Sheikh Moosa Jamal rahmatullah alayh was the Imam of Sunny Park Jamaat Khana in Stanger. Born in Mozambique, he moved to South Africa about 12 years ago to learn deen. He passed away on Friday 30 Sept 2016 / 28 Zil Hijjah 1437 around Juma time.
1. Sheikh Moosa had a liking for his students and they too loved him.
2. Once in a while, Sheikh Moosa would treat his students with sweets and sometimes toys. This he would purchase with his own money.
3. One day I noticed Sheikh was late for madrasah classes. I waited with my son for him to arrive. A few minutes later he arrived. The delay was because he went to personally fetch the little children from the flats. This was a regulat practice of his.
4. Sheikh started hifz and would walk to the Darul uloom for lessons daily. A distance of some 3 km. He passed away while becoming a hafiz and will Inshallah be raised as a Hafiz.
5. Sheikh would often be found reading Quran before and after Salaat.
6. He was particular in completing the Sunnat and Nawafil Salaat and often he would be the last person in the musallah to finish the Salah.
7. Sheikh would be particular in welcoming the month of Ramadaan. Together with Br Ayub Ganie, the Sunny Park musallah would be painted almost on an annual basis in prep for Ramadaan. Any thing to be fixed too would be fixed by these two.
8. Sheikh would ensure the dastarkhan for iftaar would be layed out for all those fasting.
9. Sometimes if there was no lights, he would personally pay for it.
Notes from Ml Salmaan Kajee
Sheikh, when asked how does he manage in his one room apartment, would always reply- my palace is in Jannah.
Sheikh was always welcoming to musallees. He did not only know the musallees or the kids at madrassah, rather he had a good relationship with all the families in his localities.
Many times, non Muslims would stop to greet sheikh and display great respect for him.
He was really an example of Al ameen - the trustworthy. When some parents gave up hope on their sons who were on substance abuse, they would only trust sheikh to deal with the problem.
Notes from Ml Saleem Mangerah
Although he started to do hifz, he branched out to study Arabic, fiqh, Islamic history, tajweed, translation of quran etc the past few years.
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He was always very calm and cheerful.
He never used to become angry. This showed what a wonderful character he possessed. -
He lived an extremely simple life. He divorced himself from worldly attractions. He made his purpose in this world the hereafter.
Notes from Ml Hashim Gori
He was content living in a small room with hardly any space. On occassions I offered to rent a bigger premises for him but he declined saying this was sufficient for him.
I often found him fasting on Mondays and thursdays.
Notes from Br Ayub Ganie
Marhoom Moosa was a wonderful person. He was a wonderful person to work with in taking care of the Jamaat khana. May Allah grant him Jannah and his family sabr.
More than twenty years have passed since the Ramadan of 1402-1981. That unique Ramadan will forever remain a memorable Ramadan for South Africa. For it was in that Ramadan, that a great saint of the century, Hazrat Shaikh Zakariyya (R) and hundreds of other pious persons visited our country.
This great saint was flooded with invitations from dozens of cities all over the world to be their guest for Ramadan, but from all of these invitations, Allah Ta’ala destined for him to accept the invitation of a small town in the North Coast of Natal, the town of Stanger. It was an unparalleled honour for the Muslims of Stanger to be blessed with this opportunity. This singular event emblazoned the name of Stanger on the map of the spiritual world forever.
Hazrat Shaikh Zakariyya (R) and his entourage of saintly people spent the entire duration of Ramadan in I’itikaaf at the Jami Masjid of Stanger. In fact, his stay in Stanger was close to 40 days. Close to 500 senior Ulama and other pious people from various parts of the world spent this month in his august company. A rigorous daily spiritual program used to take place and the entire Masjid was filled with spiritual effulgence and grace. Only those who spent some time in this environment, truly understand the electric atmosphere that prevailed. It is beyond description.
The people of Stanger were afforded a golden opportunity to be in the service of Hazrat Shaikh and his pious guests. Many grabbed this opportunity with two hands and worked tirelessly to serve best these honourable guests. The grand finale was when this great man of Allah departed the town, all those who served him and his guests were granted a special audience with him, where he blessed them with immense Duas. To appreciate the magnitude of this event, it would be important to understand this personality and his mission.
His Personality
Who was Shaikh Zakariyya (R)? It can be stated without fear of contradiction that Shaikh Zakariyya was among the greatest of saints in the century. He hailed from a family of spiritual masters and saints. Besides the men, even his mother, grandmother and other ladies in his family were very saintly persons. Brought up in this pious environment, he grew up in the lap of saintly people. From his childhood, he displayed signs of greatness and piety. All the saints of the time showed deep love and affection for him. He was continuously blessed by their Duas.
