Muhammad Ayaz Ramjaun visits the sufi saints of Mauritius
White sand beaches and clear-blue sea; underwater waterfall illusions, tropical weather; these are the things that Mauritius is best known for. What is lesser known, is its Muslim history- from the discovery of the island itself, to riveting tales about sufi saints, including the visits of a famous Indian spiritual master. My parents were both born on the island, and though of Indian origin, our roots here go back to my great-grandfather.
The island was long uninhabited; it is thought that Arab merchants first stumbled across the it some time in the 10th century (though it is not certain when), calling it Dina Arobi (Abandoned Island). This is corroborated by Italian cartographer Alberto Cantino’s map from 1502, which names it as such. Later copies of Portuguese maps from the early 16th century include a group of three small islands south east of Madagascar with Arabic names.
The Arabs however, did not settle on the island. After their pit-stop, it was used by the Portuguese as a port of call, but no attempts at permanently habituating the island were made. The first attempts at settlement were made by the Dutch in the 17th century, though they ultimately failed. The island was then taken over by the French, followed by the British. Mauritius gained its independence in 1968.
Reliable historical records about the initial ‘discovery’ of the island by Arab traders are few and far between, but there are stories, preserved orally and told by locals, that claim that the Arabs planted their flag on the north-east coast of Mauritius in an area called Pointe De Lascars. The term ‘Lascars‘ refers to Muslims, or in the case of historical sites, more specifically to South Asian and Arab traders. The area now contains a Muslim cemetery where it is said that some of the Arabs that originally came over are buried. My own grandparents are buried here. For obvious reasons there is no way to verify these stories, but they are told by locals and passed from one generation to the next; I myself learned of it from my father.
Today, Mauritius is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, made up of people from Indian, African, Chinese and European (mainly French) origin. Hinduism is the largest religion, followed by Christianity and then Islam. Around 17% of the population is Muslim, and there are a number of maqams on the island that can be visited.
Port-Louis
The maqams I have listed in this article are all in (or close to) the capital city of Mauritius, Port-Louis. The city is located on the north west coast of the island; it grants visitors both a paradisal island experience and all the trappings of a modern-day bustling city.
The island is relatively small so it only takes a day to drive along the entire coast, while making stops at popular beaches (a worthy adventure on its own). A good starting point for any journey is Caudan Waterfront, a popular shopping centre on the ocean edge in Port-Louis, which is also a famous film-shoot location. Getting to Caudan from your hotel should be relatively easy. From Caudan, you can plan your journey to visit the maqams, using main roads.
The Maqams
Peer Sayyad Jamal Shah
Mauritius has one central mosque called the Jummah Masjid which can be found in the capital, Port-Louis. This is where you will also find the maqam of Hazrat Sayyad Peer Jamal Bin Murtuzah Shah.
At the heart of the city, you will find the Jummah Mosque (here on Google Maps) which dates back to 1852. It is within walking distance from the port. When you enter the mosque, you will find yourself in its carpeted courtyard, that is also used as a prayer area when it reaches full capacity. On the left, is a beautiful fountain with taps for performing ablution and on the right, there is a tree (yes, a tree inside the mosque).
If you go straight ahead, you’ll find access to the maqam of Hazrat Sayyad Peer Jamal Shah. His story is a well-known.
Copyright Muhammad Ayaz Ramjaun. All rights reserved. Copyright Muhammad Ayaz Ramjaun. All rights reserved.
As was the norm in those days, he was invited by a trader to Mauritius. He came from India and was known to be a man of God. Before passing away, he requested to be buried in the compounds of the Jumma Masjid. However, as per the law of the country, this was not allowed. When he passed away, the Jumma Masjid committee members tried to fulfil his request, but were refused permission by the British Governor. The funeral had to be postponed until the next day.
Early the next morning, an individual arrived on behalf of the Governor. He informed them that the Governor had given approval for burial to take place within the mosque compounds and that he wanted to be notified of the burial time so that he could attend. Nobody understood this sudden change of heart. Later, the Governor himself explained how he saw Peer Jamal Shah in his dream and he quickly overturned his decision.
The Urs (anniversary of his death) is held on the 2nd Muharram.
Peer Sayyad Jahangir Shah
This individual was the nephew of the above mentioned, Peer Jamal Shah (his brother’s son). Like his uncle, he was a Sharif sufi saint who came from India. He was also the nephew of Peer Sayyad Hayder Ali Shah al-Jilani, whose maqam (Aastana-e-Qadria) is located in Bangalore. He passed away on 20thJanuary 1890 (25thJumada al-Awwal).
After his passing, his family returned to India and his grave was left untouched. His children saw their father in a dream requesting them to build a dargah over his grave with his own money. Construction began in 1898, and the story goes that as the grave was opened, his body was found to be intact and untouched.
His maqam can be found (here on Google Maps) today in the cemetery of Bois Marchand, Terre Rouge and his story, lineage and family links can all be found on display there. The maqam is a popular location in Mauritius for sunni Muslims, specifically at his yearly Urs where poetry is recited. The dargah is beautifully illuminated at night and located inside the cemetery.
