The Walk for Hajj was an initiative of the Hamlets Hike & Trek Club. In particular; by Foisol Uddin, Abdal Ahmed and Enam Hoque.

Since 30th May, they have been inviting potential Hajj pilgrims to join them and physically prepare themselves for their Hajj journey ahead. Subsequently, more than 20 people took part weekly.

Over the past three weeks, they have managed to cover close to 20 miles walking from East London Mosque to Aziziye Mosque, down the Embankment to Westminster Bridge and back to base.

Many people ask imams and guide about the spiritual side of Hajj, but very few consider the physical elements of Hajj and the amount of walking involved. The idea behind the walk was to get Hujjaj to walk in their sandals or footwear they will use during the Hajj days and try to get the mileage behind them so that they can get used to their footwear but also avoid getting blisters while in Hajj.

“As some of us have previous experiences of Hajj, during our walk we gave advice & tips, some dos and don’ts, what to pack, what to eat, etc.” Mentioned Foisol.

“We plan to roll this out to other cities and towns around the UK with like-minded people so the wider community can benefit.” He added.

One of the participants said “After the Hajj seminar arranged by CBHUK, one of the take-home messages I got from the talk was that there will be a lot of physical strain during the Hajj, especially walking in sandals. Following this, I found out about the weekly Hajj Walk sessions.

“I brought my wife and mum along as they too will be travelling. It was a strenuous walk to and from Aziziye Mosque but was made a lot easier by the brothers in the group who talked to us about their experiences of Hajj and it was a great opportunity to ask questions that we couldn’t ask in the seminars and we got bespoke advice. It also got us even more excited about Hajj!

“The walk also highlighted that I should do some practice walks in my sandals to get myself more accustomed to the conditions. It was a great opportunity with a lot of benefits. I managed to meet some inspirational brothers, and get advice while physically getting myself prepared for Hajj.”

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank those who turned up and we hope it was beneficial for them. Please remember us and all those suffering in your dua on the plains of Arafah.” Said Abdal.

“May Allah grant you all Hajj Mabroor (an accepted Hajj)!” Prayed Abdal.

This initiative was supported by Hajj & Umrah Transportation and the Council for British Hajjis (CBHUK). This charity looks after the welfare of British hajjis, and more information can be found on their website: https://cbhuk.org