Kramats of the Cape · Mowbray cemetery
Sheikh Abdurahman ibn Muhammad al-Iraqi
A scholar from Basra who wrote books on Islam in Afrikaans set in Arabic script.
Sheikh Abdurahman ibn Muhammad al-Iraqi came to the Cape from Basra in Iraq, the city of Rabi'a al-Adawiyya. He was known for his piety and his knowledge of the religion.
He wrote a number of books on the teachings of Islam in Afrikaans, set down in Arabic script, the form the Cape's Muslims had long used for their own language. His followers regarded him as a wali, and he was known for his practice of spiritual medicine.
He is buried in Mowbray cemetery, close to Sayed Moegsien bin Alawie al-Aidarus.
Sources: Guide to the Kramats of the Western Cape, Cape Mazaar (Kramat) Society (1996; third impression 2010); Government Gazette 45602, 3 December 2021: SAHRA declaration of ten kramats.