Honouring our Huffadh as Cape Town celebrates guardians of the Qur’an

Cape Town’s Jumu’a Mosque will host over 70 hifdh graduates from 21 Western Cape madrasahs on August 16 in a public celebration of the new Huffadh, their teachers and families, and the enduring tradition of preserving the Qur’an.

By ABDALLAH DUTTON

It is a rare opportunity to be able to witness a full khatm of the Qur’an in 20 minutes and even rarer to be able to witness it done by over 70 hifdh graduates from 21 madrasahs across the Western Cape. That is exactly what will happen on August 16 at the Jumu’a Mosque of Cape Town inshallah. A public event in honour of the 2025 cohort of hifdh graduates. Not the graduates from one institution, but the graduates from the province itself. A celebration of the Qur’an, its Guardians, the next generation stepping forth and a show of the strength of Islam and the Ummah of Muhammad (ﷺ) in this corner of the earth.

By reading this, know that you are invited to attend. This is an invitation from those organising the event, but also from the Raab ul Alameen who has placed this invitation in front of you. All you have to do is accept.

The word Hafidh (Arabic: حافظ), the title given to one who has memorised the entire Qur’an, linguistically means “guardian”, “protector” or “keeper”. We know the Qur’an was revealed directly into the heart of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) who transmitted it by memory to his Noble Companions (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ). It has always been preserved by people, even after it was compiled into a mus-haf.

It remains like that today. A physical book can be burnt, vandalised or destroyed, but for as long as a heart beats, its contents are protected. And in the heart of every Hafidh is the Qur’an in its truest form, preserved through constant revision and recitation. And every utterance of the Qur’an, whether in the salat, partaking in group recitation or hidden at home, calls forth wave upon wave of angels. When we view it from this perspective we realise that the protection of the Qur’an by our Huffadh doubles as a protection for each and every one of us in this place. That is something truly worth honouring.

And when we look again, we see a chain of students and teachers that links back through the generations via Tuan Guru and the Awliya that brought the Deen of Islam to the Cape all the way back to the Noble Companions (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ) and indeed back to our beloved Messenger the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

By Allah’s Mercy, Cape Town continues this legacy. Few places in the world have consistently produced such a large number of Huffadh across so many communities, madrasahs and generations. It is a blessing that should not be overlooked. These young men and women represent the next generation of Guardians of the Qur’an. They are the imams who will lead our prayers, the teachers who will educate our children, the mothers who will raise the next generation and the custodians who will carry this trust forward.

This gathering celebrates that achievement. Not alone, but collectively. Bringing together students from different madrasahs, different teachers, different families and different communities. Bringing guests together from all walks of life, from all colours and across generations to celebrate the undeniable truth, the words of Allah, the Qur’an.

May Allah preserve our Huffadh, bless their teachers and parents, accept their service to His Book and allow this gathering to become the first of many that strengthen the Muslims around the Qur’an and by the Qur’an for generations to come.

All are invited to attend. This is a public event to put our new cohort of Huffadh on a pedestal, to raise them up, make them feel truly proud of what they have achieved and hopefully inspire another generation to follow in their footsteps, so please bring your children.

There will be gifts handed out inshallah, but what gift is greater than Allah’s Sakina?

To conclude, I add the words of the Prophet (ﷺ) who said:

“No group of people gather in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it amongst themselves, except that sakīnah descends upon them, mercy covers them, the angels surround them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him.”