Bois Marchand is on the same coast as the capital of Mauritius, Port Louis. It is only a short 15-20mins drive north from Port Louis to the cemetery in the town of Terre Rouge.
Peer Sayyad Zahur Shah Qadri
Peer Sayyad Zahur Shah Qadri, like the peers listed above, was a sufi Sharif from India. He is known to have walked for three months from his village to Bombay to the coast, from where he boarded a ship to Mauritius. He settled on the island, making a living from a small shop he ran.
He passed away in April 1939 (Safar 1358) and his janazah (funeral prayer) was performed by none other than the ‘roving ambassador of Islam’, Mawlana Shah Abdul Aleem Siddiqui, famous amongst many for having established Islam in Mauritius (more about him later).
Copyright Muhammad Ayaz Ramjaun. All rights reserved. Copyright Muhammad Ayaz Ramjaun. All rights reserved.
His dargah can be found (here on Google Maps) in the cemetery of Riche Terre, located between Port-Louis and the maqam of Peer Syed Jahangir Shah. It is a short drive north from Port-Louis.
Hazrat Sayyad Abu Bakr Shah
Famously known in Mauritius as Dada Peer, he came to Mauritius around 1890. He was a successful businessman, buying, renovating and selling small houses. He noticed that Mauritians would use a lot of charcoal in the kitchen and decided to import it in large quantities to be sold in small amounts. His business prospered, he got married was blessed with children.
A short while after, he met his spiritual guide (Murshid) Peer Syed Zahur Shah. He became his disciple and reduced his business commitments to meet only his family’s needs. His stories are famous and widespread- and are best experienced first hand from the mouths of Mauritians themselves.
His maqam is in Port Louis on the south-west side on Cassis Road (here on Google Maps). Note that the maqam is closed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. Monday, Thursday and Friday have standard 9am to 5pm opening times (closed for Jumu’ah). Sunday it is only open from 10am to 12pm (correct at the time of writing).
Further first-hand stories and anecdotes as told by his grandson in French can be found here.
Mawlana Ibrahim Khushtar Qadri Rizwi
Of all the maqams in Mauritius, this is the most recent one. It is where Mawlana Ibrahim Khushtar was buried when he passed away in 2002.
A prominent scholar, I met him numerous times growing up. He authored many Islamic books, and was an influential leader in many countries such as South Africa, Holland, France, UK, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. His organisation’s famous slogan was “Come in to Learn, go out to serve.”
Copyright Muhammad Ayaz Ramjaun. All rights reserved. Copyright Muhammad Ayaz Ramjaun. All rights reserved. Copyright Muhammad Ayaz Ramjaun. All rights reserved.
He famously sought to act upon the sunnah (Prophetic practise) of offering Eid Prayers in an open-air mosque (Eidgah). His mosque in Vallee Pitot and maqam are now well known to Mauritians as Eidgah.
Amongst his many achievements, he had organised a mawlid (celebration of the birth of the Prophet) in 1967 with an attendance of over 50,000 people; local newspapers commented:“Maulana Khushtar makes history.”
He was also very prominent in the UK where he was Imam and Khatib of North Manchester Jamia Masjid where his Urs is still held every year.
His maqam, at Eidgah is right on the edge of Port-Louis, on the slopes of a hill (found here on Google Maps). It is almost a straight road from Jummah Masjid in Port-Louis to Eidgah.
Ask the Locals
This is by no means an exhaustive list of maqams in Mauritius, there are more, each with their own stories. They are genuinely best experienced, not read, but heard, and it is still possible to meet people in Mauritius who have first hand accounts of certain people and events. My advice is to speak to locals; English, French and Urdu are commonly spoken, alongside the Mauritian dialect.
My advice on what should you ask?
Ask about Mawlana Shah Abdul Aleem Siddiqui. He was known as “the Roving Ambassador” for the many languages he spoke and the many countries he visited to spread Islam- from Japan to South America, he travelled the world to spread the Message. He established and strengthened Islam in Mauritius. When news of his imminent arrival spread through the island, people of all races and religions would line up in the streets just to catch a glimpse of him. He was a descendant of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (ra) hence the “Siddiqui” in his name. He is buried in Jannatul Baqi in Madinah al-Munawwara at the foot of the mother of the believers, Sayyidah Aisha bint Abi Bakr (ra).
When you go to Jummah Masjid, ask about him and see people’s faces light up with joy. There are countless stories that have been undocumented and are only known to the locals who were present during those times. Such is his legacy, that Mauritians highly respect him for what he brought to the island. His son, Mawlana Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqui continued his legacy by strengthening Islamic education in Mauritius, and is also a highly esteemed figure in their Muslim history.
The Roving Ambassador, Mawlana Shah Abdul Aleem Siddiqui opened the doors for scholars of the Asian Sub-Continent in Mauritius. They came one after another, watering the country with their knowledge and guidance, hence today, most Sufi Orders in Mauritius originate from the Asian Sub-Continent.
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