Sa'id Akhtar Rizvi
Encyclopedia
Sayyid Sa‘eed Akhtar Rizvi (1927-2002) was an Indian born, Twelver Shī‘ah scholar, who actively promoted Islam
in East Africa
.
He spoke Urdu
, English
, Arabic, Persian
, Swahili
and knew Hindi
and Gujrati
.
He was given authorisations by fourteen Grand Ayatullahs for riwayah, Qazawah, and Umur-e-Hasbiyah.
, Bihar state
, India
, in 1927. His father was Sayyid Abul Hassan Rizvi and who was also a Maulana
. He had five sons and two daughters. His second eldest son, Hujjat-ul-Islam wal Muslimeen Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, lives in Toronto
, Canada
. He has followed his father's footsteps and has written many books as well. He is the Imam
of the Islamic Shia Ithna‘asheri Jamaat (ISIJ) of Toronto, Jaffari Islamic Center. Sayyid Saeed Akhtar was a very friendly and humorous person. He spent a lot of time with his family.
, Tanzania
, where he was appointed the local Islamic scholar . He there learned Swahili
and improved his English
in order to better perform his work as a scholar.
In 1962, he proposed a plan of propagating the faith among the African people to Haji Ebrahim H. Sheriff in Arusha
. An amended and improved plan was put into action in 1963. This plan was circulated in the triennial Conference of the Africa Federation in Tanga in 1964, where it received the approval of Hussein Nasser Walji (approved in the general meeting of Dar es Salaam Jamaat.
Marhum Mulla Asgharali M.M. Jaffer writes:
.
Marhum Mulla Asgharali M.M. Jaffer writes:
Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi was transferred from Arusha
in the north of Tanzania
to the group in Dar es Salaam
in mid-eastern Tanzania
. This expansions of activities created the need of an autonomous body, so Saeed Akhtar Rizvi went to Mombasa
in southern Kenya
in 1976 in order to meet the office-bearers of the Supreme Council. They decided to create two organizations, so Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania was registered on 16 April 1968 and the Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya in 1971 with Rizvi as one of the founding members, the Chief Missionary and the Tableegh Advisor of the Late Chairman of the Africa Federation, Late Mohamedali Meghjee and to Marhum Mulla Asghar M.M. Jaffer, Alhaj Mohamed Dhirani and Alhaj Habibbhai Mulji.
in English and Swahili besides several other courses for Shia students through the Bilal Muslim Mission.
He traveled widely, holding assemblies and lecturing to university
students in Africa, Europe
, Canada
and USA, making sure that his speeches reached intellectuals, new converts and those wishing to know more about religion.
. Although 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. Traffic police stopped the busy Saturday morning traffic to make way for the cortege, who walked on foot covering the route of the funeral Cortege from the Imambara to the cemetery in more than half an hour. Officials and Scholars from several countries were present. The obligatory Islamic funeral
prayer (Salat al-Mayyit) was held by Muhammad Rizvi, the son of the deceased.
Representatives from Bilal Muslim Mission credited him with raising the number of African Shi'as in East Africa from none to 100,000.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in East Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
He spoke Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Arabic, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
and knew Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Gujrati
Gujrati
Gujrati may refer to anything of or relating to:* Gujrat, a city in Punjab, Pakistan* Gujrat District, the corresponding district of Punjab...
.
He was given authorisations by fourteen Grand Ayatullahs for riwayah, Qazawah, and Umur-e-Hasbiyah.
Biography
Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi was born in a place called Ushri, Saran districtSaran district
Saran District is one of the thirty-seven districts of Bihar state, India. The district, part of Saran Division, is also known as Chapra district after the headquarters of the district - Chapra...
, Bihar state
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, in 1927. His father was Sayyid Abul Hassan Rizvi and who was also a Maulana
Maulana
Mawlānā is an Arabic word literally meaning "our lord" or "our master" ....
. He had five sons and two daughters. His second eldest son, Hujjat-ul-Islam wal Muslimeen Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, lives in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He has followed his father's footsteps and has written many books as well. He is the Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of the Islamic Shia Ithna‘asheri Jamaat (ISIJ) of Toronto, Jaffari Islamic Center. Sayyid Saeed Akhtar was a very friendly and humorous person. He spent a lot of time with his family.
