Born in Ushri Bihar, India on 5th January 1927 (Ist Rajab,
1345) Maulana was first appointed as a resident Alim in Lindi
after coming to Tanzania in 1959. Realising that he could only
propagate the true faith by understanding and speaking the
local language he was quick to learn Kiswahili and improved
his English as a result of which he could write the many books
that he authored.
As a man with vision he was thus involved in
the establishment of the Bilal Muslim Mission in Africa. In
1962 he prepared a scheme for tabligh and sent it to Haji
Ebrahim H. Sheriff in Arusha. He then amended and improved the
first plan and when Allama was transferred to Arusha in 1963 a
pilot scheme was put into effect.
Before the triennial Conference of the Africa Federation in
Tanga in 1964, Allamah Rizvi's recommendations were circulated
as a Secretariat paper and this got a boost following a
resolution of Hussein Nasser Walji (approved in the general
meeting of Dar es Salaam Jamaat) that called upon the
Federation to become involved in tabligh activities among
African people. In his booklet, 'Outline of Shi'a
Ithna-ashari History in East Africa', Marhum Mulla Asgharali
M.M. Jaffer states, "...the 1964 memorandum was received
with mixed feelings but it got a boost from a resolution sent
by Dar es Salaam Jamaat to do something in this (tabligh)
connection." An appreciative majority ultimately adopted
this scheme as a policy and this is how a new field of
activity appropriately called the Bilal Muslim Mission came
into being.
In his same book, Marhum Mulla Asghar
mentions, "...the incessant and untiring efforts and
contributions by Maulana Syed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi in this
direction have been decisive and of great importance. His
knowledge of Kiswahili and English enabled him to offer his
service without any undue hesitation. He was appointed Chief
Missionary of the Bilal Muslim Mission - an appellation
signifying the new role of an Aalim among the Khoja Shia Ithna
Asheris. For the first time in its history, the community lent
its credence to this new appointment and realised that the
function of an Aalim could be much more beneficial, varied and
discursive."
From Arusha, Marhum Allamah Rizvi was transferred to Dar es
Salaam Jamaat. The expansion of the Mission's activities in
Dar es Salaam necessitated the formation of an autonomous body
and in July 1967 Allamah Rizvi went to Mombasa and had a
meeting with the office-bearers of the Supreme Council in
which it was decided to establish two institutions, the Bilal
Muslim Mission of Tanzania and the Bilal Muslim Mission of
Kenya. The former was registered on 16th April 1968 and the
latter in 1971 with Marhum Maulana Rizvi being one of the
founder members and the Chief Missionary. He was also the
Tableegh Advisor of the Late Chairman of the Africa
Federation, Late Mohamedali Meghji and to Marhum Mulla Asghar
M.M. Jaffer, Alhaj Mohamed Dhirani and Alhaj Habibbhai Mulji.
Thereafter with his enthusiastic missionary
activities into the interior regions of East Africa his name
became synonymous with the word Tabligh among the indigenous
people of East Africa. In his endeavour to spread Islam,
Marhum introduced correspondence courses in Islamic studies in
English and Kiswahili besides several other courses for Shia
students through the Bilal Muslim Mission. These courses are
not only pursued in Africa but throughout the world. He also
travelled widely in Africa, Europe, Canada and the USA where
he recited thought provoking majlises and lectured University
students and various other audiences. While his audiences at
some gatherings were intellectuals he always reached out to
new converts and those wishing to know more about religion.
 The funeral took place on Saturday 22nd June 2002 (10th
Rabi-ulAakhar 1423) with a very large attendance at the Dar es
Salaam Jamaat Imambara and also at the graveyard. Many
indigenous Shia brothers attended and walked on foot covering
the route of the funeral Cortege from the Imambara to the
cemetery in more than half an hour. Normally coffins are taken
by a special van to the graveyard. Two scouts holding two
large black flags led the cortege to the burial site while
traffic police stopped the busy Saturday morning traffic in
Dar es Salaam to make way for the cortege.
The Dar-es-Salaam Jamaat Imambara was thronged with Mumineen,
who included the Africa Federation Chairman Alhaj Zulfikar
Khimji, Hon Secretary Alhaj Barkat Rajani, the Ambassador of
the Islamic Republic of Iran to Tanzania, Representatives from
Muslim Communities in Dar-e-Salaam, Sayyid Murtadha Murtadha
from Madrastul Akram Nairobi, Alhaj Abbas Nasser Chairman and
Alhaj Fazleabbas Datoo, Hon Secretary of Bilal Muslim Mission
Mombasa, the Dar es Salaam Jamaat Chairman, Asgharbhai
Bharwani and the two immediate Past Chairmen of the Africa
Federation, Mohamedbhai Dhirani and Habibbhai Mulji. Alims
from Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Tanga and Zanzibar were also
present together with officials from various regions of
Tanzania.
Namaz-e-Mayyat was led by Hujjatul Islam Syed Mohamed Rizvi
the son of the Marhum. Sheikh Musi Ridha Resident Alim of Dar-es-Salaam
Jamaat gave a brief history of the Allama followed by a short
majlis.
