A group of Ulama from Darul Ihsan Centre and students of Jamiah Ihsan attended the 12th Southern African Ulama Forum (SAUF) held from 2–4 October 2026 at the Lakewood Hotel Conference Centre in Johannesburg. The three-day gathering brought together Ulama and Islamic scholars from across Southern Africa and beyond for scholarly discussion, consultation, networking and reflection on the challenges confronting Muslim communities.

The central theme of the Forum was: “The Role of ʿUlamāʾ in Preserving Islamic Identity in an Era of Rapid Social, Political and Technological Change.”

The Forum was organised under the secretariat of Jamiatul Ulama South Africa – South Gauteng Branch, in partnership with Ashraful AID and ABSA Islamic Banking. The conference was aimed at empowering the Ulama, strengthening regional scholarly networks and, where possible, developing common positions on matters affecting Muslim communities.

The event was attended by approximately 650 delegates, with representation from nine or more Southern African countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho. The Forum had an unusually strong international dimension, with scholars from 32 countries participating.

The Southern African Ulama Forum has its roots in 2000, when the inaugural gathering was held at Magaliesburg, South Africa. The Forum subsequently travelled to several Southern African countries and cities, including Harare, Maputo, Lilongwe, Gaborone, Durban, Johannesburg and Eswatini.

The 2026 Johannesburg gathering therefore represented an important continuation of a regional platform that has sought to bring together Ulama despite geographical distances and differences in institutional backgrounds. SAUF provides an opportunity for younger Ulama to interact with senior scholars, broaden their perspectives and develop greater confidence in responding to contemporary challenges.

The theme of SAUF 2026 placed the responsibility of the Ulama at the centre of the discussions as follows,

technological change;
social media and the digital age;
ideological confusion;
challenges facing Muslim youth;
contemporary education;
mental health;
marriage and family problems;
addiction;
socio-political developments;
Islamophobia;
humanitarian crises;
migration and refugees;
the changing nature of da'wah;
the future of Islamic scholarship;
the preservation of Muslim identity; and
the development of sustainable Muslim institutions.

The breadth of the programme demonstrated that the role of the contemporary Alim is increasingly understood as extending beyond the traditional classroom, masjid and madrasah into education, counselling, community development, social welfare, public engagement and strategic leadership.

Major Panel: “A World on Fire” - One of the most important sessions of the entire Forum was the Saturday evening panel: “A World on Fire: How Should the ʿUlamaʾ Respond?”

The session was chaired by Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and brought together several major global humanitarian and social concerns. Ulama's Response Within a Non-Islamic Framework.Moulana Ibrahim Maseko addressed how Ulama can respond to crises while operating within a non-Islamic political and legal framework.

Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan and Africa

Dr Abdul Karim Elgoni discussed the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and other parts of Africa.

This broadened the Forum's international humanitarian perspective beyond Palestine to crises occurring elsewhere on the continent.

Migrant and Refugee Crisis

Mufti Zubair Bayat addressed the migrant and refugee crisis and the Muslim community's understanding and response.

The subject is particularly relevant to Southern Africa, where migration has become an increasingly important social and political issue.

Islamophobia and Restrictions on Religious Expression

Moulana Ebrahim Bham addressed Islamophobia and restrictions on religious expression.

This raised questions about how Muslims should preserve religious identity and practise Islam confidently while navigating increasingly complex social and political environments.

The session culminated in an extended question-and-answer discussion, allowing delegates to engage directly with the issues raised.

The keynote presentation returned directly to the central theme of the Forum: the preservation of Islamic identity in a rapidly changing environment. The organisers identified Mufti Shama'il Nadwi as one of the Forum's keynote speakers.

The Forum concluded with a closing Naseehah by Mufti Sulaiman Moola, followed by Zuhr Ṣalah and lunch.

Major Themes Emerging from the Forum - Looking at the programme as a whole, several important themes emerge. Africa as a major Islamic frontier.The Forum gave significant attention to Islam in Africa, indigenous Muslims and the growth of Islam on the continent.

This is particularly appropriate for a Southern African platform and suggests that future da'wah and community-development strategies should be developed with an African rather than purely imported perspective.

An important but sometimes overlooked component of SAUF was the opportunity for informal interaction among Ulama. Meals, refreshments, accommodation and evening networking created opportunities for scholars from different regions and institutions to meet one another.

The organisers specifically highlighted the value of such interaction, noting that scholarly engagement allows Ulama to exchange experiences and perspectives and potentially develop stronger cooperation in addressing contemporary challenges.

This is arguably one of the most valuable features of a regional Ulama forum: issues that may appear difficult for one organisation or country can be discussed collectively, allowing successful experiences and practical solutions to be shared.

The 12th Southern African Ulama Forum can be regarded as a significant gathering of Islamic scholarship in Southern Africa, particularly because of the breadth of issues covered and the attempt to connect traditional scholarship with contemporary realities.

Its greatest strength was arguably the diversity of subjects. Rather than limiting discussion to conventional religious topics, SAUF 2026 addressed the practical realities facing Muslims today.

The Forum recognised that the challenges of the modern Ummah are interconnected. A young Muslim struggling with faith may simultaneously be dealing with social media, identity questions, career uncertainty and family pressures. An Imam may simultaneously need to deal with Fiqh, counselling, community disputes, political questions, youth issues and social media.

A Muslim community may simultaneously face Islamophobia, economic challenges, humanitarian crises and questions about preserving Islamic identity. The programme therefore presented a broader vision of the ʿālim as scholar, educator, Imam, counsellor, community leader, strategist and guardian of Islamic identity.

The 12th Southern African Ulama Forum at Lakewood, Johannesburg, brought together a wide spectrum of Islamic scholars around a central question: How can the Ulama preserve Islamic identity and effectively guide the Ummah in a rapidly changing world?

Over three days, the Forum moved from contemporary global challenges to Africa, from the masjid to the classroom, from youth and family concerns to humanitarian crises, and finally towards the future of Islamic scholarship.

The breadth of the discussions reflected an important reality: the challenges facing Muslims today cannot be addressed in isolation. They require scholarship, wisdom, cooperation, strategic thinking, institutional development and meaningful engagement with society.

SAUF 2026 therefore served not merely as a three-day conference, but as an important platform for scholarly interaction, regional networking, inter-generational learning and reflection on the future role of the Ulama in Southern Africa and beyond.

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Darul Ihsan Media Desk