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As Islamic calligraphy continues to awaken hearts and minds across the country, the return of Hafidh Muhammad Hobe stands as a powerful reminder of what is possible when passion meets purpose, and when knowledge is passed on with love, discipline, and integrity. His presence was more than a visit – it was a homecoming.
By WIDAD SIRKHOTTE
THE recent visit of Hafidh Muhammad Hobe to South Africa has rekindled a deep and growing interest in the sacred tradition of Islamic calligraphy – a discipline rooted not only in artistic excellence but in moral and spiritual refinement.
At the heart of this tradition lies the ijazah: a prestigious license granted by a master to a student, affirming not just skill but the character and adab necessary to carry the tradition forward.
Born in a village in the Eastern Cape, Hobe left the shores of the country to emerge as one of South Africa’s foremost Islamic calligraphers.
He holds the rare and honourable title of ‘Calligrapher of the House of Mandela’ and is the first South African to receive an ijazah in Islamic calligraphy from the late Turkish master, Hasan Çelebi, one of the most respected calligraphers in the world.
Hobe’s early talent was first noticed by his teacher, Moulana Ebrahim Mia, at the Waterval Islamic Institute in Johannesburg. A visiting Turkish calligrapher, Professor Hilal Kazan, saw promise in Hobe’s early works and arranged for him to travel to Istanbul to study under Hasan Çelebi. More than 15 years later, Hobe continues to reside in Turkey, where he has been granted Turkish citizenship in recognition of his lifelong dedication to this sacred art.
But Hobe’s impact extends far beyond Turkey. He has exhibited his work and led workshops across the United Arab Emirates and was recently commissioned to produce artwork for the new Park Hyatt hotel in Johannesburg, which will be opening in July.
During his visit to South Africa in May this year, Deen Arts Foundation South Africa, an organisation dedicated to teaching Islamic calligraphy, seized the opportunity to arrange an in-person meeting between Hobe and his online students. What began as a modest gathering quickly blossomed into a countrywide series of public talks, workshops, madrasah visits, and media interviews, all revolving around one essential question: How is Islamic calligraphy truly learned and taught?
A central theme that emerged was the ijazah. In traditional Islamic education, the ijazah is a formal authorisation passed down from teacher to student, verifying not only academic mastery but also personal integrity and spiritual refinement. In the realm of calligraphy, it links the student to a living chain of transmission, tracing back to the scribes of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
‘Ijazah is the certificate granted to the student by his teacher, making him part of a chain of transmission that has existed for centuries. It links you to the masters of the past, giving you an identity as a calligrapher. It allows you to sign your own works, make your own compositions, and teach calligraphy to others,’ Hobe explains.
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In South Africa, love for the Qur’an and reverence for its sacred script runs deep. Many have experimented with paints, inks, and other media to honour the Divine Word. However, until recently, few South Africans held an ijazah in Islamic calligraphy. Serious students often had to travel abroad, committing years to rigorous study under qualified masters.
Despite this, interest in the art is steadily growing.
‘There is a great hunger and passion to learn this art in South Africa,’ says Hobe, ‘but they just lack the teachers and proper resources.
Islamic educational institutions in the country have yet to formally integrate Islamic calligraphy into their curricula. Hobe expresses a heartfelt desire to return permanently to South Africa to establish a training centre – one that could help young people rediscover their heritage and cultivate discipline, beauty, and meaning through this noble art.
In the absence of local ijazah-holders, South African calligraphy students have relied on self-study – treasuring whatever books and resources they could find. Workshops with visiting masters were treated as sacred gifts; their lessons carefully absorbed and practised with reverence.
Among the pioneers who helped nurture this love for the sacred script were the late Moulana Taha Karaan and Dr Suleiman Nordien. Both were deeply committed to honouring the art of Islamic calligraphy.
Moulana Karaan often spoke to his students about its importance and once said that he wished to become a student of Hobe himself. On a 2018 trip to Turkey, Moulana Karaan was thrilled to meet Hobe and began planning for a dedicated calligraphy centre in Cape Town, firmly believing that ‘there is no one more capable than Hafidh Hobe’ to lead it.
When asked about Mawlana Taha, Hobe’s voice fills with emotion: ‘He was one of my heroes.’
As Islamic calligraphy continues to awaken hearts and minds across the country, the return of Hafidh Muhammad Hobe stands as a powerful reminder of what is possible when passion meets purpose, and when knowledge is passed on with love, discipline, and integrity. His presence was more than a visit – it was a homecoming. And perhaps, the beginning of a new chapter for Islamic calligraphy on South African soil.
Widad Sirkhotte is a PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University, researching Islamic Calligraphy Education in South Africa.
