The Aim of Ustadh Zayd Ibrahim

 

Adeladius Makwega – MBAGALA

 

Debates, discussions, and arguments between Muslims and Christians are not a new phenomenon in Tanzania.

 

Mwanakwetu, who is 52 years old in 2026, has witnessed this situation since the end of 1987 at Mnazi Mmoja grounds.

 

“I was coming from Mnazi Mmoja Primary School at around 2:00 p.m. As I was passing through Mnazi Mmoja grounds, near Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, I found groups of Muslims and Christians arguing. I stopped and watched them as they debated.

 

I was fascinated by the discussion and stood there for about 15 minutes before leaving with my childhood friend, Alexzanda.

 

For me, it was not simply an argument; I learned something from it. Among those who were debating was Mr. Apolinari Nyema, who was the Baptismal Godfather of my younger brother, Modestus Makwega, at Mbagala Parish. Mr. Nyema was among those defending Christianity.”

 

Indeed, these debates increased and became much more intense between 1990 and 2000, with many incidents witnessed by Mwanakwetu and reported by many journalists.

 

Going further back, when I was at our home in Mbagala, on Sunday mornings as we were going to church to attend Sunday worship, neighborhood children used to sing various songs.

 

Today, I will mention two of those songs:

 

“Mkomangi, Makwega, Kazimbaya, Katutu, Makengele, Kavuruga upala (we have no hair)…”

 

This was a song sung by neighborhood children to tease us as we went to worship on Sundays at Buruda Church (Mbagala Spiritual Centre, St. Anthony of Padua Church).

 

These children who used to sing and tease us were always Muslims; they were not children from Christian families.

 

Those who remember those days will bear witness, especially my blood relatives. That group of children also sang other very offensive songs containing insults and mockery directed even at religion. This sometimes went as far as insulting Jesus Christ.

 

I mention this song for the purpose of educating the public—and, respectfully, I do not intend it as an insult:

 

“Who farted in the church? So-and-so. And why did he/she fart in the church? It stinks…”

In this second song, our names were mentioned one after another. Even worse, some of the children who were ill-mannered went as far as mentioning Jesus Christ in the song.

 

This caused serious quarrels. I believe my younger siblings, such as Gerald Steve (Mkomangi Mkundi), Piensia Nyema (Katutu), Nasilika Happiness Nyema, and others who grew up in Mbagala will remember this song and how angry we used to become.

 

These children who sang these mocking songs were madrasa students.

 

This situation caused many quarrels among the children. But surprisingly, during religious celebrations, especially Eid, our home would receive all kinds of food from the houses of our neighbors. As Christians, we even came to know which households had mothers who were better cooks than others through the food they brought.

 

And, by the truth of God, Mwanakwetu remembers this very well:

 

“Mama Faida was the best cook of pilau compared with the other households. Everyone would rush for Mama Faida’s pilau. Sometimes, we would even trick the others by telling them that Mama Faida’s pilau was in another container so that we could eat more of it ourselves.”

 

During Christmas and Easter, my paternal grandmother, Edwiki Binti Omari Mkomangi, cooked a large amount of delicious pilau at our home.

We were instructed to carry the pots and distribute the food to several Muslim neighbors. Others came to our home, and we celebrated the holidays together and enjoyed the food.

 

Meanwhile, Mwanakwetu’s grandmother was especially skilled at preparing togwa, a traditional fermented drink.

 

We used to discuss the teasing we experienced along the way, at Sunday School, and even during our First Communion and Confirmation classes among ourselves.

 

For those who remember those days, the First Communion and Confirmation classes were taught by two catechists, Bunda and Kidiwa.

 

These catechists used to tell us stories from the life and teachings of Jesus, especially the story of the Good Samaritan and the question, “Who is your neighbor?” See Luke 10:25–35.

 

Even though those children mocked us and insulted Jesus while we were on the road, we sometimes wanted to fight back. However, because of what we had been taught in church, it was difficult for us to fight them. Fighting them would have been a waste of time, and engaging in such fights would have gone against the teachings of Christianity.

 

You would simply laugh, pass them by, return home, and the insults would not continue.

 

To this day, Mwanakwetu is an old man of Mbagala, and my childhood friends are now old men as well. When we meet, we respect one another very much. There is no hostility, and sometimes we even contribute money together, including money for roofing sheets for the madrasa.

 

There is only one question: How is it that Mwanakwetu remembers these events?

 

There is only one point.

 

Recently, the Muslim world has come to know another brother, a man known as Ustadh Zayd Ibrahim. This religious scholar has raised several arguments that have significantly challenged the direction taken by some Muslim scholars, particularly in the way they view people of other religions, including Christians.

 

This is something new within the Muslim world, and Ustadh Zayd Ibrahim has faced considerable criticism and blame as a result.

The noise and accusations directed at Ustadh Zayd Ibrahim are what caused Mwanakwetu to remember these childhood experiences from his home in Mbagala and the incident at Mnazi Mmoja, in the heart of Dar es Salaam.

 

Ultimately, these memories of Mbagala and Mnazi Mmoja remind us that religious differences do not necessarily have to become a source of hatred, hostility, slander, or conflict. We grew up with differences in our faiths; we teased one another and sometimes argued, yet within that same community we helped one another, celebrated religious holidays together, and lived our lives as neighbors.

 

Perhaps that is why the story of the Good Samaritan still carries such a powerful meaning for us. It is not only about asking, “Who is my neighbor?” but also asking ourselves, “What kind of neighbor have I been to others?”

 

Tanzania needs more of that spirit of listening to one another, respecting one another, and doing good to one another, regardless of our differences in religion, denomination, or personal views.

Mwanakwetu, I believe this is the very aim of Ustadh Zayd Ibrahim.

 

Mwanakwetu, are you there? Remember:

 

The Aim of Ustadh Zayd Ibrahim

I wish you a good day.

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