Adli Yacubi

Tag: Inspiration

  • The Mother Tongue of Tasbih: Afrikaans, Islam, and the Echoes of Resistance

    The Mother Tongue of Tasbih: Afrikaans, Islam, and the Echoes of Resistance

    “Os wiet dat ’n taal is ook ’n houvās.” We know that a language is also a holding — like a salomie wrapped in a roti: not to preserve perfection, but to keep the inside warm. Spiced, sacred, messy, surviving. This blog is my offering — a prayer for our tongue, our tasbīḥ, and the…

  • Comfort of Our Eyes…

    Comfort of Our Eyes…

    In a world where sermons often speak to the youth or about parents, this khutbah speaks for the child. Inspired by the memory of Jayden-Lee Meek — an 11-year-old who died under tragic, preventable circumstances — this reflection draws from the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ tenderness towards children and confronts the silence that allows harm to…

  • The Forgotten Tongue of Remembrance

    The Forgotten Tongue of Remembrance

    A rare Cape relic — the Ratib al-Haddad handwritten in Arabic script, with Afrikaans transliteration in the same sacred calligraphy. A language of remembrance once shaped in the shadows now returns as a light for generations.

  • The Legend of the Silver Tree

    The Legend of the Silver Tree

    “Not brought by botanists. Not named by settlers. But gifted by a porcupine, Planted by Gubi and Nori, Rooted in fire, story, and seed.” A tale passed down through generations — from mother to child, from silence to word. Set beneath Table Mountain, this is the story of the Silver Tree, the river Camissa, and…

  • The Ratib al-Haddad: A Symphony of Spiritual Resilience

    The Ratib al-Haddad: A Symphony of Spiritual Resilience

    Discover the Ratib al-Haddad’s movements, history, and meaning, from slavery to anti-apartheid resistance in the Cape, told as a spiritual symphony.

  • Tamat: A Sacred Completion, A Living Beginning

    Tamat: A Sacred Completion, A Living Beginning

    Tamat is more than a graduation. It is a celebration of the living Qur’an — a covenant of sound, presence, and tradition, carried from Hadramaut to the Cape. From children in medoras and sorbaan to processions through District Six, this ritual reminds us that knowledge is not an ending, but a beginning. This post honours…

  • Hājar: The Black Mother Whose Faith Turned the Heart of Hajj

    Hājar: The Black Mother Whose Faith Turned the Heart of Hajj

    Hājar was a Black woman, a mother, and a servant whose trust in Allah turned a barren desert into the heart of Islam. Her courage became the pattern of worship, and her grave a sanctuary of dignity.

  • Africans in Early Islam: A Celebration of Courage, Dignity, and Faith

    Africans in Early Islam: A Celebration of Courage, Dignity, and Faith

    From the first martyr to the first mu’adhin, from the refuge of Najāshi to the dignity of Barakah, Africans shaped Islam from its earliest breath. This is their story — woven into the Ka‘bah, the adhan, and the footsteps of Hajj itself. More than history, it is a revolution of faith and equality.

  • Zohran Mamdani: Lessons from a Cape Town Childhood, a New York Campaign, and a New Politics

    Zohran Mamdani: Lessons from a Cape Town Childhood, a New York Campaign, and a New Politics

    From Cape Town’s madrasa halls to the heart of New York City, Zohran Mamdani’s journey carries a powerful lesson: movements rooted in moral clarity, courage, and community can reshape politics across continents. This essay traces the seeds of his vision, the legacy of his parents, and the hopes of those who still believe justice can…

  • Braima Winter: The Man Who Read the Weather and Raised Us with Words

    Braima Winter: The Man Who Read the Weather and Raised Us with Words

    A Turkish Delight of memory, scent, and softness — this is a tribute to the ones who raised us, laughed with us, stitched us together. From Braima Winter’s cloud-watching wisdom to High Rugaya’s cinnamon mercy, this is how we remember. With bricks. With books. With soup.