RIYADHA MOSQUE: AN ACCOUNT ON ITS FOUNDATIONS

Riyadha Mosque is among the most famous Mosques in Lamu which was constructed in the year 1892 C.E. The Mosque's Founding Fathers played a major role in the Dissemination of Knowledge and Propagation of Islam. This fact made the Institution a landmark in the history of East Africa.

Habib Swaleh and Habib Abubakar Al-Hussein (Mwenye Manswabu) had very cordial and spiritual affiliation such that the latter bequeathed his farmland popularly known as Dari ya Mtanga to the former, to build an Islamic Learning Centre

In 1889 C.E, with the help of his friends, Habib Swaleh built a temporary wooden structure which was used as a place for teaching as well as for prayers. Initially, the centre was not a mosque. At that time, Habib Swaleh was the Imam of Sheikh Bilad Mosque situated at Langoni area, in the southern ends of Lamu town.

It is related that one day, a Pious man by the name Ahmad Batweyh of Hadhramy origin visited the centre and intended to perform I’tikaf thinking that the place was a mosque. To his dismay, he was informed the place was only used for the purpose of learning. Although he was disappointed by this claim, he was impressed by the centre’s academic standards. Hence, he made a du’a to Allah to make the place a great centre of worship.

Upon his return to Hadhramout, Ahmad Batweyh informed his people on what he saw at Habib Swaleh’s centre in Lamu. The Hadhramis were very impressed by his narrations and they immediately decided to deploy five teachers to Lamu in order to help Habib Swaleh. These teachers were:

  • Sheikh Omar Salmin Bagufa
  • Ahmad Aqida
  • Salmin Bajabar
  • Basaidah
    • and
  • Ridhwan

Within a few years, the Centre had gained a lot of recognition and the suggestion for upgrading the Centre into a Grand Mosque and to have adjacent to it a Madrasah was planned. By this time, a World renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Abdallah bin Muhammad Bakathir (d.1919) who hailed from Lamu had established links between Habib Swaleh and the Great Hadhrami Sufi Scholar Habib Ali bin Muhammad Al-Habshy . Later on, Habib Ali Al-Habshy became a Spiritual Mentor and a very close friend of Habib Swaleh even though the two never met. The duo’s means of communication were mainly by/through correspondence

It was related that, Habib Ali Al-Habshy, had previously built a mosque at Tarim town, in Hadhramout province of Yemen and named it “Riyadha”. Habib Swaleh , following in the footsteps of his friend and spiritual mentor, similarly, named the new mosque in Lamu “Riyadha”. He also made efforts to see that the mosque at Lamu resembles (as much as possible ) the one at Tarim.

Habib Ali Al-Habshy sent his student Sheikh Jamil Salim Bakabe, as a teacher to Lamu to teach his famous poetic book Simt Durar which relates on the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) to Habib Swaleh’s students. Consequently, the book became so famous in Lamu. It was routinely being recited every Thursday night. Later on , a Grand Annual celebration was initiated at Riyadha Mosque to mark the birth of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and the Simt Durar became the most popular poems recited during Maulid celebrations in East Africa

In 1901 C.E the mosque was re-extended but retained its initial design and form. However in 1947 C.E, the son of Habib Swaleh, Sayyid Aidarus (d. 1968), renovated the mosque. He built the famous Green Dome and the Ribat Area. The Ribat structure, annexed to the main mosque, was particularly meant for studies and other religious functions.

Habib Swaleh’s great grandson, Sharif Muhammad Bahsan (d. 1979), had a vision to build an academy adjacent to the Riyadha mosque. Although he had laid the foundations of the building, he died a year before the official opening of the Academy in 1981 C.E. The Academy was named Maahad Thaqafah Al Islami.

The Riyadha Mosque was re-extended again in 2008 C.E under the blessings of Habib Hussein bin Sayyid Ahmad Badawy ( b. 1933) whereby the original interior mosque was expanded and the Mihrab had to be shifted from its original position. The original Mihrab was maintained for historical purpose