BOXHILL TALEEM MASJID SISTER’S HIKE 2025!
Once upon a time, in a tiny town, from a thriving Masjid there emerged 31 brave ladies.
Their mission? Boxhill hike.
PREVIOUSLY… Brothers took a hike in various locations…
So it was time to make it even.
That’s when the Taleem Sister’s Hike was born.
31 LADIES
6 MILES
£10k+ funds raised for Taleem Masjid! MashAllah
Aged 18 to 50+
Diverse ethnic backgrounds
One ummah.
Alhamdulillah we made it.
Humble Beginnings
The day began with Fajr salah. After breakfast, getting ready and packing our bags, we all met at Taleem Masjid before 8am. It was foggy.
After signing the register and getting our lunch packs, we boarded the coach, made duas and drove off. There was no going back…we hit the fast road. On the coach, some of us had a chat. Some of us fell asleep. And some of us were low-key panicking. The journey was smooth and we got there impressively soon, an hour and half or so.
Anxiety and Arrival
As soon as we arrived, the nerves died down and we were excited and ready for the mission. Our driver left us and we walked on. First stop was the cafe. Teas, coffees, toilets… you know the drill. Then we all stood in a uneven circle on the grass and introduced ourselves to each other. We barely remembered each other’s names, so we were assigned numbers instead. We slowly walked over to the viewpoint. At that moment, the selfie queens made themselves known. After the mandatory group photo, we began our hike. Bismillah.
Walk the Talk
We walked and talked, made dua and dhikr, stopped to take pictures, pick flowers and bluebells. It was actually not that bad…save our heavy backpacks. We forgot about the weight and distance as we busied ourselves enjoying good company. Eventually we made it to the big green hill, where we stopped for lunch. Legend has it, the brothers stopped at the exact same place for lunch on their hike a few years back.
After The Picnic
Thirty minutes later, we continued a long steep walk downhill. We stopped to capture the natural beauty in the woods, ginormous trees hundreds of years old. We were fascinated by the rows of bluebells. We watched the bumble bees who came to pollinate the colourful flowers. No doubt, Allah created these all for a purpose, so that we would know that He is The One and only who deserves to be worshipped. He is our Provider, Protector, Sustainer, The Eternal, Most-High, our Lord, The Most Merciful.
Reflection and Lessons
As we weaved between trees, treading through the leafy woods, we reflected on the life of Rasoolullah Muhammad peace be upon him. Recalling the battle of Badr in Ramadan 2AH, in the heat of the day, while fasting, the believers rushed to fulfill Allah’s command. The Muslims were an army of 300 or so, ill-equipped in weapons and cavalry. In contrast, the oppressive pagan Quraish army, topped more than 4x the Muslim army, well-equipped with a hundred horsemen and plentiful armed soldiers. Despite the military disadvantage, with firm faith in Allah the Muslims marched forward bravely, seeking to establish justice. Allah, Our Almighty Creator, supported the Muslims by sending thousands of angels who fought alongside them until they achieved success and victory.
Mission Successful
In the next hour, we marched on, past the lake and finally found ourselves on the level green plains. We laid our mats down and prayed Zuhr. We were soaked in sweat, but satisfied. Alhamdulillah we made it. It was time for a break. The main hike was complete.
After the 4 mile hike, some of us seemed to have lost our marbles…and decided to hike another 2 miles down the steep stairs. We even jumped over the stepping stones in our abayas and dresses, trying hard not to fall into the water. And no, there weren’t any crocodiles, except the angry lady who got annoyed waiting for our large group to pass by.
The Way Home
When we eventually made our way back up the gruelling steep incline, we got ice-cream and water. The clock hit 4pm, and our driver came back to take us home. After boarding the coach, we made duas and tried our best to stay awake for the party. We got to the masjid in ample time, bid the driver farewell and made our way to the top floor for the ceremonial dinner after Asr prayer.
There was chicken biryani, spicy egg curry and tomato salsa salad. It was finally time to go home for a good bath and a long rest. Alhamdulillah.
Thank You!
Thanks to Taleem Masjid, brother Fraz, all the organisers and volunteers behind it, our lovely hikers, our families, our donors, the coach driver, the kind sister who cooked us a meal and of course, everyone who supported the cause!
Thank you for reading : )
Editor: NS
GALLERY- THE HIKE IN PICS
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