MAKKAH – With all the modern means of transportation that make today’s journeys to Makkah easier and quicker, many Muslims from across the world are still choosing to visit the holy city for hajj or umrah walking, biking or cycling, praying for a greater reward from Allah.
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.
Here is a shortlist of the most recent inspiring journeys to hajj and umrah:
Biking for hajj
Eight British Muslims set off for Saudi Arabia on their bikes earlier in July, hoping to arrive just in time for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The bikers will travel for six weeks through eight countries covering over 2,000 miles in order to raise £1m for those affected by the Syrian war.
Walking to Umrah
Mohammad Jazairi, a Spanish Muslim, walked more than 9,000 kilometers to perform Umrah in Muslims’ holiest city of Makkah, four months and a half after setting off from Paris.
Performing his umrah in October 2016, Jazairi is not the first to travel to the holy lands on foot.
He used a baby stroller to carry his luggage during the journey which took him 5 months.
In 2012, 47-year-old Bosnian Muslim, Senad Hadzic, reached the holy city of Makkah on foot to perform hajj.
During his journey, the Muslim man walked for nearly 3,600 miles (5,900 km) from his Bosnian village to the holy city of Makkah.
Cycling for Hajj
Mohammad Mabo Chin, a Chinese Muslim, came from Xinjiang in northwestern China to Makkah on a bicycle in a trip that took him around 4 months.
He crossed 7,800 kilometers passing through several countries and finally arriving in Saudi Arabia via the King Fahd Causeway that links between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Three-month Journey
Russian Muslim Bulat Nassib Abdulla took his bike in thousands of miles journey from Russia to Makkah for hajj. The then 24-year-old man started his journey in the first day of Ramadan 2016, in the journey that took up to three months.