Ml Wali Mohamed Ellemdin was born in Pretoria, Marabastad in 1944. He had 9 siblings and is survived by a half-sister. His life was a journey of profound faith, beginning at the age of 18 when Ml Ismail Abdur Razak of Ladysmith prepared him to travel to India to become an aalim. Before departing by ship on the SS Karanja, he spent 6 months at Mias Farm, where teenagers were generally sent for reformation and Hifz.
The Golden Years of Knowledge
He went on to spend 8 years in Darul Uloom Deoband (1963 to 1971) and would always say those were the best years of his life. During this formative time, he studied with:
- Ml Yunus Patel, Mufti Suliman Qasim, Mufti Bashir Amod, Ml Ayyub Kachwi, Hz Mahmood Mehtar, Ml Yasin Khan, Ml Yasin Rahim, and Ml Yasin Subrati.
His ustaads loved him for his friendly personality and his adherence to the Sunnah. He talked often about incidences that reflected his bravery and fearlessness during this time. While in India, both his parents passed away in SA, and he could only manage to come home every second year. He spent his free time in either Jalalabad (Ml Maseehullah RA), Saharanpur (Ml Zakariyya RA), or Nizamuddin Markaz (Ml Yusuf RA). He would fondly remember how he would operate the manual fan in Nizamuddin when Ml Yusuf was giving a lecture.
Resilience and Sacrifice
After graduating, he returned to SA and started teaching at Jacaranda madressa and was on the Jummua khutbah roster. Soon after, tragedy struck—he lost his brother Noorie in a tragic drowning at Hartbeespoort dam (1971).
Following the advice of his senior sheikh, Qari Abdul Hamid of Kerk str, he became very attached to his brother's children (Maryam and Siraj). Subsequently, he married his brother's widow, Appa Wasila, and they had 3 more children—Zakariyya, Hameeda, and Salmaan.
He continued services at Jacaranda Madressa until 1981 (10 years) when he lost his job due to travelling to the world Ijtima in Belgium and umrah in the company of 300 others under the auspices of Hazrat Ml Sheikh Zakariyya RA. He lived a simple life, wore simple clothes, and was content with a little for himself. This loss of income necessitated Appa Wasila to resume her teaching profession. He subsequently worked buying and selling to sustain the family till he accepted a shop managers' position from Haroon Gooma.
A Foundation of Dawat
In the meantime, he continued regular participation in the effort of Dawat and laid the foundation for this effort in Pretoria along with:
- Iqbal Joosub, Aziz Jalalpor, Yunus Bhoola, Sikander Ali, Hanif Patel, Ebrahim Dockrat, Essop Kholvadia, Habib Makki, and Mohamed Ismail.
Three events had a big impact on his life: itikaaf in Stanger with Hadhrat Sheikh Zakariya (1982), the 2 visits of Colonel Amiruddin from USA (1979 and 1983), and the passing away of his traveling companion Hajee Mohamed Dockrat (Fashion World) in Madinah (1988).
Dedication to Education and Service
He made every effort to give his 5 children the best education both secular and Islamic. Feeling the best ustaadh in PTA was Ml M I Hazarvi (RA), he enrolled the children in his madrassah. In 1984, Sirajudeen became Hafiz and performed taraweeh at Queen Str along with Hafez Abdur Rahman Obary and Hafez Haffejee Ismail.
Moulana then approached the House Of Delegates through Uncle Boetie Abramjee for the use of school premises. He started teaching Arabic in primary school and afternoon madrassa at Laudium Heights primary school from 1984 till 2014. The Madressah consisted mostly of children from poor backgrounds and broken homes so he ran it free of charge for all those years.
He benefited from the knowledge of Ml Hasware, Ml Sanjalwi, and Ml MI Hazarvi and taught with Ml Goolam Abed, Ml Abbas Jeena, Ml Aboobaker Bhamjee, Ml Yusuf Loonat, Ml Monia, Ml Ahmad Garda, Ml Ahmad Hathurani and Ml Mubeen.
He always attached himself to the Masaajid and Musalla: initially Jewel Street Masjid, then Mink Street Musallah, then Ghosia Masjid, then Lahore Street, then CiS Masjid, then Darus Salaam, then Bilal Masjid and finally Masjid Hamzah.
The Later Years
In 2015, at the age of 70, he retired because most children joined Islamic schools and other madrassas opened close by and he slowed down significantly. He continued to run errands for all his children and grandchildren and started traveling especially to the 3 Haram on a yearly basis for over 10 consecutive years.
Moulana was well known for his outspokenness and cheerful attitude to anyone he met. He loved reciting and listening to the Quran and was very particular with daily zikr and recital of daily Surahs. In Ramadaan 2022 he made umrah and his youngest grandson completed his Hifz Ul Quran in Makkah Mukarramah. In Sept 2025 his son took him for his last umrah which he managed... الحمد لله.
For the best part of life he took an afternoon nap (siesta) and he never ate more than 1 dish at meals—those two habits he claimed were his secret to good health.
His Final Return
In Nov 2025 he broke his hips one after the other. Despite surgery he became confined to a wheelchair and bed. He had in the meantime also began losing his memory and his cognitive functioning declined, making activities of daily living difficult. Since the beginning of April, his levels of functionality and consciousness were steadily declining.