After completing his formal education, he began to serve Islam in earnest. His sterling services to Islam, spanning more than half a century, are acclaimed by all scholars. His love for studying and teaching Hadith was such, that he was given the title of “Shaikhul-Hadith”.
He was also a prolific author whose works gained such acceptance due to his intense sincerity that after the Holy Qur’an, his books are the most read in the world today. His works have been translated into several languages.
Such was the lofty spiritual status he reached, that he was blessed with the title of “Qutbul-Aqtaab” – “The Saint of all Saints”. Such was his acceptance in the world that hundreds of thousands of people loved him and benefited from his company. He was a centerpiece of attraction, receiving hundreds of visitors daily from all parts of the world.
Such was his burning and ardent love for Rasul-Paak (sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) that he emigrated permanently to Madinah Shareef towards the latter part of his life (about 15-16 years). Subsequently he passed on in this blessed city and rests in the graveyard of Jannatul-Baqi alongside his spiritual mentor and guide, Hazrat Maulana Khalil Ahmed (R).
His Travels
After having settled in Madinah Shareef, it was his desire not to go anywhere but to die in this blessed city. He was old and frail and had served the Deen for decades. However, Allah Ta’ala desired to take great work of Deen from him and despite his old age, ill health and infirmities, he was directed to visit different parts of the world to establish the gatherings of Zikr so that people could become connected to Allah Ta’ala and they could become spiritually cleansed and elevated. In this connection he traveled to several countries of the world such as Pakistan, UK, Zambia, Reunion and South Africa. His visit to Stanger, South Africa in the Ramadan of 1402-1981 was for this very purpose.
It was his heart-felt desire that the gatherings of Zikr must become established everywhere so that people could move away from crass materialism towards spiritual rejuvenation. Not only did Hazrat Shaikh consider this practice to be extremely beneficial for the general public, but he also considered it important for the Madaris and for the Tablighi-Jamaats. This matter has been covered in captivating detail by the senior Khalifah of Hazrat Shaikh, Sufi Iqbal Muhajir-Madani in his work Majalis-Zikr-aur-Hazrat-Shaikh. It is worthwhile reading this work, especially about the famous dream wherein Rasulullah (sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) gave certain instructions to Hazrat Shaikh, after which he concentrated his full attention on this aspect (of Zikr-Majalis and Khanqahs).
In the very last stages of his life, when a new Islamic century was dawning, Hazrat Shaikh applied all his energy and strength towards enlivening this branch of Islam. Despite his infirmity, old age and being unaccustomed to travelling all his life, he undertook long and arduous journeys for the sake of this great mission. Untold sacrifices were made in this direction. The result and outcome of this effort was a new spiritual life that infused the Ummah.
So consumed was he by the passion to accomplish this great mission, he wrote in one letter to Shaikh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (R) thus: “It is my firm conviction that the remedy for all evils is the Zikr of Allah. For this very aim I am wandering from country to country, because the Khanqahs have become extinct all over the world.” May Allah perpetuate the spiritual legacy of this great man for centuries. Aameen.
(Mufti Zubair Bayat)
Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Mulla Sahib passed away in Stanger in the early hours of Sunday, 11 Shabaan 1422 (28 October 2001), at the age of 56. May Allah Ta’ala bless his soul, fill his grave with light and grant patience to his family members.
His funeral was very well attended by thousands of people from various parts of the province. Maulana was a well known personality, locally and abroad. His name was virtually synonymous with Stanger. Most of the notable senior Ulama and elders from overseas and locally knew Maulana on a personal basis. During his period of illness he was visited by all senior personalities who visited Stanger.
Maulana was a man with many special qualities. His personality was likeable to young and old. One of the most salient features of his life was his unlimited sense of humour and his ability to bear his personal pains and ill health with a sense of cheerful abandon. Even in his acute illness, that he remained so cheerful would leave his guests astounded. In any gathering he would never fail to humour young and old with his little quips and his endless string of jokes. Maulana was well liked by the learned and ordinary people.
His years of unbroken service is something of a record. He served the community of Stanger loyally as the chief Imam of the Jami - Masjid and as a teacher in the Madrasah for a period spanning some 22 years. May his example in this respect serve as a source of inspiration for all young Ulama.
