How 84 year old Mrs Motala keeps young with the Qur’aan

[Khalid Saifullah]

Mariam Motala, known as ‘sun-bhai’ originally from Dundee, is the only daughter after 7 sons. She is 84 years old and makes 1 Quraan Khatam a day. Being a proud mother and grandmother, she is also an avid cricket fan.

Completing one page of Quraan in 39 seconds, when out to the test; Mrs Motala completes 1 para in 10 minutes. She does not admit to being a hafidha, but she knows the Quraan by heart; well familiarized with the pages and words, she even corrects her children and grandchild, Muhammed Ebrahim (13), who is studying the Quraan to become haafidh.

When asked, Mrs Motala, tells Cii that she learnt how to read quraan in Madressa, with correct tajweed. “My father used to read 8 Quraan Khatams and I used to want to be like him, so that’s how I started to read the Quraan so often.” In the blessed month of Ramadhaan she makes 25 Quraan Khatams and in the last 5 days she focuses on other ibaadat.

Not only does Mrs Motala look fit and healthy, she is a positive and beautifully presented women, who has superb eye-sight; she reads her Quraan without reading glasses. Her smile is infectious and her sense of humour has everyone around her chuckling. “I don’t have to read Quraan with glasses, I have them, but alhumdulilah I don’t need to use them. You know what? I don’t even know where they are.”

Her daughter, Haseena, explains that her mother has good health, and good eye sight because she reads Quraan daily and is constantly in the zhikar of Allah. But Mrs Motala chips in that, “ Alhumdulilah I have good health and a good life because my children treat me well. That’s why I am also so happy!”.

“I read Zhikar daily. What does it take for a person to read zhikar. You can read whilst doing anything. I read while I’m cooking, when I’m doing my gardening. Oh I love nature. I can just sit outside and look at Gods beautiful creation and read my zhikar” adds Mrs Motala.

Haseena tells Cii that her mother too is fluent in Zulu. When her mother is out, she converses in Zulu to non-Muslims; she gives them dawah to come into Islam and then she leaves them with advice. Haseena says, “Everyone just loves her. She is friendly and good with everyone. She is the most inspirational women I know.”

Mrs Motala like many others had a difficult life growing up. Married to a Rawat, there wasn’t always enough money in the home, so she made samoosa’s and knitted jerseys that she would sell, to supplement her husband’s income. Much of their savings would go to her childrens education. Mrs Motala completed her own matric whilst her eldest daughter Shaheena was studying, “we graduated together, it was too nice” she cheerfully comments.

Mrs Motala comes from a background with strong political affiliation. After matric, at the age of 36 she went on to study at the Durban Technikon, and she had conducted all the research for a published book for political activist, Fathima Meer, who is also her aunt.

She worked at the courthouse and did extensive research on suicides, but after her eldest daughter, Shaheena, had passed on, she had left work to look after her two grandchildren-whom she adores.

“My mum worked hard in her life, to make something of herself and her children, with the will of Allah” explains Haseena.

Mrs Motala mentions throughout the interview with Cii how blessed she is to have her children, “I am so blessed, my sons help everyone in need” explaining that her son Ismail is dentist and her other son Iqbal is a doctor. Whilst her daughter Haseena has her Masters in Education.

Taking after their parents, Haseena says that Allah has given her family so much of barakah in their lives because they have no attachment to material things and have faith in Allah. She describes her brothers to be just like their father, “humble and with big hearts”.

Although 84, Mrs Motala, forces herself to wake up early, get dressed and make an effort to have a good day. She visits old age homes and elderly people to encourage them to be positive about their lives and to keep up their spirits with her upbeat personality. Haseena says that she gets phonecalls from the old age home, asking if Mrs Motala will be visiting them soon as they are awaiting her visit.

#It just goes to show that with a positive outlook on life and the Quraan in your heart, what a fulfilling life we can live.

Cii wishes Mrs Motala and family well, May Allah continue to shower his blessings on you and your family. In sha Allah. Aameen.

Nabeela Vadi- Cii News | 01 Jumadal Ukhra 1437/11 March 2016