The Swahili Scholar | العالِمُ السَّواحِلِيُّ
"An Omani scholar teaches Arabic and Islam to the people of the East African coast"
العالِمُ السَّواحِلِيُّ
The Swahili Scholar
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: الرِّسالَةُ المُقَدَّسَةُ
Chapter One: The Sacred Mission
كانَ الشَّيْخُ عَبْدُالقادِرِ عالِمًا جَلِيلاً مِنْ نِزْوَى. حَلَمَ بِنَشْرِ العِلْمِ فِي أَفْرِيقِيا الشَّرْقِيَّةِ. رَكِبَ البَحْرَ وَوَصَلَ إِلى ساحِلِ السَّواحِلِ.
Sheikh Abdulqadir was a venerable scholar from Nizwa. He dreamed of spreading knowledge in East Africa. He sailed the sea and arrived at the Swahili coast.
وَجَدَ قَوْمًا طَيِّبِينَ يُحِبُّونَ التَّعَلُّمَ. تَحَدَّثُوا لُغَةً جَمِيلَةً فِيها كَلِماتٌ عَرَبِيَّةٌ كَثِيرَةٌ.
He found good people who loved learning. They spoke a beautiful language with many Arabic words.
قالَ: «هَؤُلاءِ إِخْوَتِي، سَأُعَلِّمُهُمْ كَما عَلَّمَنِي شُيُوخِي.»
He said: "These are my brothers, I shall teach them as my teachers taught me."
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: بِناءُ الجُسُورِ
Chapter Two: Building Bridges
أَسَّسَ الشَّيْخُ مَدْرَسَةً صَغِيرَةً. عَلَّمَ القُرْآنَ وَالنَّحْوَ وَالفِقْهَ. جاءَهُ الطُّلَّابُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكانٍ: مِنَ القُرَى وَالغاباتِ وَالسَّواحِلِ.
The Sheikh established a small school. He taught Quran, grammar, and jurisprudence. Students came from everywhere: from villages, forests, and coasts.
لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكْتَفِ بِالتَّعْلِيمِ. تَعَلَّمَ هُوَ أَيْضًا: تَعَلَّمَ اللُّغَةَ السَّواحِلِيَّةَ وَالعاداتِ المَحَلِّيَّةَ.
But he was not content with just teaching. He also learned: he learned the Swahili language and local customs.
قالَ: «المُعَلِّمُ الحَقِيقِيُّ يَتَعَلَّمُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُعَلِّمَ.»
He said: "A true teacher learns before he teaches."
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: الإِرْثُ الخالِدُ
Chapter Three: The Immortal Legacy
بَعْدَ أَرْبَعِينَ عامًا، تَوَفِّيَ الشَّيْخُ فِي زَنْجِبارَ. لَكِنَّ تَلامِيذَهُ نَشَرُوا العِلْمَ فِي كُلِّ أَفْرِيقِيا الشَّرْقِيَّةِ.
After forty years, the Sheikh passed away in Zanzibar. But his students spread knowledge throughout East Africa.
أَسَّسُوا مَدارِسَ فِي مُومْباسا وَدارِ السَّلامِ وَكِلْوَةَ. كَتَبُوا كُتُبًا بِاللُّغَةِ السَّواحِلِيَّةِ بِالحُرُوفِ العَرَبِيَّةِ.
They established schools in Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, and Kilwa. They wrote books in Swahili using Arabic letters.
وَحَتَّى اليَوْمِ، يَتَذَكَّرُ أَهْلُ السَّاحِلِ الشَّيْخَ العُمانِيَّ الَّذِي عَلَّمَهُمْ وَأَحَبَّهُمْ.
To this day, the coastal people remember the Omani Sheikh who taught them and loved them.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End