By Dr. Mohammed Nurhussein\Dr. Abrar Fitwi
Photos: Ardi\YouTube Screenshots\Wikimedia Commons
If this is the first time you are hearing about Al-Nejashi in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, it is because it has been written out of official Ethiopian history by successive emperors of Ethiopia for over 14 centuries until the revolution of 1974 recognized it as a treasured national heritage. Al-Nejashi is a story of acceptance of the ‘other’, of providing a safe haven to refugees fleeing persecution and protecting them; a shining example of interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence.
It was here that the early Muslims, companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who were persecuted in their own city of Mecca came seeking refuge on instruction of the Prophet. He told them to go to the land of the Habesha (Abyssinia) whose Christian king does not tolerate injustice. The Axumite king, Al-Nejashi received them warmly and told them they were free to live and worship in his kingdom. It can safely be said that it was here in Africa that Islam first planted its roots where Muslims were free to live and worship without fear of persecution for the first time. A unique and remarkable event in world history.
It must be remembered it was the Haji Abdu brothers, a wealthy family from Adwa, Tigray who rescued Al-Nejashi from total oblivion in the 1950s by building a mosque and a mausoleum for the 15 companions who died there, in defiance of the authorities of Imperial Ethiopia. Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi later built a larger mosque and the Turkish government upgraded the site to make it accessible to tourists.
Unfortunately, the recent war in Tigray caused significant damage to the mosque and the capacious dining hall and its facilities including the looting of the large modern kitchen appliances. Invaluable manuscripts and other artifacts were also looted or destroyed.
As tragic as this wanton destruction may have been, it served as a wakeup call for us Ethiopian Muslims to seize the opportunity to rebuild and develop the site ourselves.
A yearlong planning by dedicated scholars and professionals in Ethiopia and the Diaspora, devoting countess hours and energy established a nonprofit organization -Al-Nejashi Reconstruction and Development Initiative (ARDI) registered in the US and Ethiopia. This initiative was a sacred duty and a labor of love for us. We have set for ourselves three objectives.
The first and immediate objective is to reconstruct the damaged heritage site, upgrade the facilities and restore it to its rightful place as Ethiopia’s and Africa’s heritage of cultural, historic and religious significance for tourists to visit and a spiritual destination for the global community of Muslims ( the Ummah).
The second objective entails a major development project adjacent to the historic site. This will include a large modern mosque, an Islamic University and a research center where scholars and students from Ethiopia, Africa and the rest of the world could come to study and conduct historical and archeological research on the history and culture of Muslims in Ethiopia and Africa. It will also be a center for the study and research on interfaith and intercultural harmony. A world class hotel and other hospitality services will be built to accommodate tourists.
Earning UNESCO recognition for Al-Nejashi as a world religious and cultural heritage site is the third objective. Alnejashi is considered the First Hijrah (migration) occurring at least 7 years before Medina in 622 CE, considered the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Al-Nejashi thus is second only to Mecca in the birth and growth of Islam.
This initiative is aimed at making Al-Nejashi the premier tourist destination in Africa and is likely to be an engine for a major economic development in the war devastated region and a revenue generator for Ethiopia as a whole.
The Supreme Islamic Affairs Council of Ethiopia and the Tigray Islamic Affairs Council, as custodians of the holy site have given us their enthusiastic support, blessing and collaboration.
To that end the Supreme Islamic Affairs Council of Ethiopia and the Tigray Islamic Affairs Council with the collaboration of ARDI will be hosting an official dinner reception at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa on May 7/2024 to launch the project naming it The Grand Al-Nejashi Center.
In his official visit to Ethiopia in 2023, the Secretary General of the World Muslim League, Sheih Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Issa, called Ethiopia the land of the two migrations and described Al-Nejashi having “a special place in the heart of every Muslim”. Indeed.
As we embark on this sacred mission we are counting on the support of the global community of Muslim as well as non-Muslims who appreciate the historic and cultural significance of Al-Nejashi, a king who set an example for the world 14 centuries ago of acceptance of the ‘other’ and the possibility of harmonious co-existence among different religions and cultures.
Join us on this journey as we embark on this historically and culturally educational and fulfilling, and spiritually rewarding initiative.
For further information please visit our homepage: Alnejashirdi.org
Dr. Mohammed A. Nurhussein\Executive Director, ARDI
Dr. Abrar Fitwi\Chairman, ARDI
