09/07/2020
Bismillah, wa-l-hamdulillah, wa salatu wa salamu 'ala rasulillah:
“Who, when calamity befalls them, say, "Verily, unto Allah do we belong and, verily, unto Him we shall return." (Qur'an 2:156)
To the entirety of Azzawia’s community; young and old; near and far:
It is with great sadness, an abundance of love, and contentment with our Lord, that Azzawia Institute announces the passing of our ustadh, the ‘allama, the imam, the murrabi, Resident Shaykh of Azzawia Institute: Shaykh Seraj Hendricks, rahimahuAllah.
The funeral will be a small family affair owing to the COVID19 restrictions in operation. For those that wish to offer the janaza prayer, but are unable owing to the restrictions, it is recommended to perform salat al-gha’ib instead. The method is included below this message. Salat al-gha'ib may be performed after the departed have been made ready for janaza; this will be sometime in the next 24 hours.
Shaykh Seraj’s passing is to his gain. May Allah grant him the most noble of dwellings in the highest paradise. May Allah, The Glorified and the Exalted, make us benefit from all the spiritual masters of this beautiful line of scholars, particularly Shaykh Seraj, and may He raise his rank and their high ranks amongst His chosen ones. Shaykh Seraj with his brother Shaykh Ahmad took up the mantle that their grandfather, Shaykh Muhammad Salih Hendricks, first instituted, 100 years ago, with the foundation of Azzawia. They continued in the tradition of tariqa ulama makka, returning after more than a decade with their own shaykh and murabbi, the Makkan scholar of scholars, Sayyid Muhammad b. Alawi al-Maliki, rahmatullah ‘alayhi, becoming his khalīfas. May Allah shower Shaykh Seraj with mercy, and raise him to the highest of ranks, ya Rabb.
Our condolences to all of Azzawia’s community, particularly his wife, Aunty Rhoda, his three children, Rashid, Nuha and Alia; Shaykh Ahmad Hendricks, and all of his siblings, cousins, students, and friends. Shaykh Seraj’s impact, rahimahuAllah, has been felt far and wide; far beyond Cape Town, South Africa, or the African continent. Rather, his impact – and thus his legacy – spans the world.
May Allah bless all of you and all of us during this difficult time.
Azzawia Institute
