Journey of the heart: Man walks from England to Mecca for hajj

By A Robin - June 28, 2022

Adam Muhammed

Adam Muhammed, who set out in August on the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca from England on foot, reached northwestern Turkey's Silivri recently on his quest, now dubbed the "Peace Journey." Some drivers on the road supported Muhammed, who is now accompanied by a stray dog that befriended him in Serbia.

The British citizen of Iraqi descent set off from England in August 2021 to Mecca on foot, a trip he started with the aim "to set out against all evils." Continuing his walk on the Silivri section of the D-100 Highway, some drivers supported Muhammed by pushing his three-wheeled street vendor's cart.

Accompanied by his furry companion, Muhammed aims to reach Saudi Arabia during the hajj period by passing through Syria and then Jordan 35 days after passing through Turkey.

Aiming to reach Mecca in July, Mohammed will travel to Syria via Istanbul, Izmit, Yalova, Bursa, Eskisehir, Burdur, Antalya, Mersin and Hatay.

Muhammed spoke to an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent about his journey to the holy land.

Stating that he is an Iraqi who has lived in England for 25 years, Muhammed said: "I started my journey on Aug. 1 last year. I hope I will make it in time for the next pilgrimage. I hope the whole journey is on foot. There was a powerful voice inside me that said I could go to Mecca by walking all the way from my home. I could not ignore this voice. It was burning inside me like a volcano," he explained.

Stating that he greatly admires President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Muhammed said: "I would like to meet him when I come to Istanbul. I hope he will make time for me."

Mohammed added that he prepared for the journey for two months and that a British organization helped him.

Mohammed is not the first person to walk to Mecca from the United Kingdom. British man Farid Feyadi also set off on a similar journey from London in 2020 to debunk misconceptions in the Western media about Islam.

The devote man's journey has drawn widespread attention in Turkey.

Saying that he saw the story on the internet and then decided to accompany Muhammed, a local named Metin Ulukoç has been assisting the long-distance traveler for two days.

Another Turkish citizen named Mehmet Dikme, meanwhile, also offered support to Muhammed on his Peace Journey in the stretch between the cities of Tekirdag and Istanbul.