In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful, hereby

The Constitution of The United Muslim Alliance (UMA)

Table of Contents

Preamble

We, as members of the United Muslim Alliance (UMA), aspiring to be a community “enjoying what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah” (The Qur’an 3:110); Conscious of the injunctions to “Hold fast, all together, to the bond with Allah and be not divided” (The Qur’an 3:103) and “Help one another to piety and God consciousness and do not help one another to sin and transgression” (The Qur’an, 5: 2);

Hereby adopt this Constitution of the United Muslim Alliance and pledge to abide by its provisions, and in doing so make the following Declaration of Intent:

Vision Statement

Our vision is to unite the Muslim community with a common purpose, guided by the principles of the Noble Quran. We aim to promote unity, justice, and the advancement of Quranic values for the benefit of humanity. By following the example of the Prophet, we seek to transform and enhance the material, existential, and spiritual conditions of the Ummah. We believe in inclusive decision-making through an alliance of co-lead stakeholders, practicing a form of deliberative, participatory democracy as an act of Ibadat.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to develop and empower devout Muslims, who are spiritually transformative leaders dedicated to serving the Ummah and humanity. Inspired by the Quran and the Prophetic seerah, we will utilize a comprehensive roadmap based on Quranic principles. Our objectives include establishing an inclusive and accountable Muslim shurah council through consultation, promoting a society centred on justice and piety, benefiting Muslims in all aspects of life, and opposing discrimination and sectarianism. We aim to spark a renaissance of Islamic culture, advance research and innovation, and contribute to economic development.

Aim

Our aim is to lead a Muslim movement that significantly improves the lived Islamic experience of the Ummah. We strive to enhance the quality of Muslim lives through a Quranic focus, emphasizing pro-poor development, poverty alleviation, and collective care. By organizing, advocating, and building a movement, we aim to establish social safety nets and create positive change.

Values

As a community devoted to Allah, we uphold the Quranic values of unity, freedom, responsibility, sacrifice, compassion, and commitment. We promote the unity of humanity, universal brotherhood, equality, and justice. Our emphasis on distributive justice, compassion for the deprived, and the rights of the poor drives our actions. We are committed to upholding the principles of the Quran and Shariah, ensuring basic needs are fulfilled, providing humane living conditions, equitable wealth distribution through zakaat, and sustainable growth that uplifts the poor. We value accountable and committed thought leadership.

Activist Contextual Focus

We actively challenge the dehumanization of Muslim communities locally and globally. Our efforts include resisting and mobilizing against Islamophobia, white supremacy, anti-black racism, and all forms of oppression. Additionally, we prioritize creating Muslim Institutions/Organizations/Fellowship as spaces for learning and activism.

Place, Value and Function of UMA as a “Community of Care and Activism.”

  1. The United Muslim Alliance (UMA) is an accord of mosques, Muslim associations and institutions in the Republic of South Africa (RSA). It shall be informed and guided by the Qur’an and the Sunnah in all its aims, policies, and procedures.
  2. It is an independent body working for the pleasure of Allah to promote consultation, cooperation, and coordination on Muslim affairs in the RSA.
  3. It is a non-sectarian body working for the common good without interfering in, displacing, or isolating any existing Muslim work in the community.
  4. It is a broad-based, representative organisation of Muslims in RSA, accommodating and reflecting the variety of social and cultural backgrounds and outlook of the community.
  5. It is a body that will base its policies and decisions on consensus and the largest practicable measure of common agreement.
  6. It is a formally constituted body with a system of representation and accountability.
  7. It is a body that will seek to draw on the talents and specialist skills of individuals and the strengths of organised bodies to meet the great challenges ahead in preparing the case for, and advocating, the responsibilities and rights of Muslims living in RSA.
  1. Name
    The name of the organisation shall be “The United Muslim Alliance” hereinafter called the UMA.
  2. Aims and Objectives
    1. To promote cooperation, consensus, and unity on Muslim affairs in the RSA.
    2. To encourage and strengthen all existing efforts being made for the benefit of the Muslim community.
    3. To work for a more enlightened appreciation of Islam and Muslim in the wider society.
    4. To establish a position for the Muslim community within South African society that is fair and based V. To work for the eradication of disadvantages and forms of discrimination faced by Muslims.
    5. To foster better community relations and work for the good of society as a whole.

International Declarations informing our work

 We are guided by the Madina Constitution. In addition, our inclusive principled position is guided by the Amman Accord and by extension the Cape Accord. We also apply the inclusive values, from King Mohammed VI of Morocco’s Marrakesh Declaration. We also apply lessons from a set of Contextual Strategies, Tactics, Methods gleaned from the Nahdlatul Ulama. Another principled driver of our work, is The Makkah Charter, which expands on the contextual Principles for a Muslim “Unity of Purpose”.

