For many years Sheikh Abdul Salam al-Bassiouni spent his Ramadan doing the work of deen but this came to a halt in December last year when he was arrested and sent to prison.

His family is going through difficult patch and the agony deepens when they see other Muslim families preparing for the sighting of the moon across South Africa which will culminate into eid celebrations.

Their eid will never replicate yesteryear’s family jamboree.

This year’s fasting month has been difficult for them as they continue to reflect and ask Allah to give them strength during the trying times.

The family could have felt emptiness all along but it became apparent this Ramadan that the gap is wider than they thought. There’s a missing link in the household –is still not at home.

The renowned South African citizen, Islamic scholar and philanthropist Sheikh Bassiouni finds himself incarcerated in Tora Prison in Cairo, known locally as “Scorpion Prison”.

He was arrested by Egypt’s national security at Cairo airport and pleas by his relatives and Muslims to have him released have fallen on deaf ears.

His son, Bilaal, told Cii News said this Ramadan was torturing experience for the family as they feel like “a body with no heart”.

“Everything is different about this Ramadan. The atmosphere created by my father during this month was phenomenal and it cannot be the same without him,” he said.

Bilaal, who has a taken a huge responsibility of taking care of the family said Ramadan brings special memories which they shared with their father.

“The special moments were during iftaar, and the coming together at the meal that’s what I miss most.

“My father used to take responsibility of waking up everyone for sehri and preparing their meals and the spiritual atmosphere he creates, night prayers and worshipping Allah,” said Bilaal.

An empty void hard to fill

A visit to Sheikh Bassiouni’s centre in Grasmere was enough to show how this man’s absence is taking a toll on those close to him. Students at At-tawheed Islamic centre narrated how they spent Ramadan with Sheikh Bassiouni whom they considered a father.

““He was good to me and helped me a lot. I am an orphan he used to give clothes, I miss him really bad,” said Ibrahim Mohammed Mahlangu who came to centre in 2009.

Musa Osama Kalonje, one of the senior students at the school was full of praises on how enjoyable Ramadan was in the presence of Sheikh Bassiouni.

“He was like a father to me, I used to spend a lot of time with Sheikh Bassiouni travelling around where he used to teach me how to live as Muslim,” said Kalonje.

“He used to come and spend iftaar with us here like father and children – he’s no more here so it’s a big difference.”

Students’ iftaar at without Sheikh Bassiouni who is imprisoned in Egypt

The Grasmere centre was Sheikh Bassiouni’s first school which he established before embarking on the other 15 dotted across different townships in and around Johannesburg.

Entering the Islamic school, one is met by a huge palm tree which the imprisoned Sheikh used as a class for non Muslims who later came into Islam, explained Sheikh Ahmed Jamal, the At-tawheed Islamic Centres supervisor.

“He started under this tree in 1992 with Qari Bashir and Maulana Habib and this month we are feeling something is short, we are struggling but his working is continue,” he said.

Sheikh Jamal said their wish was to have the esteemed Islamic da’ee among themselves saying Sheikh Bassiouni was a man people who spent much of his time during Ramadan with students at his centres.

“He left his house to make iftaar with the students and he ate what the students were eating,” said Sheikh Jamal.

Sheikh Bassiouni who is accused of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood was arrested by Egypt’s national security at Cairo airport in December last year and since then he has been detained without charge. He is in the same prison complex where many high profile political figures, including the deposed President Mohamed Morsi are held.

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