The Cape Town Muslim community will be treated to a series of lectures by Yemeni born scholar, Al Habib Umar bin Hafiz, who is in Cape Town between the 10th and 15th December. The scholar is hosted by the Mahhabah Foundation.

A descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), Hafiz is the founder and rector of the Dar al-Mustafa Islamic institution in Yemen. The school provides traditional Islamic scholarship for over 700 students from across the globe, with much of the focus being Quranic recitation and memorization, Islamic Theology and Law, prophetic traditions, as well as a range of other religion based subjects.

Apart from having a well documented prophetic linage, he is also a leader of a renowned Sufi order known as the Ba’alawi Tariqa, and is ranked as the 28th most influential Muslim of this era by the Royal Institute of Strategic Studies in Jordan. He conducts annual global tours, with the sole ambition of spiritual upliftment.

Hafiz kicked off his tour on Wednesday 10th December, with a press conference at the Cape Town International Airport upon arrival in the city. On Wednesday, he conducted a lecture and Moulood recitation at the Azzawiyah Mosque, Walmer Estate. The programme is to carry the theme “Da’wah of Indigenous: Confronting our Insolarity”, and will take place after maghrib salaah.

The following day he will perform Fajr Salaah at the Masjid Jama’ah, Sherwood Park, before conducting a spiritual lecture.

The main programme of his tour is set to take place from Thursday 11th right through until Sunday the 14th at the iconic Faure Kramat. This will be in the form of an International Spiritual Retreat at the Nurul Latief masjid, covering the topic of “A Deeper Vision of Knowledge and an Invitation to the Devine”. Tickets for the entire duration of the event are R300, with 600 fulltime attendees expected.

On Sunday the 14th he will be conducting two programmes. The first will be a ladies event at the Habibia Soofie Mosque between 11:30-12:45pm, with the latter being a lecture after Maghrib at Masjid al-Rawbie, Mitchells Plain, focusing on “The Extremist Heart: Perils and Pitfalls”.

The tour concludes with a Fajr prayer and lecture at Shukrul Mubeen, Landsdowne on Monday morning.

For more information on how to obtain tickets for the main event, contact Mohammad Allie at 0721285044 or Hoosain Seria 07723109112. VOC (Mubeen Banderker)