All Praise is due to Allah(SWT), the Lord of the Worlds and Peace and Salutations be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammad(PBUH).

In 1986, in a small garage in Pietermaritzburg with a carpet on the floor, a Braille (Perkins) typewriter and an Arabic Braille Qaaida (Primer), a little Madrassa started with one student and a teacher on an entirely special mission…

During that time, due to apartheid, our local blind school provided segregated secular education for the blind pupils of our province. However, as was the tradition in the Muslim community of South Africa for centuries, some parents felt a pressing need for special classes that would cater for the Islamic and cultural education of their Blind children. It required a Madrassa (Islamic School) that would travel the extra mile to help.

This challenge was taken up by the establishment of Madrassa An Noor for the Blind.

Slowly but surely, we experienced our first joyous milestone when within a year three students completed the reading of the Qur’aan by their fingers. Thereafter, a few students started to memorize the Holy Qur’aan (Hafiz ul Qur’aan). As we grew, Madrassa An-Noor shifted to bigger premises that would house us for the next 25 years. Our activities expanded when we began producing ‘Talking Books’,( audio Tapes/Cd’s) recorded at our studio and began printing Braille books at our fully computerized Braille press.

These books were then sent by “Free Post” to our young and adult blind members internationally. We then transformed into an Institute of Higher learning or Darul Uloom when a young female student and a young blind boy all the way from Thailand indicated their wish to become Aalim and Aalima.This was a challenging journey for us, as it required that every Arabic text-book in the course be transcribe into Braille

Alhamdulillah, our efforts were rewarded when our first male and female Ulama graduated in 2004.

We were also on many occasions approached by persons from various parts of the world requiring assistance in establishing a Madrassa for the blind in their countries. They had experienced the same challenges that we had, and needed our guidance.

A further difficulty was that it would be inconvenient, for example, for a young blind girl to leave her mum and travel thousands of miles away to South Africa to study. The well then travelled to quench the thirst of the thirsty. We began conducting Qur’aanic Braille workshops in different parts of the world with the purpose of training sighted and blind Qur’aan teachers so that they be empowered to assist the blind by establishing classes in their own localities.

As a mother institute, we support these internationally established Madrassa’s with syllabus books, feedback and provide full back-up. Having outgrown our premises, we relocated in 2011 to our new home which is situated at a farm in Cedara, 17kms north of Pietermaritzburg.

At our new Home, our approach to the education of our students is more holistic. Together with academic learning, we provide other basic skills development programs like Orientation Mobility, guide animals to facilitate independence and movement, sports and recreation to strengthen the body and mind and farming to afford our students awareness of nature as well as knowledge of subsistence living.

Alhamdulil Allah, in our first phase of development, renovations on all existing buildings are now complete with classrooms and boarding being set up in the main double story building. A few teachers and service staff live on the campus. The building plans for the second phase are being finalized. Our Master plan includes a Mosque, education blocks, male/ female boarding blocks, Hall, staff quarters, service shops, sports , recreation and farming facilities . Our Mosque will cater for travelers using the adjoining N3Durban- Johannesburg freeway. Easy off-ramp access from both directions will make it easy for families to perform their Salaah and to refresh themselves at our Islamic oasis.

Please do visit us at Madrassa An-Noor (enclosed directions). We request your Duaa’s and for your contributions to our project.

May Allah reward you and your family in this world and the Hereafter for your assistance in helping the Blind. Ameen.

Your brother in Islam,

(Moulana) Hassan Abdul Kader Murchie -
Founder/Principal