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I received this e-mail today from a PC Volunteer who was in Somalia after me, i think 1968-69. Folks have said they were interested in this kind of story, so here's one more..... Keep in mind that Somali was not written in our day. I was immediately interested in what he had to say, if only because of the size of the thing. I have to wonder if the mosque is still there. I had always understood Aweys was buried in the ground at Biyole. Anybody know more of the story?

"...Sheik Uweys—he is buried in a small mosque near the village of Tieglo which is a between Hoddur and Beled Weyen. Every year there is a Haj to this burial spot. One day with little warning I was gathered up by some friends to go for an “outing” to the bush; piling about 18 people onto an older LandRover (that didn’t appear to have been used since the previous Haj as it suffered 4 or 5 break downs in the 40 miles to get there). Upon arrival we managed to get our three turns around the mosque without another breakdown; it felt like a race track as there were 30-40 other vehicles doing the same, about half of which were trade trucks. Then we set up camp and for 3 days wandered the grounds and socialized with the other participants. My Hoddur friends, concerned perhaps for their own appearances for bringing a Gaal to the event, kept me dressed in a mauwies and goa and introduced me as “Pakistani” since I could repeat the Fataha and some other Quoranic verses they had previously taught me, but only spoke basic Somali. Everything was going great until we ran into Jim Mikulski’s (Som6 PCV from Baidoa) boyessa (whose compound we had stayed at during initial training/introduction to the Upper Juba and knew me well). Fortunately she was cool and the ruse held. It was a massive gathering, there were hundreds of trade trucks and an equal number of small vehicles. Always big group meals, either in our camp or as the guest of some other camp; overall one of my best memories! When I meet Somalis who doubt that I was in country, a mention of the Haj Sheik Aweys or drinking ano sussa (sour camels milk) quickly bring them around as things that would not have been learned in a language class."

I only know a certain Sheikh Aweys, and the last time I read a news article about him, it was about his arrest.

So, if I may ask, of all words you could have chosen why did you pick the word "Haj"?

CHANGE THE TITLE TO *SIYAARO*

THAT WAS SHIRK, BUT PEOPLE WERE IGNORANT AT THE TIME. THOSE KIND OF EVENTS ARE DISAPPEARING.

This lack of awareness and response is very, very, disappointing. You folks are missing out on a very important part of your history and you need to do some reading. The Saalihiya, the Wahaabbis and al Shabaab do not bury in mosques. They are even unhappy over the burial under the green dome in Medina. But the Qadiriyya, the Banadiir Ulema and Ahlusunna wal-Jamaaca, do. It's Sufi vs Salaafi.

You will all do yourself a big favor by reading this. THIS Sheik Aweys stopped the Christian expansion into East Africa and expanded Islam as far south as Zanzibar and as far west as the Congo. Two Sultans of Zanzibar were among his Khalifa. Get your reading glasses out, you jahils!

http://traditionalislamblog.wordpress.c ... l-baraawe/

Navy and Haywire,

I know siyarro, but the volunteer didn't. Apparently, that is the way it was used, or at least the way he remembered it. I don't think he's just telling stories.

Grant, it was shirk and alhamdullilah, people learned better about islam.

I thought the Prophet pbuh encouraged us to remember the dead by visiting their graves and making dua for them.

Hyper,

I am not going to have that fight with you here. Siyarro and Mowlid are still part of the Islam that captured East Africa and Indonesia. Do you really think that Abdul Qadir Jilani was capable of shirk? http://www.al-baz.com/shaikhabdalqadir/

In indonesia, which has in the recent past been considered the crown on the body of Islam because of it's tolerance, the Sufi-Sunni conflict is reaching a crescendo. In my mind this is fueled by the Wahaabbis and I compare it to al Shabaab.

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Sufi-con ... 23676.html

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/ ... tolerance/

Now, go read the link on Sheik Aweys. Even if you disagree with his theology, he is still a major figure in Somali history.

grant, that is muslim culture not islam! . no need for fight. ziyaara is wrong. i go almost every day to graves and read quran to random dead people. but ziyaaro shikh hebel or heberl that is haram and only thing i agree with alshabab. grave worship needs to stop.

Hyper,

Do you personally worship Mohammed when you visit the Rawda? Or do you honor the man who brought you the message of God?

Real question.

Get your reading glasses out, you jahils!

+ owned

i dont need to visit some one's grave to honor. no i dont visit prophet's grave to honor. i can do it every day by saying" allahu masala 3ala mohammed"

so is wrong to honor dead people in their graves. they need us. our prayers they need not other way around.

honoring dead in islam is by burring them.

grant, here real talk. why you dont safe your self and revert to islam?

you are too old man.

Loool at the Sunni-Sufi conflict. There is no such thing.

There is however a Salafi-Sufi conflict both of which are
movements WITHIN Sunni Islam.

I just hope Salafis think before calling Sufis blasphemers.
Not that the Sufis are free from Innovation.

While Somalia has been absolute trash the past couple decades, if there has been ONE benefit it is that their Aqeeda has gotten markedly better. The Qurafaad, Bidciyaad of the old days and the Shirk rituals of the past are almost extinct now.

While Somalia has been absolute trash the past couple decades, if there has been ONE benefit it is that their Aqeeda has gotten markedly better. The Qurafaad, Bidciyaad of the old days and the Shirk rituals of the past are almost extinct now.

yansor deenak my brother.