Brothers In Islam

Saleem Yusuf

The older I get, the more I realise how vast we are as Muslims. Having moved to a lot of different regions in Australia, I got to see a variety of people from cultures different from what I’m familiar with. One aspect that always never fails to stay consistent is the obligations we all have as Muslims.

Despite often finding myself in the middle of nowhere like small rural towns where it’s a simple 15-minute ride from one side of town to the other, I have never struggled to find a mosque to pray in.

I was once in a small town in central Queensland with a population of 5000 where Google showed that there was a musalla. In my spare time, I went to search for the location which ended up fruitless. When Jummu^ah came in I drove an hour and 45 mins to the next major town where I knew they had a mosque. Once the prayers were over, I had a chat with the Imam there and he was shocked to find out the distance I had driven. I personally felt as though I was driving from Werribee to Dandenong which I have done many times for just food. So, for Jummu^ah I didn’t think it was that large a feat. He said that there was indeed a musalla and took me out for some food where we had the opportunity to get to know each other better. I explained how the Muslim community was in Melbourne and about the Ashir Jama^ah. He contacted other Imams and they had all coordinated to help me find this one musalla.

Despite being worlds away from what I know to be home, the assistance and care you get from your fellow Muslims despite not knowing one another is next to none.

Hilal Newsletter

Saleem Yusuf, Contributor

Saleem Yusuf is a Melbourne raised Chiropractor who loves travelling, seeing and learning about new cultures and not to mention enjoying great food! Asides from that, picking people brains is one of his favourite ways to use his time. He is opinionated and always open to expanding his knowledge and often enjoys having educated conversations.