𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗵 (31)

Eight Points Summarising Twenty-Six Years of History --لله ثم للتاريخ-- 1⃣. Masjid Tawhid (Leyton) – Early 2000s One of the best madrasahs in the 2000s was Masjid Tawhid in Leyton. It attracted many families because: It was a purpose-built masjid with plenty of space and services, built with support from Sheikh Abdulaziz ibn Baz (rahimahullah). At the time, it was one of the closest masjids to the Sunnah in that area (though this has gradually declined). The madrasah taught proper pronunciation of the qaa’idah using the Uthmanic script, which many preferred over the Indo-Pak script. The Qur’an teachers were competent and maintained strong discipline. Because of this, many families enrolled their children there, including the Barawan community from Hackney (many of whom are relatives). However, one of the biggest downsides was that beating students was common. One particular teacher, newly arrived from Somalia, was known for beating misbehaving children more than usual. It was rare for a day to pass without some students being beaten. Later, when laws changed, this practice stopped. But by then many students had already complained to their parents, and families gradually began withdrawing their children—including many from the Hackney Barawan community. --- 2⃣. The Birth of Darul-Mustafa As a result, the Barawan community in Hackney needed an alternative madrasah for their children. A new madrasah was established to serve them. As demand grew, it expanded and opened its doors to the wider community. The founders and teachers were mostly influenced by Sufi, Ashʿari, and Ikhwani thought, which is why the madrasah was named Darul-Mustafa, after the well-known Sufi institute in Tarim, Yemen. --- 3⃣. My Connection to the Community After getting married in 2010, I moved to Hackney and became closer to the Barawan community there. In 2012, I was kindly allowed to host one of my children’s ʿAqiqah at Darul-Mustafa (at its current location). The following year—at the request of our teacher, Muhammad Salih (عافاه الله)—we were also allowed to host Tarawih prayers in Ramadhan. This may have been the first Tarawih hosted at the venue. Shortly after Ramadan that year, Markaz Uthman was established in Barking. --- 4⃣. Some Salafi Influence in the Community I believe my marriage into the Hackney Barawan community brought some awareness of Salafiyyah. This included emphasising issues such as: Not calling upon the Prophet ﷺ (e.g., “chidirke ya rasoolallah”). Not venerating saints such as Abdul-Qadir Jilani, Dada Masiti, and others. Avoiding Mawlid celebrations. Avoiding free mixing between non-mahrams. Avoiding pictures and videos of animate beings. On some of these matters there was agreement with members of Darul-Mustafa, while on others there were differences of opinion. --- 5⃣. Transition to Masjid An-Nawawi Some years later, when Ustadh Yasin Munye married into the Hackney Barawan community, some of the main members of Darul-Mustafa inclined to his diluted version of Salafiyyah and saw an opportunity to rebrand and expand. Credit should be given to Ustadh for transforming the madrasah with Sufi origins into a “Salafi” masjid, later named Masjid An-Nawawi. Because of Ustadh Yasin’s presence and online visibility alongside figures like Abu Taymiyyah, Dawah Man, Abdurrahman Hasan and others—Masjid An-Nawawi began to attract a following. They regularly uploaded weekly lessons, khutbahs, and Ramadan prayers online. --- 6⃣. Ramadan Fundraising Era The transition meant that the building required significant renovation, and the masjid took on loans during this process. Around this time, Abubakar (Dawah Man’s right-hand man) introduced the young brothers to the idea of Ramadan fundraising documentaries. The first documentary proved very successful—the initial £22k target on the GoFundMe page was quickly surpassed, and the organisers continued raising the target. Since then, they haven’t looked back. (This advice was shared at the time: https://t.me/madrasatuna/1524)