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Strangest Journeys to Makkah for Hajj
8-06-2019
With all the modern means of transportation that make today’s journeys to Makkah easier and quicker, several Muslims from across the world are still choosing to visit the holy city for Hahh or umrah walking, biking or cycling.
During the past few Hajj seasons, there have been reports of people who went to Hajj on foot while others used primitive means of transportation, but all united in their passion for this lifetime journey.
Strange journeys to Hajj and umrah in 2019
From London to Madinah
A group of eight British Muslim cyclists arrived in Istanbul on Saturday for a break in their long hajj trip from London to the Muslim second-most sacred city of Madinah, Anadolu Agencyreported.
“This journey is important in many ways. We’re all on the road for our faith. We meet great people along the road and we have great stories,” Zain Lambat, a member of the group, said about his first journey to Hajj.
“Thank goodness we had a great time as we made our way to places.”
The group, who call themselves the “Tour de Hajj”, kicked off their journey on June 7 and is expected to take 60 days.
All the Way from Nairobi
Four Kenyan Muslims have reached Makkah, Saudi Arabia, after cycling more than 45 days across four countries to perform the lifetime journey of hajj and raise money to educate needy children, Tuko reported.
“Alhamdulillah today we were received by Kenyan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Peter Ogego, who hosted us for dinner and escorted us all the way to Makkah with a private tour bus which we had all to ourselves,” said the group in a Facebook post.
Cycling all the way to Makkah, the group wanted to raise KSh 5 million for the construction of Al Furqan Towers.
The Al Furqan Institute, started in 1996, has so far given a full scholarship to 150 students from needy families across the country for both secular education and deen [religion].
The four cyclists took the journey from Kenya through Ethiopia to Sudan at Port Sudan where they crossed the Red Sea by ferry to Jeddah and continued cycling to Makkah.
13,000 Km Journey to Makkah
PENANG – A family of five Indonesian Muslims has embarked on a lengthy cycling journey of 13,000 km to Makkah to perform hajj.
“They will take a flight if the need arises,” Mohd Damahuri Mutalib, 65, a friend of the family was quoted by The Sun Daily.
Muchlis Abdullah, 47, took his wife, Julianti Husin, 47, and their children, Mirza Hakim Muchlis, 15, Ahmad Zaki Hafiz, 11, and Olivia Yumna, six, for a cycling journey to Makkah.
The family kicked off their journey a month and a half ago from central Java city of Yogyakarta.
The long trip will take them through 12 countries.
Most recent strange journeys to Hajj and umrah in 2018
From Albania to Makkah
From Balkans to Makkah: These 2 Macedonians Embark on Cycling for Hajj
TETOVA – Two Muslim Albanian men from Tetova city, the capital of the Albanian province in Slavic Macedonia (FYROM), are now filming their lifetime journey of Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah by bicycles, TRT reported on July 7.
The imam, Amir Aslani, and his professional cyclist friend, Senad Idrisi, are fully aware of the difficulties they might face throughout their long trip.
However, “we want to experience the difficulties that faced the early Muslims who traveled for months to perform this pillar of Islam,” the Muslim youth said.
Well-prepared for this journey, they informed that they have been “training for two years to make this long travel,” Senad explained.
The six-week route will take the two guys across a sum of five countries; the Albanian provinces in FYROM and Albania, then Greece. Afterwards, they will pass the Aegean Sea towards Turkey.
Moreover, they will cross the Mediterranean Sea to Egypt, and from the Aqaba Gulf they will take a ship towards the Hijaz to bike all the way south to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
“We already faced heavy rain in Albania. We are aware that we’ll bike through hot summery conditions during the rest of the route. We are prepared for any challenges,” Aslani said determinedly.
Speaking about their goals, “Beside Hajj, we also seek visiting other historic sites in Turkey and Egypt. We want to motivate other people and future generations to perform Hajj regardless of any hardships.”
Cycling from Morocco to Makkah
RABAT – From Meknes to Makkah – A 58-year-old Moroccan Muslim has challenged himself to make his Hajj pilgrimage journey this year by bicycle.
“After a long experience in cycling, I thought ‘Why not experience a new travel outside Morocco?’ The first thing that I thought about is travelling for Hajj; bearing in mind that I’ve previously travelled for hajj by car in 1988,” the professional cyclist, Mohammed Rbouhate, told Morocco World News.
The courageous cyclist will pass through eight Muslim countries: Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan, and KSA, as well as crossing the Red Sea.
Rbouhate started his cycling career at the age of 16. Throughout these years he has cycled for thousands of kilometers across countless Moroccan cities.
“My family weren’t accepting the idea that I will be away for months. They were worried about the problems I may face during my travel, as well as the danger on roads,” he explained.
“On the contrary I am not worried at all, because I believe deeply that Allah will protect me since I am doing all of this for the sake of his forgiveness.”
The professional cyclist started his journey on April 1, 2018. After a long ride across Africa, he arrived now in Sudan. “It took me one month to study and explore the road infrastructures, topography and weather of the countries I’ve passed through,” he informed.
Along his journey, Rbouhate faced various obstacles, from torrential rain to dry desert heat. He is still cycling through very rural areas, enduring the desert and temperatures that exceed 50 degrees Celsius, which sometimes led him to postpone his travel.
The total distance he will pedal from Morocco to KSA exceeds 30,000 km. Speaking about what this trip represents for himself, Rbouhate expressed: “This journey is my life-changing experience which will test my determination and passion. It’s not supposed to be easy. I am always thinking about this Qur’anic verse as my principle throughout the journey: “And whoever relies upon Allah, then he is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish his purpose” (Surat At-Talaq 65:3).
“A Journey for Peace” is the slogan Rbhouhate chose to accompany him during his entire journey. This slogan reflects his desire to spread peace and tolerance in every country he passes by.
“I called it a journey for peace because everyone aspires to live in peace, and I am always wishing to spread it in all Muslim countries,” he said. “In addition to this, peace was the approach of our prophet, therefore, we should all follow this approach.”
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