Photo by Il Vagabiondo on Unsplash

Who We Are

Journey forth from your own self to God’s Self—voyage without end.

Jalal al-Din Rumi

Sacred Footsteps is an online publication dedicated to spiritual & alternative travel, history & culture from a Muslim perspective. Alongside our articles and guides, our podcast aims to highlight aspects of history and culture that are often overlooked, as well as trends within travel and the so-called ‘halal travel’ industry that aims to cater for Muslim travellers.


We offer uniquely packaged tours, that have a particular focus on encouraging sustainable, ethical and responsible travel practices.


Our Stories on Instagram take viewers on intimate tours around the world, and our annual Global Mawlid and Ramadan Stories showcase the diversity amongst the global Muslim community.



For press enquiries, advertising and collaborations email: press@sacredfootsteps.com | For submissions email submissions@sacredfootsteps.com

TEAM SF

All Members
HR & Accounts
Sales & Marketing
IT Support
Zara Choudhary
Founder / Editor-in-Chief
Zara Choudhary
Omar Rais
Editor / Writer
Omar Rais
Nadine
Social Media Manager
Nadine
Yasmine Ahmed
Content / Writer
Yasmine Ahmed
Asma
Editor
Asma
Shahira Yatim
Content / Writer
Shahira Yatim
Zulaikha Faatima
Editor
Zulaikha Faatima
Ameena Barhoum
Editor
Ameena Barhoum
Muhammad Hisham
Video Editor/Content Producer
Muhammad Hisham
Nabeela Khan
Content
Nabeela Khan

