SUMMARY

Landmark: episode 3

“Guardians of the Cape”

Summary

The tombs of Indonesian spiritual leaders surround the Cape (Western Cape, South Africa). The Holy men or Tuans, whose bodies are in these tombs, were heroes in the Cape Muslim community. They provided hope and kept the practice of Islam alive in a society where it was outlawed.

In this episode, Fatima Holliday interviews Sheikh Fakhruddin Owaisi on Cape Muslim History. He tells us of the first muslims brought to Cape Town in the 1600s, from Indonesia, by the Dutch-East-India Company (or VOC). Among them there were soldiers from the defeated armies; saints; scholars; and royal people. The practice of Islam was banned for the first 150 years of Muslims present on the peninsula at the time.

We hear of Tuan Yusuf of Macassar who came to the Cape in 1694. He was one of the saints who kept Islam alive in the Cape. In his native Macassar, Indonesia he was a great saint, scholar, leader and mufti. His tomb/kramat is in the Western Cape in an area named Macassar, along the N2 highway.

In 1790, Tuan Guru arrived in the Cape and he took the muslims here to another level. That being, the official practice of Islam. He came from Cirebon, Indonesia, where he was the head mufti. In Cape Town he left a legacy too.  He led the first Jumuah, opened the first mosque, first madrasa and established the first muslim graveyard. His final resting place is in that very graveyard, named the Tanu Baru, situated in Bo Kaap, Cape Town.

Sheikh Owaisi ends off with telling us some interesting stories about the Tuans.

Bullet and Key Topics

- Cape Mulsim History

- Tuan Yusuf of Macassar

- Tuan Guru

- Cape Muslim Tombs/ Kramats

Word Glossary

(Greeting) Assalaamhu alaykum wa ragmatullahi wa barakatu: “Peace onto you from me as well as the mercy of God and blessings to you”

Adhkar/Gadat/Thikr: a muslim gathering where hymns are melodiously recited (a short example of this is in our podcast is the introduction piece - the “Allahu, Allahu…”. The other recitals in this episode are not the same, they are purely Quran recitals)

Auliyah: friends of God 

Aulamah: scholars

Imam: a person who leads Islamic prayers in a mosque

Jumuah: congregational prayer on a Friday

Kramat: tomb

Mufti: an expert on Islamic law and is qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion on a point

Madrasa: muslim school/slamse skool

Sheikh: Leader/Elder/Noble/Sir in a muslim community

Tuan: Holy (title of a Saint)

People

Sheikh Fakhruddin Owaisi is the Head of Department of Islamic Studies at IPSA, Cape Town, as well as a senior lecturer there and at Madina Institute. He is a prominent local scholar who is well-known for his passion for Islamic History, holding in MA degree in Religious Studies from the University of Cape Town.

Fatima Holliday is a young, Capetonian lady with a passion for the natural and spiritual sciences. She holds an Honours degree in Environmental and Geographical Science and is a qualified beginner yoga teacher.

Ammaar Jabodien – Qari (Quran reciter)

Ebrahim Davids – our resident musician – guitarist and vocalist for the podcast introduction.

Produced and Edited by Ashley Dowds

story2voice.com

Social Media Handles

Fatima Holliday

Instagram handle: @nature_with_fatima

PODCAST LINK

 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1780116/9279584

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/landmarkpodcast)