UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE MASTER’S THESIS Name of Candidate: Mohammed Luqmaan Kagee Student Number: 3559065 Proposed Degree: Master of Arts in Islamic Studies Department: Religion & Theology Programme: Humanities & Food Security Title of Thesis: The Implementation of Islamic Perspectives on Nutrition in the Context of Muslim Faith-Based Organisations in Cape Town Supervisor: Dr. Mustapha Saidi Co-supervisor: Prof. Ernst Conradie Date: November 2017 Dedication This Master’s thesis is dedicated to my revered spiritual mentor, Mohamed Saied Soofie (d. 2016) who was the custodian of the main spiritual Ṣūfī hospice established by Soofie Saheb, in Riverside, Durban. This thesis is further dedicated to my teacher, Masood Ahmed Kagee (d. 2017), who taught me the holy Qur’ān. They imparted values of sincerity, benevolence and conviction. http://etd.uwc.ac.za Abstract South African debates on food security address a wide range of issues related to the production, the distribution and the consumption of food in the context of deep concerns over the impact of poverty, unemployment and inequality. One aspect of such debates is on the need for nutritious food amidst hunger, malnutrition, obesity and the prevalence of diabetes. This study will investigate the Islamic theological injunctions and guidelines that govern the production, the different facets of distribution and the consumption of food in Muslim communities. There are numerous theological injunctions from the Qur’ān and prophetic traditions (Ḥadīth) guiding the Muslim community in relation to food security. These include injunctions around the need to provide nutritious food. The study will assess the programmes of five Muslim faith-based organisations in the Cape Town Metropolitan Area, working in the field of food security and more specifically, feeding schemes. The food programmes of these organisations will be described, analysed and assessed in order to establish whether, and to what extent, the Islamic injunctions on nutrition are implemented, given various constraints. This will require attention to the policies, the strategies and the practices associated with such feeding schemes. The study will require some background on the following three aspects: A brief overview of issues around food insecurity, with specific reference to the Cape Town Metropolitan Area; An exposition of the Islamic teachings and ethics regarding nutrition and food security, on the basis of the relevant texts in the Qur’ān and Sunnah, as well as both supplementary classical and contemporary literature; and A brief overview of the history and current profile of the numerous Muslim welfare organisations existing in South Africa In order to address this research question, as stated above, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with the staff members of such organisations, while focus group discussions will be conducted with the recipients of the feeding schemes that they manage. Such recipients come from various neighbourhoods and locations in the Cape Town Metropolitan Area. On this basis, the impact of the programmes of the five selected organisations will be analysed. The results of such empirical investigations will be then compared in order to establish whether, and to what extent, Islamic injunctions on nutrition are indeed implemented in the feeding schemes of the selected organisations. This study may not only assist such organisations in becoming more self- reflective but may also be of value to other organisations operating in similar contexts that feed the hungry. http://etd.uwc.ac.za Keywords Nutrition Food Security Implementation Contestation Muslim organisations Yusufeyyah Masjid Jamaa Hospital Welfare and Muslim Educational Movement Naqshbandi Muhammadi Order of South Africa Mustadafin Foundation Cravenby Muslim Educational and Cultural Society Cape Town http://etd.uwc.ac.za Declaration I declare that “The implementation of Islamic perspectives on nutrition in the context of Muslim faith-based organisations in Cape Town” is my own work. It has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university, and all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by complete references. Mohammed Luqmaan Kagee Date: November 2017 Signed: ....................................... http://etd.uwc.ac.za Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the blessings of Allāh, the Creator of all existence, for His infinite mercy. Special appreciation goes to the Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), his illustrious family and companions (may Allāh be well pleased with all of them). I am indebted to the following people who have made a profound impact on my life. I thank them for their unwavering support, understanding and meaningful advice. They are: My respected parents, Goolam Sabeer and Zainab Kagee, and parents-in-law, Hilaal Ahmad and Zaibonisa Bray; My revered spiritual mentor, Mohamed Saied Soofie, and my teacher Mas’ood Ahmed Kagee; My wife, Gulshan, my son, Muhammad Usayd and my entire family; My uncle, Goolam Qutbodien Kagee and the management of the Habibia Soofie Masjid in Rylands Estate, Cape Town; My uncle, Abdul Aziz Soofie and the management of the Habibia Soofie Saheb/Badsha Peer Darbar in Riverside/Kenville, Durban; My supervisors, Dr. Mustafa Saidi and Prof Ernst Conradie; Farid Sayed of Muslim Views, for his assistance in procuring materials, for his advice and for editing this study; Riaz Jawoodeen for providing me with some materials, for his time, his advice and for providing assistance with the editing of this study; and The Mellon Foundation for generously funding this study I am very grateful, as well, to the following people who assisted me in many ways with this study: Abdul Karriem Khan (d. 2017), for his advice and assistance in the procurement of academic materials; Sandra James, librarian of the Arts faculty at UWC library, for her assistance with searching online and with procuring library resources; Prof. Yasien Mohammed of UWC, for his advice and for providing me with some information; Dr. Taufeeq Mohammed of UWC, for his advice and for his time; Ms. Villeen Beerwinkel, administrator of the Faculty of Arts Postgraduate Office at UWC; Abu Bakr Shabodien and Yasmien Jacobs, of the International Peace College of South Africa (IPSA), for their assistance and advice, as well as the management, for the usage of the college’s library and its resources; and All the staff members of the selected organisations, as well as their respective recipients, for their time and their efforts. http://etd.uwc.ac.za List of Acronyms and Abbreviations The following acronyms and abbreviations are used in this study: ADT: Attention Deficit Trait ANC: African National Congress CMECS: Cravenby Muslim Educational and Cultural Society ECD: Early Childhood Development FBO: Faith-based organisation HTHD: Hypertension Heart Disease HWMEM: Hospital Welfare and Muslim Educational Movement MF: Mustadafin Foundation MJC: Muslim Judicial Council NGO: Non-governmental organisation NMOSA: Naqshbandi Muhammadi Order of South Africa NPO: Non-Profit organisation PBO: Public-benefit organisation WCED: Western Cape Education Department YMJ: Yusufeyyah Masjid Jamaa http://etd.uwc.ac.za Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ..............................................................................................................................3 Keywords............................................................................................................................4 Declaration .........................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. 6 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ...................................................................................7 Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................................................ 10 a) Background................................................................................................................... 10 b) Islamic regulations on charity ....................................................................................... 11 c) The predicament of food insecurity ............................................................................... 12 d) Concerns over food security in South Africa ................................................................. 13 e) Delimitation and statement of the research problem ...................................................... 14 f) Sample selection ............................................................................................................ 16 g) Research procedure ....................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2: Islamic Discourse on Nutrition ........................................................................ 19 a) Introduction .................................................................................................................. 19 b) The sources of Islamic legislation ................................................................................. 22 c) The concept of nutrition in Islam ..................................................................................