Tanzania
In 1959 he came to LindiLindi
Lindi is a coastal town located at the far end of the Lindi Bay, on the Indian Ocean in southeastern Tanzania. The town is 450 kilometers south of Dar es Salaam and 105 kilometers north of Mtwara, the southernmost coastal town in Tanzania, and gives its name to the surrounding Lindi Region, one...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, where he was appointed the local Islamic scholar . He there learned Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
and improved his English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in order to better perform his work as a scholar.
In 1962, he proposed a plan of propagating the faith among the African people to Haji Ebrahim H. Sheriff in Arusha
Arusha
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
. An amended and improved plan was put into action in 1963. This plan was circulated in the triennial Conference of the Africa Federation in Tanga in 1964, where it received the approval of Hussein Nasser Walji (approved in the general meeting of Dar es Salaam Jamaat.
Marhum Mulla Asgharali M.M. Jaffer writes:
Bilal Muslim Mission
In the end, the plan was adopted by the majority as a policy, marking the birth of the Bilal Muslim MissionBilal Muslim Mission
The Bilal Muslim Mission is an international Shi'a twelver organization, established in East Africa on December 25, 1964 through the efforts of Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi. The organization is named after Bilal ibn Ribah, the famous African Sahaba.-History:...
.
Marhum Mulla Asgharali M.M. Jaffer writes:
Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi was transferred from Arusha
Arusha
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
in the north of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
to the group in Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
in mid-eastern Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. This expansions of activities created the need of an autonomous body, so Saeed Akhtar Rizvi went to Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
in southern Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
in 1976 in order to meet the office-bearers of the Supreme Council. They decided to create two organizations, so Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania was registered on 16 April 1968 and the Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya in 1971 with Rizvi as one of the founding members, the Chief Missionary and the Tableegh Advisor of the Late Chairman of the Africa Federation, Late Mohamedali Meghjee and to Marhum Mulla Asghar M.M. Jaffer, Alhaj Mohamed Dhirani and Alhaj Habibbhai Mulji.
Travels
His name became synonymous with the word Tabligh (Islamic mission) among the indigenous people of East Africa, and he introduced correspondence courses in Islamic studiesIslamic studies
In a Muslim context, Islamic studies can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge...
in English and Swahili besides several other courses for Shia students through the Bilal Muslim Mission.
He traveled widely, holding assemblies and lecturing to university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
students in Africa, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and USA, making sure that his speeches reached intellectuals, new converts and those wishing to know more about religion.
Funeral
His funeral was attended by a very large crowd in Dar es SalaamDar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
. Although 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. Traffic police stopped the busy Saturday morning traffic to make way for the cortege, who walked on foot covering the route of the funeral Cortege from the Imambara to the cemetery in more than half an hour. Officials and Scholars from several countries were present. The obligatory Islamic funeral
Islamic funeral
Funerals in Islam follow fairly specific rites, though they are subject to regional interpretation and variation in custom. In all cases, however, sharia calls for burial of the body, preceded by a simple ritual involving bathing and shrouding the body, followed by salah...
prayer (Salat al-Mayyit) was held by Muhammad Rizvi, the son of the deceased.
Representatives from Bilal Muslim Mission credited him with raising the number of African Shi'as in East Africa from none to 100,000.
Works
Sayyid Akhtar Rizvi authored over 140 books, some of them having been translated into 22 languages. they include:- Imamate: The Vicegerency of the Prophet
- Slavery From Islamic and Christian Perspectives
- The Fast of 'Ashura
- Imam Hasan: The Myth of his Divorces
- The Illustrious Period of the Imamate of Imam Zayn al-'Abidin
- The Scholarly Jihad of the Imams: 95 - 148 A.H
- Martyrdom of Imam Husayn and the Muslim and Jewish Calendars
- The Qur'an: Its Protection from Alteration
- Pork
- God: An Islamic Perspective
- The Justice of God
- The Life of Muhammad The Prophet
See also
- Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi
- List of Islamic scholars
- SayyidSayyidSayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
- Sa'id (name)Sa'id (name)Sa‘id is a male Arabic given name meaning "happy". For the female version, see Saida ; for the Turkish variant, see Sait.-Given name:*Saeed Ajmal, Pakistani cricketer...
- SyedSyedSyed is a masculine given name derived from the title Sayyid, it is not to be confused with the similar looking name Sayid...
- RizviRizviRizvi or Rizavi is the Urdu pronunciation for the Persian surname Razavi or the Arabic surname Radawi/Ridhawi. It is a surname commonly associated with Shia Muslims who believe they are the descendants of the 8th Shiite Imam and a descendant and successor of Prophet Mohammad through his daughter...
- Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania