Cape Town is currently hosting the Fourth Organisation of Islamic Cooperation–IRCICA–Awqaf SA International Conference, where leading scholars, historians, and cultural figures from across Africa and the Muslim world are commemorating the year 1447 for the Islamic calendar.

The commemoration also celebrates 1,500 years since the birth of Prophet Muhammad and is being hosted at the picturesque Kirstenbosch Gardens Conference Centre.

The international conference focuses on the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, as captured in the Sira (life journey) literature and how it has significantly influenced Islamic thought, identity, and practice throughout the Muslim world. 

The conference shone the spotlight on how African Sira scholarship remains marginalised despite its influence on local cultures, education, and interfaith dynamics.

In sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in areas with rich Islamic heritage, such as West Africa, the Swahili Coast, and the Horn of Africa, Islamic scholars have traditionally engaged with the Sira of the Prophet (SAW) through teaching, commentary, poetry, and historiography.

The conference, which concludes on Sunday, aims to explore the various ways African Islamic scholars have interpreted, preserved, and transmitted the Sira, providing insight into how these representations have shaped local cultures, education systems, political movements, and inter-religious engagement.

South African Sheik Thulani Zaid Langa, president of the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Oulema and the chairman of the South African Black Muslims Conference, shared his sentiments on the Banu Arfida Phenomenon: Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) Vision for Cultural Harmony in Sira and its implications for South African Muslims.

The phenomenon is described as one of the turning events in the Prophet Muhammad’s life, reflecting his approach to intercultural living.

Langa said various skills lie in township communities where an opportunity exists to pooling and bringing resources together for economic empowerment and to develop communities spiritually.

Langa said Sirah structures in townships should be developed.

“Given South Africa’s rich multicultural fabric and diverse Muslim community, which includes indigenous African converts, descendants of Malay, Indonesian, and Indian heritage, as well as recent immigrants, the Banu Arfida phenomenon in Prophet Mohammed’s (SAW) Serrah provides a compelling blueprint. 

“It argues for an internal acceptance of this varied identity, emphasising cohabitation over assimilation and fostering the authentic expression of various cultural traditions within Islamic practice. This prophetic model offers a timeless framework for nurturing inclusivity, establishing mutual respect, and bridging understanding between the varied South African Muslim community and the rest of society,” shared Langa.

Professor Aslam Fataar, professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies at Stellenbosch University,  during his panel address, shared his insights on the “Fires of our Time” reflecting on genocide.

Fataar also shared his sentiments on how poverty is manifesting in the “most complicated ways on the Cape Flats and the ecological collapse”, and through the spread of artificial intelligence, society is now “evacuating consciousness”.

“We are now handing our data over to a machine, and our human agency is being compromised. As a human being, you should exercise your moral responsibility,” said Prof Fataar.

Quoting from the Quran, Prof Fataar read that the “servants of Allah, of the most merciful, are those who walk upon the earth gently”.    

“They understand what their responsibilities are, and they can discern and apply their intellect.

“We are called to walk gently, patiently – without passivity, of course – to remember without nostalgia and to take responsibility without despair,” said Prof Fataar.

Among the expected outcomes of the conference is to have an edited volume on African Sira scholarship, to launch the African Sira research network to sustain collaboration post-conference, and to enhance public awareness of the Prophet’s legacy through media partnerships.

It also endeavours to have a deepened understanding of the prophetic model as a framework for African interfaith and intercultural solidarity, and networks for ethical community building across Africa.

chevon.booysen@inl.co.za

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