4TH OIC, IRCICA, AWQAF SA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

4^TH OIC, IRCICA, AWQAF SA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE REPRESENTATION OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW) IN ISLAMIC SCHOLARSHIP AND LITERATURE IN AFRICA (Exploring the Historical, Cultural and Contemporary Representations of the Legacy of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in African Islamic Scholarship) will take place at Kirstenbosch Gardens Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa from 12 - 14 September 2025. This conference will attract presenters from across the world.

1. Introduction

The life and legacy of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as captured in the sira literature, have significantly influenced Islamic thought, identity, and practice throughout the Muslim world. In sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in areas with rich Islamic heritage such as West Africa, the Swahili Coast, and the Horn of Africa, Islamic scholars have traditionally engaged with the sira of the Prophet (SAW) through teaching, commentary, poetry, and historiography. However, African sira scholarship remains marginalised despite its influence on local cultures, education, and interfaith dynamics. This conference aims to explore the various ways African Islamic scholars have interpreted, preserved and transmitted the sira, providing insight into how these representations have shaped local cultures, education systems, political movements, and inter religious engagement.

2. Objectives

The conference intends to provide a platform for scholars, researchers, and experts to explore and discuss the various representations of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Islamic scholarship in Africa. The conference will focus on the following specific objectives:

• Analyse the localisation of the sira in African contexts, including key scholars, text, and traditions.
• Identify key figures, texts, and traditions in African sira
• Examine how the sira has been localised in different African contexts.
• Investigate the historical and cultural contexts of the image of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in African Islamic scholarship.
• Promote dialogue and collaboration among scholars from diverse African regions and Islamic traditions.
• Contribute to a deeper understanding of the significance of the legacy of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in shaping African Islamic identity and culture.
• Explore how the ethical legacy of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) engaged with, enriched, and was enriched by the diverse moral and cultural traditions it encountered, especially on the African continent.
• Analyse modern interpretations of the prophet’s legacy in African Islamic thought and identity.
• Recognise the spirit of ethical co-existence and solidarity through which the Prophetic message contributed to shared moral visions across different communities and civilisations.
• Foster scholarly networks and publish findings to elevate African sira studies globally.
• Produce a reviewed volume of the conference proceedings.

3. Sub-Themes

The following sub-themes will be developed in line with the stated objectives:

• Historical Representations of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in African Islamic Historiography
• Cultural Expressions: Art, Literature (Poetry, Ajami texts), Music and Oral Traditions in Honor of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
• Theological Perspectives: African Islamic Theology, Comparative Studies with Global Scholarship
• Contemporary Challenges: Representing the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Modern African Contexts
• Prophetic pathways to pluralism: Muhammad (SAW) in African intercultural and intergroup community-building

4. Thematic Areas

The conference invites papers and presentations on (but not limited to) the following themes:

• Historical development of sira scholarship in Africa
• Major African scholars of the sira and their contributions
• The sira in African Arabic, Ajami, and vernacular literature
• Representation of the Prophet (SAW) in African Islamic poetry
• Representation of the political and administrative legacies of the Prophet (SAW) as founder and first head of the Islamic state
• Lessons from the sira of the Prophet (SAW) for contemporary diplomacy and international relations
• Representation of the legislative and judicial legacies of the Prophet (SAW) as the overall head of legislature and judiciary of the Islamic state
• Representation of his legacy as the founder of the principles of the Islamic political economy
• The image of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in economic and commercial relations
• Representation of his role in laying the foundations and promotion of education and culture in the Islamic state
• Manuscripts and oral traditions of the sira in African contexts
• Teaching of the sira in traditional Islamic schools (madrasas, zawiyas)
• The role of the sira in contemporary African Muslim identity
• Prophetic ethics and intercultural, group and religious solidarity in African Contexts
• Building ethical communities across cultures and faith traditions: African Perspectives

5. Expected Outcomes:

• An edited volume on African Sira scholarship.
• Launch the African Sira research network to sustain collaboration post-conference.
• Enhance public awareness of the Prophet’s legacy via media partnerships.
• Deepened understanding of the prophetic model as a framework for African interfaith and intercultural solidarity and networks for ethical community building across Africa