The Deen Show – Reaching Mecca to do Hajj on a bike

			Good
		

			day
		

			Salaam Alaikum. Guys How you doing? You know that Islam is based on five pillars one is to testify
that is nothing worthy of worship except the credit of the heavens and earth and Mohammed just like
Jesus, Moses, Abraham. He's the last and final messenger sent to mankind on a God Almighty Allah is
in love. And then you have the praying five times a day. And then you have the fasting during the
month of Ramadan, the poor to text, the cat, and then the Hajj. Now, people used to go ahead and
travel long distances are camels on horseback. And it was long journeys. Now we did days, we have
training planes and automobiles, but our brother here out of creating some awareness, we'll talk
		

			about that he actually drove a bike
		

			to hedge. And what's your name? karate, Rashid le? Yeah. Now people are like, why did you choose to
ride a bike to hide from where? From London? From London, from London to Mecca, you drove a bike? Is
that possible? Well, I thought it wasn't as crazy but Alhamdulillah with Allah subhanaw taala tofik.
I made it with 56 days of cycling. Now, what was the purpose behind that? The purpose behind it was
many reasons. One of the reasons was that I wanted to promote healthy lifestyle amongst Muslims, and
also help Muslim charity raise some funds for children who live in the streets around the world. And
also, you know, I always used to hear the stories about my grandfather used to say how long it's to
		

			take them to go to Hajj, how they used to prepare, how they used to say goodbye to their families in
the village as if they're not going to come back return. So I thought, now that we can get on a
plane in six hours, and we can go to one of the most important place on earth, and still be thinking
about all the worldly things. So I said, How can I imitate the grandparents or even the sahabas did?
And I was sitting on a bike at that time cycling from Cambridge, London, actually for a charity
ride. And that's where the idea came about. What was the mission accomplished? Were you able to
raise a lot of awareness for for charity and for health? Yes, Subhan Allah. I newly just discovered
		

			mother ability that I can cyclonus trained about three years before I did the trip, and we raised
substantial amount of money. At 7000 pounds it was at the time. And the awareness that we showed the
whole world of the children that suffer around the third world countries was massive. And Alondra is
made so much Muslims in especially in UK and not just UK internationally, the interested in cycling,
we now run a Muslim church who now runs a cycling club with 400 members. Brother cycle does it
regularly or every Sunday just to keep fit, keep healthy. And we do challenges every month. We got
one doing 19th of April, we're cycling from London to Amsterdam, and four to build a school in the
		

			desert in Pakistan. That is a sad reality that many of us I mean, yeah, the key component to good
health is having a good heart. But it's sad to say that many of us we've there's another component
to to happiness is good, good health. And it's it's nice to see that you also are taking the matter
of serious so serious that you actually drove your bike all the way to the first house of worship
built by Abraham to commemorate the worship of the One God to homage. So what were you seeing? I
mean, they say 70% this is an American statistics that people are Overby either obese or overweight.
You're not too far behind here in in England. Hmm, yes. One of the good thing was the government of
		

			TfL transport London actually is policy.
		

			It was because were in Tower Hamlets. A lot of Muslims live the highest
		

			obesity, diabetes.
		

			High cholesterol is in that community. And so they encouraged me to actually encourage other ethnic
minorities into cycling and this bike ride London to Montclair has really promoted that. So
swannanoa we've seen so many now join us on these bike rides and healthy lifestyle, also start doing
other things like running. I was actually running in Palestine 10 days ago, and took 36 people from
the UK to run a marathon in Palestine. So again, for a course in Palestine, what was the sort of the
journey took? How many 30 days of cycling suck? No, I ended up cycling 41 days. The amazing story
about this is that I went through 14 countries, out of those 10 countries were non Muslim countries
		

			and sumana, the non Muslims was so appreciative of what I did, because I had the union jack flag on
back on my bike fraggin as I was riding us every now and then someone stopped me and saying, what
were you going, where are you from? And I said, I'm from UK, I'm going to surgery but and they said,
Why are you doing this? You're crazy. And I said, Well, I'm doing it for a good cause I'm this I'm
doing it for. And believe it or not, a lot of them pulled up 20 euros and said, Can I donate this? I
was in a restaurant eating and just having a conversation with my colleagues or driving behind me in
a support vehicle. And others heard the conversation. And they came over to the table and said, are
		

			you really doing what you've just were talking about? Yes. And they will said Oh, can we pay your
food bill, a lot of people wanted to take us home and feed us because we were having difficulty
during some of the journeys to eat, especially trying to find our food. someplace that we were there
like 200 miles, there's no people around. And everyone wanted to help us. And that was the most
beautiful thing to see that human beings actually, you know, we're not so different from one
another. What was the hardest part? Where did you sleep? Where did you find food? Yes, the food was
very hard to we, Turkey and Egypt etc, though, but we had to was we were going through Europe, in
		

			the main cities, it was good. But once we left the main cities, then we had difficulties. So we will
live in on sandwiches and pizza Margarita for about two weeks until we got to Turkey would also have
a Muslim Can Can people take from this that you want them to leave off with? Is that you know, you
make a good intention. And Savonarola make good intention. Make dua and Allah makes these things
possible. Because before I did, I was on a born athlete, I have never done sports actually till I
was about 38. And I did this ride when I was 42. And I too, I'm too old to do this. But I thought
you know, it's for a good cause. Let me give it a try. And it was an amazing trip. I had 30 brothers
		

			join me at the first leg of the trip, which was London to Paris. And then there was two of us that
continued the other side of the journey all the way down to my car. And all through the journeys. It
was beautiful to see it was beautiful to see the machines and the how the architecture of every
single country much has changed from Turkey to Egypt to Saudi, you see all the Islamic artwork, we
slept in most of that times for breaks and is really a wonderful experience. What was the total
amount of days?
		

			On average, we had to cycle 100 250 kilometers, but it depends if some days if I had problems and I
couldn't cover that mileage next day. Make it up. So there were times I did 200 kilometers in one go
240 kilometers, the average 120 kilometers a day. 120 how many miles? That's 105,000 kilometers. We
had to cover 5000 kilometers. And just last year you were able to pray on the road. Yes, sure. There
was a there was Did you just being out there this connects you more like seeing the beautiful
creation that allows created and this raise your eemaan definitely Brother, what you know, once we
left the concrete world and you you're surrounded by nature and the mountain, I mean, we had we
		

			climbed the Alps in Switzerland and oh my god, it us beautiful. Just I was overwhelmed. Just by
looking at the circles on your bike, you're getting a 360 degree view of the area. And just looking
at the legs and the trees and the greeneries and we don't get to see much of that living in London.
A concrete jungle. Yes, yes. And so that was so beautiful to see. The natural beauty of illustration
is beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with us. You plan on doing it again. I wish
		

			me the tofik maybe one day inshallah. All right, well, thank you and hopefully you guys if if he can
go ahead and ride on a bike to go ahead and motivate people for good health and charity. I mean a
lot has not made it that difficult on you that you go ahead and play
		

			And prepare with a plane ticket ticket Hodges coming up yes so now you don't have no excuse if you
have the finances you have the health, get yourself the hudge prepare now to go to Hajj. How's that
inshallah? Yes, inshallah we'll see you next time Thank you very much.
		

			Slocum while he was on Peace be with you as salaam alaikum