An initiative of the Benoni Muslim Charity Organisation

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روح

Faith and psychology, held together.

A South African Islamic psychology institution, where care for the mind and the soul come together as one.

روح

Ruh, the soul

The part of us that reaches for the sacred and longs for nearness to the Divine. It is this inner life, alongside the mind, that our care helps restore.

Who We Are

Care that honours faith and wellbeing.

Our name says what we are: Ruh, the soul. Too often people feel they must choose between their faith and psychology. We don't think they should have to. RUH Centre brings the two together: professional care, grounded in Islam.

What we areA South African non-profit institution
Our approachCare for the whole person
Where we are52 Oldens Way, Kelvin, Johannesburg
Who provides careRegistered, qualified practitioners
What RUH Stands For

Research · Upliftment · Healing

R

Research

Understanding what our community faces, so our care is grounded in both evidence and the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah.

U

Upliftment

Training and equipping the leaders and families our community already trusts.

H

Healing

Professional care that tends to the whole person: mind, body, and soul.

Our Story

Born from a need we felt ourselves.

RUH Centre began with lived experience and a commitment to change.

01What we lived

Our founders trained in psychology and sought support themselves. They found a gap between psychology and faith: theories built on secular assumptions, and practitioners who did not always understand Muslim needs.

02What we found

Others shared the same experience. Yet care for the mind is not new to Islam: Al-Ghazālī, Al-Balkhī, Ibn Qayyim and Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi wrote on it centuries ago. In South Africa, that care was still missing.

03Our response

We founded RUH Centre to close that gap, and to make faith-integrated care accessible to all South Africans.

RUH Centre was shaped with psychiatrists, medical doctors, psychologists and senior Islamic scholars, and continues to work alongside them.

Our Values

The principles that hold the work together.

Ethical Integrity

Trust and responsibility (amānah): we keep things private, safe, and accountable.

Excellence

High standards in everything we do, and always working to get better.

Evidence-led Practice

We follow the best research, stay honest about what we don't yet know, and update as we learn.

Empowerment

We equip families, scholars, leaders, and teachers so good support is always close by.

Whole-Person Wellbeing

Faith, mind, and body belong together. We care for the whole person, never just one part.

Measured Impact

We measure our results openly, so our work makes a real difference.

We work with Muslim counselling services, scholars, schools, and Masaajid, never around them.
Our Stance
Our Stance

A partner to the community, not a competitor.

We see Muslim counselling services, scholars, schools, and Masaajid as partners. What we add is professional, research-backed care that strengthens the work they already do.

  • Islamically groundedThe Islamic view of the person is at our core.
  • Professionally runRegistered, vetted practitioners.
  • South African by designBuilt and tested here at home.
  • Research-ledOur care is based on evidence.
  • Grassroots reachThrough schools, Masaajid, and trusted networks.
Partner With Us
Governance & Leadership

Anchored in an established community institution.

RUH Centre is an initiative of the Benoni Muslim Charity Organisation (BMCO), a registered non-profit, and works under its oversight. A clinical lead and an independent Shariah director guide the day-to-day work.

M
Executive Director & Clinical Lead

Moulana Muhammad Coovadia

Counselling Psychologist
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Ml Muhammad Coovadia is a counselling psychologist, having graduated cum laude with a Master of Social Science in Counselling Psychology from UKZN. He holds a Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Psychology from SACAP, also awarded cum laude, and is an Aalim, having completed his Islamic studies at Jamiah al-Ulum al-Islamiyyah in South Africa. That dual formation, in the sciences of the mind and the sciences of revelation, is the intellectual foundation on which RUH Centre is built.

His work sits at the intersection of Islamic thought and mental health, with particular attention to men's mental health, culturally responsive practice, and the integration of Islamic scholarship into clinical frameworks. He serves on the executive committee of the Psychological Society of South Africa's Artificial Intelligence Division, and his writing and commentary have appeared in the Daily Maverick, IOL, and on national radio.

He is a current student at Usul Academy, completing a formal diploma in Islamic Psychology, and holds research publications and conference presentations to his name, with further work in progress.

T
Shariah Director

Moulana Tahseen Kardame

Religious Consultations
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Moulana Tahseen completed the memorisation of the Holy Qur'an (Hifz) in 2008 under the guidance of Moulana Abdusamad Daya. He pursued his formal Islamic scholarship by completing the first four years of the Aalimiyyah programme at Madrasah Uloomush Shariah in Benoni, before graduating from Darul Uloom Azaadville.

Following his studies, he dedicated a year to the work of Tabligh and Da'wah, after which he travelled to Cape Town to further his studies and gain specialised exposure to the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence under the late Moulana Taha Karaan (rahimahullah). For the past five years, Moulana Tahseen has served the community as Imam of the Extension 21 Musallah in Lakefield, alongside seven years teaching Islamic sciences, including Shafi'i Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Qur'an Tarjamah, and Seerah.

At the heart of his work is a genuine passion for serving people, making Islamic guidance accessible, nurturing meaningful relationships within the community, and helping individuals and families strengthen their connection with ALLAH ﷻ through authentic knowledge, compassion, and practical support.

Sadaqah Jariyah · Support RUH Centre

Help us train the people our community turns to.

Your contribution funds training for Imams, Ulama and Aalimaat, research for our community, and care that is accessible to all.

Donate