Inter Masajid Soccer Tournament 1

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

The night was a streaming buzz. The games were competitive, the boys energised and the air was hot with excitement. 20th of May marked a night that shall forever be memorable to Joburg south boys.

The Deen team hosted an under 17s Joburg south inter masjid soccer tournament at the Fomiss Aeroton Estro turf courts. Yes! Inter masjid! The idea behind this was to spark the beginnings of a bond between local imams/ustaads and their young musallees. How? Well the only way these young boys could register for the tournament was through their localities imams. This initiative set itself as one of a kind since the boys were now able to establish relationships with people who they can rely on during the years to come. 10 points for foresight! Another factor that made this tournament
unique was the exclusion of any females. The boys were submerged in a night dedicated to what wed like to call “clean fun”.

It all began at promptly 6pm, the gathering was blessed with the words of The Almighty, followed by an overview of what the tournament entailed and the rules pertaining to it. Number one on the list involved dress code. All players had to appear with kits that covered their satr, if anyone failed to meet this requirement they had to face it the “hard way” and forfeit the match. Next was the use of obscene language. In the event of a player swearing on field, an immediate red card was issued. One can imagine what a difficult feat this was to accomplish, especially for the soccer fanatics.
The tournament attracted a total of 14 teams. All of whom were playing till their last minute on the field, eagerly battling for the title of winning team. The enthusiasm surely showed itself as the games stretched into the late hours of the night ending at midnight. Yet there can only ever be one winner, one who can claim victory and we take our hats off for the one the only – masjidul Huda who successfully managed to reign as victorious against the Lakewood estate team. Raees Kara, captain of the winning team said he had an amazing experience, having the opportunity of meeting many friends and simply basking in the fun.

The boys were kept entertained the entire night through. There were punctual breaks for the Salah to be performed. The likes of the amazing moulana Ansaar Johaad Deen from Al Imdaad addressed the crew and had their spirits lifted for the games to come followed by Qari Umar BaSheikh who had magically got the boys to join voices and sing the praises of Allah. Another young player by the name of Ahmad Bham spoke to us, informing us of how its tournaments as such that help these boys open up, meet new people and be able to simultaneously gain something form the beneficialtalks given to them.

Well that surely was a one of a kind event but be sure its not the last of its kind! All thanks are due to Allah who without such an event would never have materialised. To all the amazing players, you were all phenomenal and we hope to see more of you. Until the next meet-up, peace.

Life Behind Bars

Early on Sunday, 12 June 23 students of al Tawheed Grasmere and The Deen Team did the first of the much anticipated “LIFE BEHIND BARS” visit to Groenpunt Prison on the Vaal. Visitors had the opportunity of interacting with our brothers who are serving time behind bars. These are some of the outstanding stories told to the visitors:

One inmate who had been serving the last 14 years of his life behind bars says: “I remember seeing my son when he was a year old, Today he is 15 years old and I haven’t seen him ever since, I’m now reformed and just received news that my son is a nyope addict”. #lifebehindbars #groenpuntprison

Another inmate mentioned that a number of his close family members had accepted Islam prior to his sentencing, he had strong hatred for this and would become very angry when he witnessed them practicing Islam however after he was sentenced to prison he had experienced the good akhlaaq of other muslim inmates and Allah had granted him the understanding and he accepted the religion of Islam within the confines of prison.

Another inmate Shared, that he resided in a township and had belonged to a group of friends. He mentions that once some scholars came to their area and they had invited the group to study at a local institute. He further added that all of his friends accepted the invitation and went to study at the institute however he turned the invite down and opted to remain behind. In doing so he was badly influenced by a group in his area and as a result he was going to be sentenced to prison on the same day that his other friends were going to graduate from the institute that they had been attending. He also mentioned that he regrets not going along with them.

Our brothers confine themselves to a small area in the prison to experience the most of the month of Ramadhaan with fasting, taraweeh and even itikaaf Allahuakbar!!

Insha Allah The Deen team will conduct visits to the Groenpunt prison on every Sunday during Ramadhaan.

