food

A Cape Malay tradition passed on from generation to generation

The third month of the Islamic Hijri (lunar) calendar, Rabi ul Awwal, has great significance for millions of Muslims worldwide.

The founder of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah, peace be upon him (PBUH), was born on the 12th day of Rabi ul Awwal in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in the year 570CE.

On this auspicious day, followers of Islam commemorate his birthday in what is known as the Moulood un Nabie, literally translated as “The birth of the Prophet”.

Since the early days of Islam in the Cape, traditions and teachings from our Muslim forefathers from the Far East have been passed on from generation to generation and are still very much a part of the Cape Malay community today.

One of these popular traditions is the annual Moulood commemoration; a time for Muslims to come together and join in a mass gathering to celebrate the birth, life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

One of the Cape Malay traditions is the Rampies sny, the cutting and scenting of lemon and orange tree leaves. The word is believed to be derived from the Malaya term rampai, which means to blend a variety of flowers and fragrant leaves.

Muslim females, young and old, gather in groups in mosques, halls and homes across the Cape, beautifully attired in Islamic wear, some in white and other in vibrant colours. The big groups all dress the same, very much reminiscent of fellow Muslims in Malaysia, Java and Indonesia.

I can clearly recall the excitement in District Six in the 1960s and 1970s, when my grandmother, mom and all my aunties prepared for the rampies sny afternoon. The boys just felt totally left out. My grandma was a dressmaker and the whole week before rampies, all the womenfolk were busy with dresses, scarves and midouras, beautifully ornamented headgear normally worn by brides and returning female pilgrims. In that respect, I think that the tradition has waned to a degree.

So the ladies and young gather with their cutting knives and cut the leaves into small pieces. This is then doused with rose water and folded into coloured wrapping paper or small pieces of cloth to later be distributed to the men in the masjids (mosques) on the day of Moulood.

As they prepare the leaves, Salawaat – praises on the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) – are melodiously rendered. As boys, the one highlight of rampies sny was always the women returning with the best edibles and delicacies that were the order of the day everywhere.

In the days leading up to the moulood celebrations, various mosques in Cape Town will also be rendering lectures on the life of the Prophet (PBUH), from his character and teachings to his marital life.

On the Prophet’s (PBUH) birthday, men and women gather at the masjid to recite Salawaat and prayers of thanksgiving to Allah (God) for sending the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as His messenger. Speeches and lectures are made in mosques and elsewhere about the life and instructions of the Holy Prophet.

During the proceedings, young boys now go around and distribute the rampies to all the men in the masjid. Rose water is also sprinkled in the hands and fezzes of the congregants.

For weeks afterwards, clothes and cars smell of rosewater and rampies scents. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of Muslims in Cape Town attended mass Moulood celebrations organised by the Moulood Organisation of South Africa.

Muhammad (PBUH) was illiterate, yet gave birth to a culture of learning and civilisation of knowledge. He was born into a society of immense poverty existing side-by-side with immense wealth, yet left a message of universal brotherhood, equality and sharing. He was born into a society steeped in corruption, violence and greed, yet he brought a message of peace, morality and moderation in all things. Above all, he was a prophet for all.

In 1978 Michael H Hart, an astrophysicist, alien life researcher and white separatist, published his book The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, he named the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the first ranked. He was no ordinary man. Surely, his birth is worth celebrating.

food, a cape malay tradition passed on from generation to generation

Nazeem Davids

* Nazeem Davids

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

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