Athlone:    Moulana Abdul Latief

Although Muslims from India had a language and culture diverse from the Malay community in the Cape, the strong bond of Imaan broke down these barriers.  Moluana Abdul Latief was responsible for bringing the Muslims together.  

Moulana Abdul Latief, who was sent here by Hazrat Goolam Muhammed Sufi (commonly known as Sufi Saheb), came to South Africa at the end of the 19^th century.  He was an Imam and a teacher and established an Islamic centre on the Umgeni River in Natal.  Sufi Saheb came to Cape Town and purchased the land at Doornhoogte (Rylands).  On his return to Durban, Sufi Saheb requested the Moulana Abdul Latief go to Cape Town to establish a mosque and Islamic centre on the land at Doornhoogte.  At that time there had been no mosque on the Cape Flats, and on the first Friday after his arrival, he led in open air the first Juma’ah Salaah on the Cape Flats in January 1904.  The foundation of the Habibia Mosque was laid a year later.  

Moulana Abdul Latief died in 1917.  He is buried next to the Habibia mosque, which, as large as it is, could not accommodate all that came to his Janazah Salaah.   The Islamic educational and religious are still marked as it is a energetic Muslim centre, with a madressah, primary school, orphanage and Islamic library/bookshop.