Dar es Salaam

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Dar es Salaam
Khoja Ithna-Asheri Shia Mosque in Dar es Salaam
Khoja Ithna-Asheri Shia Mosque in Dar es Salaam
Coordinate6°48′58″S 39°16′49″E / 6.81611°S 39.28028°E / -6.81611; 39.28028
CountryTanzania
LanguageSwahili
Places
MosquesKhoja Ithna-Asheri Shia Mosque
Famous people
ReligiousSayyid Sa'id Akhtar Rizvi


Dar es Salaam (Arabic: دار السلام; Dār al-Salām), formerly known as Mzizima, is the largest city, industrial center, and major port of Tanzania. Its name comes from an Arabic word meaning "Abode of Peace." Though it lost its official status as the capital city to the more centrally located Dodoma in 1996, it continues to serve as the seat of most government administration and the capital for the surrounding region.

The city is home to a minority Shi'a Muslim community, which encompasses both indigenous and non-indigenous individuals. The non-indigenous Shi'a population comprises Khojas, Bohras, and Lebanese immigrants.

Significant Shi'a organizations situated in Dar es Salaam include the central offices of Bilal Muslim Mission, WIPAHS, and the Africa Federation Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaats.

History

The history of Dar es Salaam spans four periods: (a) sultanate rule, (b) colonial period (German and British), (c) independence, and (d) post-independence. Originally a small fishing village called Mzizima ("healthy town" in Kiswahili), it was founded as Dar es Salaam by Sultan Majid b. Sayyid of Zanzibar in 1866. The city declined after the Sultan's death but revived under German rule in 1887.

Dar es Salaam became the administrative center of German East Africa and remained the capital under British rule, despite racial segregation. It grew rapidly and became a center of anti-colonial resistance. After Tanganyika's independence in 1961 and the merger with Zanzibar in 1964, Dar es Salaam stayed the capital. The government planned to move the capital to Dodoma in 1973, but Dar es Salaam remained the main administrative and economic hub. In 2015, the President announced the relocation of all government offices to Dodoma by October 2020.

Importance

Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, had a population of 5,383,728 as of the 2022 census.[1] It is a major port not only for Tanzania but also for its landlocked neighbors and serves as the entry point for tourists visiting the varied and unique natural features of Tanzania.

The Shia community in Dar es Salaam consists of various groups, such as Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslims, Bohras, Agha Khanis, Lebanese immigrants, and local residents.[2] They have established centers and organizations within the city. According to Amir Bahram Arab-Ahmadi, the Khojas have been residing in this city since 1880.[3]

Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Institutions in Dar es Salaam

Shi'a mosque in Dar es Salaam

The headquarters and central buildings of certain Shia Khodja Ithna-Asheri organizations are located in Dar es Salaam;

Bilal Muslim Mission

Main article: Bilal Muslim organization

The Bilal Muslim organization is a significant institution within the Shia Khodja Ithna-Asheri community. Its primary objective is to promote Islam, with a particular focus on Shiism, among the African population in the region.[4]

Africa Federation Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaats

Main article: Africa Federation Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaats

The Africa Federation Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaats is an organization comprised of East African Shias of Indian descent. It operates under the World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities and focuses on education, spreading religious beliefs, and promoting public welfare.[5]

WIPAHS

Main article: WIPAHS

WIPAHS (World Islamic Propagation and Humanitarian Services) is a missionary organization associated with a group of Khoja Ithna-Asheris. It operates independently from the Africa Federation and the Bilal Muslim Mission, delivering educational, healthcare, and welfare services to underprivileged Muslims in Tanzania.[6]

Educational and Service Centers

Khoja Shia Centers

  • Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri (KSIJ) Jamaat Dar es Salam; Established in 1937, is the most significant Shia community in Tanzania and East Africa. It serves an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 Shi'a Muslims.[7]
  • Al-Muntazir School; One of the most important Ithna-Asheri Khojas educational institutions, run by the Africa Federation under the Dar es Salaam Jamaat's direction. This complex contains branches in several parts of Dar es Salaam and operates at different educational levels.[8]
  • The Husayni Madressa; one of the educational centers for teaching religious studies to the Ithna-Asheri Khoja Shia community in Tanzania. Husayni Madrasah's vision is to nurture students to become thinking and practicing Muslims.[9]
  • Al-Itrah Foundation; offers various services including education and healthcare. IBN TV, managed by the foundation, is the first Islamic channel in Tanzania, providing diverse programming in high definition to educate and uplift citizens.[10]
  • Ahl al-Bayt Center; a religious school, affiliated with the Bilal Muslim Mission, also has branches outside of Tanzania.[11]
  • Kibaha Education Centre (KEC); an educational center, affiliated with WIPAHS, is located 35 kilometers from Dar es Salaam.[12]
  • Khoja Ithna-Asheri Shia Mosque; This mosque, located in the city center, hosts gatherings and religious ceremonies for the Khoja Shia community.[13]

Non-Khoja Shia Centers

  • Imam Rida (a) School
  • Imam Hussain (a) Foundation
  • Amir al-Mu'minin (a) School
  • Imam Baqir (a) Foundation
  • Sibtayn School
  • Ahlul Bayt (a) School
  • Fatimah al-Zahra (a) School, affiliated with WIPAHS[14]

