The Sunday Mail
Desire Ncube
IT is rare to see children displaying strong devotion to faith at an early age but for eight-year-old Jafari Kanyorovere from Jumbo at Mazowe Mine, dedication to the Islamic creed began at birth.His immense knowledge and ability to recite the Islamic declaration of faith speaks volumes about his outstanding passion for the religion.
Young Kanyorovere and 14 other boys of his age and some teenagers spent 30 days in a makeshift house in a forest in Mazowe, where they were initiated into Islam in what is famously known as Chinamwali.
Chinamwali is a traditional initiation ceremony practised in different parts of Africa which signifies a graduation into adulthood for both boys and girls.
The major highlights of the month long forest experience for the boys was the circumcision process, teachings meant to instill good behaviour, sexual and other societal issues that safeguard the marriage institution.
Chinamwali is traditionally associated with ethnic groups like the Chewa, Ngoni, Venda, Tonga, Sena, Lomwe and Tambuka; but is also highly regarded amongst those of the Islamic faith.
Despite dilution of various traditional practices, this particular act has stood the test of time and continues to be practiced in most of these communities.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail Religion during the celebrations last Sunday, Kanyorovere thinks that at the age of eight, he was already running late in declaring his faith.
“I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except the one God, Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Servant and final Messenger of God,” boldly recited Kanyorovere.
The final day before graduation was an eventful one. The boys woke up early in the morning and headed to the nearby Mazowe Mine dam where they had breakfast before taking turns to have their heads clean shaved. They then took their baths.
With assistance from elders, all the boys put on new clothes, symbolising the beginning of their new lives.
While still at the dam, the boys took turns to kneel on a mat for baptism by an Ustaadh (Muslim teacher).
With their heads and faces covered with hats and cloth, the boys then embarked on a journey back home, where their parents eagerly waited for their return.
“I waited anxiously for my turn to be circumcised and when it finally came, I was more than ready to undergo it,” said Kanyorovere.
“It was not painful. I am now a proud Muslim,” he said.
Lali Phiri (19), said the biggest lesson from Chinamwali is that Islam is the only true religion in the world.
“I am now a changed person. Before the process, I had many questions about my religion but now I have more to say to those who doubt Islam,” said Phiri, who was the eldest among the boys.
Ustaadh Umar Mutiwa, one of the boys’ teachers, said words are the only tools used to reduce pain during the circumcision.
He said the major difference between Chinamwali for girls and boys is the circumcision, which is only done on the latter.
“Before we circumcise the boys, we make sure that we indoctrinate them with positive information. That information supersedes their pain.
“One should never underestimate the power of words, we use them as tools to reduce pain during the process,” he explained. He said Chinamwali involves following the footsteps of all the prophets who came before them, including Prophet Muhammad and Isa (Jesus).
“Islam is the religion of submission, obedience and peace and that is the summary of Chinamwali.
“We divide peace into three. Peace with God, peace with your body and peace with other creatures. We make sure that this dogma sinks into the minds of the boys before they return to their homes,” he said.
“We take our children out of the normal family set-up for 30 days in an effort to indoctrinate them with our beliefs as Muslims. We surely know that each and every one who passes through this stage will have a better understanding of the religion,” said Mr Tunyanga Harrison, one of the elderly man at the shrine.
“As young as they are, they now have a better understanding of life because that is what we were teaching them. They have enough respect for their parent’s bedrooms, which has a basis even in the holy book, the Quran,” he said.
Mr Harrison said after circumcision, the boys are considered as people who can distinguish between the good and the bad.
Another elderly man, Mr Malizeni Kazembe, said they don’t use modern medicine when curing the circumcision wound.
“We use natural medicine in curing the wound and we also have our own means and ways of preventing too much loss of blood,” he said.
He said he has never heard of any deaths during circumcision.
But he admitted the process is very painful.
“Because of pain, some boys cry during circumcision but we beat drums in order to diffuse the noise so that others won’t develop negative thoughts,” said Mr Kazembe.
