Hanover Park mosque keeps youth safe through faith
Every Friday night a group of boys in Hanover park gather at the Masjiedul Ihlaas Mosque in Hanover Park for a spiritual programme aimed at keeping them safe and giving them hope.
Abubakr Rodrigues, a youth leader who runs the programme, said their goal was to improve the community by providing young people with faith-based role models and wholesome activities.
“We want these boys to idolise the companions of the prophets, not to idolise gangsters,” he said.
The programme, which started in July has about 40 members from the age of 3 to 30 years old. Each Friday evening they arrive at the mosque carrying their sleeping blankets.
Mr Rodrigues said he was motivated to start the programme after seeing some of the youth’s living conditions.
“They may be the only ones at the masjied from their whole household,” Mr Rodrigues said.
He plans to expand the workshop to include skills development.
“At 8.30pm our programme starts. We do the Dhikr, then we relate to them the stories of the sahabah and so forth. Thereafter we speak about character. In our youth group character is the most important thing, how to speak with the elders and neighbours and so forth,” added Mr Rodrigues.
At 10pm the boys are given a meal prepared by one of the parents who volunteer at the mosque. After supper they take part other activities such wrestling and jiu jitsu before going to bed. At 5am they wake up for morning prayer. The programme ends after breakfast.
