Umhlanga Islamic Society

In July 2000, the Umhlanga Islamic Society was formed. At the time there were approximately thirty Muslim families residing in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal. The main aim of the society was to facilitate the construction of a mosque in the area and to foster an Islamic ethos. The Society approached the Local Council for the allocation of land on which to construct a Musjid, but it was informed that all the land zoned as worship sites had already been allocated for the construction of churches. The Society then secured an option from Moreland Developments to purchase a site in Sommerset Park which was 5250 square meters in extent, for the purpose of such construction. The option was subject to various conditions eg. the Society was obliged to facilitate the rezoning of such a site as a worship site, there was to be no amplification, ie. loud calling of the azaan, no minaret and dome to the proposed mosque building etc. The Society pursued the rezoning of the site and successfully resisted many objections from non-muslim residents and owners. They also successfully negotiated a relaxation of the conditions relating to the non-construction of a minaret and a dome. Hence, the beautiful Mosque at Umhlanga, by the grace of Allah (S.W.T) enjoys a beautiful minaret and a dome. The building of the Musjid commenced around the middle of 2001 and was completed by October 2002. The Musjid’s property consists of salaat facilities for women, Madressa class rooms, a hall, houses for both the resident Imaam and the resident deputy Imaam (muezzin). The Trustees who have administered and still administer the Umhlanga Musjid and the Society are Mahomed Haroon Essa, Farhad Khan and Yosuf Ally. The deputy Imaam is Muhammed. The resident Imaam is Moulana Mohammad Vanker, who has studied at Madrash Inaamiyya, Camperdown, South Africa, under the guidance of many scholars including Mufti Ebrahim Desai. The Musjid itself accommodates approximately two hundred and fifty Mussalihs, the Sehen approximately fifty more Mussalihs, and the Hall and the covered surroundings a further approximately five hundred Mussalihs. The Mussalihs of the Musjid hail from various professions and the Imaam, Moulana Mohammad Vanker draws from their expertise and experience from time to time in rendering advice to the various people who contact him regularly for advice. The desire of Moulana Mohammad Vanker and the Society is to eventually establish primary, secondary and tertiary institutes of learning, Insha-Allah, on the Mosque property. The Musjid is a House of Allah (S.W.T), a nucleus in the lives of Muslims in the area and surrounds, and has been and will increasingly continue to be a binding force of the Umhlanga Islamic and extra Islamic Communities.