When Kumayl Lakha hit mile 17 of the Miami Marathon, he started second-guessing his ability to finish the race.
But as his body cramped up, he remembered why he had signed up to run the 26.2-mile-long (42 km) marathon: to raise money for orphans.
“I thought if that’s my struggle, if this is the way that I can support them, then I just have to power through and get it done,” he told The Athletic Ummah.
Feeling rejuvenated, Lakha pushed through the final 9.2 miles of his first ever marathon. When he crossed the finish line — five and a half hours after the marathon kicked off on Jan. 28 — the cheers from his friends and team helped him forget about the pain his body was in.
“It made it feel like … a celebratory moment,” he said. “It was something that I was incredibly proud of at that time, but only because I had the crew there supporting me.”
Lakha, who currently lives in Minneapolis, Minn., was one of seven people who ran the Miami Marathon under the banner of The Zahra Trust, an Islamic charity that provides aid for those in need, like orphans and widows.
The brothers came from different cities spread across parts of the United States and Canada — and many of them hadn’t met before the marathon. But Salim Kassam, The Zahra Trust’s media and communications manager, said the group formed the most amazing band of brothers he could’ve hoped for.
“It was beautiful just to experience that kind of brotherhood on the day and across the three or four days that we were together,” said Kassam, who was initially going to run but got injured in the training block.
“It was a really, really special feeling,” he told The Athletic Ummah.
Forming the team
Kassam, who previously co-founded The Muslim Vibe digital media organization, was the one who came up with the idea of organizing a Zahra Trust team to run the Miami Marathon.
He explained that the Islamic charity mainly operates in the United Kingdom, and although they have a chapter and an active donor base in the U.S., they don’t do many events there.
So when thinking of something to do to involve their North American team and donors, Kassam pitched building a squad of at least six runners to participate in the Miami Marathon.
Kassam, a runner himself, chose a marathon as the setting for a fundraising event because “if you’re running a marathon, people will donate and support [you].”
Building the team was going to take some work, though. Alongside himself, Kassam had to find at least five others who were down to run the gruelling race — on only a few months’ notice.
But this is where Kassam’s connections within the global Muslim community came in handy.
“I know enough people … to be two people removed from someone who’s going to run,” he said.
“So you call the first guy and he’s like, ‘I’m 100% not down, but let me ask this guy.’ [And] that guy, he’s like, ‘Oh, I can’t confirm that day, but my friends might be up for it.’”
This is how Lakha, a lawyer who’s not involved with The Zahra Trust, got recruited to run for the charity. On Oct. 23, 2023, he was approached by a friend to run the event after the Twin Cities Marathon he had been training for was cancelled over extreme heat.
Initially, Lakha was hesitant to accept the invitation. He had only started running in 2022, and he actually wasn’t that big of a fan of the sport.
But after giving it some thought and reflecting on the work The Zahra Trust does in the Middle East and across the world, Lakha figured running and fundraising for the charity were important duties he shouldn’t pass up.
Within a couple of stressful weeks, Kassam had his team. They were a diverse group of brothers with varying skill sets and experience levels.
“They were all so incredibly grateful for the opportunity because it really is a one-in-a-lifetime, … momentous thing that you’re not going to do every day,” he said.
Brotherhood and faith
Kassam hadn’t met any of the runners until Friday, Jan. 26, just two days before marathon day. But, he couldn’t be happier with the assembled squad.
“It was an amazing experience because [of] the brotherhood and getting to know the guys,” he said. “We all rented one Airbnb and we stayed together. It was really nice, really special.”
Lakha, who had fellow Minnesotan and friend Ali Zhian on the team, also felt the brotherhood within the group. He said getting to know the other runners was his favourite part of the marathon.
“Alhamdulillah, it was the experience of a lifetime to be able to meet these brothers,” he said. “When we all got together and got to meet each other and got to talk and bond, it was just so nice to get to know them.”
The shared anxiety of running the marathon together may have helped strengthen the bond in the group, according to Lakha.
“The night before, we’re all nervous,” he said. “But to be able to give each other confidence and belief, I think it was just really great.”
The brotherhood was also strengthened by their collective faith in Allah (s.w.t.) On the morning of the marathon, the brothers — including those who were supposed to start running at 6:00 a.m. — prayed salatul fajr together.
“We were cutting it pretty close to the start time. … That was right around 5:56 or 5:57 a.m.,” Lakha said. “But I think it’s such a beautiful thing to prioritize, especially in that situation.”
Don’t neglect the orphans
Together with Zhian, Lakha was hoping to raise about $2,000 USD for orphans, including those in Iraq, Yemen and Syria.
He said it was important for him to raise funds for orphaned children in this marathon.
“To me, orphans are one of the most vulnerable, if not the most vulnerable population on the Earth,” he said. “
“Allah (s.w.t.) specifically calls out in the Qur’an, don’t neglect the orphans, make sure that you take care of them. So the opportunity to do that, it’s really motivating.”
“They ask you [O Prophet in] what [way] they should donate. Say, “Whatever donations you give are for parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, and [needy] travelers. Whatever good you do is certainly well known to Allah.”
Holy Qur’an, 2:215
Lakha and Zhian are close to hitting their goal — they’ve raised $1,735 USD so far. That’s part of the more than $10,000 USD raised by the entire Zahra Trust team during the Miami Marathon.
“We’re still gonna push a little bit more and try and hit that goal of $2,000. Insha Allah we’ll get it done [before Feb. 28],” Laksha said.
“But, yeah, it definitely feels good to at least do anything that we can do to raise funds to support these vulnerable populations.”
Lakha said the Miami Marathon was also a great way to build a base for himself in the sport. Going forward, he wants to continue competing in marathons and raising funds for the less fortunate.
The opportunity to do so could come again under The Zahra Trust’s banner. Kassam said he’s booked 75 slots for the Hackney Half Marathon in mid-May, all to fundraise for the charity.
Although The Zahra Trust is only just starting to participate in these challenge-type events, Kassam said he finds them rewarding — both for the charity and the participants.
“As an organization, you’re building community, you’re building an affinity, building awareness,” he said.
“People, when they’re fundraising, they’re telling the community and their friends and family about the work that you’re doing, and it’s a win-win.”
Headline image credit: Salim Kassam