A Birmingham street of terraced houses at dawn, the sky turning gold above the rooftops

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.
An empty prayer hall at dawn, first light falling across the carpet beside an open Qur'an on a wooden stand

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.

  1. 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.

  2. Saturday 29 August 2026

    He died in hospital, surrounded by the family who loved him. He was sixteen years old.

  3. 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, 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.

  1. 1.Surah Baqarah

    Juz 1 · from Ayah 130

  2. 2.Surah Baqarah

    Juz 3 · from Ayah 258

  3. 3.Surah Ali Imran

    Juz 4 · from Ayah 149

  4. 4.Surah Nisa

    Juz 5 · from Ayah 100

  5. 5.Surah Ma'idah

    Juz 6 · from Ayah 54

  6. 6.Surah An'aam

    Juz 7 · from Ayah 82

  7. 7.Surah A'raaf

    Juz 8 · from Ayah 47

  8. 8.Surah Anfal

    Juz 9 · beginning of the surah

  9. 9.Surah Tawbah

    Juz 10 · from Ayah 65

  10. 10.Surah Yunus

    Juz 11 · last quarter

  11. 11.Surah Yusuf

    Juz 12 · from Ayah 21

  12. 12.Surah Ibrahim

    Juz 13 · from Ayah 13

  13. 13.Surah Nahl

    Juz 14 · from Ayah 111

  14. 14.Surah Kahf

    Juz 15 · from Ayah 32

  15. 15.Surah Taha

    Juz 16 · from Ayah 77

  16. 16.Surah Haj

    Juz 17 · from Ayah 39

  17. 17.Surah Haj / Surah Mu'min

    Juz 17 · from Ayah 83

  18. 18.Surah Naml

    Juz 19 · from Ayah 7

  19. 19.Surah Ankabut

    Juz 20 · from Ayah 1

  20. 20.Surah Ahzab

    Juz 21 · from Ayah 1

  21. 21.Surah Fatir

    Juz 22 · from Ayah 15

  22. 22.Surah Fatir

    Juz 22 · from Ayah 43

  23. 23.Surah Fussilat

    Juz 24 · from Ayah 9

  24. 24.Surah Dukhan

    Juz 25 · from Ayah 30

  25. 25.Surah Waqiah

    Juz 27 · from Ayah 85

  26. 26.Surah Taghabun

    Juz 28 · from Ayah 11

  27. 27.Surah Qiyamah

    Juz 29

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.”
The Prophet ﷺ, narrated in Sahih Muslim

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.

Donate to build a mosque for Hafiz Ismail

Opens the GoFundMe appeal to build a mosque as sadaqah jariyah.

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.