Asalaamu alaykum - Peace Be Upon You!
Pilgrimage sounds old fashioned - perhaps it brings up images of the Canterbury Tales or ancient religious piety.
But pilgrimage is big - today, there countless pilgrims to all sorts of places. Christians pilgrims to Rome or Jerusalem, Hindu pilgrims to Ganges, and perhaps most famously; Muslim pilgrims to Makkah.
Before the era of modern transport - pilgrimages were long journeys, often travelling no faster than walking speed, in caravans of people for safety and company.
Today, huge expanses of land can be covered in a single day by plane and by car - making pilgrimage much easier and much quicker.
But perhaps modern era pilgrimages have lost out on something. By taking a flight, we've lost out on the personal discovery a journey can offer. As planes carry us over foreign lands, we fail to meet the people, taste the culture, experience their lives - and so we make our pilgrimage much more insular, much more individualistic and atomised experiences. Furthermore, we sacrifice less, feel less fatigue, less exhausation and thereby miss out on the feelings of victory, of trimuph and success that journeys can offer.
And to add to this - by taking planes and cars we often harm the enviroment - the very enviroment morally and spirtually entrusted to us for us to care and maintain.
So I propose a new method of pilgrimage - a method that revives old traditions, protects the world we live in, offers so much more spiritually, and yet utilises modern methods of transport.
I propose, across the world - those who are young, able, and determined enough, make the pilgrimage to Makkah (Umrah of Hajj) using only public transport (and perhaps the odd friendly hitchhike here and there).
It would take longer, but not that much longer. It would be exhausting, but rewarding. It would allow you to see the lands you cross, know the people you pass, and see the creation of God. Financially, it would probably even save you money! And on top of all this - it would be eco-friendly.
Certainly there are dangers involved, but this isn't aimed at the young, the frail and the old. It's aimed at young-uns, the 'gap year' types.
So, I hope this blog can act as the hub to help this dream come true.
I have the intention to visit Makkah, for Umrah, in summer 2011, using only public transport. Going from the UK, across Europe and down into the middle east into Saudi and then to Makkah.
I'm hoping that the online community will help me plan for this journey, and thereby help overs to do so too.
So get commenting! And lets revolutionise the pilgrimage!
