LONELINESS is not the same as being alone, which is an active choice of an individual not to socialise or to be with somebody else. Loneliness is a melancholic state, or lingering sadness, because one has no close friends, a supportive family or a soul mate.

Some sources cite loneliness as an adverse emotional response to isolation, and can lead to clinical depression, a feeling of worthlessness and chronic anxiety.

The point is that we are all social beings, and our psychic happiness centres around socialisation and human intimacy. For people who are alone, not out of choice – and lonely by circumstance – holidays and traditional family times such as Eid or Christmas can be a daunting emotional challenge.

Some people might have been forgotten or neglected by their families, some might have been affected by the loss of bereavement and some might have fallen on hard times. Indeed, there are several possible scenarios that can determine and define loneliness.

But whatever the case, loneliness is an unseen, often unappreciated state of mind that afflicts us. Those who are lonely often do not complain out of a fear of burdening others, which makes it all that more difficult to recognise.

As it is a human condition, loneliness knows no borders. So, this is one of the reasons why I believe that the Prophet (SAW) used to tell his Companions repeatedly to take care of their neighbours.

Even the Qur’an talks about neighbourliness: “…And be good to the needy, and the neighbour who is your relative and to the neighbour who is not your relative . . .” [4:36].

It is not appreciated enough that the Prophet (SAW) saw society through a holistic lens, through his trust of being a mercy to all, and never through any notion of exclusivity. Islam puts a deep emphasis on our unconditional, individual duty to help all people.

In fact, the Prophet once said, “Angel Jibril advised me so much to take care of the neighbour that I thought that Allah would make him an heir.”

Indeed, the neighbour holds a special status in Islam. Islam encourages us to treat our neighbours in a gentle, tolerant fashion – especially those of other faiths. The point is that it should make no difference at all whether our neighbours are Muslim or non-Muslim.

‘A’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, reported that she had once asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah! I have two neighbours. To whom shall I send my gifts?”

He said, “To the one whose gate is nearer to you,” without making any specifications.

This whole ethos is encompassed by the famous verse in Surat ul-Hujarat, “We have made you into peoples and tribes to know one another, not to despise one another…”

Neighbourliness is, without doubt, a vital aspect of Deen, of being Muslim in the active, social sense. This leaves us with a well-defined obligation to care for the vulnerable in our society, such as the lonely. So often we are unaware of how even a small act, such as a smile or a happy salam, can change a person’s day.

Of course, sadness and adversity, is what makes us human. Allah, the Highest, has promised us he will test us, but thankfully, not beyond our means – as painful as the test may be at the time.

However, there are few, if any, of us who would be able to endure the tests of Ayyub, or Job, who was reduced to abject poverty and crippling disease, or Nabi Ibrahim (as) when Allah commanded him to sacrifice his own son.  Even the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), facing the hostile Quraysh or long delays in receiving revelation, would experience a sense of loneliness.

To this effect, Surah al-Duha says to the Prophet (SAW) after some dark moments, “By the glorious morning light, and by the night when it darkens, your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is he displeased with you…”

And the very next Surah, the chapter of “Comfort”, speaks to the Prophet (SAW), “have we not lifted up your heart and removed your burden?”

The lesson we learn from this is that Allah, the Highest, cares – with, as the Hadith tells us, infinitely more compassion than the joy of a mother who has found her lost child.

Of course, whilst Qur’an promises better things, we as viceregents of Allah have an obligation to fulfil those promises to others as a social charity; to relieve them of their negative sentiments and the trials of loneliness, and to give them hope, positivity, and the assurance that Allah is with us, no matter what.

From it we too can find peace, courage and a renewed faith in Allah when we go through similar trials, a time when everyone else around us seems to be preoccupied with other things.

The Paledi drop-in centre was established in 2013 to provide holistic care to underprivileged children in Polokwane. The centre hosted its annual graduation this month. 

Over 80 children attend the centre on a daily basis, ranging from five to thirteen years old. Apart from receiving assistance with their homework, and a healthy meal, the children partake in various other activities to foster their development including working in the food garden, reading, and singing. 

