[iiilizium]

I dont think I know you but i lived in Bosmont & still frequent the masjied. If you were ever to go back to Cape town for a visit I sugest you sit down with Imaam that taught you the basics. If Im not mistaken all the masjieds & madrasahs are run by the flag bearing Karaan family. Ml Yusuf once spoke beautifuly on the maulid on the radio in cape town. he also goes to gaddads & maulids. they students of the Darul Uloom go as well & even Hadrah.

what is most disterbing is that you asked about Ratiebul Gaddad- well you idea about it is completely wrong. the event where they play drums & stab themselvs is called Ratib- which is a south african term for the ritual & goes back to the Rifai' tariqah. the gaddad is but a few surahs, some very benificial adhkaar & tehn dua'. it is to be read every night & doesnt need a tune or a large group. In the old days it became a hadrah ( this a broad term & not only used for the rythmic dhikrs) due to the need for it & it remained like that ever since. in my stay with the people who's forefathers wrote the Ratieb I asked about the way we did it & even did it in their presence the way it is done in South Africa & they said nothing wrong with that. our sheikh on his visit to SA also sat in the SA style & all he said was that he could feel the presence of Imaam Gaddad with us in SA.