Tribute to Salt River community hero, Hajj Abdullah Abbas
By Anees Abbas
Al-Hajj Abdullah Abbas
December 28, 1952 — August 11, 2024
Basic Information
Al-Hajj Abdullah Abbas (fondly known as Boeta Dullah) succumbed to cardiac arrest in the early hours of Sunday morning August 11, 2024.
He passed away at the age of 71 leaving behind his wife, Jasmin Abbas (nee Marlie), five children and three daughters-in-law and one son-in-law (Aboebaker and Jasmine Abbas, Shafiek and Nishaat Abbas, Anees and Alexandra Abbas, Ishmaeel, Amirah Abbas and Fathi Jackson), along with ten grandchildren.
With Jasmin (fondly known as Miena) he shared a marriage of fifty years, of what can only be described as the benchmark for all marriages. A family unit built around Islamic values and understanding towards one another.
Dadda (as he was fondly known by his family) all describe him as their “hero” and his children are all in agreement that their father’s passing has left some extremely big shoes to fill. They aptly describe him as “a man whose character and generosity we will never come close to”.
Early Life
Abdullah Abbas was one of ten children who all grew up in Pope Street, Salt River before moving to Goldsmith Road in 1973. He started primary school at the Salt River Primary School, in Dryden Street, at the age of 4. He attended Salt River High School and left during Standard 9 (Grade 11) in 1969. He started to work part time in his father’s (aka Dede’s) butchery (i.e., Crown Moslem Butchery) since 10 years old, and after leaving school he started to work full time in the butchery.
It was not easy going, as his initial responsibilities were to ensure orders were taken and delivered via train from as far as Retreat to Trafalgar Place Flower Market in Adderley Street, Cape Town. Notwithstanding this, it did not stop him as he developed a sense of servitude and love for customer service, primarily learnt from his father. This served him well in developing his business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit, but more importantly his ability to connect with all people from all walks of life. Even after getting married, he never received a wage but rather only a stipend for his weekly necessities.
Personality and Interests
Being fully focused on activities within Crown Butchery, it did not stop him along with his father and his brothers, to attend the Friday night soccer matches at Hartleyvale Stadium. Later with the formation of a non-racial Soccer Federation he used to watch his brother (Farouk Abbas) and cousins (Ismail Abbas d. 2023, and Seraj Abbas) who played professionally for Cape Town Spurs at the time.
He always had a deep passion for sport, and also participated in soccer, darts, and dominoes. He represented Western Province in darts during the early 1970’s (along with his brothers Hoosain and Faried) and was the chairman of Legends Domino Club (previously known as Sporting Boys Domino Club). He also served as the life president for the Western Cape Domino Union and due to the level of trust he developed among his teammates and friends, he also started the Janazah (funeral) Fund with the Domino Union under his stewardship. It was within the dominoes playing environment that he was also able to connect and spend quality time with his sons and grandsons. His domino teammates and friends describe Dullah as a soft, kind, caring person with a funny sense of humour.
Major Life Events
A major highlight for Abdullah Abbas was performing the spiritual journey of Haj and Umrah in 1999 along with his wife Jasmin and children, Ismail and Amirah. His wife describes the Haj as a wonderful experience which further cemented their marital relationship.
Abdullah was also an avid supporter of the English Premiership Club, Arsenal, and took the opportunity to watch ‘the Gunners’ at Highbury in 2006. For 33 years Abdullah lived as a diabetic (diagnosed in 1991), and unfortunately, in 2007 he lost his right leg and in 2009 his left leg. More recently, in 2021 he also lost two of his fingers on his right hand. This did not stop him from writing, since he had an aversion to technology. Despite his health challenges he never complained or expressed any exhaustion due to his disabilities, and it seemed that he knew it was required for him to lead by example to all around him.
Relationships and Legacy
What captured the Salt River community’s hearts was Dullah’s generosity of spirit and his philanthropic activities. It was something he never shared or spoke about, but was captured in his caring personality as he never turned people away who needed is assistance. He was involved with feeding schemes, Hafiz Quran memorisation schools, and also local sporting organisations which spoke to his love for sport.
During his long period of health challenges his sons are still amazed that for certain days of the week when he would not be around at the butchery, it would be quiet. However as soon as he arrived it seemed like customers knew he was around and it would be as though extra staff would be required to keep up with the orders. This encapsulates his charismatic personality and Dullah was truly the face of his business, Crown Butchery. As much as customers purchased products from Crown Butchery, they also bought into what he stood for, and they wanted to be part of it.
Tribute and Reflection
Al-Hajj Abdullah Abbas’s funeral which took place on Sunday, August 11, 2024, was one of largest the closely knit Salt River community has seen. Hundreds of Salt River residents, ex-residents, friends and Crown Butchery patrons from all walks of life came to pay their last respects to a Salt River legend.
Hero may be the correct word to describe Boeta Dullah, as the hundreds of mourners each with a personal story of how Boeta Dullah extended his kindness, bid farewell to a Salt River icon.
The Salt River community will dearly miss Boeta Dullah’s astute business skills, his generosity, and most of all his loving kindness. We make du’a and supplicate that Allah pardons him, has mercy on his soul, and grants him a high status in al-Jannah. Allah Ameen.