SHAYKH ISMA'TL'S DEMISE

RELIGIOUS CONDITION

CHAPTER 2 EARLY LIFE

4.8 SHAYKH ISMA'TL'S DEMISE

Every year from 1946

Shaykh

Isma'Il spent the month of

Ramacjan

performing

tarawll}

at the

Ahmedia Masjid,

Mayville in Durban, until his demise (see Annexure 20). The

Jamsat:

of Durban, used to address

Shaykh

Isma'Il as

"the professor ofArabic at the Cape".

⁸³

As a child

!jaff?

Nurbhai, currently in Johannesburg, travelled to Mayville just to listen

Shaykh

Isma'Il's recital of the

Qur'an

during the month of Ramacsn. This inspired him to emulate

Shaykh

Isrna'Il's recitation of the

Qur'an.⁸⁴

When distinguished Muslims scholars came from abroad, such as

Mawlana

MUQammad 'Abd al-'Allm Siddlql

al-Qadirl,

who toured South Africa in 1952,

it

was customary for

Shaykh

lsma'Il to accompany them on their tour, while in South Africa, and to commence with the recital of the

Qur'an

before their lecture."

Shaykh

Isma'Il lectured, recited the

Qur'an,

wrote on a variety of Islamic

topics" and performed imsmat (leadership of prayers) duties until his

demise."

care of their eight children and also said to her on many occasions that he will never live to celebrate his sixtieth

birthday."

On Saturday morning, 8 February 1958,

Shaykh

Isrna

'Il

assisted his wife by bathing their children and after reciting the

Qur'an

for fifteen minutes he left home for Cape Town.

It

was reported that

Shaykh

lsma Il was hit by a car whilst standing in the middle of Main Road, Woodstock.

⁹¹ It

was

Shaykh

Isma'Il's habit to recite the

Qur'an,

while walking, standing at a bus stop or travelling in a car. He was probably reciting the

Our'sn

while standing in the middle of the road, when this accident occurred."

-

According to reports,

Shaykh

Isma'Il's coat got caught in the handle of the car

,

and he was dragged for quite a distance. However, according to his wife, there was no clear evidence that this had occurred as his coat was not damaged or torn."

Jjtijj

Abdurahman Gabier accompanied his injured brother

-in-law, Shaykh

lsma'Il, to Woodstock Hospital where he died of his injuries the same day at 18:00. He was 51 years old.

Shaykh

Isma'll was buried the following day at the Salt River Cemetery. The

^janszat:

(burial) prayer of the deceased was performed by

Shaykh Tayb

Jassiem (who studied with

Shaykh

Isma'Il at

a/- Azhar)

at the

NUr al-Islsm Masjid

in Addison Street, Woodstock. The

tadffn

(burial) was performed by Sayed sarn ^Alwl (of Makkah) who was in Cape Town at that time..

⁹⁴

According to the Cape Argus,

Shaykh

Isma'Il's funeral was one of the biggest

"Malay"

funerals in South Africa. Thirty Islamic scholars were present at his

burial. On the 10 February 1958, the Cape Argus stated that 6 000 people attended the funeral (see Annexure 21). However, according to many people who attended the funeral, the number was much higher than 6 000.⁹⁵

Letters and telegrams of condolences from relatives, 'ulam

a ',

students, organisations and general public reached the Hanlf household in great numbers from all over South Africa (see Annexure 22). Telegrams and letters received by his widow

ljajjah

Khadijah, gave an indication of how active and well known

Shaykh

lsma'Il was, specifically a letter dated February 28, which came from

Jams'« h al-FadIlah Taqaddam :

"Dear Mrs Ganief (/:kInlf) , herewith be so kind as to accept our deepest sympathy on your sad bereavement. May the Almighty Allah grant him ever lasting peace. For what Allah does is well done. The deceased would have participated in our khatm ai-Qur'an (completion of Qur'an) today. But his life has now reached his limit. We therefore niyyah (intend) this

suiaqati

which he would have earned at the khatm. In conclusion the

jamiiat:

once more express their sympathy and hope that your lonesome future will be richly filled with much deserved prosperity -

lnsha-Allsh,"

Another letter of condolence was sent to the

Hanlf

family from

al-Azttar Masjid,

on behalf of

Shaykh

Isma'Il's friends,

Shaykh

Shakir and

Shaykh

Ehsan (lhsan) Gamieldien:

"Dear Mrs Ganief (/:kInJf) , I have been directed by Sheikh (Shaykh)

Shakir and Sheikh (Shaykh) Ehsan Gamieldien, and the committee of

al-Azhar Mosque to send you their deepest sympathy in your recent bereavement.

The untimely death ofyour late husband came as a great shock to all of us, so much so that it will take a very long time to get over it. Those of us who knew him personally for very many years, and came in daily contact with him are now realising the loss we have sustained, and which will never be healed as long as we live. He was more of a brother to us than a friend and colleague, and his kind and sympathetic nature which endeared him to all he came into contact, will for ever be sadly missed.

However, Alltih knows what isbest for us, and although your loss is ever so great, and well-nigh irreplaceable, we shall pray with you that the Almighty Alltih grant your dear husband the Jannah (paradise), and that He give you strength to carry on in his absence.

We wish you everything of the best for the future and ask you to console yourself with the words of the holy

Our'sn: Inns

lil lshi wa inn« ilayhi raji'fin. With our best salaams and regards".

⁹⁷

There is no doubt in the writer's mind of the intense love his wife and children had for him, andit is beautifully expressed by them on paper which was compiled and kept in a book by

Ijtijjah

Khadijah over the years (see Annexure 23).

The following verses were written by IJajjah Khadijah after the demise of her husband:

"Sleep on my husband, take a rest.

When alive you did your best.

Always willing always kind.

None like you in this world we'll find.

Things have changed in many ways.

But one thing changes never.

The memory of those happy days.

When we were alltogether .

Sadly missed by his sorrowing wife Gadijah (Khadljah)

On the seventh day after Shaykh Isrna

'Il's

demise, IJajjah Khadijah wrote:

III miss his kind and gentle ways.

With him I spent my happiest days.

I miss him when I need a friend.

On him I always could depend".

On the fortieth day after Shaykh Isma'Il's demise, she wrote:

Kind was his heart, his friendship soft.

Loved and respected by all around . Allah took him away, it was His will .

In that far and distant world.

Where the trees sway to and fro.

Lies the best and dearest husband.