Faith and Practice

Cape Mawlid traditions turn listening into spiritual formation. Through stemme (voices), lāghoes, ṣalawāt and shared remembrance, communities cultivate Prophetic love, memory, resilience and a deeper capacity to respond to one another with care. By PROFESSOR ASLAM FATAAR The Cape Mawlid tradition is immediately recognisable through its sounds....

Amid war, racism, poverty, ecological crisis and rapid technological change, this article reflects on how the Prophetic legacy, iḥsān and adab can shape Muslim ethical agency grounded in justice, mercy, dignity and care today. This article draws on a webinar lecture delivered to BEd Honours students at...

When Sipho asks to be remembered in duʿa, a brief exchange outside a gate becomes a lesson in dignity, trust and neighbourliness. His story challenges us to see poverty without romanticising it and to turn strangers into neighbours. By ADNAAN ADAMS Professor Aslam Fataar’s reflection on the...

PROFESSOR ASLAM FATAAR reflects on qalb salīm, the sound heart, and its call to hospitality, justice and solidarity in a divided South Africa. Drawing on the Qurʾān, Prophetic teachings and Cape Muslim history, he urges communities to welcome migrants, resist xenophobia and turn strangers into neighbours. This...

A simple wooden heart inspired a deeper reflection on the purpose of the mosque. The writer explores how our masajid can become centres of taʿāruf – compassion, justice and community-building – embodying the true spirit of ‘One Heart. One Ummah.’ By ADNAAN ADAMS Over the past few...

Drawing lessons from Imam Husayn’s stand at Karbala, QIBLA reflects on justice, responsibility, social struggle and the moral duty to confront oppression. Allah says: ‘Righteousness is not in turning your faces towards the east or the west. Rather, the righteous are those who believe in Allah …...

The 50th commemoration of the Soweto Uprising and the sacred month of Muharram offer urgent lessons on justice, leadership, reform and civic responsibility. By SAYED RIDHWAAN MOHAMED EVERY nation eventually faces a moment where its foundational ideals are tested against the realities of its decay. For South...

As we usher in Muharram, MUFTI SAYED HAROON AL AZHARI explores how the lessons of Karbala, justice and resistance remain relevant to Gaza and contemporary South Africa. As the sacred months of Hajj conclude and Muharram begins, Muslims are reminded not only to remember history but to...

A reflection on khutbahs, communication and community engagement through the lens of the Quranic concept of taʿāruf and meaningful understanding. By ADNAAN ADAMS It was a privilege and honour to share a khutbah with the congregation of Masjidut Taqwa, Newfields, on Friday, June 12. The warmth of...

A University of Cape Town (UCT) symposium examined the future of Muslim Personal Law in South Africa, exploring gender justice, legal reform and constitutional recognition. By ANWAR OMAR Introduction For more than three decades, Muslim Personal Law (MPL) has occupied a grey area in South Africa’s legislative...