A Quran neatly preserved in the Auwal Mosque in Cape Town, South Africa, tells a unique story of resistance and oppression. The Quran was written by an Imam of a mosque known as Abdullah ibn Qadi Abdus Salaam, from his memory while he was exiled to South Africa from Indonesia.
South Africa’s Oldest Quran
As per the BBC report, South Africa’s oldest Quran was discovered in the mid 1980s when the builders were renovating the Auwal Mosque. Those involved in the renovation found the Quran covered in a paper bag and was in surprisingly good condition. The builders also found some other religious texts written by Imam Abdullah, also known as Tuan Guru.
Resisting With Education
By sending Tuan Guru to South hAfrica,little did the Dutch colonizers know that they were actually helping spread Islam in South Africa. Guru is believed to have written almost everything he had on his mind to educate the masses in South Africa including a 613-page Arabic book entitled The Knowledge of Faith and Religion.