He passed away peacefully on the morning of Saturday 11 April 2026 and 22 Shawwal 1447, surrounded by his children and grandchildren reading Quran... إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ.
He performed Haj twice—once in 1990 with his eldest brother and the second in 1996 with his wife Appa Wasila. He performed many umrah and visited masjid al Aqsa several times. He also travelled to Belgium, London and Mauritius in the effort of Dawat, spending much time in all the provinces of SA for Dawat.
Moulana leaves behind a wife, 5 children and 15 grandchildren. From the grandchildren, 7 are Huffaaz, 1 Haafiza and 1 Aalima. His funeral was well attended by men from all sectors of society and over 4000 people paid their respects and laid him to rest... الحمد لله.
Words of Wisdom and Advice
Those that knew him would have heard these advices:
- Be straight like an alif
- Read durood sharif (jazallahu …) and 3rd Kalima
- The amazing number 9
- “I can take on a bull”
- Don’t be like an “Akraut” (walnut)
- “I got no mother and father”
- Look after your mother and father
- Don’t buy or look for trouble
- This work (dawat) is the only way out
- Hamaare Gunaao ko maaf farma - oh Allah forgive our sins
- Always cover your head esp when eating and going to toilet
- When entering masjid use the right foot, when entering the toilet use the left foot
May Allah save him from the trials of the grave and grant him a lofty status in Jannatul Firdous. Aameen
Submitted by the family
","summary":"Ml Wali Mohamed Ellemdin, a devoted Deoband graduate and lifelong da’ee, spent 50+ years teaching, leading dawat, and serving the Pretoria community with simplicity and sincerity before passing peacefully on 11 April 2026.
","featuredImage":{"childImageSharp":{"resize":{"height":800,"src":"/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/47498/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.jpg","width":1200},"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.5,"src":"/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/8309e/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.jpg","srcSet":"/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/1d9d9/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.jpg 282w,\n/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/c2338/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.jpg 563w,\n/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/8309e/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.jpg 1125w,\n/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/26725/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.jpg 1536w","srcWebp":"/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/a9ad8/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/99399/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.webp 282w,\n/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/974e6/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.webp 563w,\n/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/a9ad8/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.webp 1125w,\n/static/91d33ae0b9a68dcf43d405124ab9b4e0/3613c/articles%252Ffbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e%252FfeaturedImage.webp 1536w","sizes":"(max-width: 1125px) 100vw, 1125px","maxHeight":750,"maxWidth":1125}}},"id":"fbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e","fields":{"timeToRead":"~6 min read","date":"17 April 2026","slug":"the-life-and-times-of-ml-wali-mohamed-ellemdin"},"otherImagesLinks":[],"title":"The Life and Times of Ml Wali Mohamed Ellemdin"},"allAd":{"edges":[{"node":{"customer":"designdby_a","id":"18a63e60-4f9d-11eb-9e0e-e37c2e9e72e5","type":"square","imageUrl":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/laudiumtoday-dev.appspot.com/o/ads%2F18a63e60-4f9d-11eb-9e0e-e37c2e9e72e5%2Fimage.jpg?alt=media&token=50fc2ac4-0e90-4ec1-842d-9a53dcdbc54f","website":"https://www.instagram.com/designdby_a/"}},{"node":{"customer":"Jameel Mukadam","id":"2f44fcf0-90c9-11ed-a8e2-4f99518dca2a","type":"square","imageUrl":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/laudiumtoday-dev.appspot.com/o/ads%2F2f44fcf0-90c9-11ed-a8e2-4f99518dca2a%2Fimage.jpg?alt=media&token=b81dcc6d-3518-41d1-b425-09750e7e4e66","website":"https://wa.link/jameelmukadam"}},{"node":{"customer":"MFH Accountants","id":"75db2f90-80ef-11eb-a0b5-2528dfc7b1d4","type":"square","imageUrl":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/laudiumtoday-dev.appspot.com/o/ads%2F75db2f90-80ef-11eb-a0b5-2528dfc7b1d4%2Fimage.jpeg?alt=media&token=9db7017f-11b8-44d1-b2b1-a161adfe8e43","website":"https://www.mfhca.co.za/"}},{"node":{"customer":"Metro Home Centre","id":"a2589830-4135-11ec-8a61-8314cde5ee4b","type":"square","imageUrl":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/laudiumtoday-dev.appspot.com/o/ads%2Fa2589830-4135-11ec-8a61-8314cde5ee4b%2Fimage.jpg?alt=media&token=dca248ce-fe3a-4944-aca7-46baf9596e7e","website":"https://www.mhcworld.co.za"}},{"node":{"customer":"Choprop","id":"ed5b4220-4059-11eb-8593-b94d9c14897c","type":"square","imageUrl":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/laudiumtoday-dev.appspot.com/o/ads%2Fed5b4220-4059-11eb-8593-b94d9c14897c%2Fimage.jpeg?alt=media&token=9e395da6-f742-4ddc-bfe0-7f63b6dd4fe4","website":"https://www.choprop.com"}}]}},"pageContext":{"id":"fbea60d0-3a42-11f1-be7a-b3eab49be57e"}},"staticQueryHashes":["1272049624","1994092681","2052298874"]}