The Leonora Jama’at held a diaspora reunion on May 25, 2025 at the International Muslims Organization centre in Toronto, Canada. This is the first official reunion celebrating Leonora’s rich Muslim Guyanese heritage. It highlighted the remarkable journey from the community of Leonora, West Coast Demerara, to communities worldwide. Here is an edited transcript of the talk given by Ahmad Hamid on the history of the Leonora Muslim Community.
Opening Reflections and Reunion Across Generations
I was warned that I have 15 minutes, so I have to make sure that I take 15 minutes exactly, but before they start counting me down, I want to make a just about 30 seconds of preliminary remarks.
Look at you! You’re from New York, Guyana and different districts in Canada. Some of you I haven’t seen for a very, very long time, and some of you have not seen each other for a very, very long time. But here we are.
People are 80-plus and as young as six months. My great-grandson is about six months. We are third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh generations here.
Purpose of this Address: Preserving the Legacy of Leonora Jamaat
My objective is to impress upon you so that it may be embedded in your mind what really happened in Leonora for 113 years. Alhamdulillah.
It is indeed a privilege and a coveted honour to be given this opportunity of presenting to you on this historical occasion, reflections on the Leonora Sunnatul Jamaat.
The Unique Identity of Leonora Muslims
It is no jest. I’m very serious with all the signs of a braggart to represent to you that the Muslims of Leonora are unique, very different than the Muslims of any other Jamaat in Guyana. And I say that with full conviction, and I’ll prove it.
How are we different?
For 113 years, we have represented ourselves collectively and individually as independent, united, loyal, passionate, organized, unafraid of challenges, adaptable, progressive, knowledgeable and educated. These qualities have been ingrained in our DNA because of our exposure to and involvement in Jamaat activities, education, sports, orientation, family upbringing and the environment that nurtured us. These qualities have been maintained despite the distance, place, time and circumstances. So, here we are, thousands of miles from our place of origin. it is a testimony of all that I’ve said.
Faith, Resilience, and the Foundation of the Masjid (1912)
Try to picture the images, the scenes in which our elders laid the foundation of the lives we live today. Reflect on the masjid, the madrasah, Qurbani, Ramadan, Laylatul-Qadr, Yawmun Nabi and other socio-religious observances that moulded our character, our personality, gave us a sense of direction and created a strong, vibrant Muslim community, Leonora Jamaat.
Building a masjid in 1912 with the Muslims living at subsistence and below subsistence level, taxed them to the limit financially. It was not a tiny masjid; it was 30 by 30. Our present masjid is 40 by 40 by 15. Its structure was a mixture of creole and mogul architecture with three onion-shaped gumbad on its roof.
The Struggles and Importance of Early Imams
A major hurdle the early Muslims had to face was to find a qualified imam. There were only about two per cent of the Muslims who could read and write. So, they had to find an imam from two per cent of the people.
The task of the imam was very challenging. They had to deal with immigrants that were uneducated and who were trapped in what they did in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They did not listen; they were very stubborn.
Without an imam, there could be no masjid. And without a masjid, you can’t establish Islam. If your masjid is not functional, the next generation will go without knowing anything about Islam, as happened to the Africans, the Muslim slaves who came from Africa to Guyana, the Caribbean and America.
Chronology of Imams Who Served the Jamaat
The imam faced daily challenges. They had to enforce the laws of Islam on people who were accustomed to doing things their way. It’s okay to ‘drink’. It’s okay to live a loose life. It’s okay to tolerate immorality. And those of us who are old enough to know what immorality is, you know what I’m talking about.
Now, these are our imams from 1912.
- Abdullah Amjad Ali, the father of Meer Amjad Ali.
- Safraz, uncle of Usman Ali, Leonora Road.
- Abdul Wahab, Afghani immigrant. He lived next to the masjid.
- Abdul Salim, emigrated from India to Suriname and then came to Guyana. He was the stepfather of Abdool Hanif.
- Abdul Jabbar, Uitvlugt.
- Muhammad Hamid. You can hear a lot of Hamid here.
- Ahmad Hamid,
- Habibur Rahman Khan,
- Nurul Hamid,
- Hassan Razak,
- Aleem Richardson,
- Edward Baksh,
- Wazir Ali, and
- Sheikh Nurani Hamid.
