Lamu Port (Bandari ya Lamu)

1. Biismillahi Jalali

Biismillahi Awali
Biismi natawakali
Kwa jina lake Jaliya.

2. Thumma ninamswalia
Kipenzi chetu nabia
Na alize wote pia
Na Isilamu jamiya.
 
3. Nataka kutafakari
Juu ya  hii bandari
Niangalie mazuri
Na atharize pamoya.
 
4. Bandari hii ya Lamu
Mji wa waisilamu
Mji ulositaqimu
Mila na muruwa piya.
 
5. Lakini watu hunena
Ni mji wa nyuma sana
Maendeleo hakuna
Ni haba mno sikiya.
 
6. Waswahili watwambia
Na sote tumesikia
Mgeni akiwajia
Wenyeji hujiponeya.
 
7. Bandari imetujia
Ni mgeni wetu pia
Yapasa kufurahia
Kwa shangwe kumpokeya.
 
8. Mgeni hakuja pweke
Unayo mizigo yake
Zawadi kutoka kwake
Sisi ametueteya.

9. Tujue huyu mgeni
Takaa nasi jamani
Muda mrefu yaqini
Zawadi kitupatiya.
 
10.  Zawadi moja muhimu
Ni ilee ya ilimu
Watu wengi kwetu Lamu
Elimu kujipatiya.
 
11.  Leo twaona vijana
Kusoma wahimizana
Na mawazo kupeana
Masomo kuendeleya.
 
12.  Na pia nina imani
Bandari itadhamini
Vijana wende vyuoni
Taaluma kusomeya.
 
13.  Natija yake ni kuwa
Taaluma tutajuwa
Nyadhifa tutatukuwa
Mambo yetu kwendesheya.
 
14.  Ni ufunguo elimu
Hutatua kila gumu
La binafsi na qaumu
Mengi yatatunyokeya.
 
15.  Kazi nyingi zitakuya
Watu watajipatiya
Nyengine zitabakiya
Wengine kujishindiya.

16.  Kazi aina aina
Takuwa zapatikana
Kwa waliosoma sana
Na wasosoma pamoya.
 
17.  Kwa kazi kujipatiya
Maisha yatatengeya
Mahitaji kuqidhiya
Ufuqara kupoteya.
 
18.  Lamu sana itang’ara
Zitanyoka barabara
Kurahisisha safara
Za ndege na reli piya.
 
19.  Biashara zitangiya
Na bidhaa zitakuya
Huduma kujipatiya
Kwa rahisi nakwambiya.
 
20.  Uongozi kwa hakika
Nao utaimarika
Watu watawajibika
 kuchagua wanofaa.
 
21.  Watu watawachaguwa
Viongozi wa muruwa
Kazi wanaoijuwa
Jamii kuendesheya.
 
22.  Uongozi ulobora
Ndio jamii imara
Lamu naipa bishara
Takuwa bora sikiya.

23.  Huduma za matibabu
Za maji ziwe karibu
Na taa bila taabu
Takuwa twajipatiya.
 
24.  Teknoloji jamani
Itapanda kama nni
Takua chetu kifani
Uzunguni angaliya.
 
25.  Na miji itafunuka
Na mingine kupanuka
Mashamba yatageuka
Makazi ya kuishiya.
 
26.  Watu wengi watakuya
Wengi sana nakwambiya
Hata milioni moya
Ni ndogo sana sikiya.
 
27.  Watu ni aina mbili
Wazuri na walo dhili
Wazuri twawakubali
Waovu tutayutiya.
 
28.  Usalama tapoteya
amani taizengeya
wasiwasi takungiya
ndiani ukitembeya.
 
29.  Majambazi watazidi
Wizi nao ushitadi
Maa asafi shadidi
Ukahaba taeneya.
 

30.  Ardhi zetu za Lamu
Mji wetu mahashumu
Wapewe waso walamu
Watu wageni sikiya.
 
31.  Kuna miji taanguka
Na watu wake kutoka
Bandari itazitaka
Ardhi kuzijengeya.
 
32.  Mazingira tachafuka
Ya mikoko kwa hakika
Samaki kuathirika
Makaziyo kupoteya.
 
33.  Hili litadhuru sana
Uchumi wa tangu jana
Mikoko kukosekana
Na uvuvi kufifiya.
 
34.  Kunayo na yetu dini
Mila na utamaduni
Zitakosa yao shani
Lamu tutazizengeya.
 
35.  Itakosekana dini
watu walewe wazini
si kwa siri, jaharani
na uraibu kweneya.
 
36.  Kweli mgeni akiya
Mwenyeji hufurahiya
Baraka hujipatiya
Kama bandari yo piya.

37.  Ila mgeni Bandari
Mbali na yake mazuri
Amekuya na athari
Nyengine sikuzitaya.
 
38.  Nitamuomba Jalali
Muweza wa kulla hali
