A PLEASANT Saturday afternoon was spent by the Dairat us-Salihiyya Dhikr Circle remebering their Creator at the gravesite of Maulana Abdul Latief in Rylands, Cape Town. The Maulana, one of Cape Town's pioneers of Islam, is regarded as a saint, or a friend of God.
Maulana Abdul Latief was sent to the Cape by another great figure, Sufi Saheb of Riverside in Durban, in 1904. In those days, Rylands Estate - formerly Doornhoogte - was bush. The first foundation stone of the Habibia Mosque was laid on a spot of land that Sufi Saheb had purchased. Maulana Abdul Latief had to endure great hardship, living in a shack without running water as he built up an institution that today hosts a creche, a primary school and the International Peace University South Africa (IPSA). A high school and an orphanage were relocated.
Maulana Abdul Latief passed away in 1917 and his burial place is situated next to the mosque, which has been renovated to meet the needs of a growing and vibrant community.
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