Haafidh Muhammad Swalih Subrati ~ volunteer at The Deen Team

Moon Sighting Event

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “commence with your fasting when you see the moon and stop fasting again with the sighting of the moon. If the sky is unclear then complete the full 30 days of shabaan.”

From the skies of Arabia 1437 years ago up to this day, the moon is searched for by eager eyes to witness the dawn of one of the most blessed months of the year. Yet it can’t be denied that with the onset of social media and technology, the act of venturing out and searching for the moon has become a rarity. Since why take the trouble of spotting something as thin as a needle in the sky if your local radio will inform you about it. Its moments like these that the words of our Prophet S.A.W echo through my mind,” whoever revives a Sunnah from my Sunnah and the people practice it, will have the same reward of those who practice it without their reward diminishing”. And so The Deen team could up the challenge and got the boys out scouting for the birth of the new moon. 

On the night of June 5th, 50 boys and men gathered at the Northcliff Eco Park to welcome the month of Ramadhan. The night was alight with the beautiful voices of Hafez Yaseen Choonara, Qari Umar Bashekh and Qari Usama Ishaaq. The Maghreb prayer was performed and then the men gathered together, eyes skyward, excitement welling within, and Lo and behold, through the grace of the One who causes night and day, we were fortunate enough to spot the moon and welcome the beginning of the month of Ramadhan.

But it didn’t end there. With hungry tummies, and the anticipation of Eid, The Deen Team gathered its troops yet again upon the Northcliff Eco Park hill. Standing atop the hill, the moon searchers were gifted with the view of an entire city. Spectacular would be an understatement. On July 5th, one hundred males made their way with their iftaar goodies packed and ready. The event commenced at 4:15pm, where all were gathered in a tent pitched atop the hill, once again the spirits of these boys and men rose with the wind as heart soothing qiraats and anasheed were rendered by Qari Ridwaan Kaka and Haafidh Salman Kaka. Post Maghreb Salah the crew rushed to be under the night sky, squinting and pointing, trying their best to find the silver line that would bring the dawn of Eid and the end of the most beautiful month. It was by Allah’s will alone that we were unable to spot the moon this time around. Yet the moods were not dampened as the joy of reviving a Sunnah filled these boys and men with the love of their Prophet S.A.W and the impatience to get home and prepare for a day of celebration.

It was an experience that triggered a sense of satisfaction, since on these nights, these boys and men were able to play a direct part in a tradition that was encouraged since the Prophet S.A.W time. We at The Deen Team were extremely impressed by the turn out of the event and the excitement that it created. Therefore, we intend for the “Moon Sighting Event” to be an annual occurrence, where we can be instrumental in reviving a Sunnah and uniting the ummah.

Drug Awareness Friday

The drug awareness Friday is an annual event that took place in august of this year. This year it commenced at the Time of jummah salaah, in which all the southern suburbs of Johannesburg were involved. These included the likes of Robertsham at masjidul huda with the talk given by Ml Aktar Ali, Ridgway at masjidul Quba with the talk given by Ml Ansaar Johardien and Evans Park at masjid al sirat ul jannah with the talk given by Ml Sulaimaan Ravat. The jummah lecture topic is centered around drugs and the effects it has.

After the jummah salaah, a ladies program was held during the afternoon where the women were addressed by Hafez Rafeeq Mayet who is the head of the Magaliesburg Rehab center. The night that followed was one where much unfolded. At masjid Quba in Ridgeway, a recent development was the establishment of their multi purpose court in the Masjid parking lot. This is where the soccer freestyle tournament was held. This involved a professional soccer freestyler performing while the boys gathered around and watched in awe. Youngsters from various communities also took part in the competition. The winner of the competition walked away with the grand prize of a R500 shopping voucher courtesy of Rashid Cassim Sport.

Freestyling in essence, involves tricks being done with the soccer ball. The freestyler is rated by a criteria of their skill and control of the ball. As well as the number of consecutive tricks they are to do with the ball without it touching the ground. The competition was surely intense and some amazing tricks were witnessed. Before the event began, a surprise gift was also given by Status jewelers in Oriental plaza. This was then awarded to the runner up freestyler. Interesting to note, the young lad who had won the tournament was on his way from Lenasia and had no knowledge of the tournament. He simply happened to stumble upon it and managed to make his way to first position.