During the Ziyarat (FatihaKhwani) ceremony held on Sunday
23rd June 2002 (11th Rabi-ul-Aakhar 1423) five speakers paid
tribute to Marhum for his great contribution towards Islamic
enlightenment around the world. The Chairman of the Africa
Federation, Zulfikarbhai Khimji highlighted some of his
achievements ever since the formation of the Bilal Muslim
Mission and launched a Memorial Fund in the name of the Late
Allama Syed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi and requested all Jamaats to
keep a desk for collection of funds that would be spent
towards tabligh.
The Chairman of Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya, Abbasbhai
Nasser said that Marhum Maulana Rizvi had played a crucial
role in initiating tabligh activities and said that his first
impact on the local community was when he obtained a
distinction pass in Kiswahili that he learnt after arriving in
Tanzania. He said publications like the Light (since March,
1963) and Sauti ya Bilal (since 1965) are now read throughout
the world while some books of Maulana Rizvi have had to be
reprinted because of great public demand. He said Maulana was
also involved in reforming imprisoned convicts and said that
few knew the fact that he was also a good poet.
On behalf of the African population in Tanzania, Sheikh
Ramadhani Kwezi of Bilal Muslim Mission paid tribute to
Maulana who he defined as a great religious advisor to the
local population. He said that prior to Maulana's arrival in
the country there was not a single African Shia but today
there are over 100,000 Shia Africans whose lives have not only
been uplifted religiously but also economically. He said
Marhum Rizvi has travelled to over 45 countries for tabligh
and that the local African Shias have been orphaned by his
death. He also referred to the Bilal Charitable Trust opened
in India by Marhum.
The Chairman of the Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania,
Pyaralibhai Shivji outlined the historical involvement of
Marhum in tabligh activities since he came to Tanzania. He
said his involvement in rehabilitation of prisoners had led to
an improvement in the moral values of inmates who were reached
out to. He also said that all the community's Marjas beginning
from Ayatullah al-Uzama Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakeem, Ayatullah al-Uzma
Sayyid Abul Qassim Al-Khoui, Ayatullah al-Uzama Gulapaygani
and Ayatullah al-Uzma Seestani entrusted Marhum Maulana Rizvi
as being capable of answering questions on fiqh.
The Past Chairman of the Africa Federation, Mohamedbhai
Dhirani said that in 1959, when he was the Dar es Salaam
Jamaat Honorary Secretary, the Jamaat, then consisting of
about 1800 members, was in need of a resident Maulana. He said
that Maulana Rizvi arrived in a steamer from India at the age
of thirty to fill this position but because Lindi Jamaat also
urgently needed a Maulana, Marhum was instead sent there as a
resident Alim. He said Marhum Maulana Rizvi quickly blended
with the local population and learnt Kiswahili fast following
which he addressed gatherings in Kiswahili.
Mohamedbhai said that the then Chairman of the Africa
Federation, Ebrahimbhai Sheriff asked him to handle tabligh
secretariat affairs as a result of which he was transferred to
Arusha. In Arusha he also undertook Islamic propagation at
Jamaat level. In 1964, he said, a resolution was passed to
begin tabligh activities when the Chairmanship was under
Marhum Mohamedali Meghji who superseded Ebrahimbhai Sheriff
who passed away.
Mohamedbhai said that Marhum Maulana Rizvi faced difficulty in
tabligh activities sometimes from members of our own community
who blamed him of initiating a situation conducive to
inter-racial marriages. He said that some even complained that
it would be difficult to control our occasions when niaz is
served in the presence of non-Khojas. He said that such
complaints proved unrealistic and today the Bilal Muslim
Mission has many Shia Centres, some in very remote areas,
where converts congregate and mark the Shia faith. He said the fact that today the Bilal Muslim Mission's
activities have spread far and wide to places as far as
Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa and other places
worldwide including the United States is a testimony of how
the will to spread Islam can prosper if done with a sincere
motive.
He said Marhum has 146 book titles to his credit with 85 of
these being in English and the others in different languages
including Kiswahili. He said that Marhum previously also
penned a weekly column in the local Tanganyika Standard
newspaper called 'Thought of the Week' which dealt with
inter-faith issues and that he wrote many articles for local
newspapers. He also referred to the 'Question and
Answer' series carried in the Federation Samachar.
Mohamedbhai said that Marhum Maulana Rizvi was a bridge
between conservative and modern Islamic thinking and called on
the community to have a constructive vision following his
death. He said it is high time that we focused on individuals
to take further Islamic training so that we have enough
manpower to run the affairs of our institutions, Jamaats and
the Bilal Muslim Mission.
On a personal note I greatly cherish the fact that Marhum
allowed us to carry excerpts from his book 'Your Questions
Answered' in the Federation Samachar. I also recollect the
time when he penned a special article for the Federation
Samachar special edition marking the 52nd anniversary of the
Africa Federation. He wrote an article on the codification of
Shi'a personal law in Tanzania and Kenya and when he had a few
amendments to the article, he personally visited me in my
office despite his very busy schedules. I was indeed touched
by his humility and modesty because he could have simply
called me to his office to collect the amendments. His modest
behaviour reminded me of a parable that my late father taught
us about humility saying that when a branch is full of fruits
it bows down but when it has no fruits it remains erect.
Marhum Maulana Rizvi was a perfect example of a branch with
fruits on it.
We offer condolences to his bereaved family and pray to Allah
(swt) to give the departed soul a high place in "jawar"
of the fourteen Ma'sumeen ('a) and to give his family
fortitude to bear his sad demise with patience. May Allah (swt)
also grant us all solace to sustain this loss.
With great sorrow.
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