After five grueling weeks of cycling, eight British Muslims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for Hajj.
Known as the "Hajj Riders," the eight men biked through the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Greece and Egypt before arriving in Saudi Arabia for the sacred Islamic pilgrimage. In total, the men's epic journey took them across nine countries and more than 3,200 km.
"We are all blessed"
"We’ve been through rain, sunshine, sandstorms and through the Swiss Alps," Taher Akhtar said after he arrived Medina, according to Arab News.
"We’ve been up at 10,000 ft elevation and suffered frozen fingers and noses, but because Allah is with us, He made it easy. We are all blessed."
Due to visa restrictions, the cyclists were forced to take a flight from Egypt to Jeddah, instead of a ferry from Hurghada as originally planned.
But despite the minor hiccup, the cyclists were overjoyed to complete their trip and achieve their goal.
"Just walking into the Haram, I can't bring the emotions into words, nearly six weeks of riding, I can't believe the journey is complete, but one journey is finished and now we must complete the next part," Abdul Mukith said.
The men's epic journey is also intended to raise money for medical facilities within Syria, with the goal of gathering 1 million British pounds. Donations are being collected via the group's website.