Abu Bakr Effendi - Struggle of Acceptance By The Cape Malay Populace

Struggle of Acceptance By The Cape Malay Populace

Abu Bakr's life in South Africa was not easy. It is clear that the Cape Malay Muslims had suffered and lost some of their religious identity. This was due to their cruel deportation from their home countries, Southern India and the Malay Archipelago, by the Dutch. This suppression continued under the future Colonialist. Historical documents talk of his influence of introducing the Islamic hijab and fez on the Cape Muslims. This was despite the fact that many other Islamic scholars had come to South Africa. He also attempted to break the Cape Muslim 'Clerical Order' which existed. Only those related to the previous imam were allowed to become the next in line, holding knowledge to themselves and wielding power over the common people. This is further related in the 1866 Disputes;

Over the years the Cape Muslim `clerical' order developed with the imams wielding appreciable power. The status of the imams, together with economic security and in many cases prosperity was due to the generous monetary donations and gifts by the congregation. Between 1866 and 1900, over twenty cases pertaining to masjid in the Cape peninsula were heard in the Supreme Court with regard to the positions of imams and their succession. Practically every masjid at the Cape in the 19th century faced this problem.

This would have thrown him into further dispute with the Cape Malay population. It is also related in the Travelogue of Omar Lutfi, that the Malay people although they had held onto their Islamic heritage where not able to correctly pronounce the Arabic words and text, and it had been "corrupted" (as Abu Bakr would have seen it) with some Malay words. Their practices also involved non Islamic traditional and tribal Malay practices which would have originated from their ancestral homes on the Indonesian and Malay islands. These practices still exist in Modern day Indonesia where some of the population generally practice Islam but also practice spirit worship. Abu Bakr, again trying to change these practices would not have been popular with the locals.

One of the main reasons for Abu Bakr's unpopularity was his declaration that crayfish, a staple item of the diet of the Muslims of the Cape, was "khabahith" - "evil food". The matter was taken to court by the "kreef(crayfish) party" in 1863. Magistrate Hill found, much to their delight, in favour of the "kreef party" and against Abu Bakr. After this and his evidence in the 1869 imam succession trial, a petition was drawn up by some Muslims to have him removed from the Cape. He left his residence in Cape Town and moved 12 km away to Newlands to a spacious house, "Stony Place".

Abu Bakr also seemingly followed and practiced according to the Hanafi school of thought. He, himself, swore in the Supreme Court in 1869, when he was the prime witness in the abovementioned affair relating to the succession of the imam of the Buitengracht St mosque, that he had always been a Shafi'i. But because he used hanafi texts, many doubted his word. He also taught and wrote the book the 'Bayan-al-din' which is written on Abu Bakrs own rulings since he was a fiqh scholar, but has many similarities to the Multaqa. Abu Bakr's statements made in court meant it was difficult to associate him with one school or the other. His title was 'Mufti of the 4 Schools' so one could argue he was of the Hanafi, Shafi'i, Malaki or Hanbali School.