Scholar of Riyadha Mosque

Sayyid Muhammad Bahsan bin Sayyid Ali Badawy also known as Sharif Bahsan was born in Lamu in 1925. He was the first born child of Sayyid Ali Badawy. His mother, Siti Aisha, was the daughter of Sayyid Aidarus. Thus, he was a great grandson of Habib Swaleh through both parents.

Shariff Bahsan was raised up in a conducive learning environment surrounded by Habib Swaleh, Sayyid Ahmad Badawy, Sayyid Aidarus and his father Sayyid Ali Badawy. He had the early opportunity of acquring knowledge from its fountain. At the age of ten Shariff Bahsan had memorized the Qur’an and many classical Islamic works.

Shariff Bahsan had a sharp resemblance of his father’s wisdom and intellect. By early adulthood the young scholar was already deeply rooted in Islamic sciences. He would mostly be seen in the company of his teachers especially:

  • Sayyid Muhammad Adnan Al-Ahdal
  • Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali Al-Maawy
    • and
  • Sheikh Abdallah Khamis
He was also among the first students of Madrasatu Al-Najaah in Lamu

Upon the death of his mother at the age of nine, Shariff Bahsan, was nurtured under the direct care of his maternal grandfather Sayyid Aidarus who considered him like his own son and offered him all the love he could. Under the patronage of Sayyid Aidarus, Shariff Bahsan was able to prosper in all the fields of Islamic sciences including Islamic traditional medicine.

Due to the busy schedule of his father and uncles in and around East and Central Africa, Shariff Bahsan was made to bear the heavy responsibility of running the affairs of the Riyadha Mosque at a very young age. His time was mostly spent on teaching at the Riyadha Mosque. His students are scattered all over East Africa and beyond. Among them include:

  • Ustadh Muhammad bin Shariff Sayyid Al-Beidh
  • Ustadh Muhsin bin Sayyid Ali Badawy (his brother)
  • Sayyid Abdalla Saggaf
    • and
  • Ustadh Sheikh Swaleh Bahsan(his son)
and many others.He also had a talent in writing in both prose and poetry.Some of his works include:
  • Eidhahul Ghawamidh lil Mubtadi fee Ilmil Faraidh
  • Tas - heelul Adeelat fee Istikhraj Awqaat Swalaat wal Qiblah
  • Eitihaful Anam fee ma yataalaqu bee Swiyaam
  • Qesswatul Meeraj
  • Hidayatul Mubtade’een fee Seeyrati Sayyidil Mursaleen
Among others.

He had planned to build a separate building from the Riyadha Mosque for studies and academic purposes. Unfortunately, when the Riyadha Academy (Maahad Thaqafah Islami) opened its doors in 1981, Shariff Bahsan had passed away just a year earlier. His sudden death during the lifetime of his father was a great loss to the people of Lamu. At the time of his death in 1979, he was 54 years of age.He was finally buried near the graves of his father, grandfather and great grandfather in Lamu.