The tournament unfolded by all participants firstly performing. Thereafter the judges gave each contestant a score and those with the highest scores made it to the semi finals. The semi finals involved four contestants who were split into 2 groups. Of the two in the group, both had to then go up against the other to compete. Their performance had to last a minute with their best move ending their time. The crowd of young boys were also part of the elimination as they had to scream the takbeer for each contestant, with the loudest takbeer indicating the best freestyler. It’s through the will of Allah that the event was in fact a success as seen by the attendance of one hundred youth. It was also a great opportunity to have had a number of recovering addicts from the rehab come through and talk to us about their journey through their addiction and recovery. One example is that of a young boy, who grew up in a stable home and attended his daily madressah classes. However his addiction lead him to such a state that he would stand on bridges and throw bricks at the cars below in an attempt to break their windscreens. When the drivers would get off their cars he would then rob them to gain money to feed his addiction. Alhamdulillah, thus young man had found his way again and is currently on the road to recovery.

Once again, the Deen team was able to connect with the youth and teach them lessons of life through methods they understand best. Since the response of this drug awareness Friday was so satisfactory it is hoped that next year this event can occur across the country on jummah. Allah willing these efforts will help our youth to maintain their steadfastness in faith and deter them from the path of addiction. Ameen.

Mega Sunnah Sports Event

A JOURNEY TO THE SANDS OF ARABIA

Let’s take it back one thousand four hundred years. To a land of a scorching sun and rolling sand mountains. To a land of people that were destined a paradise in the afterlife, a people who till this day have managed to resonate in our lives. Join me as I take you on a journey that will allow you live in a moment that once was 1400 years ago…

The anticipation built as he mounted his mare. The night was suddenly still. The friendly beast stood, awaiting the moment. And then it began, suddenly and majestically. The crowd was taken in by the sheer awesomeness of what was transpiring before them. Jehad Shamis of the United Kingdom flew by as his arrow whizzed through the air hitting its target. He galloped on, target after target, arrow after arrow, Shamis who competed in Korea, USA, Malaysia and turkey held the crowd spellbound, as he took them on a journey back 1400 years.

On the night of Friday 19 AUGUST 2016, at the Roshnee Sports Grounds, boys and men, fathers and sons gathered together for an experience unlike any other. It allowed the Sunnah to unfold before their eyes. It allowed boys to find entertainment in something that their Prophet S.A.W loved. The DEEN TEAM hosted a MEGA SUNNAH SPORTS EVENT. It surely was a journey back to the sands of Arabia. Alhamdulillah, with the support and sponsorship of AWQAF SA this night was able to materialise. The Deen Team, through AWQAF SA assistance was able to connect with the youth and
entertain them for a night to forever be remembered.

Muslim equestrians from far and wide were brought together to celebrate the amazing Sunnah of horse-riding and archery. Some of the most exquisite Muslim owned horses were displayed, while others showed the crowd what show jumping Is all about. Beautifully rendered anasheed f and the sweet words of the Quran filled the air as the Sunnah came to life. It was a night dedicated to the youth. A night dedicated to the Prophet S.A.W and what he loved. All our boys need is exposure to the amazing lives of the heroes of the past and they will be hooked, they will be engrossed and they will finally see the beauty of what their religion is.

Youth Getaway Camp 1

On Friday the 30th of September, the afternoon was abuzz. Groups of boys arrived, bags on backs and padkos in hand. The anticipation for what was to follow was evident on their beaming faces. A total of 25 boys piled up into the kombi awaiting them at Masjid Siratul Jannah in Ormonde, and headed down to the Vaal for a weekend of unforgettable experiences.

