Assalamu alaikum,

I hope this letter finds you in the best of health.

How was the hawl of Al-Habib in Canada? Here in Mombasa I attended 5 hawls of Al-Habib, the 13th, 14th and 18th of Rajab. On the 14th there were 3 hawls. These are the ones I knew about. I suppose there were more in private homes and mosques and other areas around Mombasa.

There were also hawl of Al-Habib in Nairobi, Mambrui, Lamu, Malindi, Nakuru and many other places.

The first hawl that I attended was at Masjid Khonzi, at central Mombasa, the 13th of Rajab. Masjid Khonzi has been rebuilt and now has space for thousands of worshippers.

On the 14th after al-fajr there was hawl at the graveyard, the place where the daughter of Al-Habib and his grandson Al-Habib Mohamed Mustafa Abu Numeir are buried together with the saada of Ahlu Shatiri.

Then at dhohr there was hawl at the residence of Al-Habib near Markiti.

After Maghrib there was hawl at a hall near the stadium. Thousands of people attended. Ustadh Muhammad and Mwenye Baba and others gave khutbas about the biography of A-Habib.

On the 18th of Rajab in the village of Watamu there was hawl as well. The place where Al-Habib built a mosque and a markaz, MARKAZ HADDAD AL-ISLAMIYYA, and there is also a house and a musalla where he used to stay.

I have recorded all these events on tape and also taken many pictures.

At the hawls were read the qasidas of Al-Habib and also qasidas by his grandson Al-Habib Mohamed Mustafa who died last year when he was still in his twenties. He had studied in Tarim and with his grandfather. I have copied his qasidas, NATAWASSAL BI NABIN NUR WA IBNU TAHA AHMAD AL-MASHHUR and SHAY LILLAH AHMAD MASHHUR.

Al-Habib Mohamed Mustafa's students have been of great help to me. He was compiling a book of manaqib of the Alawi saada in East Africa but was not able to finish before he died. He also saved recordings of his grandfather's lectures and speeches. There is an ocean of information here of Al-Habib.

There are manuscripts of qasaid and books here in Mombasa by Al-Habib and his grandson, which should be taken care of.

If you get an opportunity you should come here and go through all the material. Some of it could be of great value and should be published.

I am now collecting information on Sharif Said, from Ustadh Muhammad and others especially Haji Khamis who stayed with Sharif Said and Al-Habib in Uganda. He was the one who brought Al-Habib to Uganda. I will try to compile a book Insha Allah.

There is so much to write and I will continue Insha Allah at another occasion.

Wasalaam
Mohamed Omar of Sweden
(Oct 2nd, 2002)
(Published: Ramadan 1423)