ON the eve of her final Grade 12 examinations, Head Girl of the Auckland Park Academy of Excellence (APAX), Aneesa Randeree, pledged R20, 000 in a waqf donation aimed at supporting leadership development, the under privileged and educational initiatives at her school. Speaking at a special dinner function attended by fellow learners, staff members and special guests, which marked the end of her tenure as Head Girl, Randeree made the announcement during her outgoing speech. APAX, which opened its doors in 2011, is a Muslim school situated in Johannesburg. Waqf is a divine trust instituted by the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century. Property, ethical investments and assets – such as farmland – are put in a trust whereby the core investment or capital cannot be eroded, but its fruits have to be used for the benefit of the community. According to Sacred Law, waqf cannot be ceded or sold. Randeree’s donation was handed to AWQAF SA, an NGO that specialises in waqf, and that runs several local and national programmes – such as Maths tuition, the drilling of water wells and social cohesion events focused at uplifting South Africa’s less fortunate. AWQAF SA won international awards for its efforts in 2013-14. In her speech at the dinner function, Randeree said, “waqf is the most powerful, sacredly sustainable enduring and empowering of all Islamic voluntary charities. I’d like to give something back to my school, a tangible legacy as a token of my appreciation…I’d like to plant a seed as ...

Written by Shafiq Morton When Imam Abdullah Haron, a sports lover, was forced by the Group Areas Act to move from Claremont to Landsdowne, he built a first story veranda at his house that overlooked the City Park rugby field.City Park in the 1960s was one of the only privately owned non-white sporting facilities. It was also used for public events – and ironically for the funeral of Imam Haron after his death in detention in September 1969. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 45 year-old Imam Haron’s passing, and to commemorate the imam’s love of sport, the Imam Haron Foundation and Awqaf SA, in conjunction with Primroses Rugby Club, hosted the Imam Haron Commemorative Rugby Festival at its Rosmead grounds this weekend.Primroses, one of SA’s oldest rugby clubs, produced many star players during the non-racial South African Council of Sport (SACOS) era. The club has also produced Springbok players such as Eddie Andrews and Nizaam Carr. Ahmad Albertus, Primrose youth convenor, hailed the festival, saying that the club had been struggling to host a community tournament. “We are chuffed that Awqaf SA and the Imam Haron Foundation have given us the opportunity,” he said, adding that the festival was not about winning, but about social cohesion. Chris Diedericks, head youth coach of Goodwood-based NTK, said his club was happy to be part of the festival that in the spirit of rugby united people from different backgrounds. According to festival convenor, Fahmi Galant, the Imam Haron Commemorative Rugby ...

Operation Mercy (Arham) is a united platform and campaign designed to acclaim and publicize the extraordinary character of the Final and Noble Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).   With the world of hate, Islamophobia and fake news, and our obligation to spread the message of Peace, Justice, Love,  Compassion, Mercy,  and Service,  it has become our duty to highlight  our love for our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)  during the month of his birth, as a celebration of his divine character as a mercy to all Creation.  How can you get involved?We, therefore, invite you, your family and organization or company to be part of this campaign and in the spirit of the beautiful character of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ): Endorse/ Support/ Participate.   Simple acts of kindness, smiling, greeting, inviting a neighbor, neighbourhood clean-ups, fixing a playground or painting a classroom or hospital ward, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and elderly, helping an orphan, giving gifts and discounts, competitions, contests,  seerah programmes, Dawah programmes, Jalsahs,  fixing latrines, environmental or animal care,  Outreach programmes… or do any random act of kindness…  mobilise volunteers also to undertake similar charitable projects… limitless opportunities Ways to get involved: Plant a tree, donate your old toys to an orphanage, visit the aged and paint a classroom or hospitad ward. So whether you are in the small town of Kuruman or the big city of Johannesburg,  no matter how small or big your musallah /  masjid/ madressah / organisation / institution … ALL WELCOME to participate in ...

AWQAF SA, an NGO which contributes toward growth and development in post-apartheid South Africa, launched former Deputy Education Minister Enver Surty’s memoirs, “In Pursuit of Dignity”, at the Old Assembly Chambers in Parliament on Wednesday. Surty, who has served the ANC at various levels for more than 30 years, was one of the architects of the constitution, as well as serving as terms as Deputy Chief Whip of the National Council of Provinces, Justice Minister and becoming the country’s longest-serving Deputy Minister of Education. His memoirs, written in an easy and anecdotal style, take the reader on a warm journey of his activist life from Rustenburg at the foot of the Magaliesburg to parliament at the foot of Table Mountain. Speaking at the launch, held in the Old Assembly in Cape Town (which became the National Council of Provinces after 1994) Judge Seraj Desai reminisced about his university days at Durban Westville where he studied law together with Surty. Calling themselves the “philosophers” in their student years, Desai linked Surty’s memoirs to the pertinent issues of the day, such as land redistribution and non-racialism. He said it was significant that today when people were asked to fill in their race on legal forms, whites would more often than not tick off their identity. This spoke to a certain historical arrogance, he said, as those from other groups would ignore the question, not regarding it as relevant. Desai noted that Surty had broached the topic of land in his book, but ...

THREE local schools, Alexander Sinton High, Al Azhar High and Lwazi Primary in Gugulethu, enjoyed tree planting ceremonies to symbolise gender peace and to commemorate Arbor Week, which is celebrated at the beginning of September each year. Awqaf South Africa, an NGO that focuses on sustainable community growth, partnered with the City of Cape Town and the False Bay Nature Reserve, to bring home the importance of environmental awareness, and to also make a symbolic gesture of “green peace” with regards to gender violence. At each school, three Waterbessie trees and one olive tree were planted. The Waterbessie is an indigenous water-loving evergreen tree with waxy leaves, ideal for the high-water table Cape Flats, and grows to an impressive height of 15 metres when mature. The historical olive, which can provide fruit for centuries, was planted at each school as a symbolic gesture of peace, and a living monument against the gender violence currently traumatising the country. “The dove and the olive are partners in peace, and by planting the olive tree we plant hope into the soil. One day the dove will rest in its branches and complete the cycle,” said Mickaeel Collier, Deputy CEO of Awqaf. Joyful Lwazi Primary School learners join City of Cape Town and the False Bay Nature Reserve staff and Awqaf SA staff member for a group photo. Awqaf SA Project Co-ordinater: Hasanain Abdullah addresses the High School learners during the tree planting ceremony. “There is a need to green our centres of education ...