Feature: Rejuvenating the literary legacy of Islam

For many Muslim students in Nairobi, the name of Capt. Yahya evokes images of a slender kanzu-clad preacher who was a common feature during pastoral programmes, Islamic rallies and lectures in various secondary schools and higher learning institutions.
Capt. Yahya Atei Ondigo is now more renowned for his literary works which cover various subjects on Islam, an accomplishment which he says is his humble contribution to rejuvenate the rich literary legacy of Islam.
The former army officer who embraced Islam in 1990 is currently the Imam of the Windhoek Islamic Centre in Namibia, a country where he served as a member of the Kenyan army contingent in the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) which helped to facilitate independence for the South West African country. He retired from military service shortly after embracing Islam and took time to privately learn Islam through reading and listening to audio-visual materials of various Islamic scholars.
His leap to the literary world arose after he realized that they were few Islamic literatures authored by local scholars. “Notwithstanding the wonderful khutbahs (sermons) and lectures from the great scholars of Islam in the country, it is disheartening that many of them have done little to preserve their knowledge through writing for the benefit of future generations,” says the graduate from the Islamic University in Uganda who has also served as the Imam of the main mosque in Indian Ocean republic of Seychelles.
He was further inspired by the writing of the Canadian scholar Dr. Abu Amenah Bilal Phillips-himself a revert -who has authored more than 50 books on various Islamic subjects on Islam. Soon after becoming a Muslim, he was presented two books authored by Dr. Bilal Phillips as gifts -The fundamental of Tawheed and Tafsir Surat Hujiraat which he says had a remarkable impact on his life. “Meeting him years later in 2006 at the Discover Islam Centre in the United Arab Emirates gave me the inspiration to emulate him in writing Islamic books,” he said.
His other sources of inspiration came from the works of the late American writer Maryam Jamillah (Margaret Marcus) who embraced Islam from Judaism and the prominent Pakistan scholar and reformer Abul ‘Ala Maududi.
His first books were Islam and Science-conflicting or conciliating and the Seven conditions of Shahadah which he wrote while teaching at the Banadir University in Somalia. “They were small books but the response was good and this gave me further impetus to write more books,” he told the Friday Bulletin during his vacation in the country.
He has so far written 21 books which touch on various subjects which include interfaith relationship, leadership and marital affairs.
Together with Dr. Abdallah Kheir, the Imam and lecturer at Kenyatta University, they authored an Islamic Religious Education (IRE) coursework, Essentials of Islamic Studies for Form 1 and Form 4. The book published by Ummah Foundation is however, out of print and is yet to be reprinted.
In 2006, his work received global recognition after he reached an agreement with the International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH) which is based in Riyadh Saudi Arabia to publish his books. So far, IIPH has published eight of his works while the others are in the pipeline. Through its branches in various countries which include the United States and its online store, his books can easily be obtained around the globe.
“My books continue to be well received even by non-Muslims and to me this is my main driving force to write and present the message of Islam based on the Quran and the Sunnah,” he says.
Among four of his books, he has emulated the tradition of the 13th century scholar Imam Nawawi and other scholars who compiled traditions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and commented on them. The books are Forty hadith of poisonous habits, Forty hadith on leadership and governance, Forty hadith on good moral habits and his latest book Forty hadith on a happy marriage.
Forty habits on a happy marriage delves on nurturing a happy marriage, a factor which he said is lacking in many homes and is one of the main causes of divorce. The book covers issues such as spouse selection, rights of a husband and wife, romance in a marriage and ways of addressing marital conflicts is now in its second print after the first print was sold out.
Capt. Yahya admits that the low reading culture among Muslims remain a challenge which prevents people from purchasing Islamic books. In addition, the internet has compounded on this factor as many people have no time to read and choose to spend their leisure hours in internet chartrooms rather than using the information portal to gain beneficial knowledge “There are websites such as kalamullah.com where authentic Islamic books are available free for download and the youth need to use such opportunities which can increase their knowledge,” he said.
He advised the young people to seek knowledge and guidance from reliable scholars saying that it will act as a bulwark against teachings which could drive them to practice Islam based on emotions. “Islam has to be practiced from the point of knowledge and not emotions and this has to be done through listening and following reputable scholars,” he observed. “Getting the correct Islamic teachings leads to better understanding of Islam and fosters peaceful co-existence with non-Muslims,” he added.
He passionately called on scholars to take initiatives and record their works through writing a recorded lectures on DVDs to benefit future generations. “The fact that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam had scribes such as Zaid ibn Thabit who put the Quran in writing shows that knowledge must be recorded for posterity,” he said.
“It is through the pen that the works of great scholars such Ibn Taymiyya, An Nawawi and Ibn Kathir have reached us. Our scholars need to actively write books to keep alive the literary legacy of Islam,” he said in his parting shot.