Dr Mwinyi attends Dawoodi Bohra Community’s Quran recitation in Dar
DAR ES SALAAM: THE Dawoodi Bohra community of Dar es Salaam on Wednesday evening hosted the President of Zanzibar, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, at a gathering of Quran recitation and Naʻat, continuing the legacy of a similar gathering graced by his late father 42 years ago.
The Haflat of al-Quran al Majeed and Naʻat, held at Hakimi Masjid in Upanga, was also attended by the Mufti of Tanzania, Sheikh Dr Abubakar Zubeir bin Ally, cabinet ministers, members of the diplomatic corps and guests from Tanzania’s Muslim communities.
In 1984, His Excellency the late Ali Hassan Mwinyi, who was at that time the President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, attended a similar programme of Quran recitation in Dar es Salaam presided over by the late His Holiness Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 52nd leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community.
Photographs from that memorable evening were displayed at the entrance of the venue.
A message from His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the 53rd leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community, was read out at the event. It stated: “The Quran Majeed asks of us more than recitation. It calls for remembrance and reflection that shape character and conduct, cultivating integrity, self-restraint and compassion.
“Nabi Mohammed perfectly exemplified this transformation of sacred words into lived values, and his noble family, the Ahl al-Bayt, embodied it.”
The message continued, “Committing the Quran Majeed to memory is among the most enduring ways of internalising its message. It requires focus in an age of distraction, patience in a culture of haste, and quiet perseverance in a loud world.
“Wherever one may live, he who dwells in the shade of the Quran Majeed will always find peace, comfort and security. May the love of Nabi Mohammed keep every one of us within that shade, and may every home in which the Quran Majeed is recited become a dar al-salaam.”
Commending the Dawoodi Bohra community for organising the gathering, President Mwinyi said, “I wish to take this opportunity to recognize your important contribution to national unity, peace, and social harmony.
“Through your teachings and examples, you have promoted honesty, discipline, tolerance, and respect for others. Your influence extends beyond mosques and places of worship, families, communities, and the nation,” Mwinyi said.
Reciters from Tanzania’s wider Muslim community participated alongside visiting reciters from Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah, the community’s Arabic academy, who travelled from its campuses in Kenya, India and Pakistan.
A Swahili Qaswida medley honoured East Africa’s Islamic devotional heritage, and young Tanzanian huffaz (plural of hafiz: one who has committed the entire Quran to memory) were recognised for memorising the entire Holy Quran.
Welcoming the guests, Zoeb Galiakotwala, President of the Dawoodi Bohra community in Dar es Salaam, said, “We preserve the Quran in our hearts, reflect upon its teachings with our minds, and express its guidance through our daily conduct.
“Here in Tanzania, members of our community strive to live out these values through healthcare, environmental stewardship, and uplifting the wellbeing of our fellow citizens.
“Among us tonight are young huffaz from Tanzania who have committed the entire Holy Quran to memory. They represent the bright future of our faith and our nation,” he said.
He added that the Quranic principles of preservation, reflection and action guide the community’s service to society, including healthcare, environmental and social welfare work carried out through Project Rise.
The evening ended with dinner served in traditional thaals, large shared platters that reflect the community’s values of egalitarianism and hospitality.
