Last year, VOC made history by being the first radio station in South Africa to complete a five-day Khatam al-Quran, live on air. That historic moment was achieved through the help of a number of prominent local scholars throughout the spirited month of Ramadan.

With the sacred month little over a week away, VOC will be apart of another major first, as it becomes the first Muslim radio station in the country to broadcast a Khatam al-Quran in all twenty different dialects of Quranic recitation.

According to Maulana Saleem Gaibee, the khatam for Ramadan 1435 has been recorded with each Juz recited in a different style of recitation, based on the different Arabic dialects, dating back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

“These are all dialects that the Arabs spoke during the time of the Prophet (saw). The Prophet (saw) allowed each tribe or clan to recite the Holy Quran, incorporating all these various dialects,” he told an audience via a tele-link up at VOC’s pre-Ramadan thikr on Thursday night.

Gaibee noted it would mark the first time a khatam of this nature was being made in Cape Town and with VOC listeners having heard many different recitations over the years, he said they were truly in for something different this Ramadan.

Another outstanding feature of the khatam will be the fact that it will be read entirely by local qaris, all of whom had completed their studies of the different Quranic dialects and recitations. In total the ghatam will be rendered by 23 qaris, including 19 male and four female reciters.

To be a part of this truly unique experience, stay tuned to VOC on 91.3fm throughout the holy month of Ramadan. VOC (Mubeen Banderker)