The Qatabré Sheikh, Mawlid Celebration and Intra Faith Debate on the Mawlīd Celebration

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Date

2014-06

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

The basic objective of this thesis is to study the Sheikh of Qatbaré, the Mawlīd celebration and the intra-faith debate at this Muslim site whose founder was Sheikh Issa ibn Hamza al- Qatbaré (ca. 1866-1949). The method followed to collect data for the preparation of this thesis is qualitative one. The rich data collected essentially cover the role of the Qatbaré Sheikh, the how of the Mawlīd ceremony and the details of the intra-faith debate whether Mawlīd should or should not be celebrated. After carefully handling our data through qualitative method, data analysis has been undertaken as much as possible. The logical outcome of the data analysis has come up with major findings which can be stated as the key motor of this thesis. These findings underscore that the site of Qatbaré which was founded by Sheikh Issa ibn Hamza had produced distinguished „ulama after their study at this site. It also underpins that the Mawlīd ceremony at this site has created wider interactions of different Muslim people who could annually celebrate the Mawlīd. The main findings of this thesis is that the intra-faith debate which has made its point of argument the Mawlīd ceremony usually put its premise on the interpretation of the Islamic text than the Islamic legal ground. The findings of this thesis help to finally draw a trajectory of an alternative route which is properly stated in pinpointing the direction which the undergoing debate seems to take up. The conclusion of this thesis is also quite modest as such intra-faith debate among the Ethiopian Muslims cannot be mastered both in quantity and quality which one may try to capture from this thesis

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Social Anthropology

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