Our muazzin..”Dawood Bhai” as I call him is more of a special friend to my family. But Alhamdulillah he’s well known in our community as well..

His name is the first thing that I grew attached to..Dawood..the name of my late father. Dawood Cassim Seedat..May Almighty Allah grant him the highest abode in jannah..Aameen.

When a child is born, give the azaan and name him after the pious..so too did Dawood Bhai get his name.  Named after Hazarath Dawood AS, Almighty has blessed our muazzin with the most melodious voice..his soothing azaan sails through the streets of Chatsworth..it’s beautiful.

Dawood Bhai is a kind, gentle,  soft hearted man who always has a smile on his face.  He relocated with his wife and kids from Malawi and settled in Woodhurst, Chatsworth. In spite of the language barrier,  he educated his children through English medium schools and madressah. He is a wonderful husband to wife Hafsa.

I am female, so I don’t know much about the affairs of the Woodhurst Jamaat. The little I know, is what I hear my husband and Dawood Bhai discuss over Jummuah lunch, which became a ritual over many many years. It’s been the habit of my husband to be a bit outspoken whenever it came to affairs relating to our muazzin.  Whether it involves the cleaning of the masjid, or the washing of towels  from the ghusal khana, or stepping  in for the Imam, our muazzin does it all.

Dawood Bhai is an all rounder kind of person..he calls out to the young boys from the madressah by their names and their faces just light up..”he actually remembered my name”. He also has qualities of the Sahaba of the Nabi SAW..visiting the elderly and sick when he doesn’t see them in the masjid.

Last Friday when Muazzin Saab came through our door,  after salaams, he removed his shoddy sandals and greeted my elderly mother “how you Mummy”. Later on I asked him if he had been to Umrah, and he said “make dua” Ya Allah Subhanathuallah accept this dua of our Dawood Bhai..Aameen..

After eating his favourite fish curry, he made a beautiful dua and was gone. After some time when I heard the azaan,  I was grinning to myself,  thinking if the smell of the fish curry was still on his finger..lol. wasn’t I happy to know that he just had lunch with us.

Sometime back I heard someone address him as “Baangi Saab”, I don’t know if this was the proper way to address a muazzin or not,  but to me he was always “Dawood Bhai”..he deserves respect.

When it’s time for Fajr, and we hear that melodious voice sail through the streets of Woodhurst,  you can be certain that the men will be rushing towards the masjid. .

May Almighty Allah grant our muazzin the opportunity to visit Makkah and Madinah Sharief soon..maybe he’s even chosen to give the azaan in the haram…Aameen