In memoriam
Hafiz
Ismail Alum
Sixteen years old. Of Small Heath, Birmingham. A hafidh of the Qur’an, a student of Darul Uloom Islamic High School, a much-loved son, brother, relative and friend.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un
Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return.
Who he was
He taught the Qur’an not only through his words, but through his character.
By sixteen, Hafiz Ismail had memorised the entire Qur’an. He led prayers for those around him. He achieved outstanding GCSE results. He took part in fundraising after fundraising to support people in need, and he did all of it without making any of it about himself.
He loved his family and his friends, and he loved the gym. He threw himself wholeheartedly into his studies. His kindness showed most plainly in the ordinary things: how he spoke to people, who he made time for, what he offered before being asked. He encouraged others toward good by example rather than by lecture.
- Respectful
- He greeted everyone the same way, and treated the youngest and the oldest with equal care.
- Resilient
- He held to his studies and his prayers with a steadiness far beyond sixteen years.
- Responsible
- He led prayers for others, and carried what was asked of him without needing to be asked twice.
- Deeply caring
- He was always willing to help, and he raised money for people he would never meet.
The words of his school
“A remarkable young man — respectful, resilient, responsible and deeply caring. Although his life was tragically short, what he achieved and the example he set will leave a lasting legacy.”
Hammaad Azhar
Deputy Head Teacher, Darul Uloom Islamic High School
His school also described him as “a beautiful example for other young Muslims to follow”, and called his loss “immeasurable”.
What happened
He was on his way home from the dawn prayer.
Friday 28 August 2026
Hafiz Ismail cycled home after Fajr, the dawn prayer, at Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre. At the junction of Cattell Road and Templefield Street in Small Heath, close to Birmingham City's ground, he was struck by a car and seriously injured.
Saturday 29 August 2026
He died in hospital, surrounded by the family who loved him. He was sixteen years old.
Monday 31 August 2026
A 47-year-old male appeared before Birmingham magistrates charged with causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop at the scene, and causing death while uninsured. West Midlands Police continue to investigate.
Court proceedings are ongoing. Out of respect for Hafiz Ismail’s family and for the legal process, this page records only what has been reported publicly.
His voice
Hafiz Ismail’s Taraweeh Prayers
These are recordings of Hafiz Ismail leading the Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan 2026 and Ramadan 2025, each year in the order of the Qur’an. Please listen to a portion. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it” (al-Bukhari), and he said that whoever recites one letter of the Book of Allah earns a reward multiplied ten times over (al-Tirmidhi).
Give a few minutes to the voice of a hafiz who gave his years to memorising this Book, and send a du’a for him when you have finished.
Ramadan 2026
01Surah Baqarah
Juz 1 · from Ayah 130
02Surah Baqarah
Juz 3 · from Ayah 258
03Surah Ali Imran
Juz 4 · from Ayah 149
04Surah Nisa
Juz 5 · from Ayah 100
05Surah Ma'idah
Juz 6 · from Ayah 54
06Surah An'aam
Juz 7 · from Ayah 82
07Surah A'raaf
Juz 8 · from Ayah 47
08Surah Anfal
Juz 9 · beginning of the surah
09Surah Tawbah
Juz 10 · from Ayah 65
10Surah Yunus
Juz 11 · last quarter
11Surah Yusuf
Juz 12 · from Ayah 21
12Surah Ibrahim
Juz 13 · from Ayah 13
13Surah Nahl
Juz 14 · from Ayah 111
14Surah Kahf
Juz 15 · from Ayah 32
15Surah Taha
Juz 16 · from Ayah 77
16Surah Haj
Juz 17 · from Ayah 39
17Surah Haj / Surah Mu'min
Juz 17 · from Ayah 83
18Surah Naml
Juz 19 · from Ayah 7
19Surah Ankabut
Juz 20 · from Ayah 1
20Surah Ahzab
Juz 21 · from Ayah 1
21Surah Fatir
Juz 22 · from Ayah 15
22Surah Fatir
Juz 22 · from Ayah 43
23Surah Fussilat
Juz 24 · from Ayah 9
24Surah Dukhan
Juz 25 · from Ayah 30
25Surah Waqiah
Juz 27 · from Ayah 85
26Surah Taghabun
Juz 28 · from Ayah 11
27Surah Qiyamah
Juz 29
Ramadan 2025
01Surah Baqarah
Juz 1 · from Ayah 102
02Surah Baqarah
Juz 2 · from Ayah 187
03Surah Ali Imran
Juz 4 · from Ayah 186
04Surah Nisa
Juz 6 · from Ayah 176
05Surah Ma'idah
Juz 6 · from Ayah 67
06Surah A'raaf
Juz 9 · from Ayah 103
07Surah Tawbah
Juz 10 · from Ayah 41
08Surah Hud
Juz 12 · from Ayah 108
09Surah Nahl
Juz 14 · from Ayah 65
10Surah Isra
Juz 15 · from Ayah 50
11Surah Taha
Juz 16 · from Ayah 55
12Surah Nur
Juz 18 · from Ayah 32
13Surah Furqan
Juz 19 · from Ayah 68
14Surah Saba
Juz 22 · from Ayah 49
15Surah Mu'min
Juz 24 · from Ayah 61
16Surah Shura
Juz 25 · from Ayah 24
17Surah Fath
Juz 26 · from Ayah 29
18Surah Qamar
Juz 27 · from Ayah 1
19Surah Jumu'ah
Juz 28 · from Ayah 9
20Surah Duha
Juz 30
Tributes online
His story travelled far beyond Small Heath.
In the days after he died, Hafiz Ismail was spoken about by well-known creators with large followings — among them Brownie Sadi and Danzy — alongside mosques, students and strangers who had never met him. Their videos carried his name, his recitation and his example to hundreds of thousands of people, and turned a private grief into a public reminder.
Alongside them, his story was reported by the BBC, Birmingham Live and 5Pillars, fundraising pages were shared widely, and thousands joined in prayer for him. Every person who heard of him and made du’a is, by the mercy of Allah, part of what he leaves behind.
These posts belong to their creators and are embedded here with gratitude for the du’a they encouraged. If you shared something about Hafiz Ismail, thank you.
Sadaqah jariyah
A mosque in his name, so his reward continues.
“When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous child who prays for him.”
Funds are being raised to build a mosque as a sadaqah jariyah — an ongoing charity — for Hafiz Ismail. Every prayer offered in it, for as long as it stands, returns to him.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise” (al-Bukhari and Muslim). He also said: “Charity does not decrease wealth” (Muslim), and that “the believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity” (al-Tirmidhi). Give what you can, however small.
The Legacy Campaign
Alongside the GoFundMe appeal, Taskforce GLM — the humanitarian arm of Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre, the masjid Hafiz Ismail had just prayed Fajr at — has opened The Legacy Campaign, a sadaqah jariyah appeal in his memory. Give through either, or through both.
The first opens the GoFundMe appeal to build a mosque as sadaqah jariyah; the second opens Taskforce GLM’s Legacy Campaign page.
Cattell Road
Safer roads for the children who cycle them
Hafiz Ismail was cycling a route hundreds of people in Small Heath use every day, at an hour when the roads are almost empty. Anyone with information about the collision at Cattell Road and Templefield Street on 28 August 2026 can still contact West Midlands Police.