After a spiritually intense day on the plains of Arafat, Hajj pilgrims returned to Mina on Friday, the first day of Eid. Making their way from Muzdalifa where they spent most of the night, 2 million pilgrims will undertake a number of rituals to complete their Hajj pilgrimage. Walking on Mina’s winding streets, pilgrims headed to the Jamarat with the help of volunteers and security officials who provided directions to […]
By Yaseen Kippie Through its deep spiritual traditions, Capetonian Muslims have long been a close knit community despite years of oppression and subjugation during the apartheid era. The emergence of Muslims joining ship routes around Africa to the sacred lands of Makkah, brought with it the manifestation of centuries of yearning for the fulfilment of the fifth pillar of Islam, in the form of the sacred pilgrimage, known as the […]
“This is mind-blowing. Nothing prepares you for the time when reality sets in…you are now on the ultimate journey of life.” That's how former VOC sports presenter Irafaan Abrahams described his emotional first few hours at Mina’s tent city, where hujjjaj are spending the Day of Tarwiyah, the first day of hajj. More than 1.7 million people from around the world have gathered in the sacred city of Makkah for […]
All roads lead to Mina on Wednesday as VOC brings rolling coverage on the coveted journey of hajj. This year, VOCs hajj theme is "perfect trust in God and reliance on Him alone." “The theme is about what we can take from the story of not just Nabi Ibrahim (AS) and Nabi Ismail (AS) regarding the Qurban, but also the Haj. Tawakkul is placing your complete trust in Allah when […]
As the build up to the five days of hajj begins, the emir of Makkah and advisor to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal handed over the kiswa (cover) of the Holy Kaaba to Saleh Al-Shaibi, senior keeper of Kaaba, at a ceremony held at his emirate office in Jeddah on Wednesday. Prince Abdullah Bin Bandar, deputy emir of Makkah, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the […]
Showers are likely to bring some solace to the thousands of pilgrims in Makkah between Aug. 24 and 26 (Dhul Hijja 2-4), three days before they set out for the tent city of Mina in preparation for the standing on Arafat. The highlands of Makkah, including the holy sites, and Madinah are expected to have rainy clouds, dust storm accompanied by lighting and poor visibility until Dhul Hijja 7, the […]
More than 440 Qataris have so far used the Salwa border crossing to drive into Saudi Arabia and head towards Makkah to perform Haj. The crossing, shut down on June 5, was re-opened last week following the successful mediation of Shaikh Abdullah Bin Ali Al Thani, a Qatari national who was received by King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. “The number of Qatari […]
The South African Haj Travel Operators Association (Sathoa) says it’s concerned about the number of elderly and frail hujjaj, who travel without the support of a relative. South African haj operators are facilitating the movement of hujjaj before the big days of haj. Whilst dealing with the extreme heat, the elderly pilgrims also have to contend with strenuous walking. There have already been reports of two separate cases of South […]
South African pilgrims on umrah in the holy cities are on a spiritual high as they anxiously await the climax of Ramadan, the 27th night. Makkah is buzzing with pilgrims from around the world who have jetted in for the last ten days of the sacred month, considered the most important days. Muslims believe that on the Night of Power, the blessings and mercy of Allah are abundant, sins are […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
