Hawzah News Agency- Sheikh Hassan Kabeke, the senior sheikh of Mwanza, stated that Muslims of Shirazi descent from the land of Persia were among the first people to arrive in the Tanganyika region, where they played a role in spreading Islam, building mosques, educating the people, and strengthening religious activities in the communities where they settled.
The ceremony was organized by Sheikh Hashem Ramadhan, and Sheikh Kabeke used the occasion to speak in detail about the history of Islam's spread across different parts of Tanzania and the role various groups played in that historical process.
In his remarks, Sheikh Kabeke explained that among the first to promote Islam in the region — even before Tanganyika took shape as a recognized political entity — were Iranians of Shirazi descent. After them, he said, came the Sheheris of Yemen and then the Omanis, each of whom contributed to the history of Islam's expansion in this land.
Continuing his historical account, Sheikh Kabeke named one of the scholars who arrived in the region during that era: Sheikh Khalfani bin Muhammad Zendi, who was of Iranian origin and a native of Shiraz. According to Sheikh Kabeke, Sheikh Khalfani arrived in the region in 1871 and passed away in 1925. His grave is located in Kabendu, Kigoma, where people continue to visit for pilgrimage. Last year, a ceremony was held to mark the centenary of his passing.
Sheikh Kabeke also stressed the importance of scholarship and historical research in fostering accurate understanding among Muslims. He said that when he hears someone insulting Shias, it often indicates that the person still lacks a broad scholarly grasp of history and the place of different groups in Islamic history.
He added that Iranian Shirazis were present in this land long before Tanganyika became known as "Tanganyika." They built mosques, led Muslims in prayer, and taught religious sciences — traces of their presence can still be seen as far as Bagamoyo in the coastal province.
On the challenge of preserving history, Sheikh Kabeke noted that one of the biggest problems among Muslims is the neglect of writing down and preserving the history of their scholars and religious leaders. He said the situation differs in some coastal areas, including Tanga, where efforts are made to record and preserve the history of scholars and religious events that occurred there.
Sheikh Kabeke also touched on the history of celebrating the Prophet's birth in Tanzania, citing the writings of Dr. David Livingstone. According to him, when Livingstone reached Ujiji in Kigoma in 1871, he found Sheikh Mwinyi Kheiri bin Mwinyi Mkuu, who had established the Qadiriyya zawiya in the area some 40 years earlier. This suggests the zawiya was founded around 1831 — a point Sheikh Kabeke used to argue that celebrations of the Prophet's birth have been held in these regions since that period.
In closing, Sheikh Kabeke said his presence at the Shia celebration of the Prophet's birth had two purposes: first, to join and stand in solidarity with his Shia Muslim brothers; and second, to make people aware that religious differences must not destroy the foundation of Islamic unity.
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