Our very own Imam Abdelkader Harkassi has recently embarked on the journey of a lifetime.
He’s travelling from the South of Spain to the Hajj in Saudi Arabia on horseback, retracing the epic hajj journey of the Andalusian Muslims before they were expelled from Spain more than 400 years ago.
Abdelkader and his fellow riders Dr Abdallah Hernandez and Tariq Rodriguez set off from Almonaster la Real in October 2024, and are currently riding along the French Riviera. The entire journey, covering over 8000 kilometres, will take 8 months to complete.
Their route will take them through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia,
Asil Pure Arabian endurance mares have been selected for the journey, renowned for their stamina, speed and rideability.
Abdelkader is passionate about horses, and wants to incorporate riding into the Shifa Mosque’s traditional madrassa curriculum: “horses are a strong part of the Sunnah, and a great way to teach young Muslims in London about stewardship and the natural world”.
We’ll miss Abdelkader while he’s away, but will be avidly following his incredible journey on Hajj on Horseback’s Instagram page. You can also support the riders via their LaunchGood fundraiser!
