From Hamburg to Mecca by bike: the moving story of a Syrian pilgrim who died on the outskirts of the Sacred City
On October 22, 2022, in Hamburg, the land of asylum where he had forged a future, far from his native Syria, the very pious Ghazi Chehada, 53, could not wait to finally get on his bike , the mount he had chosen to reach Mecca, his supreme destination.
Faith in God giving him wings, this Syrian refugee left his home, with a light heart, at the first light of dawn. He had prepared for a long time to pedal on all roads and in all weathers, sometimes even until he was out of breath, to realize his dearest dream: reaching the Holy Land in order to perform Umrah.
For 73 days, Ghazi Chehada transcended himself on his two-wheeled mount, traveling thousands of kilometers with a manifest happiness that nothing could diminish, neither fatigue, nor pain, and even less the whims of the sky. He was fully imbued with verse 27 of Surah El Hajj:
“ And Calls people to perform the pilgrimage (Hajj). They will come to you, on foot, and also on every mount, coming from every distant path.”
Unfortunately, as he reached his goal and the Great Mosque of Mecca, the first high holy site of Islam, loomed majestically on the horizon, the Syrian pilgrim, draped in his immaculate white Ihram , gave up the ghost. It was February 17, 2023.
Prematurely called back to God in the Holy Land, where he nevertheless managed to set foot, Ghazi Chehada was buried in the Sacred City where he so ardently aspired to meditate. He leaves behind the poignant memory of a man filled with devotion, whose face was illuminated by the light of Allah at every stage of the great journey of a lifetime.
“ Al Hamdulillah, you have achieved your goal and set your feet on the pure land of the land. You dressed in white and intended to perform Umrah, with your bright face filled with the joy of loving Allah. Allah has chosen to bring you back to Him at this precise moment, God willing, you will be in Jannah, Inch’Allah », We could read on the Facebook page created in his memory.