Faith, Fashion and Fortitude
In the winding lanes of the Bo-Kaap, where history lingers in the scent of spices and the rhythm of the adhān echoing off brightly coloured walls, there lives a woman who has recently celebrated her centenary, and whose story captures the very essence of Cape Muslim heritage — a life interwoven with faith, fortitude, beauty, and grace. This is the life of the Mother of the Bo-Kaap, al-Ḥājjah Abdeyah da Costa, née Isaacs, whom I have fondly nicknamed “Madame Mustajāb.” She is the daughter of the learned Shaykh Muḥammad Khayr Isaacs, wife of the devoted teacher Sulaiman da Costa, and a noble descendant of the illustrious Tuan Guru — the princely scholar from Tidore whose legacy continues to be honoured by the Muslims at the Cape.
He is the man who wrote the Qurʾān from memory while imprisoned on Robben Island, and who founded the first madrasah and the Auwal Masjid in Dorp Street. Abdeyah inherited from him not only a bloodline, but a calling: the calling to teach, to nurture, and to serve. Within her father’s home madrasah, she learned that piety and learning are one; that the heart which remembers Allāh gives life to a community; and that faith, when lived with sincerity, radiates far beyond the self. Through the years, she became both guardian and giver — the kind of woman whose presence steadied others. The home she shared with her husband became an open sanctuary, her door ever ajar to neighbours, friends, and strangers alike. Her generosity knew little measure, and her grace knew no arrogance. In her, refinement met humility, intellect met tenderness, and discipline met joy.
