In a bid to bring some respite to the scorching weather that has fuelled a raging wildfire on Cape Town’s mountains, Muslims have been urged to pray for rain. On Tuesday evening, the Cape Town Islamic Educational Centre hosted Salaatul Istisqaa, a mass prayer for rain performed by the Mufti Sayed Haroon Al Azhari at Masjid Darul Karaar in Park Road,Wynberg .

According to Mufti Sayed Haroon Al Azhari: “we are performing this Prayer to beg from the Almighty Allah to send rainfall upon us in these extreme times. We beseech Allah to forgive us and have mercy on us and to save our Cape Town and help our fire fighters.”

He continued: “Allah states in the Quraan: ‘Seek the forgiveness of your lord. Surely He is the Most Forgiving. The skies will pour upon you, continuous shower’.

As Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: ‘You are helped and given provision only through the weak ones amongst you’. {Bukhari}

“We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them to remind us that we are always dependent on Him and we must turn back to the right path,” added Al Azhari.

Fire fighters have been channelling their efforts into the upper reaches of Tokai Forest, Muizenberg, Clovelly and Noordhoek. Helicopters continue to water-bomb the hot spots. Chapman’s Peak Drive and Boyes Drive, between Old Boyes Drive and the golf course, remain closed to traffic. Ou Kaapse Weg is open, as well as Main Road, and motorists are advised to proceed with caution and to please be patient in these areas.

“It has been an incredibly hot and challenging day for fire crews, but they have done an exceptional job under the circumstances and will remain on the frontlines for as long as it takes to suppress this fire. I want to appeal to onlookers and passers-by to please steer clear of the hotspot areas, both to ensure that there is no interference with the job that fire crews are trying to do and also for their own safety,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

While the fire is still burning, the City has urged residents in the South Peninsula who are not impacted by the approaching fires to keep their water consumption to a minimum by using water for essential needs only to allow the reservoirs serving these areas to maintain manageable operating levels. This will ensure the effective supply of water to emergency services teams.

The fire started in the early hours of Sunday 1 March 2015 above Boyes Drive in Muizenberg and subsequently spread over an extensive area, including Ou Kaapse Weg, Chapman’s Peak, Hout Bay and Tokai as a result of strong winds. The City’s Fire and Rescue Service, Disaster Risk Management and Environmental Resource Management staff and volunteers, along with Table Mountain National Park, Working On Fire volunteers, Wild Land Fire Services and Volunteer Wildfire Services are involved in the fire fighting effort. VOC