LIFE HISTORY SINCE HIS COMING TO AFRIKA-1950-2008

Maulana Sayyid Saeed Rizvi (RA) past life before his coming to Africa is well known by his Community and from where he came from and the Jamat he worked for as a Resident Alim first at Lindi and Mtwara and later on in Dar and other parts in the then Tanganyika-former Tanzania.

Allamah Rizvi’s Tabligh trips in African countries:

He travelled a lot and widely all over Tanganyika-present day Tanzania as well as various parts in Africa like Zanzibar, Pemba, Mombasa, Nairobi, Uganda, Mauritius, Seychelles (Country in East Africa), Comoros Islands and Madagascar, Somalia, and other parts in Africa.

He travelled a lot after he left the KSIJ-AFED office and became independent in what is now widely known as TABLIGH-propagation. One other person from the KSIJ who can match Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi (RA) was Mulla M.M. JAFFER ASGHAR R.A.-the past President of WF-London UK from 1980-1990.

These two great scholars from the KSIJ Dar and Mombasa Kenya did a lot for Ahlul Bait (AS) preaching and were the sources of all the excellent products of Tabligh now seen in Eastern Africa.

They used SWAHILI language and customs and traditions and norms to meet and reach the people here that is why they succeeded in their Mission.

Some Fruits of Allameh Rizvi’s Tabligh:

Amongst the greatest Fruits of Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi(RA) are the following Institutions he started in Tanganyika -Tanzania:

1.Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania-which later on became a worldwide Tabligh Madrasah adopted all over the globe until West Indies, USA, UK, Europe, Nordic countries, Africa etc.

2.World Assembly of Ahlul Bait AS-Tanzania which is also a world accepted institution caring for over 1000 Madrasah and Hawzah all over Africa.

3.Start of Hawzah Madrasah Centers at TEMEKE-which now has a Nursery school up to a Teachers Training College including primary and secondary and High school at the same Campus. The Hawzah at Temeke became the Lighting Torch-Mwenge for the coming up of such other Hawzahs in Arusha, Tanga, Kigoma, Dodoma, various other parts in Dar-es-Salaam, Moshi, Mombasa, Nairobi, Uganda and Zanzibar as well as in West Africa. Graduates from the Temeke Hawzah started in 1970s were the pioneers Sheikhs and Teachers of all these Hawzahs in Tanganyika-Tanzania and up to now the Temeke College is the MAIN producer of over 90% of all teachers in many Madrasah and Hawzah in present day Tanzania.

Some students of Allamah Rizvi (ra):

Amongst the fruits of Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi(RA) are the Sheikhs himself trained and taught and later on sent them to Qom, Najaf and Damascus for higher studies personalities like SHEIKH ABDALLAH ALI SEIF, SHEIKH ABDALLAH UWEZO, SHEIKH MAHANAK, SHEIKH MNDIMO, SHEIKH ABDALLAH KEYA, SHEIKH SAID BASADO and others.

Amongst those he trained and remained in Tanzania learning under him in Dar-es-Salam are Sheikhs: Kwezi, Musabaha, Omari Ali Mayunga, Ali Nassir, Abubakari Shaddadi, Khamisi Bemzoga, Bakari Mbelango and Sheikh Hashim Salim Musa who became a Hafiz of Qur’an and a great Mujawwid Qur’an in Tanzania and a great Mubaligh and teacher at various Madrasah in Tanzania.

Some important landmark contributions of Allamah Rizvi (ra):

Some important landmark contributions of Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi (RA) are his Postal Islamic Knowledge Lessons-Masomo ya Kiislamu kwa Njia ya Posta which are still going on until now.

Another important Tabligh work is the over 300 small Books in Kiswahili he authored and Newsletters-like SAUTI YA BILAL, THE LIGHT, THE CRESCENT etc.

He assisted in the Preservation of the KADHIES AND CHIEF KADHIES Courts in Kenya and Zanzibar through his Writings and Letters and workshops and Seminars and Petitions he wrote to ask the governments in East Africa to allow the Muslims in these countries to have their Kadhies Courts and the fruits are as seen now.