Maulana in his capacity as Imam performed hundreds of nikahs and hundreds of Janazah Salaahs. Punctuality and regularity for Salaah was his outstanding trait. In his capacity as a teacher, hundreds of children studied under him who bear happy and fond memories of his benign and kind disposition and his jovial way as a teacher. May this aspect of his life also serve to inspire many young Ulama in the teaching field. An editor of a local newspaper who was a student of Maulana made the following observation of her experiences as a student of Maulana: "Of all the teachers that taught me, Ml Mulla is the one that is remembered with the most love. I and hundreds of other people will remember Maulana Mulla with joy and pride. We (his past pupils) will always celebrate his warm and kind spirit.”
Besides his services on the local scene, Maulana assisted dozens of Madrasahs, Darul Ulooms and Ulama in India and elsewhere through arranging of financial assistance for them. In this respect he personally travelled overseas on many occasions to disburse funds and also to visit these Madrasahs. He will be sorely missed by these people who appreciated his assistance to them very much.
Maulana was a member of the Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) and attended the AGM with regularity over the years.
Another outstanding quality of Maulana was his hospitality. He would go out of his way to entertain his guest, providing them with a variety of menu. Even in his illness, Maulana would not let a guest go without partaking of something at his home. These were a glimpse of some of the wonderful qualities Allah Ta'ala had blessed Maulana with.
Maulana was born on 8 July 1945 in Verulam. At the tender age of 14 in 1959 he left for India to undertake Islamic Studies. He studied at the renowned Jamia-Ashrafiyya in Ramder, Gujrat for a period of 10 years in which time he completed his Hifz and Aalim course. Among his senior teachers was Hadhrat Maulana Ajmeri (Rahmatullahi Alayh) and Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf (Rahmatullahi Alayh). He returned in 1969, aged 24, and commenced service to the Deen in Tongaat. He then moved to Stanger on the 1 May 1973 where he served until the time when due to ill-health he was unable to continue with his duties. Even in his illness, he was a light of hope and encouragement for others.
Maulana is survived by his mother, wife, 4 sons, 1 daughter and grandchildren. Two sons are Hafiz, one of whom graduated recently as an Aalim. His daughter is an Aalimah. May Allah Ta’ala continue to accept his family for the service of Islam and make this a source of Sawab-Jaariyah for him. Aameen.
(Mufti Zubair Bayat)
Early historical records indicate that Stanger’s first masjid, a wood and iron structure, was built 
around 1903 in Rood Street (now M Gandhi Street). This was replaced by a substantial building (picture on right) in 1910.
The masjid built in 1910 was also used for madrasah education until about 1930, when the Lindley Street Madrasah was built.
Construction of the current masjid began in 1972 and the masjid was officially opened on 12 September 1974.
Some of the distinguished guests to the masjid during Hazrat Shaik Zakariyya’s (R) 1981 visit included; Mufti Mahmood- Hasan, Ml Abdul Halim, Ml Mohammed Salmaan, Ml Abdul Hafeez, Ml Yusuf Motala, Ml Abdur Raheem Motala, Mufti Wali Hasan, Ml Rashidudeen, Ml Moeenudeen, Ml Shahid, Dr Ismail Memon, Qazi Abdul Qadir and Mufti Zainul Abideen.
Statistics of Current Masjid
Date of completion:1974
Cost of building:R350,000
1st major renovation:July 2001
Cost of renovation:R500,000
Musallee capacity:1200 + 400(basement)
Wudhu taps:48
Toilets:20
Showers:4
Number of levels:3
Car parking spaces:190
The preservation of history in recent times has been sadly neglected. The Sahaba (RA), our pious predecessors and elders took great pains in preserving history for the benefit of future generations.
The wealth of Islamic literature, including the history of Muslim civilization is testimony to the fact that the early Muslims considered the recording of history as important.
Hazrat Shaikh Zakariyya (R), in addition to his many literary works, used to record a great deal of the events of his time in his book Aap Betti as well as in his personal diary. One of his senior khulafa was indeed surprised, when he saw the detail that Hazrat used to record in his diary. Hazrat’s diary was like a virtual snapshot of world events.
Stanger (now Kwa-Dukuza), has indeed been blessed with the company of Hazrat Shaikh Zakariyya (R) in 1981. Ever since this historic visit, Stanger has been blessed with the company of hundreds of pious Ulema, all due to the barakat of Hazrat Shaikh Zakariyya (R.)
This CD is our humble effort in preserving some of the history of the Stanger Masjid. More importantly we wish the reader to take to heart the message of Hazrat Shaikh Zakariyya (R) - the establishment of Zikr Majalis throughout the world.