We have the distinct honour of having three generations, Hamid, Imam Hamid, Nurul Hamid, and Nurani Hamid, three generations – our imam (father, son and grandson).
Tribute to Moulvi Jabbar: The Blind Imam and Teacher
Let me digress a little bit to introduce my ustadh, Moulvi Jabar, who served as imam from 1950 to 1966. He gained national recognition, became famous as the “Blind Imam”. No offence meant. He founded a ladies’ organization, and Hamidan Fateh, my mother-in-law, the grandmother of Saadi and Shahab, used our little home, 49 Cow Dam, to teach people to recite the Qur’an, to pray, and to get her daughter, Sakuran, to lead them in the Salat al-Tarawih.
Moulvi Jabbar excelled as a madrasa teacher. He prepared students to take the Urdu exam. The students were examined by Moulvi Nasir from Vreed-en-Hoop. Rarely do you find this: Sakooran Shakoor completed five primers of the Urdu books, which means she could actually speak and read the language properly. He taught his successors, Muhammad Hamid, Ahmad Hamid, Urdu and Arabic. His madrasa was very successful.
Spiritual Practices and Daily Madrasa Life
Each day, before we leave, we used to sing this Munajat –
| Aye khuda e pak O Rahman O Raheem | Oh Holy Lord. The Most Gracious, the Most Compassionate |
| Qadi-ul-hajat O Wahab O Kareem | The fulfiller of our needs. The Bestower and The Generous |
| Aye ilah-e-Alameen aye be-niyaz | Oh, Lord of all the worlds. Oh, The Self-Sufficient One |
| Deen o duniya men hamare kar-saz | Our Supreme Benefactor in both our deen and dunya |
…..There’s another one too that we used to sing.
National and International Recognition of Leonora Jamaat
Our outstanding reputation ensured that every major Muslim dignitary who came to Guyana visited Leonora Masjid.
- Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddiqi (1950).
- Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani (1967).
- Fazlur Rahman Ansari, three visits (1950, 1960, 1968).
- Professor Abdus Salam,
- Hafizul Qur’an from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, from CIOG, and
- the Tablighi Maulanas.
How did we attain this high level of distinction?
We had leaders like Meer Amjad Ali, who developed a mastery in public speaking. He didn’t go to high school. He taught himself. Haji Karmali strict disciplinarian and who had the respect and the confidence of his Jamaat people as well as the Muslims in West Demerara. Haji Ahmad Hussain, who captivated the audience with his qasidah, and one of his favourites was – and I’m going to sing this one to you. Aftab, my friend, is looking at me, and I’m not good like you.
| Aamad E Mustafa Se Hai Phoola Phala Chaman Chaman | The arrival of the Chosen One brings every garden to bloom |
| Aayi Bahar Har Taraf Khilne Laga Chaman Chaman | Spring has arrived, and every garden has begun to bloom |
| Aamad E Mustafa Se Hai | The arrival of the Chosen One |
Influence on National Muslim Institutions and Movements
Our reputation and influence resulted in our involvement in the formation, in the politics, in the conflicts of all, directly and indirectly, of all the major organizations in
- Guyana. Islamic Association (1936).
- Sadr Anjuman (1937).
- United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (1949).
- Guyana Islamic Trust (1977).
- CIOG (1979).
- Hifazatul-Islam (1950).
- Islamic Missionaries Guild (1960).
- Jami’atul Ulama ud-din (1934).
Autonomy and Administrative Evolution of the Jamaat
In politics and administration, Leonora Jamaat maintained its independence and resisted any effort to dominate it or to control it. They resisted even the organizations they formed. Organizations could not tell them what to do. We enjoyed an effective administrative system.
The Presidents of the Jamaat
- Dost Mohamed, the great-grandfather of the President of Guyana
- Abdul Samad, a Goldsmith
- Mohamed Karmali, Deputy President, MPCA
- Clement Bacchus, Road Engineer
- Abdool Hanif, Foreman
- Ahmad Hamid
During the presidency of Ahmad Hamid, the constitution was changed to accommodate the Shura-Westminster model, with the Imam being the Amir.