The various Kabristani-Makaburini that are there in Dar-es-Salaam and other towns in Tanzania are the efforts of Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi(RA) efforts in their preservations through the constructions of small sizes mosques Masaajids in the Kabristani Areas which stopped the governments not to demolish the Areas while estending and widening the Roads like Bibi Titi Road Dar-es-Salaam etc.

A system of sending students abroad for stud:

The system of sending students to study abroad was started by Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi (RA) which until now is (still) going on.

Educational activities of Allamah Rizvi (ra):

The Programs of Out Reach Tabligh was started by him first in the Prisons and later on in the schools and colleges and open air grounds and later extended to the villages in various parts in East Africa.

Establishment of religious centers:

He built complete Centre: Madrasah-Masjid and a teacher’s house at wherever he started Tablighi like in Kigoma and Bukoba and Mwanza and Tabora and Dodoma and Moshi etc.

Encouragement about economic issues:

He encouraged the New Muslims to do Agriculture, farming and animals keeping and small scale home industry so as to be self-independent in their lives.

Providing Tabligh tools:

He brought an offset printing press machine from INDIA which is still there in the printing and publishing various Islamic Books at BMMTZ Dar es Salaam.

Teachings to prisoners:

Through the Prisons Visiting Tablighi Programs he helped over 10,000 prisoners to be good people and Muslims in their communities after their jail term ended in various parts in Tanzania as well as internationally.

And these Programs are still going on through the Letters of Applications once applied for by Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi (RA).

Plans for establishing Tv and Radios:

The present TV and Radios and Media programs were all his plans and programs which he had them on his table only that they became alive and active now after his demise, but were all his plans and Visions.

Allamah Rizvi’s educational moment for women:

On the side of Girls-Women, he helped to educate over 300 lady teachers-Sheikhat over the ages and who are now great scholars amongst the Muslim Women communities at various places in Tanzania. These ladies are secular and Religious trained persons.

The first Muslims Primary school teachers training college in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania was started by Maulana Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi (RA) at Temeke which also houses the first Islamic Hawzah in Eastern Africa.

The importance of learning different languages:

He taught African Sheikhs Urdu and Farsi and Arabic languages and these three languages became great tools and skills for his Mubaligheena all over Tanzania over the ages.

Bilal Islamic Hijri Calendar:

Amongst his greatest work is the BILAL ISLAMIC HIJRI CALENDAR first authored and penned by him and which is still being printed until now through BMMTZ Dar-es-Salaam.

Establishment of libraries:

He started libraries and now through BMMTZ there are over 64 public Islamic Knowledge Libraries all over Tanzania under the AhlulBait as Centers of various schools in various parts in East Africa.

Allamah Rizvi’s Efforts on Muslim Unity:

And  the Best  work  he  did  over  the  fifty  years  he  lived  in Tanzania, Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi  )RA( is  the  Unity  he  built  between  the Sunnis + Shia  Muslims  followers  and  which  gave  birth to ATTAQRIIB BAYNAL MUSLIMEENA, an institute  which  until now is very much active in Tanzania and is used widely  by all Muslims  at all forums and avenues on occasions of Milaad-un-Nabii(saww), Eidul Fitri, Eidul Adh’haa, Hajj Travelling, Umrah tours and Qur’an Competitions  and  Graduations  ceremonies  as  well  as  in marriages  and death occasions in  various  cities  in Tanzania.

We wish this institution to be given a lot of support to grow and reach the aims Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi(RA) had in his mission and vision in ATTAQRIIB.

We cannot end talking about RAIS MUBALIGHEEN MAULANA SAYYID SAEED AKHTAR RIZVI(RA) because he was the Fountain of all the True Islamic Knowledge and Education in Africa.

Written by:

SHEIKH MOHAMED MUBARAKA O SHAHBAL

HIS EX-STUDENT (2000-2002).

DAR-ES-SALAAM, TANZANIA.

24/11/2022