A memorial day dedicated to the father of the first former mufti of Comoros al habib omar was held on Tuesday, 31 March 2026 in the city of Itsandra Mdjini. The theme focuses on peace, social cohesion, and the economy through the holy scholar al- habib Ahmed Ben Aboubacar Ben Soumeit. This cultural event was organized by al- habib Omar foundation, Ibnai Swafat association, the Management Committee of Itsandra Mdjini’s Heritage and sponsored by Tika, a Turkish NGO established in Comoros.
Who was al habib Ahmed? According to our speaker and historian professor Idi Abdoulghaniou, al- habib Ahmed was born on 17th January, 1861 in the city of Itsandra Mdjini from an Arab father and a Comorian mother of Mzishe neighborhood. The young Ahmed lost his father when he turned 13. Dr. Abdoulwahab who was one of our lecturers said that the orphan boy received his first education and Arabic and Islamic instructions from the holy scholar Mwinyi Bahassane before traveling to the city of Hadramaout in Yemen to pursue his studies. The young student had a keen interest in literature, science and religion. The Comorian scholar wrote many books in various topics that deal with Islamic law, literature, biographies, etc. He was one of the first Comorian scholars to draw up the daily timetable for Islamic prayers for the country and East African countries as well. He was also the author of several prayers (including Rabana infaina bima anlamtana…) that people usually read when they finish Islamic lectures and conferences.
The child of the country has traveled to many countries thanks to his immense knowledge. He was one of the prestigious Azhar Islamic university professors. He also worked as counselor for Mehmed VI Vahideddin in Istanbul who was the 36th and last Ottoman sultan from 1918 to 1922 of the Muslim Empire. Al- habib Ahmed worked in Zanzibar as cadi and member of the board of Islamic Waqf. He married a Comorian woman. And former mufti al- habib Omar was one of his progenies. He was buried in Zanzibar in 1925.
Dr. Abdoulwahab thinks that al- habib Ahmed was inspired by the Shafi’i school and Sufism. Shafi'i is a school of thought within Sunni Islam. It’s one of the four major schools of jurisprudence (madhhabs): Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafi'i. Shafi’i school is distinguished mainly by its methodology in deriving Islamic rulings. It prioritizes the Koran and authentic hadiths as primary sources. It uses analogical reasoning (qiyas) when texts are ambiguous. It rejects reliance on local customs (’urf), personal opinion (ra’y) and juristic discretion as sources. Abu Abdullah al- Shafi'i (767-820) was a Muslim legal scholar who played an important role in the formation of Islamic legal thought and was the founder of the Shafi’i school of law. The majority of Comorian scholars follow his legal methodology.
Dr. Abdoulwahab explains the audience that Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam that focuses on personal experience of Allah, spiritual purification, and the pursuit of divine love and knowledge. “Al- habib Ahmed had the same level of knowledge like Imam Yahya ibn Sharaf al – Nawawi (October 1233 – 21 December 1277) who was a Sunni Shafi’i jurist and hadith scholar” he said.
Dr. Ahmed ouleid discussed the tangible (buildings, clothes…) and intangible (habits and customs, oral traditions…) cultural heritage of the Comoros. He reminded the audience that Itsandra Mdjini is among the 6 Comorian cities selected by UNESCO to be candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage. He thinks it’s an opportunity for the country to boost the tourism sector and the economy as a whole.
The conference ended with a presentation of certificates of recognition to four personalities who have served the country and the city: the Tanzanian ambassador in Comoros, scholar Said Hassan Charif and two famous personalities posthumously, scholar Said Omar Abdousoimad and great notable Mbaye Soilihi, peace upon them.
May Allah bless and reward the organizers of this cultural event in our city.
