A Muslim French Man Cycles Over 5000 km to Perform Hajj
- Ist
Saudi Arabia – A Muslim man from France, Nabil Ennasari recently arrived in Saudi Arabia after cycling over 5,000 kilometers. This is for perfom Hajj. He began his journey in Paris on April 22 and has crossed 11 countries.
These countries are Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Albania, Greece, Jordan, and Turkiye.
Ennasri is a French affairs analyst, writer, and civil society activist focusing on a variety of social issues, including discrimination and education.
He used a bicycle to raise climate change awareness. The 41-year-old wants to revive the traditional pilgrimage experience that Muslims followed in the past and also to draw attention to global warming.
Jemaah haji Prancis Nabil Ennasri, menunaikan ibadah haji dengan bersepeda
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Ennasri shared an emotional video of his arrival at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, in which he said: “It is difficult to express these feelings because your prayer is not the same as when you have been on a 57-day trip to come and pray at the Prophet’s Mosque, and when you take a seven-hour flight.” as reported from Arab News site.
During his short stay in Jeddah, en route to Makkah, the French cyclist was warmly welcomed by the Saudi Cycling Federation and held a practice session with the members of the club on the Jeddah Corniche.
He was leaving for Makkah on Saturday, Ennasri was able to retrace the slow journey taken by Muslims, and some of his 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. When I remember these moments, I find the strength in me," he said.
According to him, Earth is a home for us and people should take care of it for 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.”
In another video shot in Madinah, Ennasri said: “I received a message from my friend Thomas who is not a Muslim. He says that even if he does not share my faith, he is enthusiastic about my project, and about the fact that we try to raise awareness around ecology and the environment.
“I liked his message and replied by saying that it is beyond our philosophical or religious differences because our faith in human beings reunites us. Our planet is our home and we have to preserve it for future generations.”
According to Ennasri, global warming is a major problem facing humanity today.
“It is important for me to protect nature and our world, and to explain this to the Muslim community. I think there is a misunderstanding about global warming; people don’t understand what it is about.”
Ennasri hopes that his trip will inspire other Muslims and community members to rethink their approaches to travel.