Membership Eligibility

  • Only organizations based in the Republic of South Africa and primarily serving the Muslim community in South Africa, or operating from South Africa with South African staff for the benefit of the Muslim ummah, shall be eligible for membership in the UMA.
  • Eligible organizations must subscribe to the Preamble, Vision, Mission, Aims & Objectives, and conform to the principles outlined in the Vision, Mission Summary Document and Pathway to Unity document.
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Faith Declaration

  • No organization shall be eligible for membership unless its own membership is restricted to individuals who profess the Muslim faith and declare, knowingly and voluntarily, “La ilaha illa Allah Muhammad Rasul Allah” (There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger).
  • Members must believe in the Qur’an as the true Word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and acknowledge that there is no prophet after him.
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Constitution or Affiliation

  • To be eligible for membership, an organization must have a constitution (to be provided to the UMA) and have been operating for at least one year.
  • Alternatively, an organization can be a bona-fide affiliate of a regional or national body that is already a member of the UMA and have been operating for at least one year; or be a bona-fide affiliate of a regional or national body that is a member of the UMA and have been operating for at least one year.

Commitment to service

All delegates to the UMA shall be motivated by the desire to serve the community.

Conduct of members and leadership profile

Delegates to the UMA will abide by the procedures and standing orders that govern the conduct of meetings and the affairs of the UMA.

Our Criteria for Mutaqqi Leadership

  1. Consciousness of God: Leaders driven by a deep connection to Allah, going beyond awareness and alignment.
  2. Competency: Capable, insightful, solution-oriented, knowledgeable, and principled.
  3. Consultation: Embracing shura (consultation) as an act of worship, applying wisdom and ethics in disagreements.
  4. Consideration: Honouring, affirming, empathetic, justice-driven, and focused on worldly matters and the Hereafter.
  5. Co-operative and Critical Co-presence: Leadership roles not restricted by gender.
  6. Creativity: Using Quranic and Sunnah values to problem-solve, employing analogical reasoning and consensus.
  7. Constancy: Adhering to Islamic code of conduct, including kindness, charity, forgiveness, honesty, and justice.
  8. Credibility: Upholding good governance as a just and principled order.
  9. Contextual Modelling of Tawhid: Demonstrating unity, respect, sincerity, moderation, knowledge pursuit, and remembrance.
  10. Compliance: Fulfilling obligations to Allah and the Ummah, committed to the needs and wants of the community.
  11. Code Awareness: Adhering to Islamic behaviour and actions, considering the Quran and Sharia regulations.
  12. Common Purpose: Fulfilling obligations to Allah and the people, working toward a shared vision.
  13. Clear Expectations: Setting out expectations for clarity and focus.
  14. Communication and Alignment: Inspiring a shared vision, awakening spirituality, and enabling action in Allah’s path.
  15. Coaching, Conflict Resolution, Collaboration: Employing methods of tarbiya (coaching), good relations, patience, dialogue, reconciliation, and distributive justice.
  16. Co-creators: Embracing diversity and promoting harmony and love regardless of race, tribe, or culture.
  17. Consequences: Monitoring and evaluating results, aligning with Allah’s commands and inspiring others to do good deeds.

Leaders who fail to meet these criteria, despite their responsibilities, should consider stepping down. The measure of their success lies in aligning with the teachings of the Quran and modelling the Prophet’s life. The character of a God-conscious Mutaqqi leader is exemplified in those who keep their promises, act righteously, and are loved by Allah. Ritual-based Islam alone is not sufficient; substance and goal-based Islam, practiced by the Prophet and his companions, should guide  the UMA leaders loyal to fulfilling Allah’s will.

Collective responsibility

It accepts the Constitution of the UMA and is able and willing to abide by its provisions; it will do its best to uphold and implement agreed policies

Pledge of mutual respect and co-operation

It shall do its best to promote mutual respect and co-operation with other member organisations and use the framework of the UMA to resolve difficult issues with other member organisations.

Structure

The structure of the UMA shall comprise of:

  1. A General Assembly (All co-lead stakeholders)
  2. A National Council (A Shurah body, with oversight responsibility on the Executive, using a maqaasid approach)
  3. An Executive Committee (Tasked with implementing the strategic and prefigurative mutaqqi principles, policies, practices, procedures)
  4. Specialist committees (co-opted, invited specialists serving the Commissions with fixed GOALS)
  5. A Board of Counsellors (Technical Experts in various fields)

Meetings may be held Face-to-face or virtually.

The General Assembly

Composition

  1. The General Assembly shall be made up of delegates of Muslim bodies that subscribe to the Principles of Association and have paid their annual affiliation fees (to be determined annually).
  2. National bodies shall be represented by a maximum of 3 delegates; regional bodies shall be represented by a maximum of 2 delegates; all other bodies shall be represented by one delegate.
  3. In the event of any such delegate resigning from or otherwise leaving a member body, he or she shall cease to be its delegate.
  4. If a person is selected as a delegate of more than one member body, he or she can only vote for one body of his/her choice.
  5. The basis of representation defined in 4.1.1 (b) shall be reviewed from time to time to ensure the number of delegates at the General Assembly remains appropriate for achieving its functions and responsibilities.
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