When is Cheikh Al Maarouf Day?
Cheikh Al Maarouf Day is a public holiday in the Union of the Comoros on March 18th each year.
The holiday honours the life of an important religious figure in this island nation in the Indian Ocean on his birth anniversary.
History of Cheikh Al Maarouf Day
Islam first arrived on the Comoros Islands in the 7th century and today over 98% of all Comorians follow the religion.
Almost everyone belongs to the Shadhili Tariqa, a Sufi order of Sunni Islam.
The Shadhili Tariqa was founded by Abul Hasan Ali ash-Shadhili of Morocco in the 13th century and its dominance in the Comoros Islands is down to one man, Said Muhammad bin Sheikh Ahmed, known as Al Maaruf.
Al Maaruf was born on March 18th 1852 and died in 1904. He studied the Koran in the Comoros before studying further in Zanzibar.
As a preacher, he introduced Sufism, the Shadhili Tariqa in particular, to the Comoros and East Africa.
His impact on the nation goes beyond the religious. He worked for the eradication of the sultanates. He was also skilled in carpentry and masonry and is known to have been involved in building the dyke which goes from the Café du Port to the Mtsangani district in the capital, Moroni, intended to protect the old Friday mosque from the rising waters of Kalaweni Bay. He has a street and a hospital named after him.
