لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ ۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٌۭ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُطَّهِّرِينَ
“A masjid founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.” (9:108)
On one occasion I mentioned to Mawlānā Taha raḥimahuLlahu taʿālā that legacies are created and preserved by virtue of the sincerity and objectives of their founders. Acknowledging and acquiescing to this statement, he added that continuity plans should be put in place in conformity with the sunnah of Allah. This dual and complementary approach is encompassed by the ḥadīth which would have great significance for Mawlānā later on in his life: “Tie your camel and place your reliance on Allah.” Mawlānā raḥimahuLlah taʿālā, tied the camel of his legacy and mission by establishing the DUAI Alumni.
This alumni cohort is comprised of all of the graduates from his Dar al-ʿUlūm in Strand, Cape Town.
The DUAI Alumni has embarked upon the arduous task of consolidating the legacy of Mawlānā Taha and making it accessible to the world. Whilst no single person can claim to fill his shoes, as a collective, we humbly strive to maintain his life’s mission and tread the path that he gracefully blazed for us.
Mawlānā Taha understood the complexity of the modern world and astutely recognised that any attempt to remedy the challenges that Muslims are faced with would require traditional Islamic scholarship to be dynamic, creative, and multifaceted. He advised his students to be solution- orientated and constructive in their approach to any problem or issue they tackled. He believed that grassroot initiatives and elite level engagement needed to be harmoniously balanced in order for traditional Islamic scholarship to play a meaningful and positive role in the modern world. His advice and example inspired many of his students to commit to various forms of scholarly involvement on multiple tiers of social and institutional engagement. For example, in the Islamic finance industry, his students now occupy consultative positions on the boards that he played an instrumental role in establishing and developing. His solution driven, practical methodology of issuing fatāwā, that steered his community and others on many instances out of harm’s way, is now being managed by a committee of scholars which includes members of this alumni cohort. His daʿwah activities, particularly in the Eastern Cape, is managed directly by the DUAI Alumni administration. In essence, the DUAI Alumni are playing a critical role in adding value to their respective communities.
On this website you will find, amongst others, fatāwā, audio and video clips, scholarly and academic musings, literature recommendations, poetry, and images of his calligraphy. For those who were not able to benefit directly from Mawlānā Taha, we avidly hope that they will be able to find some benefit herein, thereby becoming a part of his legacy. He would often say:
“Whatever you did not get via a shorter chain of transmission, acquire it through a longer chain of transmission.”
Our teacher bequeathed to us a responsibility of continuing his life’s mission and work. We ask Allah to make us worthy of attaching our names to his great personality. As his students we will strive to preserve his legacy and continue to walk the path that he tread. Al-Shāfiʿī famously said:
الليث بن سعد المصري أفقه من مالك، إلا أن أصحابه لم يقوموا به.
“Layth b. Saʿd is a greater jurist than Mālik except that his companions did not preserve him.”
May Allah taʿālā accept, facilitate, and enable us to consolidate, preserve and advance Mawlānā’s legacy for posterity.
Mawlānā Muhammad Carr
Amīr, DUAI Alumni