Saturday Morning Madrasah Graduation

The Claremont Main Road - Saturday Morning Madrasah had its 2010 graduation at the Alexander Sinton Senior Secondary School

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The significant highlight of the event was the tribute paid to Muallim Ismail Osman, affectionately know as Boeta Maily, who retired from active teaching.

Tribute to Mu’allim Ismail Osman

On the 29^th November, Mu’allim Ismail, or as we respectfully call him Boeta Maailie, celebrated his 72^nd birthday. And after ten years dedicated service to the Saturday Morning Madrasa Boeta Ismail has decided to retire. Boeta Ismail was a great pillar of strength, support and stability at the Madrasa, and someone whom we often turned too for advice. We will miss him opening many of the Madrasa functions with a du’a. Boeta Ismail is a great role model and his life has many lessons for us, both learner and teacher, both young and old.

Boeta Ismail was born in Batts Road, Wynberg, and attended Palmerston Primary School. He attended afternoon Madrasa in the area where at the age of eight he was able to read the Qur’an, although, as he puts it without any tajwid rules. It was only much later, after listening to various qaris recite, and studying books on tajwid that he learnt to read the Qur’an by applying all the tajwid rules.

Boeta Ismail matriculated from South Peninsula High School. He joined his father on the building trade because his father insisted that his sons have some practical skills whereby they could one day support their own families. After a few years as a builder he joined Olivetti, the Italian typewriter company, as storekeeper and stock controller. Later he joined the sales representative team. When he went on early retirement from the company, he was one of the most successful salesmen, and received numerous accolades for his achievements.

During his early retirement years, Boeta Ismail began volunteering at the Islamic Social Welfare Association (ISWA) and especially assisted with their annual rainbow children’s day. He also began to serve on ISWA’s board and a few years ago ISWA honoured Boeta Ismail by naming a bursary fund, the Singh-Osman Education Fund, after him and another ISWA stalwart. Today, Boeta Ismail still works for ISWA.

Boeta Ismail’s life is representative of the notion of life long learning. His love for the Qur’an has only grown stronger over the years. Boeta Ismail is a great reciter of the Qur’an without necessarily being a hafiz. He studies various English translations of the Qur’an and is also part of a weekly study group where the Qur’an is studied in depth.

Boeta Ismail is an avid reader. He grew up with the discipline of reading. He believes that the discipline of reading books needs to be instilled in the young people who have lost this discipline due to the rapid technological advancements taking place today. His proficiency in reading has led him to dabble in some poetry writing on a number of topics. Boeta Ismail is also a good letter writer and does not hesitate to express his views in newspapers.

His aptitude with the English language led him to study Arabic with Shaykh Thaafir Najaar. He effectively used the thorough Arabic grammar training he received from his teacher in his Arabic classes at the Madrasa. Boeta Ismail was particularly proud of the external Matric Arabic programme at the Madrasa. (Many of the learners who wrote the external examination passed through his hand.) These language competencies have enabled Boeta Ismail to occasionally deliver the Friday khutbahs at the Claremont Main Road Mosque.

Boeta Ismail was usually the first teacher to arrive on a Saturday morning. His admin work was always up-to-date and neat. His Arabic examinations were thorough yet fair. The disciplines of punctuality, honouring appointments and neatness were instilled by his father. These are great qualities which we all should emulate.

Boeta Ismail grew up in an area where Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and before the apartheid era, people of all races lived together in harmony. He recalls at around Christmas time how their Christian neighbours informed them that it would be a bit noisy due to them practising Christmas carols, and how his mother would tell the neighbours that they do not mind but were in fact looking forward to the singing of the carols. This lesson of living in harmony and respecting people of other faiths is what Boeta Ismail believes is vital to instil in our youth today and what he tried to inspire his students with.

Boeta Ismail, may you continue to inspire us. Shukran for all your dedication and hard work at the Madrasa. Enjoy your retirement. We will surely miss you.