As the sun melted away, the boys reached their base camp situated on Dadabhay’s farm in Vanderbijlpark. The group consisted of boys from Johannesburg, Lenasia, and Roshnee, so naturally first thing that needed to take place was a casual meet and greet to shake all the awkwardness off. The tents were pitched and the fires lit, it was a night to get the
ball rolling. The group of 25 were split into groups of three, all of which were mixed, thereby starting the process of these boys engaging new people, and creating a network with them. The groups were names and the war cries were sung out …these young men were ready to rock this weekend!

On Saturday morning while the sun was still down, these young boys rose and stood in line for the call to prayer. But that wasn’t all, after their Fajr Salah, they enjoyed a soothing dhikr to help start their adventure filled day. Each group was delegated a specific task or chore rotating around the needs of the group. So, if group one was in charge of preparing breakfast for the crew, group two would have to manage lunch. It was a rare sight seeing these youngsters handle a
butter knife and cook patties, but together as a group, they got the job done.

The activities began at a place called Rocky ridge in Parys. Splisshhh spplaasssshhhh, swoooosshhh swiisssshhh… in rubber tubes the size of truck tires, the group wading through the vaal river making their way to an island situated along the way. Next up the boys were ducking and diving as paintballs were shot through the air using slingshots, yes slingshots! This was followed by survival of the fittest obstacle course that had these fellows covered in mud and down
on their knees.

After their Asr Salah performed in jamaat, the group huddled around and lent an ear to what Hafez Shaakir Bhyat had to
tell them. What needs to be understood is that the core focus of this camp was to educate and change the perspective and thoughts of these young men. And that did not mean fun and games couldn’t be coupled with it. Hafez Shaakir brought up the topics that most feel uncomfortable to talk about and yet these topics are ones that are integral to the lives of these young boys.

Together, in a circle of newly found friends and ustaadhs these boys were brought to light with topics such as promisquity and pornography and their place in Islam.

The night came to an end around the warmth of a camp fire and some roasted marshmallows. The topic of drugs came up, and for 45 minutes there was an interactive discussion where everyone voiced their opinions and thoughts about this.

Sunday morning brought the boys back to the river for some river-rafting fun. There was a river-raft relay match that had them rowing with all their might, as well as a team building exercise that truly showed how well they were able to work together and navigate themselves. The day came to an end with an Islamic studies quiz, which had the facilitators by surprise to see the strong opinions, sharp minds and competitive nature come to show.

All good must come to an end but all good should also be rewarded. At the end of the the gate-away, there was a small prize ceremony that occurred awarding trophies of 4 merits.
1) Akhlaaq award
2) Salah punctuality award
3) Bangbroek award
4) Braveheart award

Each award was mentioned at the beginning of the camp and it was interesting to see these boys loosen up and show their colours to us.

And that brings us to the end of a weekend unlike any other. It was a time for these boys to grow and explore, to learn and discover. As Ebrahim Seedat, a fellow camper said “I learnt independence, friendship, survival skills, the indescribable beauty of Allah’s creation and most importantly, that your life isn’t over without your cell phone.” The boys left having gained life lessons that will last a lifetime. Adil Chotia said that his most valuable lesson was that when working together you can accomplish anything.

Yes, it was a weekend jam packed with fun, but underlying all of that, the Deen Team managed to reach the minds and hearts of the future of our ummah. It goes to show that our youth have the potential for greatness if only we know how to engage them.

To the youth out there, this was a gate-away that was most definitely the first of many more to come, so hang in there, The Deen Team is to the rescue!

Klerksdorp Tour

The Deen teams Klerksdorp tour took place on the 14th and 15th of October 2016. The weekend began with jummah being lead at the manzil park masjid as well as the town masjid. The Deen team addressed a topic which was a rhetorical question, IS MUSIC REALLY THAT BAD?

During the course of the evening, the opportunity was awarded to the Deen team to showcase their work at the local school jalsa. All these programmes built up the excitement for what was the main event on Friday night. The event commenced at 10:30pm at a residence in manzil park. The programme of the event was of an innovative format. It involved fifa knock – outs , winners staying on board followed by personal experiences and encounters of recovering drug addicts. The boys were entertained by many Islamic motivational discussions throughout the night. The night was intended to conclude with a Dhikr session. However for the boys of klerksdorp this wasn’t quite enough, and they managed to stretch the night up to 2:00am!

