Islam in South Africa - Prominent Muslims

Prominent Muslims

Prominent Muslims are found in many spheres of South African life, notably in politics where they are represented at all levels of government.

Members of the Cabinet have included Naledi Pandor, former Minister of Education, and current Minister of Science and Technology, as well as Enver Surty. Essop Pahad and his brother Aziz Pahad. Other former Ministers include Kader Asmal (Education) and Dullah Omar .

In addition to Cabinet ministers, there are a number of Members of Parliament as well as councillors in the various provinces. The former Western Cape premier, Ebrahim Rasool, is Muslim (Rasool is currently serving as South Africa's Ambassador to the United States of America). Imam Hassan Solomon (Raham) was a Member of Parliament from 1994 until his death in 2009. During the struggle for liberation, Imam found himself being asked by many communities to preach, even in churches! He joined the United Democratic Front, seen by many as a front for the banned African National Congress (ANC). During his years in exile in Saudi Arabia, Imam Solomon furthered his Islamic education, but was always available to enlighten people on the situation in South Africa. Imam Solomon returned to South Africa in 1992, and took up a seat in the National Assembly in Parliament following the first democratic elections in 1994. He served Parliament until his death in 2009.

Ismail Mahomed was the first post-apartheid Chief Justice of South Africa.

In sport, the most prominent South African Muslim is Test cricketer Hashim Amla. In rugby, the new talent of Ismaeel Dollie has come to the fore.

Hazrat Sheikh Ahmed Badsha Peer was a highly respected Sufi. He arrived in South Africa in 1860 as an indentured labourer and was given an honourable discharge by the colonial British authorities when he was discovered to be mystic. . His tomb is at the Badsha Peer Square/Brook Street Cemetery in Durban.

Abu Bakr Effendi was an Osmanli qadi who was sent in 1862 by the Ottoman sultan Abdülmecid I at the request of the British Queen Victoria to the Cape of Good Hope, in order to teach and assist the Muslim community of the Cape Malays. During his stay at the Cape he produced on of the first works in Afrikaans literature with his work in Arabic Afrikaans, Uiteensetting van die godsdiens (English: Exposition of the Religion).

Riaadh Moosa is a popular comedian.