From The Africa Federation Archives

1. Khatibe-Azam Maulana Sayyed Mohamed Dahlevi Saheb

2. Pictures of Marhum Ebrahim Hussein Sheriff Dewji - Chairman - Africa Federation - 1959 - 1965

Khatibe-Azam Maulana

Sayyed Mohamed Dahelvi Saheb.

Your   Eminence,

It was a glorious day dawned in the history of the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Community of Eastern Africa when your Eminence set foot on the soil of Kenya at the Nairobi, Aerodrome, on the invitation of the Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaths of Africa, and thus accorded the Community an unprecedented opportunity to have the honour of your visit, and to have the pleasure of your lectures in your inimitable style and knack of explaining knotty and obstruce things from theology and philosophy which keep your hearers spell-bound for which you have achieved universal fame all over India, Pakistan and Muslim Countries.  It goes without saying that we shall always be longing to hear such interesting and instructive lectures from you and we sincerely hope that you will deign to pay us not infrequent visits in future from time to time.

It is fortunate for the Muslims of Asia that so distinguished a scholar of your caliber should preach and endevour to bring home to the world the true import of Universal Brotherhood, Love and Peace for which human souls yearn and which impulses are ingrained in human nature and constitute the basic principles of Islam.  The need for appreciating and recognizing these basic truths in the present-day World when it is passing through a period of unparalleled uncertainty and anxiety, cannot be too strongly emphasized.

Your Eminence; we not only feel honoured by your visit, but we are also proud of having a personality of your fame and distinction as one of our learned theologists, whose popularity and reputation shows no bounds.  We are most grateful to you for accepting our invitation to undertake the tour.  Your lectures on theology and philosophy have doubtless enlightened your listeners in East Africa and they have now a better understanding and appreciation and conception of the fundamental principles of Islam.

Your short sojourn in this country of mixed races must have convinced Your Eminence that we, as a small but prosperous Community scattered all over East Africa for generations live in peace and harmony with all other Communities, in a spirit of complete understanding and harmony.

On behalf of our entire Community, we bid you a happy farewell and Godspeed on your departure home and we fervently reiterate the hope that the present will be the forerunner of your periodic visit to East Africa in future.

We pray to the Almighty for you and your family’s health and happiness, and with respectful regards on behalf of the Ithna-Asheri Community of Eastern Africa.

We remain

Your Eminence’s

Most Obedient Servants

For and on behalf of: THE CENTRAL COUNCIL OF THE

FEDERATION OF KHOJA SHIA ITHNA-ASHERI JAMATHS OF AFRICA.

Abdulrasul Nasser Virjee President                  Mohamedali Janmohamed General Secretary

May 1951