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- A Cape Town mosque will have a deaf person render the call to prayer.
- It is believed to be a South African first.
- A sign language interpreter will also be used to interpret the sermon.
In what is believed to be a South African first, a deaf Muslim will render the call to prayer (athaan) at a mosque in Cape Town.
The man, Fagri Moosa, will do so during congregational prayers at the at Al Masjiduth Thanie in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain on Friday.
Moosa is a scholar and sign language teacher at the Al-Waagah Institute for the Deaf, which was formed almost three decades ago to offer Islamic studies to deaf people, Al-Waagah public relations officer Sherina Lagardien said.
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The institute realised that the deaf community faced many challenges, including communication and access to education.
Al-Waagah is in the process of establishing a school that will teach sign language to people who can hear to reduce the communication challenges experienced by those who use sign language.
The imam at Al Masjiduth Thanie, Moulana Sabri Davids, said he first realised these challenges existed when a member of Al-Waagah told him a deaf person said he would not return to mosque because he was unable to understand the message delivered there.
Davids said:
In honour of Deaf Awareness Month, Davids and his community decided to hold an awareness event that includes a talk by Al-Waagah CEO, Cassiem de Wet.
In addition to having Moosa render the athaan, the khutbah (sermon) will be interpreted in sign language.
"To our knowledge, today (Friday) is the first time the Friday athaan will be rendered by a deaf person," Davids said.
"There exists no religious limitations as to the rendering of the athaan. In time of the prophet, a blind person rendered the athaan. Disability doesn't not prohibit anyone from rendering the athaan," he added.
The call to prayer will be streamed on Facebook.
