Book aims to fill a critical gap in Cape Muslim history

PROFESSOR ASLAM FATAAR

SHAIKH Yusuf of Makassar is unarguably one of the most revered and prominent figures in the history of Islam in South Africa.

Long before he stepped onto the shores of the Cape in 1694 he was considered a resistance leader and a major obstacle to the colonial aspirations of the Dutch in Southeast Asia. Despite the brief time span of five years that he was exiled to the Cape before his death and burial at the landmark Faure Kramat in Macassar, he continued to inspire and lead the local and international Muslim community in their spiritual and communal identity.

In this scholarly work the author, Najma Moosa, a senior professor of law in the Department of Private Law at the University of the Western Cape, attempts to dispel the centuries-old colonially perpetuated myth and stigma around the children of Shaikh Yusuf’s biological daughter and the Rajah of Tambora who became murtad (an apostate) by converting to Christianity at the Cape; an allegation that was to taint the history and legacy of the eminent Shaikh Yusuf of Makassar.

Although it is a scholarly work based on primary and secondary sources, with a comprehensive and detailed overview of historical facts, evidence and assumptions at the author’s disposal, the book is ultimately written with the general reader within the Cape community in mind.

It is a riveting story of the trials and tribulations of our forefathers and mothers in the face of adversity, uprooted from kin and homeland, and thriving despite adversity and oppression. It is through the courage of these giants such as Shaikh Yusuf alMakassari and his descendants that we thrive as a Muslim community at the tip of Africa.

Just before his passing, Moulana Taha Karaan congratulated Professor Moosa on her scholarly publication by saying that ‘on behalf of Islam, Muslims at the Cape, our much-maligned history, and our august forebears: shukran, thank you, and may Allah accept this yeoman service, and bless the long overdue eradication of this taint.’

All in all, this is a meticulously researched book. The account is plausible. I applaud the author for her solid attempt at filling a lacuna in Cape Muslim historiography. Baing slamat to the author on an excellent achievement!

Distinguished Professor Aslam Fataar, a rated NRF scholar attached to Stellenbosch University will be the guest speaker at the book launch.

Moosa, N. (2021). The Mystery of the Apostasy of Shaykh Yusuf of Makassar’s Alleged Grandchildren: The Children of the Rajah of Tambora. Shaikh Shahid Esau: KamPress, Cape Town. Published May 2021.

The book is written as a sadaqah jaariyah (continuous charity) for the benefit of the community. The money from book sales will go to deserving young students who want to do further research on South African Muslim heritage and need bursaries to do so.

The book is already published and available at a special reduced pre-launch price of R100. The price is affordable so that it can be accessible to everyone and not just specialists.

The book launch will take place on Sunday November 20, 2022 from 3pm to 5pm at the Islamia College Auditorium in Imam Haron Road, Lansdowne.

To RSVP for the book launch WhatsApp Kelly Staines on: 0793497848.

To pre-order copies WhatsApp Lieyaket Mohamed on: 0791207994

To purchase copies WhatsApp Shaikh Shahid Esau on: 0827045378