RIYADH: While some worshippers choose to travel to Hajj in comfort, others see the pilgrimage as an opportunity to test their physical and spiritual fortitude.
Following in the long tradition of epic journeys that led the faithful of history to Makkah, adventurous Muslims today are challenging themselves in a variety of ways.
This year, three friends on horseback rode more than 8,000 kilometers over seven months from the south of Spain to Saudi Arabia to complete the Islamic rites in the holy capital.
Their route retraced a historic one first trod by Andalusian Muslims living in Europe more than 500 years ago.
Abdelkader Harkassi, Abdallah Hernandez and Tariq Rodriguez travelled through Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Turkiye, Syria and Jordan before crossing into Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region and making their way to Makkah.
Hernandez told Arab News that the ride was a “trip of challenges where every step (was) felt by us and the horses, but (was) also a journey for the soul.”
The riders set off with limited funds and were supported by Muslims that they met along the way.
Another group of worshippers took to the seas, taking about two months to sail more than 7,400km from London to Makkah.
Abdul Wahid, Tauseef Ahmed, Jody McIntyre, Dobbir Uddin and Taher Akhtar from London had no previous sailing experience before training for the maritime mission.
Speaking to Arab News, Wahid, 38, said he was inspired by the combination of influences of his Muslim faith and the maritime history of the UK.
“It is kind of merging our religion Islam with the country (where) we are residing, and reviving this long-forgotten way to Hajj,” he said.
In June 2022, British pilgrim Adam Mohammed arrived in Makkah after setting off from his home in Wolverhampton, UK 11 months earlier and 6,500km away.
He walked through the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan to reach Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed told Arab News at the time that, while studying the Qu’ran during COVID-19 lockdowns, he felt a spiritual calling inviting him on the journey.
“Suddenly, I woke up one day and something inside me told me to go to Makkah all the way by foot from my home,” he said. “I could not ignore this voice and decided to go for it.”
Pulling a 250kg cart in which he slept, prepared food and kept his personal belongings, Mohammed said that there were “no big difficulties” on his travels, and that he was undertaking the challenge for religion and not for fame.
Nabil Ennasri, a French pilgrim of Moroccan origin, cycled more than 5,000km to reach Makkah for the 2023 Hajj season.
He began his journey in Paris and crossed 11 countries including Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Greece, Jordan and Turkiye.
The 41-year-old wanted to revive the traditional pilgrimage experience and use his trip to raise awareness for global warming.
Ennasri was able to retrace the historical journey taken by Muslims, and some of his own relatives, in the past.
“Some members of my family also traveled on foot. It could have taken months or even years. Some lost their lives during the journey,” he said.
“When I remember these moments, I find the strength in me.”
Explaining the significance of his journey, he added: “My first objective is to explain global warming; it is very important for our children and future generations.
“My second goal is to understand what kind of difficulties people (experienced) on pilgrimage in ancient times, to understand their long journeys on foot.”
The trip was reminiscent of those carried out by millions of Muslims over the centuries, most of whom would have to have endured far greater hardships than travelers today.
Perhaps history’s most well-known Muslim explorer, Ibn Battuta, set off from his native Morocco in 1325 and did not return for another 24 years.
He ended up discovering a love of travelling, reaching as far as China, but the first leg of his journey was to the holy capital to perform Hajj.
In 2020, a Moroccan named Ghulam Yassin arrived in Makkah after retracing much of Ibn Battuta’s original journey.
Yassin travelled on foot and by bicycle for four years to perform Hajj — one of the five essential pillars of Islam.
Generous Saudis were so inspired by his journey that they pledged to cover the cost of his pilgrimage the following year.
In June 2022, Indian pilgrim Shihab Chottur arrived in Makkah after walking 8,600km from his home in Malappuram, Kerala.
Chottur, who was 31 at the time, set off on foot carrying 12kg of luggage with $8,500 in his pocket.
He passed through Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Kuwait, and a year later arrived in the Kingdom.
The money he brought with him turned out not to be needed, because the Saudi government and Indian consulate decided to sponsor his Hajj.
Instead, the shop owner used it to pay for his mother to complete the pilgrimage the following year.
The Hajj pilgrimage is mandatory for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to complete it at least once in their life.
While the Saudi authorities continue to make the process more accessible and comfortable for all believers, including those with mobility issues, every year physically demanding journeys such as these remind us of the difficulties of performing Hajj in the past.