Saturday featured a soccer freestyling competition, which also showcased a professional soccer freestyler. The Deen team encouraged the community to participate.

The competition proved to be very challenging with intervals in the competition involving multiple Islamic discussions.

This weekend proved to be a memorable one. Many thanks goes to the community of klerksdorp for their hospitality. We pray allah increases your baqarah and takes you from strength to strength. From the Deen team, may the peace of Allah be with you, and stay tuned for upcoming events.

Boys Night Out Heldekruin

Whilst for some the highlight of the Boys Night Out was the exciting experience on the mechanical bull, whilst for others the interaction with the less fortunate and the appreciation showed in return was an experience that could have never been better.

The evening of Friday 2nd of Dec 2016 was a start to a vibrant weekend for the community of Helderkruin. The Deen team together with its members commenced the evening with an interactive program into the field of qiraat by Qari Ridhwaan Bavardeen and Qari Ammaar whilst displaying to the participants the different modes of recital and after which participants were also given the opportunity of reciting in the style of their preferred qurra and Alhamdulillah a youngster from the Lenasia area came forward and portrayed a beautiful recitation in the style of Qari Abdul Basit.

Later on into the program Hfz Shaakir Bhyat went on into an open discussion with our participants on the topic of the harms of pornography and how its affects our youth, during the discussion a brave participant came forward and gave us some insight into his recovery from this addiction and some of his research into the harms of this addiction. Also our participants were given the opportunity to interact with recovering drug addicts. These discussions were concluded and the participants made their way towards the parking area of the Masjid for an experience on the mechanical bull which was something that was much anticipated by the younger of the crew.

The mechanical bull experience:
How it works??
The mechanical bull is a machine driven replica of a bull where a person is challenged to mount the bull and stay on for a period of time without letting the bull drop you off, when a person falls off he falls onto an inflatable jumping castle type of surface and thus causing it to be the end of your session on the bull. The Deen team structured a competition around the time period that a person could remain on the bull. Thus allowing every participant to take a ride on this bull for a period of 1 minute in a round and that would determine whether you have made it to the next round. For a fact that in every round the ride intensifies thus lessening your chances of remaining on the bull for the time period, indicated. Alhamdulillah during the first round all our participants had made it through to the 2nd however in the remaining two rounds many of the participants hadn’t been able to make it through, thus making it difficult for the judges to decide upon a winner. But Alhamdulillah after the 3rd round we came with a winner a brother from the Lenasia area Br Yusuf who had won himself a Palestinian scarf courtesy of The Deen team. Alhamdulillah towards midnight our participants enjoyed a scrumptious meal by the local musallees of Masjid Jabale Nur. Later on into midnight a very informative Islamic quiz was held for the participants by one of the members of The Deen team followed by some muraaqabah and tahajjud salaah which brought the program to a conclusion and thus our participants went of to get some rest. Alhamdulillah the next morning our participants were awoken by the beautiful azaan for fajr salaah after which Hfz Shaakir held a program for the participants and the musallees which lasted for about 15 min and thus the program was concluded with the performance of Salaah tul Ishraaq.

Alhamdulillah immediately after the breakfasts our very energetic participants got down into the preparation of two degs of Akni for the less fortunate people of the area. From the cutting of the onions to organising the firewood our participants took on the tasks with a hands on approach.
At around 11am Deen team members together with the participants made their way to a the local informal settlement to distribute the meals to those less fortunate.
Alhamdulillah it was a great experience for our participants many had never been to any informal settlement before, making it an eye opener and thus creating an inner feeling of gratitude and appreciation for the bounties that the Almighty has blessed them with. During the distributing of the meals our participants experienced the life of those living in under privileged areas and our participants were also given the opportunity to view one of the homes and experience what is it like to live in an informal settlement.
Alhamdulillah after the completion of the distribution and on the return to the Masjid we had some parting advice by Hafiz Shaakir and we had conducted some interviews with our participants thus in this way bringing us to a close to our overnight program.

