Our Story

Background of MINACSA's Founding

Given the persistent complaints and reports regarding working conditions, inadequate salaries, and governance issues, it became imperative to promptly initiate a comprehensive dialogue with all stakeholders. The aim is to find both short-term and long-term solutions that are fair and acceptable to everyone involved.

These initiatives emerged from the discussions and intense debates on a WhatsApp forum, highlighting an urgent need to establish a focused discussion group. The aim is to deliberate, discuss, and creatively address issues affecting the broader Ummah.

We extended invitations to over 120 Alims, Imams, Muezzins, Apas, Ustads, trustees and management members from various organizations across South Africa. Among them are representatives from more than 40 different NGOs and notable religious institutes. Our goal is to discuss this critical issue collaboratively and find a viable solution.

We learned that there have been initiatives similar to IDP and HoU’s imam development programs. We are seeking input and collaboration to create a unified national program that is both non-partisan and non-sectarian, ensuring it is acceptable to all parties involved.

After a thorough and honest discussion, we have developed the following formula to address the issue:

There are several models to consider for both the short-term and long-term maintenance of Masjids/Jamat Khanas, as well as for managing their employees.

Temporary subsidy

Temporary unlimited subsidy

A long-lasting and sustainable solution constrained by the current circumstances.

Diagnosis:

The primary issue identified and reported from numerous masjids/jamat khanas nationwide is threefold.

A, the staff members do not receive adequate compensation due to limited financial resources.

B, the staff isn't paid adequately or on time due to a scarcity of financial resources and governance issues.

C, staff members aren't paid adequately or on time, and issues related to this are unprofessionally managed by the Trustees or Management Committee. This points to a scarcity of fiscal resources as well as governance and ethical concerns.

The shared challenges of fiscal resources and governance issues are difficult to overcome, but they can be resolved if the Ummah as a whole is willing.

Suggested remedy:

In examining mosques and Jamat khanas across the globe, certain consistent elements emerge among all successful models for maintaining operations and addressing employee social welfare. These include:

They are all constructed upon the following components,

Provisionalism.

Conservatism.

Fiscal policy approach.

Best practices were established during the eras of the Abbasid, Umayyad, and Ottoman empires through localized and nationalized Waqf systems. (For more details, please download the full paper from the documents section.)