The graduation comprised various performances by the children, including plays, theatre, poetry, and a speech contest. High achieving students were also awarded trophies and gift packs from SANZAF. The children were then treated to a hearty lunch and received party packs. The event was attended by community members as well as guests from the Department of Agriculture, Social Development, SAPS and the Department of Health. Mrs. Sebata, the centre's founder and director, hopes that events like this will help to highlight the importance of communities coming together to create safe spaces for children.

To contribute to our project visit us at sanzaf.org.za

The women’s madrassah in Belhar was established by SANZAF over 5 years ago and is open to all women for free. SANZAF sponsors the entire madrassah along with wages for our dedicated teachers who see to educating between 80 – 100 students.

On Monday the 2^nd of December 2019, the madrassah held their 9^th Jalsa honouring their 8 muallimaat who have qualified this year with a 4yr degree in higher Islamic knowledge.

This initiative has also led SANZAF to establishing the first female hifth school in the northern suburbs of Cape Town.

It is only through your generosity and the grace of Allah (swt) that we are able to implement projects and programmes aimed at enriching Deed in our communities. We thank you for your support.

To find out more information on this amazing initiative call  0214470297 Or Donate Here

On Wednesday the 27^th November SANZAF Mentoring Youth students and volunteers came together to clean up Muizenberg Beach and surrounding areas in the Western cape.

The initiative was to educate the youth on the importance of environmental matters and recycling while also providing constructive activities for them to participate in during the holidays.

The majority of the students are participants in the SANZAF Mentoring Youth Programme which is aimed at assisting scholars to refine their life skills, and to improve their academic performance.

The project is open to students of all faiths and backgrounds. It delivers academic and social support to primary and secondary school learners through extra tuition and social development activities. This initiative has proven to be a highly successful in the Western Cape having grown from 311 learners in 2015 to 1740 learners from 23 schools in the past financial year. In addition 105 dedicated volunteer facilitators contribute their time and attendance and grades are monitored to ensure consistency and learner progress.

To find out more or to contribute to this project call 021 447 0297 or Donate Here

JOB TITLE: NATIONAL Marketing Head

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB: SANZAF seeks to appoint a National Marketing Head who is expected to operate at a senior strategic level, tasked with conceptualizing and developing the over-arching brand and marketing strategy and pulling together all the regional efforts to achieve a unified identity. The National Marketing Head will also share marketing insight and business acumen to grow the business.

pdf SANZAF National Head of Marketing (140 KB)

SANZAF Chairperson and CEO embark on National Roadshow SANZAF National Chairperson, Fayruz Mohamed and CEO Yasmina Francke travelled to Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal as part of a national roadshow. Their objective was to present highlights from our Annual report and Audited Financials for 2019 to stakeholders, staff, media partners and contributors in these respected regions.

The trip gave them the opportunity to review operations on the ground as well as partake in many of our regional projects such as the food programme in Pietermaritzburg and the Durban Chef School.

To find out more information on these amazing initiatives take a look at our Annual Report 2019

This week SANZAF Gauteng held it's first mentorship induction meeting. The Business Mentorship Programme seeks to provide mentorship to SANZAF's entrepreneurship students who are in the process of starting their own businesses.

The voluntary support of professionals aims to enable the entrepreneurs to access the support and guidance they require without having to pay costly consulting fees. The programme also allows the volunteer mentors to contribute to the development work carried out by SANZAF in an impactful way. 14 professionals from around Johannesburg attended the meeting and pledged their support for the programme.

To be a mentor or to find out more about this initiative call 011 834 6046 or visit www.sanzaf.org.za

#GiveHope with SANZAF

Donate Here

RECENTLY, someone who was non-Muslim observed to me that we always seemed to be feeding people. Food was forever flowing out of our doors and institutions. He said it reminded him of the miracle of Nabi ‘Isa, who fed five thousand people from five loaves and two fishes.

Jesus, soft of heart and surrounded by a throng of people, could not bear to send anyone away with nothing, and so God had helped him, said my friend. He quoted Proverbs (22:9) which says it is a sin to despise one’s neighbour, and promises that the generous are blessed for giving bread to the poor.

This, in turn, reminded me of the Qur’an (Chapter 76) where Allah praises those who feed the poor, the orphan and the captive, adding that these noble people had done it for His sake, with no expectation of reward.

So it should come as no surprise that the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) are resplendent with the virtues of feeding the poor.

