By Ragheema Mclean
“Labbayk, Allahuma Labbayk. Labbayka Laa Shareeka Laka-Labbayk.”
These sacred words will soon be echoed by two honoured guests of Allah [SWT] as VOC Breakfast prepares to announce the winners of the Umrah giveaway on Friday, 13 September 2023. In partnership with Millers Travel and Tours, the initiative aimed to provide two deserving community members with the opportunity to perform Umrah, valued at over R35,000.
Entries poured in from across the Cape Flats—from Athlone to Maccassar—each reflecting a deep yearning to visit the holy lands of Makkah and Madinah, making the panel of selectors’ task of choosing winners particularly challenging.
VOC News Editor Aneeqa du Plessis, who was also a panelist, described the process as deeply emotional.
“It felt like we were the ones set to undertake the journey! It was a difficult task sifting through hundreds of emails each week and deciding who the worthiest of the lot were especially when all the nominations were heartfelt, sincere and driven by mahabba [love], but we started each meeting with a dua [prayer] and ended in the same fashion too.”
She added, “It was important to remind ourselves of the gravity of the initiative and what better way to do it then by making Allah SWT (God) the center of each decision. We pray that those who have been granted the opportunity to perform Umrah through this giveaway is crowned with an Umrah Maqbool!”
The submissions included stories from reverts to Islam, elders who had never visited the holy sites, and those who had given up hope of making the journey due to financial constraints. Each story struck a chord with VOC listeners, often bringing tears to their eyes when shared on air.
Station Manager Goolam Fakier noted, “The emotional impact of the nominations has been profound. Each announcement was met with genuine emotion and vulnerability.”
Initially, the giveaway was meant for one person, but the community’s spirit of generosity shone through when a listener called in, offering to pay for an additional person’s Umrah. Now, instead of one, two individuals will have the opportunity to embark on the journey.
Fakier also announced plans for a special breakfast event at the Capetonian Hotel to honour all the nominees and their nominators.
“We want to celebrate these individuals as chosen guests of Allah [SWT]. The breakfast will be by invitation only, and we encourage all our nominees to bring along the person who nominated them along with one additional guest.”
As the community eagerly awaits the announcement, the nominees—Moosa Daniels, Gamza Johnson, Galiema Arrow, Fozia Abrahams, Nubweyah Benn, Haroon Ismail, Nazeema Temoor, Alawieya Ebrahim, and Nadiah Hendricks—are already seen as winners in the eyes of Allah [SWT].
Regardless of the outcome, their stories have touched many hearts and remain in the prayers of all who have heard them.
Tune into VOC Breakfast on Friday to find out who the lucky winners are!
VOC News
Photo: Pexels
