Assalamu alaikum,
Can you give me five minutes? I want to tell you the story of how Hillsborough Masjid came to be — and why it is at risk today.
Teaching what I had been taught
Fifteen years ago, I came home from studying in Egypt and Yemen.
I had left New Zealand five years earlier because I couldn’t find the answers I needed here. Now I was returning with them.
I went back to university to study law, and in between, we started small halaqas with friends — sharing what I had learned, passing it on.
Slowly, teachers gathered. Classes formed. People came from across Auckland, not because of anything we had, but because they wanted access to learning in English in a safe, grounded environment.
Our first home gets taken away
We found an unused waqf property and were granted a peppercorn lease. For ten years, we met in an old farming shed — cold in winter, hot in summer. It was humble. It was full of life.
Then, in 2019, everything changed.
The waqf changed management and decided to evict us.
What followed were extreme threats and pressure, backed by foreign entities. The matter went through the courts. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs became involved. There were confidential investigations. We were told, quietly, that international relationships were too sensitive for any explicit backing.
We endured threats and blackmail. Pressure was applied through our teachers in Yemen and Egypt. After much istikhara and counsel, we decided to leave — to walk away from the place of fitnah and start again.
For two years, we struggled. Without a place, we couldn’t sustain the classes. We let most of our teachers go. We came close to closing down entirely.
Our teachers told us: put your trust in Allah. Persevere.
Buying Hillsborough Masjid
Then we found 2B Quona Avenue, Hillsborough. Without access to halal finance in New Zealand, our options were limited. But we were able to negotiate a three-year payment term with the vendor.
Alhamdulillah, the vision captured the imagination of this community — and of brothers and sisters in Australia and across the world — who helped us put together the deposit. We held two incredible fundraisers, in Sydney and Auckland, with international guests and pledges to cover the balance.
The masjid opened. It has been serving the community for over a year. It is full for tarawih. We have had scholar visits, convert programmes, and a year of gatherings that have changed lives.
This is just the beginning.
And now I need to tell you why I am writing today.
We need $750,000 to pay off all our debts, including $250,000 to the vendor.
The vendor passed away after we negotiated the purchase, and his estate has since expressed regret about the terms he gave us.
If we miss the May 2nd deadline, penalties and interest become payable, and the masjid will be subject to a mortgagee sale, taking with it the $1.75 million this community has already invested.
This week, 1,447 years ago, 313 Muslims changed the world at Badr.
They showed what a sincere few can do when they show up. We need fewer than a thousand people to take a step that will reverberate through your eternity. I ask you to reflect on that — and to consider being part of something that will continue to earn for you long after you have left this world.
Here is how you can help:
- Be one of our 313.
Donate or Pledge $2,400 NZD / $2,000 AUD. New Zealanders and Australians can receive a tax rebate.
Fill out this form, and we will make special duʼa for you — and for any loved one you dedicate this to — at our Badr commemoration at Hillsborough Masjid next week.
May Allah connect you to the people of Badr.
- Give a Qard Hasan. Any amount will go a long way. Fill out this form, and we will be in touch.
- Honour your pledge. We have $400,000 in outstanding pledges. We have been calling this Ramadan, but most calls are going unanswered. Please get in touch — even if circumstances have changed.
- Support The Khulasa. Through Legacy Press, we have just launched the highly anticipated Arabic Khulasa, the sales of which will help us pay off our remaining debts. Purchase the Khulasa on www.thekhulasa.com
- Share this email. If you cannot help yourself but know someone who can — share this. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Al-dallu ʼala al-khayri ka faʼilihi” — the one who points to good is like the one who does it.
- Donate any amount on www.hillsboroughmasjid.nz
Make duʼa for us this Ramadan.Donation or Loan details
New Zealand Donation details
Lote Tree Trust
38-9016-0861578-01
Australian Donation details
Lote Tree Australia Limited
Branch Number (BSB)
013-265
Account Number
6628-15452
May Allah bless you.
For three years, this team has worked under immense pressure to make this masjid possible. We wake up and go to sleep thinking about the trust placed in us — by Allah SWT, and by every person who gave their money, in some cases their life savings, to make this happen.
We do not want to let anyone down. We do not want this masjid to be lost.
In the scheme of things, this is an achievable goal. But we cannot do it alone.
Your brother,
Haamid
