William andrew kopwe the open university of tanzania

4.6 Summary

This chapter presented empirical research findings complimented by library research. The chapter succinctly showed that Sharī’a is a reality in the Country. Muslims practice Sharī’a in their daily lives. However, in the private life of Muslims, Muslims in the Country practice their Sharī’a in a peculiar manner according to the Tanzania mainland context. In the public space, Sharī’a is limited to personal law only. Muslims are not satisfied with the current status of Sharī’a application in the Country. Also, it was shown that Sharī’a implementation faces several challenges. But it is also possible for Sharī’a to be implemented in the Country. Also, this chapter showed that, Sharī’a demand is just part of the many Muslim grievances in the Country. On the other hand, Sharī’a discourses have, in one way or another, influenced Christian-Muslim relations and state-religion relations in the county.

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

5.1 Introduction

This part of the study will analyze Sharī’a implementation in the Country following three theories of anthropology of religion as mentioned in the introduction. First was the ‘Great and Little Traditions’ theory. Second was the theory of ‘Religious Globalization’ and third was the theory of ‘Religious Economy’. The study of Sharī’a implementation and the discourses surrounding it is a study of religion, which is also part and parcel of anthropological undertaking. Anthropology studies, the anthropos (human being) and all aspects of human life including culture. It tries to understand human being, their life, and their interactions with fellow human beings. Anthropology studies diversities and commonalities among people. Cultural anthropology studies human society and culture. It deals with social dynamics such as the way people make their living, interact with each other, their beliefs and how they organize themselves (Kottak, 2002:11). Culture is the most important concept in anthropology and religious studies. Anthropologists and scholars of religions have been wrestling with the definition of culture. Tylor (1871) is cited by Biernatzki (1991:6) saying that culture can be explained as:

It was a product of the work of many nineteenth century anthropologists, but was most concisely summarized by Edward B. Tylor, one of the founders of British social anthropology; ‘Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and many other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society’.

Therefore culture can be summarized as a phenomenon which contains; patterns of behavior, feeling and the thinking, that help people learn, create and share. This includes beliefs, rules of behavior, language, rituals, arts, technology, style of dressing, ways of producing and cooking food, religion, political and economical systems (Bodley, 2004). In this study religion is treated as a component of culture and important part of civilization.¹⁹⁶ Since culture is a way of life of a given group of people, Sharī’a is a cultural phenomenon per excellence because Sharī’a identifies with almost all of the above mentioned components of culture. Sharī’a touches every component human life. That is why in this study a variety of social, economic, political and religious issues have been treated as Sharī’a issues.

5.2 Characteristics of Islam in the Country

To understand practicality of Sharī’a in the Country we have to know at least the outline of characteristics of Islam in the Country. Islam is the second oldest religion in Tanzania, the first being African religion. Islam was first brought to this Country by people from Arabia.¹⁹⁷ Several theories have been constructed concerning the time of the advent of Islam in Tanzania. Most scholars agree that Islam came to Tanzania within its first century (Sekamwa, 1976; Were, & Wilson, 1970; Palmer, 1987). Three major circumstances contributed to the advent of Islam to Tanzania. First, there was the political upheaval in Persia and Arabia that resulted in political refugees who were Muslims seeking asylum on the East African coast. Second, there were the Muslim traders on the East African coast and later in the interior of the mainland. These people settled and controlled the existing trade routes and in the process they disseminated Islam both intentionally and unintentionally. Third, there were the Muslims who came from Islamic countries with the purpose of spreading Islam (Rukya, 2007). Most important of all is the fact that Islam came to Tanzania in a peaceful way through infiltration.
The great majority of the Muslims in Tanzania are Sunni. The Shiite minority, mostly of Asian origin, are Imami, Ismaili and the Bohra/Wohra. The Muslims of Omani origin constitute a special case, most of them being Ibadiyya, which is a moderate branch of the Khariji movement. A small but active Ahmadiyya group is also present in the Country (Lodhi and Westerlund, 1997). Generally speaking, Tanzanian Islam can be summarized in this way:

[Tanzania] Islam shows many local African characteristics. African practices and beliefs are often very obvious. In the interior it is often hard to distinguish the dividing line between Islam and the local religions. Prayers, the fasting month Ramadan and other principles of "official" Islam are seldom strictly adhered to. The knowledge of Arabic is very limited. Both religiously and culturally the Moslems of Tanzania have a very strong local African identity. What is known as African Islam is characteristic of these people and of Moslems in other parts of East Africa. (Lodhi and Westerlund, 1997)

Though Islam in Tanzania was brought by traders from Arabia, to a great extent Sufi¹⁹⁸ Muslims contributed in its dissemination in the Country, first in the coast and subsequently in the interior of mainland of Tanzania.¹⁹⁹They did so through preaching, teaching in the madrasa and establishment of different orders (turuq) (Becker, 2008). However their contributions seem to be downplayed by various scholars in the Country. Sufism has left a lot of marks in the Tanzania Islam. Lodhi and Westerlund (1997) put it clear that the majority of Muslims in Tanzania are Sufi. This background affects the worldview of Muslims in the Country about Sharī’a and Islam in general.
The majority of Tanzania Muslims are moderate. But currently, Tanzania Islam is undergoing a strong revival. This has been fuelled by the interaction of factors ranging from religious, social-economic to political aspects within and inside the Country. Revivalism in Tanzania is mostly an influence of the Wahhabī,²⁰⁰ a movement popularly known as Ansār Sunna or Ansār Muslim. The Most significant feature of Ansār Muslim is its emphasis on returning to a strict Islamic Sharī’a.²⁰¹
The Wahhabī movement has succeeded in gaining following composed largely of youths in Tanzania. The Ansār Muslims are going out of their way to improve the social-economic, political and religious positions of Muslims in the Country.²⁰² No wonder that these people are always agitating for the positions of Muslims in the Country’s private and public spheres. Because of their revival character sometimes they introduce new ideas to other Muslims which cause clashes with the mainstream Sunni Muslim, especially BAKWATA. Because of this characteristic, they are branded as a group of sectarians (Chande, 1994).