Moulana Mogamat Farouk Rylands to be released after court interdict
The Waterloo Road Mosque in Kenwyn.
Image: masjieds.co.za
The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) has announced that Moulana Mogamat Farouk Rylands will be released from Pollsmoor Prison.
Rylands was arrested earlier this week for allegedly breaching a court interdict. His detention has sparked significant community interest and concern regarding the ongoing governance issues at the Waterloo Road Mosque.
Rylands was the Imam of the Waterloo Road Mosque in Kenwyn for approximately 20 years.
This dismissal of Rylands made headlines in 2023, when the Ashrafiah Trust, the group that oversees the mosque, took him to court after he refused to vacate his position.
Despite the surrounding community of the mosque signing a petition in favour of Rylands, on December 5, 2023, the Labour Court granted an interdict against Rylands.
On Thursday, the MJC released a statement:
“The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) wishes to inform the community that, following engagement with legal representatives of Moulana Farouk Rylands, we have received confirmation that he will be released today. The MJC continues to monitor the matter and appreciates the cooperation of all parties involved”.
After a community meeting, the Kenwyn Islamic Society (KIS) have confirmed that a vote of no confidence is underway regarding the Trust.
A document is circulating on social media for residents to sign if they support the vote of no confidence.
In court documents IOL has in its possession, the contempt of court order cited the reasons for the order as follows:
Rylands allegedly shoved and pushed one of the trustees at about 8.05pm on January 1, 2026, at Magrib prayers at the mosque. It further stated that Rylands allegedly publicly and over the speaker announced the reasoning for his transgression. On February 6, 2026, he is alleged to have led the final prayer for Jumuah at the mosque.
Legal expert and Director of DKVG Attorneys, Igshaan Higgins, told IOL that a mosque cannot be owned. It is regarded as waqf.
A waqf is a perpetual Islamic endowment, where an asset — such as land, property, or cash — is dedicated to charity, with ownership transferred to Allah.
“The mosque belongs to the Muslim community. People who contribute financially feel they have authority, but technically, that is not correct. The community must govern the mosque. This needs to be remedied by the community,” Higgins said.
However, Higgins said it was revealed that Rylands, in fact, did not violate the court order.
“He didn’t disrespect the court order. He recited a prayer after salaah. That would not constitute leading a prayer. The court should get an Islamic scholar to review the issue. They cannot lawfully bar him from attending mosque or reciting a prayer, which is different from leading the prayer,” Higgins said.
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