East African Islamic revival owes much debt to the struggles of the Qadiri leader Shaykh Uways bin Muhammad al-Baraawi. From humble origins and modest upbringing, Shaykh Uways emerged as the most eminent hero of traditional Sufi Islam. A combination of exquisite poetry and active proselytizing garnered him huge influence.

From Barawe, he traveled to Baghdad, the hometown of Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, to the Hejaz, then to Zanzibar and finally met a tragic death at the hands of a rival Sufi brotherhood. His travels and preaching arrived at the perfect time to counter the colonial expansion, puritanical onslaught and encroaching Christian missionaries. This paper will discuss the heroic struggle of Shaykh Uways bin Muhammad al-Baraawe as a true martyr and savior of East African Islam.