A recent visit to the Kingdom of Lesotho by Abdulrahman Abdulghany, founder of the Islam & Comparative Religion Academy (ICRA), has highlighted both the challenges and opportunities facing the country’s small but growing Muslim community.
The Kingdom of Lesotho remains a predominantly Christian nation, with Muslims estimated to make up just 0.1% of the population. Yet despite its small size, the Muslim community is showing signs of growth, with the foundations for a stronger and more organised Islamic presence slowly taking shape.
That was the key takeaway from a recent visit to Lesotho by the Islam & Comparative Religion Academy (ICRA), which engaged with imams, community leaders and local organisations working on the ground.
A small community with big potential
Across Lesotho’s ten districts, the presence of Muslims and Islamic institutions varies considerably.
Maseru, the capital, serves as the main centre of Muslim activity, with approximately six mosques. A handful of other districts have at least one mosque, while several have little to no visible Muslim presence and no mosque at all.
ICRA says this presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the future growth of Islam in the mountain kingdom.
Education and dawah identified as urgent needs
One of the most pressing gaps is Islamic education. Lesotho currently has no established revert training centres and very limited access to formal Islamic institutions such as madrasas or Darul Ulooms.
For new Muslims, this can make it difficult to receive the structured education, mentorship and support necessary to strengthen their understanding and practice of Islam.
Establishing centres for Islamic learning and revert support should therefore be a priority.
The academy also highlighted the need for organised dawah teams, regular public events and systematic training for duat. ICRA is prioritising this as part of its plans to establish a more structured dawah presence in Lesotho and the wider Southern African region.
Effective dawah requires more than occasional programmes. It requires trained people, consistent engagement, sound Islamic knowledge and a long-term strategy.
Collaboration with local institutions
During the visit, ICRA met with members of the Imam Development Program (IDP), led by Sheikh Bilal Ismail. The programme has been working in Lesotho for approximately seven years, focusing on empowering imams and developing the local Muslim community.
ICRA cooperated with IDP during the visit and was given a slot at its one-day seminar, “Mark of a Jurist – The Amazing Rules of Fiqh.”
Such collaboration is vital, as strengthening Islam in Lesotho will require joint efforts between institutions, imams, duat and community organisations.
The delegation also engaged with PMR FM 95.0, a Lesotho radio station known for its youth and community programming. The appearance provided an opportunity to present the message of Islam to a wider national audience beyond the existing Muslim community.
The need is great, but so is the opportunity
“My experience reinforced the need for a greater and more organised effort to promote Islam in the Kingdom,” Abdulrahman Abdulghany said.
“The Muslim community is small, but numbers alone should never determine the scale of our efforts. With proper education, organised dawah, imam development, media engagement and cooperation between organisations, much can be achieved.
“ICRA hopes to return to Lesotho in the future to continue the work.
“What Lesotho needs is sustained effort, sincere cooperation and a generation of trained duat who are prepared to serve the people and convey the message of Islam with wisdom, knowledge and good character,” Abdulghany concluded.
Abdulrahman Abdulghany is the founder of the Islam & Comparative Religion Academy.
