Light of Qur’an Poetry 2017 Competition Results
Winner: Ages 7-10 Years
Fatema Zahra Mithwani (Age 8)
Theme – A Beautiful Blessing of Allah
Judges’ comments: This poem was extraordinary in both content and style. It made fantastic use of a variety of poetic devices and had a rhythm that carried it from the start to the end as it sang the praises of the blessings of Allah (SWT). A well-deserved winner.
Runner Up: Ages 7-10 Years
Zaynab Valji (Age 8)
Theme – A Beautiful Blessing of Allah
Judges’ comments: A poem that grabbed us from the first word with its strong imagery. The poet chose a specific theme and then developed it fully, taking us from an outward appreciation to an inward realisation of our own attitude towards Allah (SWT)’s Blessings.
Winner: Ages 11-14 Years
Hawra Datoo (Age 14)
Theme – A Beautiful Blessing of Allah
Judges’ comments: This piece was beautifully balanced in rhyme and challenged us to actually think. A variety of blessings were explored and the emphasis on appreciating our intellect and using it to in turn recognise other blessings was impressive.
Runner Up: Ages 11-14 Years
Ammar Kassam (Age 12)
Theme – A Beautiful Blessing of Allah
Judges’ comments: The commanding tone of this poem from the beginning and the extremely confident stating of the blessings of Allah (SWT) that followed in short, simple meter was extremely appealing and synchronous. The end note of a question from Allah (SWT) and the reply from the poet was a perfect ending to a strong piece of verse.
Winner: Ages 15-18 Years
Noor al-Mussawi (Age 15)
Theme – The Struggle for Success
Judges’ comments: We felt this poem outlined the struggles of the modern-day really well, especially for many of the youth. There was sense of familiarity and empathy as we read it. It seemed to say ‘You’re not alone. We are all in this together’. It was an encouraging poem, pushing its audience to always make the right choices.
Runner Up: Ages 15-18 Years
Myna Al-Safar (Age 16)
Theme – The Struggle for Success
Judges’ comments: The good use of strong imagery really made this poem work. The extra touch of incorporating the direct words of Allah (SWT) into the verses of each stanza brought in a conversational tone between Creator and creation that was unique.
Winner: Ages 19+
Muhammad Abbas Jaffer
Theme – The Struggle for Success
Judges’ comments: There is so much we loved about this poem. The approach was extremely original and creative. It was visually pleasing and made the exact impact it intended to. The ideas of Struggle and Success and the historical incidents they were referenced with gave it a depth that was only revealed and appreciated as each line unfolded. Highly commended!
Runner Up: Ages 19+
Nihal Valji
Theme – The Struggle for Success
Judges’ comments: This poem had us laughing at one moment and contemplating at another. It was story-like while keeping in the rhythm of a poem. We loved the descriptions, the imagery, the rhyme and the way in which the poet walked us through the journey of an ordinary circumstance to an enlightening life-changing epiphany, all the while keeping us entertained every step of the way.