Ayepushe ya thaqili
Ya udhia na baliyya.
 
39.  Yenye kheri ya Bandari
Yaharakishe Jabbari
Yalo na mbovu athari
Yasitwegeme Jaliya.
 
40.  Tupe nguvu tushikane
Yalo mazuri tuone
Hima tusaidiane
Kwenda kuyatapiliya.
 
41.  Maono yangu ni haya
Yalioniafiqiya
Kama nimekosa ndiya
Mngu tanighufiriya.
 
42.  Thumma swala na salamu
Zende kwake muadhamu
Na ali zake kiramu
Na Isilamu jamiya.
 
Tamat. 

(c) Bhaddy Shee.

Study while still Young...

in the name of God...

A famous Arabic couplet,

"al-ilm fil swighari, ka nakshi fil hajari

wal ilm fil kibari kal kitabi fil bahri"

Meaning, (studying) knowledge while still young is like making carvings on a rock, while (studying) knowledge at old age is like writing on the sea (water).

In al-Khatib al-Baghdadi's 'Mukhtasar Nasihah ila Ahl al-Hadith' (which can be found in the collection 'Majmu'at Rasa'il fi 'Ulum al-Hadith'; p. 109-126), two good pieces of advice stick out:

First, he speaks about the importance of studying Islam from an early age:


It has been narrated from ash-Shafi'i that he said:


"Obtain knowledge before you are tasked with high positions in life, because when you are tasked with positions, there is no way to obtaining knowledge."

It is narrated that Abu Muhammad al-Maruzi said: "It was said that the mud will swallow up the ring so long as it is still soft. In other words, knowledge should be sought after when one is still young, fresh age."

And it has been reported that Amir al-Mu'minin 'Umar bin al-Khattab said: "Gain knowledge before you are given positions of leadership."

Regarding this statement of 'Umar, Abu 'Ubayd (al-Qasim bin Sallam) said: "Learn the knowledge while you are young, before you become leaders to whom others look up. If you do not learn at this age, you will become ashamed to learn when you are older, and you will remain ignorant, and will be forced to take your knowledge from those who are younger than you, and you will be belittled for this."

Second, he mentioned the danger of abandoning taking knowledge from elder scholars, and instead taking it from the youth:

"...and it was narrated that 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said: "The people will remain upon good so long as they take their knowledge from those who are older then them, those they trust, and their scholars. If they take their knowledge from those who are younger and evil, they are destroyed."

'Abdullah bin Muslim bin Qutaybah asked about this statement of Ibn Mas'ud's, to which he was told: "It means that the people will remain upon good so long as their scholars are older, and not newcomers, as the older one has passed by the enjoyment, hastiness, and foolishness of his youth, and has been granted experience and insight. So, no doubts enter upon his knowledge, and he is not overtaken by his desires, and he is not swayed by greed, and Satan will not cause him to slip as he does with the newcomer."

And Ibn Hajar said that it is authentically narrated that 'Umar said: "The people will be corrupted as soon as knowledge comes from the young, and the elder one is rebelled against.