Muharram Mourning

In Dar es Salaam, during the month of Muharram, mourning ceremonies for Imam al-Husayn (a) take place. On the eve of Ashura, Shias come together for a procession, walking to the central Shia Mosque while engaging in chest-beating and reciting elegies. It's worth noting that Hindus and non-Shias also participate in these rituals.[15]

Shi'a Figures

Sayyid Sa'id Akhtar Rizvi
  • Mahbub Jafar Samji is a member of the Dar es Salaam Jamaat and is in charge of managing the al-Muntazir School.[19]

Notes

  1. ↑ TANZANIA: Regions and Cities
  2. ↑ See: ʿArab Aḥmadī, Shīʿayān-i Kenīyā wa Tānzānīyā munāsibāt bā piyruwān-i madhāhib, p. 105-142.
  3. ↑ See: ʿArab Aḥmadī, Shīʿayān-i Kenīyā wa Tānzānīyā munāsibāt bā piyruwān-i madhāhib, p. 131.
  4. ↑ ʿArab Aḥmadī, Shīʿayān-i Khoja ithnā ʿasharī dar gustara-yi jahān, p. 173-174.
  5. ↑ Amīnī, Tānzānīyā, p. 21.
  6. ↑ ʿArab Aḥmadī, Shīʿayān-i Khoja ithnā ʿasharī dar gustara-yi jahān, p. 187.
  7. ↑ Ranjbar Shīrāzī, Shīʿayān-i Tānzānīyā wa waḍʿīyyat-i ānān, p. 43.
  8. ↑ Ranjbar Shīrāzī, Shīʿayān-i Tānzānīyā wa waḍʿīyyat-i ānān, p. 46.
  9. ↑ Ranjbar Shīrāzī, Shīʿayān-i Tānzānīyā wa waḍʿīyyat-i ānān, p. 47.
  10. ↑ Ranjbar Shīrāzī, Shīʿayān-i Tānzānīyā wa waḍʿīyyat-i ānān, p. 47-48.
  11. ↑ Ranjbar Shīrāzī, Shīʿayān-i Tānzānīyā wa waḍʿīyyat-i ānān, p. 50-51.
  12. ↑ Ranjbar Shīrāzī, Shīʿayān-i Tānzānīyā wa waḍʿīyyat-i ānān, p. 53.
  13. ↑ Ranjbar Shīrāzī, Shīʿayān-i Tānzānīyā wa waḍʿīyyat-i ānān, p. 45.
  14. ↑ Jaʿfarīyān, Aṭlas-i Shīʿa, p. 558.
  15. ↑ ʿArab Aḥmadī, Marāsim-i sūgwārī-yi dahi-yi muḥarram dar Dār al-salām, p. 85.
  16. ↑ ʿArab Aḥmadī, Shīʿayān-i Khoja ithnā ʿasharī dar gustara-yi jahān, p. 413-414.
  17. ↑ Rawghanī, Shīʿayān-i Khoja dar āʾīna-yi tārīkh, p. 158.
  18. ↑ Jaʿfarīyān, Aṭlas-i Shīʿa, p. 557.
  19. ↑ Ranjbar Shīrāzī, Shīʿayān-i Tānzānīyā wa waḍʿīyyat-i ānān, p. 46

References

  • ʿArab Aḥmadī, Amīr Bahrām. Marāsim-i sūgwārī-yi dahi-yi muḥarram dar Dār al-salām. In Chishmandāz-i Irtībāṭāt-i Farhangī 21 (1384 Sh).
  • ʿArab Aḥmadī, Amīr Bahrām. Shīʿayān-i Kenīyā wa Tānzānīyā munāsibāt bā piyruwān-i madhāhib. In Muṭāliʿat-i Rāhburdī-yi Jahān-i Islām 63 (1394 Sh).
  • ʿArab Aḥmadī, Amīr Bahrām. Shīʿayān-i Khoja ithnā ʿasharī dar gustara-yi jahān. In Muʾassisa-yi Shīʿa Shināsī (1389 Sh).
  • Amīnī, Raḥīm. Tānzānīyā. Tehran: Wizārat-i Umūr-i Khārija, 1375 Sh.
  • Jaʿfarīyān, Rasūl. Aṭlas-i Shīʿa. Tehran: Intishārāt-i Sāzmān-i Jughrāfīyāyī-yi Nīrūhā-yi Musallaḥ, 1391 Sh.
  • Ranjbar Shīrāzī, Rūḥ Allāh and Jān Aḥmadī, Fāṭima. Shīʿayān-i Tānzānīyā wa waḍʿīyyat-i ānān. In Faṣlnāma-yi Shīʿa Shināsī 40 (1391 Sh).
  • Rawghanī, Zahrā. Shīʿayān-i Khoja dar āʾīna-yi tārīkh. Tehran: Pazhūhishgāh-i ʿUlūm-i Insānī wa Muṭāliʿat-i Farhangī, 1387 Sh.
  • TANZANIA: Regions and Cities. Accessed: 2021/15/06.
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