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The Islamic Federation of Comoros Islands
Compiled by: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On July 6, 2012, 1975 AD, the Comoros Islands gained independence from French colonial rule. Comoros is actually the French corruption of “Qamar” for Moon in Arabic since the islands are known as Juzur al-Qamar (Moon Islands).
According to accounts, in 632, upon hearing of Islam, the islanders are said to have dispatched an emissary, the navigator Qumralu, to Arabia—but by the time he arrived there, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) had departed from the world. Nonetheless, after a stay in Medina, he returned to Qanbalu Island and led the gradual conversion of his islanders to Islam.
Some of the earliest accounts of the Comoros were derived from the works of the famous Islamic geographer, al-Masudi, who mentions the early Islamic trade routes and how the islands were frequently visited by Muslims including Iranian and Arab merchants and sailors from Basra in search of coral, ylang-ylang, ivory, beads, spices, gold. They also brought Islam to the people of Comoros and Zanzibar.
By the 12th century AD, masses of people converted to Islam in these islands and the Islamic culture and civilization quickly spread. In the 16th Century AD, Comoros Islands were for a while occupied by Portugal. The Sultan of Oman who had brought Zanzibar under his control managed to put an end to this occupation. In 1842, parts of Comoros were occupied by the French.
Finally, following the struggles of people of these islands, the Islamic country of Comoros officially announced its independence in 1975. President Ahmad Abdullah Mohammad Sambi, who was elected in the first democratically-held elections in May 2006, is the present head of the government. Educated in the holy city of Qom and popularly known as “Ayatollah” because of his Islamic attire and green turban, he is of Hadhrami ancestry from Yemen and claims descent from Ali al-Uraydhi, a son of Imam Ja’far Sadeq (AS), the 6th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).
The Comoros Islands cover an area of 1862 sq km. They are situated off the coast of Southeast Africa in the Indian Ocean.
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