Uways al-Barawi

Uways Al-Barawi
Title	Al Barawi
Born	1846
Died	1909 (aged 62–63)
Ethnicity	Somali
Era	19th century
Region	East Africa
Religion	Islam
Jurisprudence	Shafi
Creed	Uwaysiyya
Main interest(s)	Islamic philosophy, Islamic literature

Sheikh Uways Al-Barawi (Arabic: أُوَيس البَراوي‎‎) (b. 1847–1909) was a Somali scholar credited with reviving Islam in 19th century East Africa.

Sheikh Uways was born in Barawa on the Benadir of Somalia coast, the son of a local religious teacher. He was of the Tunni subgroup of the Rahanweyn. He obtained a simple elementary education in basic theological sciences, and only later furthered his studies with eminent scholars. Sheikh Uways studied the Qur'an, Qur'anic exegesis, syntax and grammar, legal principles and basic Sufism under the tutelage of one Sheikh Muhammad Tayini al-Shashi in his local vicinity.

Being a devout student of Islam and excelling in piety, the young Sheikh Uways caught the attention of his teacher who then introduced him to the Qadiriyya doctrines and, circa 1870, took him to the birthplace of that tariqah in Baghdad. This journey had a profound impact on Sheikh Uways' spiritual search and religious credibility. He studied with the eminent Qadiri, Sayyid Mustafa b. Salman al-Jilani and later claimed to have received an ijazah from his teacher, thus boosting his reputation. Despite this, B.G. Martin described his training and education as "relatively provincial, mildly uninspired, and above all conservative and conventional." Uways also made Hajj to Madinah and Makkah during this spell, which normally marks a spiritual milestone for Muslims. And truly so, his life took a drastic turnaround.

In 1883, Sheikh Uways made his way back to his hometown to settle there for good. A very important journey in enhancing his reputation as a scholar was when he passed through the Hejaz, Yemen and northern Somalia. While in northern Somalia in particular, Choi Ahmed claimed through oral tradition that Shaykh Uways met the renowned Somali Qadiri Shaykh Abd al Rahman al-Zayla'i near Qulunqul right before his death and was at that time handed granted complete control of the Qadiriyya in Somalia. On the other hand, the Somali scholar Said Sheikh Samatar claims that Shaykh Uways merely visited al-Zayla'i's tomb and received a symbolic ijazah to preach. Whether or not the former or the latter claims are correct, both Choi Ahmed and Samatar imply that Shaykh Uways successfully established himself as the successor to the much revered Shaykh Abd Al-Rahman bin Ahmad al-Zayla'i.

...
Wikipedia