In one Hadith Qudsi, a divinely inspired adage, we hear Allah asking via the Prophet (pbuh) why had the son of Adam ignored the call of the hungry? Had he not realised that his reward, the highest possible, would be with Allah alone?

The Prophet (pbuh) also said on another occasion that feeding the hungry, and saying kind words to others, would usher us into Paradise.

And on a more practical note, Imam Muslim reports that the Prophet (pbuh) said that when we made soup we should make a good amount by adding plenty of liquid, and give some to our neighbours.

The scholars have observed that the Prophetic Companions and their followers were always willing to feed people. Suhaib ibn Sinan, a Companion, is recorded saying, “The best of you are those who feed others.”

These pious people favoured this act – regarded as worship – whether it was for a hungry person, or a righteous one. They were not discriminating when it came to this particular sadaqah, or charity. Visible poverty was not an essential condition to their giving of food.

For humanitarian organisations such as SANZAF, food is a major element in temporarily reducing suffering, and uplifting the downtrodden. On an annual basis, tonnes of food are given out through the grace of your generosity. 

The emphasis on feeding is to meet the most basic of human requirements, and to restore dignity. It becomes the very least we can do in a sea of tremendous socio-economic need. According to the psychologist Abraham Maslow, food and water is the first tier in a hierarchy of what it means to be a fulfilled human being.

The other hierarchies are shelter, safety and security, love and social cohesion, self-esteem, respect and confidence. It is interesting to note that Maslow’s findings coincide remarkably with the Maqasid, or the goals, of the Shari’ah. Indeed, as Imam al-Jawzi once said, the Sacred Law is a law of mercy.

At the basis of food distribution is the issue of food security, the foundation of any functional society. In South Africa – a country of profound rich-poor divides – we ironically score highest on the African continent in terms of food security.

The Economist’s Intelligence Unit’s latest Global Food Security Index has us 45^th out of 133 countries. We are just above China, and it is sobering to see that some of the most threatened countries in terms of food security, such as the DRC, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, are the ones from which many of our refugees arrive.

However, as encouraging as our food security status is, the University of Cape Town’s 2018 Child Gauge Report still has 6 million South African children going hungry to school.

Other research reveals that 23 per cent of households cannot access adequate food, leading to 8 million in 2017 going to bed hungry each night. Of interest is that in 2002 this number was over 13 million, which shows up the efficacy of social welfare in helping to relieve poverty.

But the challenges are enormous. Stats South Africa reveals in its latest findings that the extreme poverty level – the food poverty level – for one person is R561 per month. The so-called “upper level” of poverty, where food and non-food components are factored in, is R 1,227 per month.

According to the Pietermaritzburg-based Economic Justice and Dignity Group, more than half (55.5%) of the South African population lives below the upper-bound poverty line. A quarter (25.2%) lives below the food poverty line.

Reading the above stats, it is evident that the core of the problem is the distribution of wealth, something that enables the purchase of food.

As a small community, our dynamics may seem insignificant in the big and overwhelming scale of things. But that is no reason for giving up hope. It was the Prophet (pbuh) who reminded us that as Muslims, pessimism and despair is never our language.

Indeed, it is the institution of Zakah, which actively – through divine injunction – extols the redistribution of wealth that enables and empowers society to uplift itself. The institution of Zakah, which purifies and redistributes wealth to the deserving, offers us a model of creating socio-economic stability without institutional debt. Zakah in Africa is what we call ubuntu, the spirit of being who we are through others.

So often we forget that a tall forest has to grow from a tiny seed. And the way for us to plant seeds in our rich South African soil, is by setting an example. As humble as our own community efforts may be, they are never wasted. Never. There is always someone who will benefit from our sadaqah, or our Zakah.

Let’s have a look at the huge potentiality of numbers and how little it really takes to make a difference. If 100,000 breadwinners in our own community were to contribute just R100 per month, there would be a kitty of R10 million generated to feed people every 30 days.

To break it down further: if each school child were to receive a morning meal costing R50, the money would be able to feed 200,000 children every month. And if six million taxpayers were to follow suit, there would be R600 million a month. In this case, 12 million children could be fed every day.

Is this a pipe dream? I would venture, no. As Muslims we are prisoners of hope, but not in the sense that we are shackled, for as the Qur’an (65:2-3) promises us:

“…And whosoever fears Allah…He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from sources he never could imagine.”