Herewith are some of the interviews that were conducted:
Riyasat Rehman a grade 6 learner says: “I enjoyed the mechanical bull experience it was the best”.
Hanzala Kaka says: “The worst was cutting the onions for the Akni because my eyes were burning and the best was spending time with everyone and being around everyone and playing soccer”.
Azmat Rehman a grade 6 learner says: “I really enjoyed the qiraat and I learnt about the quraan that was recited in the Mujawwad and Hadr modes”.
Anas Ahmed a 4th year university student says: “ From the interaction with recovering drug addicts I got to know that people on drugs have hope and talks from drug addicts have always kept me away from drugs”

Alhamdulillah TDT is grateful to the Almighty for granting us an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the youth of the Muslim ummah and we ask Allah to accept our efforts.

Fajr First Muslim Teens

Youth development group The Deen Team awards youngsters for attending morning prayers with congregation at local mosques in Gauteng and the North West provinces.

The campaign ‘Fajr First’ has called on Muslim teenagers to be punctual with their compulsory morning prayers over a 40 day period, with monitors at community mosques taking register for those who attended.

The mandatory morning prayer is usually a struggle for some Muslim faithfuls, especially when read in congregation before sunrise.

The campaign aims to establish prayer amongst the youth, and create an atmosphere of encouragement through incentive rather than reprimand.

About 100 youngsters between the ages of 13 and 19 signed up for the programme and have been invited to attend an awards ceremony at the Image Lifestyle Centre in Fordsburg, honouring their achievements.

As a gesture of 100% attendance of the morning prayer from 8 October 2019 to 16 November 2019, successful participants will be presented with a R750 gift voucher to use at a popular Gauteng store of their choice, including Blades and Triggers, Rashid Cassim Sports, Sedgars Vereeniging and Solly’s Anglers Corner.

Youngsters can also opt for a monetary voucher off their next youth camp, organised by ‘The Deen Team’.

Furthermore, one lucky participant is set to win a fully paid Umra trip to the holy lands.

Long-held philosophical, spiritual and even scientific research shows a period of 40 days is essential in the formation of habits, while awarding gifts and prizes for acts of righteousness was common in the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and in Islamic learning centres across the world.

Head of the The Deen Team, the non-profit youth development organisation, Hafiz Shaakir Bhyat, said: “We hope to revive the importance of praying in congregation, create lasting change for the establishment of prayer, and hope Muslim teenagers form strong bonds with their Imams for their spiritual wellness.”

“We also thank our partners including the Africa Muslims Agency, Awqaf SA and Ashraful Aid that ensured the success of this campaign,” Bhyat added.

The Deen Team was established in 2016 and aims to provide a variety of programmes to Muslim youth for schooling teenagers and university students.

The youth group encourages faith-based initiatives and programmes for Muslim youngsters to ensure they development holistically and contribute meaningfully to society.

~ Imraan Karolia

Youngsters Get Their Thinking Apps on

Joburg based Muslim youth development group The Deen Team hosted aspiring tech-savvy teenagers in a two-day App Development and coding boot camp in Johannesburg recently.
Fifty teenage boys and girls from different parts of the country travelled to Johannesburg for this educational event. By the end of the weekend each participant creating a fully functional and ready to use App.


Learners were given lessons and tutorials on how to design, build, debug and test an actual mobile application and code in the languages HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
Head of The Deen Team, the non-profit youth development organisation Moulana Shaakir Bhyat, said, “Skills development is an important facet of the work that we do, we hope that our youth will learn these valuable skills so that they can contribute to society in a meaningful way.”


The head instructor for boot camp was Moulana Bilal Kathrada who is a software engineer, an award winning app developer and an Islamic scholar. With this background, he was actually able to give the participants a “best of both worlds” outlook on Coding and App development.


“Muslims in the golden ages had been forefront of development and innovation. We aspire to train our youth spiritually and up skill them to the level that the next generation lives up to the legacy of our glorious passed.” Bhyat added.