(adapted from Al-Fawaid's facebook page)

knowledge is light

whats the origin of my blog's title "al-ilm nuur"?
I got it from Imam Shafii's couplet, a famous one. But the title is not mere title but it depicts my love for knowledge. I love knowledge.
Al-ilm nuur is Arabic meaning, "knowledge is Light" and not only light but Light from God. Imam Shafii said,

"shakautu ilaa waqi'i suua hifdhi
faarshadani ilaa tarkil maaswi
faakhbarani bianna ilmu nuurun
wa nuuru llahi la yuh'daa li aswi "

meaning;

I complained to Waqii concerning my waning memory
and he guided me to abandon transgressions
and he advised me that knowledge is light
and the light from God is not given to a transgressor

Imam Shafii (r.a) was a renown learned scholar of his time. He had a very sharp memory. Its reported that by the age of seven, he had memorized the whole Quran. And by fifteen he had memorized al-Muwatta of Imam Malik (r.a).Imam Shafii was able to read a page once, cover it and then write the exact content without referring back!

One day imam Shafii went to the market place and by accident he saw a heel of a lady. He later on discerned that his memory was waning gradually. He thus consulted his teacher Waqii, who advised him on abandoning transgression. Implying that the simple unintetional gaze at the lady's heel could have been the cause! Subhanallah! How much of evil do we do? No wonder our memories cannot reach the extents of the likes of Imam Shafii.

So here we see a direct correlation between transgression and performance in ones knowledge retention. And the relationship is negative. The knowledge here also implies not only to religious knowledge but also any other bodies of knowledge. For God did not only ask us to seek religious knowledge- which of course should come first- but also others as well. A good example is My Model Imam Shafii, who apart from being well versed- actually being an authority- in fields like fiqh, jurispudence, hadith, Quran... he was also an authority in the Arabic language especially in poetry. And think of many other muslim scholars especially classic ones, this is how they were and it is how we should be.

The religious knowledge- Islamic knowledge- guides you in the understanding of God and His worship. Guides you in your spiritual world. Whereas other sciences help you in your worldly life. Because you live in this world gain knowledge that will aid you in living here. And because we will as well live in the eternal life it is equally incumbent upon us to search for the spiritual knowledge that will ensure our hereafter life is secure and best. This means that the two broad bodies of knowledge should be embrace together. And the best way is to gain the religious then the secular knowledge, for you should understand your God first!

May God guide us to and with His Light of Knowledge!

waasi na uliumbwa?

Ewe usiye na haya
hivi huoni ubaya
kwa kumuasi Jaliya
ilihali mekuleya?

Viumbe wawasitahi
waficha wako wajihi
lakini Mola Ilahi
hata hujamfikiriya.

Watenda yalio mawi
wala khofu huingiwi
na fikira hupitiwi
Mngu akuangaliya

Waiba pia wazini
wasengenya barazani
uwongo na kufitini
ni mambo umezoweya

Tumbo litele haramu
kuswali kwako ni ngumu
wazee huwaheshimu
imekuvaa duniya.

Muonee haya Mngu
si aibu ndugu yangu
wachana na ulimwengu
Allah atakupokeya!

(c) Bhaddy Shee.

sharif KHITAMY

Sharīf ‘Abdul Rahmān al-Khitāmy, by Sheikh Abdul aziz Ahmed.

‘Abdul Rahmān b. Ahmad Badawīb. Habīb Sālih Jamāl al-Layl, better known as Sharīf
Khitāmy, was one of the foremost scholars of this generation. He excelled as a  scholar, teacher, medical practitioner and caller to Allah.
He was born on the island of Lamu, in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya. The island and surrounding archipelago’s strong connection to Arabia and, in particular Haramawt probably predates Islam. Steady Arab migration to East Africa began during the fourteenth century (CE). Among the migrants from Arabia were scholarly families
and descendents of the Prophet from the Mahdālī family and a few from the Bā‘Alawī
line of Abū Bakrb.Salīm.
He was given the nick name "khitamy" by his father denoting that he was the last born among his children.