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From humble Jumu’ah gatherings in Kleinmond to a growing vision for an Islamic community centre, the Overstrand Jama’ah is building faith, unity and service along the Overberg coast.
By ISMAIL DOLLIE & ASLAM SALIE
BACKGROUND
It is the niyah of the Overstrand Jama’ah (OJ) to serve the Muslim community of the four Western Cape seaside towns of Rooi Els, Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay and Kleinmond. Previously, people had the option of praying Jumu’ah at Gordon’s Bay, 50 km away, or Hermanus, 40 km away from Kleinmond, both of which entailed travelling quite a distance.
The Jama’ah consists of holiday homeowners, predominantly from Cape Town, and the local community, which includes Somalian, Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, Senegalese, Malawian and Zimbabwean Muslims.
BRIEF HISTORY OF OJ
The process began in May 2024 when a few people decided to gather information on the extent of the Muslim community in the area, stretching from Rooi Els to Pringle Bay, through Betty’s Bay to Kleinmond. Their efforts resulted in a useful database from which a working group was established to chart the way forward.
After engagement with the Overstrand Municipality and a subsequent town planning consultant, it was suggested that the Mthimkhulu Community Centre — situated in 9th Avenue, Kleinmond — be approached as a short-term option to commence regular Jumu’ah Salaah. Within two weeks of receiving a positive response from Mthimkhulu management, arrangements were made for the necessary infrastructure, including a movable mimbar, podium and transportable carpets.
On 6 Ramadaan 1446 / Friday, February 7, 2025, the inaugural Jumu’ah commenced in Kleinmond, officiated by Shaykh Faizal Gool. Since its inception, regular Jumu’ahs have been performed, including Eid Salaahs. For this purpose, the Overstrand Jama’ah rents a room from the Mthimkhulu Community Centre.
With only a handful of members, sincerity, consistent Jumu’ah gatherings and open hearts, the congregation began to grow. Locals found one another, passers-by stopped to ask questions, and holidaymakers and fishermen joined the congregation.
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Efforts to foster inclusivity among all Muslims in the area revealed hidden talents, including our mu’athin, Umer Khan (Pakistani), and our imams Abdulle Shofia (Somalian), Abas Jalie and Qasim Dayfi (Malawian), Prof Sulaiman Gool, Ismail Dollie and Salaad Hassan Adow (Somalian).
To promote unity and inclusivity among the musallees, ‘Meet & Eat’ sessions are held after Jumu’ah, where simple meals are provided. These sessions have proven useful in putting names to faces and understanding the diverse backgrounds and strengths within the group.
Over the past ten months, the number of musallees at Jumu’ah ranged from the early thirties to the mid-forties, with over fifty recorded on two occasions, mainly due to visiting groups attending the prayers. During the festive season, attendance increased to more than one hundred musallees.
Recent events, by the qadr of Allah, resulted in a donor funding the purchase of a plot for the establishment of an Islamic Centre in Kleinmond. The erf is 1 015 square metres in size and is situated at 111, 10th Avenue, Kleinmond. Appreciation is extended to Zain Kamies for his efforts and to the Ibaadur Raghmaan Islamic Society (IBRIS) for their support in enabling the transaction. The Overstrand Jama’ah has a collaborative relationship with IBRIS and looks forward to strengthening these bonds, Insha’Allah.
Transfer of the property is currently awaited and is expected by mid-February 2026, after which an application will be submitted to rezone the land for use as a ‘Place of Worship’ and to acquire the necessary planning permissions for construction to commence. This process could take more than 18 months, during which time the Jama’ah plans to raise the necessary funds for development.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
In Overstrand, what began quietly as an effort to identify Muslims in the area has grown into a deeply affirming community mission to establish its first Islamic Community Centre. In Islam, a masjid is far more than a physical structure. It is a place of worship, reflection, learning and mercy — a commitment not only to Allah, but to the broader community in which it stands.
From this place of growth and gratitude, the Overberg Muslim community recently initiated a food drive for the Mthimkhulu community. The initiative was guided by a simple and deeply held principle: to give back to the wider community without condition.
Large pots of food were prepared through collaboration with Muslim communities in Cape Town, where meals were cooked collectively and with intention — signifying that actions are elevated by sincere intention (niyah).
Residents from Kleinmond, Betty’s Bay and Pringle Bay played an active role in bringing this initiative to life, embodying the Islamic understanding that honouring one’s neighbour extends beyond proximity and familiarity. It is a duty rooted in faith, and this initiative carried the spirit of service, humility and shared responsibility.
The Qur’an reminds us that righteousness is not found in ritual alone, but in how we show up for others:
‘Righteousness is not that you turn your faces towards the east or the west, but righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller and those who ask.’ (Sura Al Baqarah, 2:177)
The virtue of feeding others is given special emphasis:
‘And they give food, in spite of love for it, to the needy, the orphan and the captive, saying, “We feed you only for the sake of Allah. We desire from you neither reward nor thanks.”’ (Sura Al Insaan, 76:8–9)
This food drive was a living expression of the fundamentals of this beautiful religion — a reminder that faith, when lived sincerely, manifests as service.
From a small congregation in Kleinmond to a growing community with a future masjid, and now to service beyond its own doors, this journey reflects the heart of Islam — faith rooted in compassion, growth anchored in humility, and giving offered for the sake of Allah alone.
Photos by Ismail Dollie and Aslam Salie, who are members of the Overstrand Jama’ah.