Certain individuals have been officially given recognition, but there are others who played equally important parts and contributed to our growth and development. Among them are:
- Sultan Ali
- Muhammad Ayube
- Abdool Hamid (Akya)
- Rahman Hamid
- Ishaq Ali
- Sadiq Hamid.
These Hamids are not really related, but they have the last name.
Revival: The One-Month Islamic Training Course (1977 – 1978)
Now, I want you to listen to this, and I hope my time doesn’t expire on me. I’m going to speak freely here.
Leonora Jamaat is responsible for the revival and the revolution of Islamic activities in Guyana.
How?
The first one-month course was held at Leonora from the 16th of December (1977) to January 13th, 1978. It became the blueprint for all future activities in Guyana, involving Habib, involving me, Haseeb Ali, you know, all these people. Shahab, Saadi, Sayud, all of them. They were the young brigade, probably the youth; people talk about that.
This is where Ahmad Ehwas introduced the correct Islamic attire for women, wearing the hijab, though those who rejected the hijab called it the Libyan nightgown. Today, their family, their wives, and their daughters are all wearing the Libyan nightgown.
This is where we introduced how to recite the Quran correctly. We had a big battle at Cornelia Ida (CI) because they refused to recite the Quran correctly. Ashraf was one of the victims, Hayat is another, Hanif is another. This is real. I, young and a little bit foolish, challenged the Imam of CI to debate tajweed. He didn’t know one damn thing about Tajweed. He did not know anything about tajweed.
Now! From Leonora Jamaat, there was this revival of Islam all over Guyana. This one-month course produced leaders like Habibur Rahman Khan, who, just at 18, was managing the whole of Essequibo, teaching classes at night, and dawah during the day. He had no real employment, but showed dedication to the task.
Empowered the Youth:
Unlike most Jamaats, Leonora Jamaat empowered the youths. We were not afraid of youth becoming … like Habib was making the point that the youths were going to take over after the elders. In fact, the elders encouraged the youths to play a leadership role. And if you look today at the Jamaat, those who are managing the affairs were the youths of the 1980s wearing short pants. Now they wear long pants, big men. They are grandfathers.
The Role of the LMYO and Expansion into New Communities:
And just one point, the LMYO, Leonora Muslim Youth Organization, was a powerful force in that era in terms of sports, education, and other matters.
The Decision to Relocate and Build a New Masjid:
With the development of the new housing schemes, the people started to move to Stewartville, Anna Catherina, Seafield, Leonora Pasture, and Parafield. So, everybody moved out of the estate, and the masjid was there standing alone.
So, one day in 1968, we had a discussion, a few of us, that we needed to move the masjid, and then we got the plot that we are at right now in Sea Spray.
To build the masjid, they appointed a 17-man committee of which the grandfather of the President, Ali Mohamed, was the leader and I was appointed the deputy leader.
The Youth Led Construction:
But there’s one thing that happened. While we were halfway, the builder decided to move, leaving us high and dry. It was the youths who built the masjid. And I looked at them, as they climbed on top of the minaret painting it. My heart was skipping. I don’t have the courage to do that, and I was scared that maybe they were going to fall. Those who climbed to the top, they are in this audience.
Opening the New Masjid:
We did not open our masjid with any big fanfare, killing two bulls and invite people. Waste of money. All we did, we moved in on May 2nd. Ashraf is disputing the date May 2nd, 1977. We prayed the first Maghrib Salah and thereon the masjid was opened to the entire public.
Conclusion: A Living Legacy of Faith, Unity, and Service
As we gather in this diaspora, let us reaffirm that the Leonora Jamaat is not a mere memory. It is a living entity, symbolic of what can be achieved through faith, unity, loyalty, and dedication to being of service.
Today, we must acknowledge the sacrifices and honour the journey and the resilience of those who preceded us. We shall be forever indebted to them for transmitting the teachings of Islam to enable us to preserve our Muslim identity and giving us the opportunity to do the same for our children.
May Allah continue to bless this Jamaat, strengthen its legacy, and inspire future generations to carry its mission forward with integrity, humility, and courage.
Amin.
As-Salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh.
Here is the video of the speech transcribed (slightly edited) above.
You can watch the Leonora Jamaat reunion program in its entirety here:
https://youtube.com/@leonorajamaatdiaspora
