CIRCULAR NO: JMT/141/12
A TRIBUTE TO A LEGENDARY MISSIONARY, A VISIONARY, A PROLIFIC WRITER AND A DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR – THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AFRICA FEDERATION, ALHAJ ANWARALI R. DHARAMSI TRAVELS TO QUM, IRAN TO ATTEND A SPECIAL SEMINAR IN MEMORY OF LATE ALLAMAH SEYED SAEED AKHTAR RIZVI.
Commemorating the 10th Death Anniversary of Allamah Seyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi who passed away in Dar-es-Salaam on 8th Rabi-ul-Aakhar 1423 (20th June 2002).
A brief biography – Allamah was born in a place called Ushri, Saran district, Bihar state, India in 1927. He left behind five sons and two daughters. He second eldest son, Hujjat-ul-Islam wal Muslimeen Maulana Seyed Muhammad Rizvi, lives in Toronto, Canada. He has followed his father’s footsteps and has written many books as well. He is the Resident Aalim of the Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat (ISIJ) of Toronto, Jaffari Islamic Center.
In 1959, at the age of 32 years, Marhum Allamah Seyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi came to East Africa as a Resident Aalim under Africa Federation. He was initially posted in Dar-es-Salaam, before being transferred to Lindi. He took keen interest in learning the local language – Kiswahili which enabled him to perform his work as a scholar more effectively, and as a Missionary in particular.
In 1962, late Allamah Seyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi proposed a plan to Africa Federation of propagating the faith among the indigenous African people and it was put into action in 1963. As a result, Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania and Kenya were established in 1968 and 1971 respectively. Marhum Seyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi was one of the founding members, the Chief Missionary and the Advisor on Tableegh matters to Africa Federation, he worked with Marhum Mohamedali Meghjee, Marhum Mulla Asghar M. M. Jaffer, Marhum Abdulrasul Lakha, Alhaj Mohamed Dhirani and Marhum Habib Mulji.
Allamah Seyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, has left a legacy of tabligh and missionary work that will remain imbedded in the annals of history in East Africa and beyond, he left his foot marks as a teacher, a missionary, a prolific writer and a preacher. Allamah has authored over 140 books, some of them having been translated into 22 languages.
His dream of doing tabligh in Africa came true with support from the community leaders in Tanzania followed by the formation of the Bilal Muslim Mission. Allamah took formal classes to learn Swahili in order to effectively reach out to the African people. As a result of these efforts, tens of thousands of Africans have accepted the Shi’a faith.
Late Allamah Seyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi had also vast knowledge on matters of fiqh, the past Marja-e-Taqleed from Ayatullah al-Uzma Seyyid Muhsin al-Hakim, Ayatullah al-Uzmah Sayyid Abul Qassim al-Khoui, Ayatullah al-Uzmah Sayyid Muhammad Reza Golpaygani and the present Marja-e-Taqleed Ayatullah al-Uzmah Sayyid Ali Hussaini al-Sistani (May Allah [swt] grant him long and healthy life) entrusted Allamah Seyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi as being capable of answering questions on fiqh.
The work of Allamah Seyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi has reached the lives of thousands of people and will continue to do so in the years to come. He is truly an inspiration to us all.
A special Appreciation Seminar organized by the Hawza ‘Ilmiyya of Qum in memory of the Late Allamah Seyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, the Africa Federation Chairman Alhaj Anwarali Dharamsi, accompanied by Sheikh Murtadha Alidina, the Resident Aalim of Dar es Salaam Jamaat will be travelling to Qum on Tuesday 6th March 2012 to attend the Seminar.
Let us all remember the Marhum Allamah Seyed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi and all Marhumeens with Sura-e-Fateha.
Secretariat