CONTRIBUTORS

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Zara Choudhary
Islamic Art & Archaeology graduate. Books, travel & all things green. Best travel moment? Sleeping under the stars in the desert in West Africa.
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Omar Rais
History-obsessed photographer and travel writer. Best travel moment? I remember this one time I was...
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Yasmine Ahmed
Lit grad. Writer of poetry. Travel enthusiast & mama of one. Best travel moment? Watching the sunset over Chefchaouen whilst singing qasidas.
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Shahira Yatim
Palestinian. Currently pursuing an MA in the History of Islamic Art and Architecture at SOAS University of London with a specific focus on the modern architectural history of al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Deeply passionate about preserving the Arabo-Islamic heritage of Palestine and particularly interested in exploring how architecture, identity, and politics intersect in the modern Arab world.
Mustafa Briggs
Mustafa Briggs
Graduate of Arabic & International Relations from the University of Westminster whose dissertation focused on Arabic Literature and Literacy in West Africa. Started an MA in Translation at SOAS with a specialisation in Arabic and Islamic Texts, before going onto al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt where he is currently doing another degree in Islamic Studies & Arabic. Rose to international acclaim for his ‘Beyond Bilal: Black History in Islam’ lecture series which saw him explore & uncover the deep rooted relationship between Islam and Black History.
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Abu Ayyub
Latino living in Istanbul. Combining a passion for seeking knowledge with a love for history and travel. Currently writing @andalusitales Best travel moment? Gazing my eyes upon the Alhambra.
Dr Abu Bakr Sirajuddin Cook
Wasi Dr Abu Bakr Sirajuddin Cook is a Research Fellow at Almiraj Sufi and Islamic Study Centre, Broken HIll, Australia. He has presented at a range of international conferences and published on various aspects of Sufism in academic journals. Currently researching the history of Sufism in Australia.
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Medina Whiteman
Writer, poet and singer based near Granada, Spain. SOAS grad in African Language and Culture, author of The Invisible Muslim: Journeys Through Whiteness and Islam (Hurst, 2020). Plant obsessed, highly tangential, mother of three. Best travel moment? Splashing among phosphorescent algae at full moon on a sandbank off Zanzibar.
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Prof. Hatem Bazian
Executive Director, Islamophobia Studies Center. Professor, Zaytuna College, Lecturer in Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures & Asian Ameri. Studies, UC Berkeley
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Sana Gillani
Based in Sydney/Gadigal land. Former travel-blogger (Wayfarer’s Compass). International Studies grad with a Spanish Major. Completing a Masters in Social Work. Lover of all things green and crafty. Traveling to connect with the Ummah and Islamic history. Favourite travel moment? Couchsurfing in Iran.
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Tharik Hussain
Ex-news journalist turned travel writer, photographer, dad, husband & full time teacher of Media and Sociology. Blogs as The Wandering Musulman. Best Travel moment? Being rescued by gypsies in the hills of Tuscany whilst backpacking as a young parent, complete with wife and hungry toddler in tow.
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Muazzam Mir
Commercial lawyer by day. Aspiring student of knowledge by night. History lover. Best travel moment? Stalking a tower of giraffes on horseback.
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Mohammed Khan
Londoner. Software Developer. Writer. Traveller. Best travel moment? Standing on the plain of Arafat with millions of pilgrims.
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Yaseen Kippie
South African Muslim. Traditional Islam student. Journalist. Politics grad. Best travel moment? A strange familiarity with a random street in Carsamba, Istanbul.
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Ali Abdelaziz Ben Saad
Co-founder & designer at Qayrawan Caravan. Studies Political Science & Arabic @ Seton Hall University. Instructor and ‘Uwaylim @ Safina Society. Aspiring ascetic & seeker of knowledge. Best Travel Moment? Walking into Al-Zaytuna Mosque, Tunis for Friday Prayers after the revolution of 2012.
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Dr Samer Dajani
PhD in Islamic Studies. Translator. Author. Best travel moment? My meeting with the Order of the Assassins in Masyaf in 2008.
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Heraa Hashmi
Biology grad. Language and linguistics aficionado. Creator of Muslims Condemn. Best travel moment? Praying Maghrib on the top of a hill after watching the sun set over Chefchaouen.
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Ismaeel Elkhateeb
Egyptian-American. Masters in Political Science. Passion for politics, Islamic history, and travel. Best Travel Moment? The overwhelming feeling as I saw the grandeur of the Sultanahmet Mosque from the roof of my nearby hotel.
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Zain al-Haddad
Zain al-Haddad read law in Malaysia. He then concurrently ran a bizarre participatory arts collective, a communications agency and Peace Meal Mukha Cafe (Kuala Lumpur's 'Rumi's Cave'). In 2014 he moved to Tareem, Hadhramout for 5 years to study sacred sciences. After living in London, Glasgow and Granada, he's back in Tareem where he also runs Ahlaha Studio and Co-Working Space. Best travel moment? Travelling for 3 days at 10km/h upstream en route the Amazon on a barge rented from cattle transporters.
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Timur Khan
Student of Middle Eastern Studies at Leiden. Researching the early modern history of Peshawar. Qawwali and harmonium enthusiast. Hoping to visit India and Afghanistan.
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Sasha Patel
Currently studying History & South Asian Studies (Hindi) at SOAS. Passionate about using the power of history to challenge current political narratives in regards to race & gender. Classical musician who loves reading postcolonial literature & visiting exhibitions. Best travel moment? Journeying through rural Gujarat to the White Salt Desert/ Rann of Kutch, India.
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Mohsen Saleh
Travelling teacher, bookworm, spontaneous writer and impromptu tour guide. Coffee enthusiast born and raised in Sydney, Australia. Best travel moment? Trekking from Madinah, to Makkah, to al-Aqsa and finishing at the Blessed Tree.
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Junayd Greer
Islamic studies, McGill and American University in Cairo. Student of Maliki law. Lover of books and history. Best travel moment? Winding through the misty mountain highlands of Northern Nigeria.
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Chantal Blake
New Yorker by way of Jamaica. Unschooling mom of two. Environmental Engineer turned Travel Writer & Plant Based Consultant. Passionate about spiritual parenting, sustainability & veganism. Best Travel Moment? Running into a seeker I met in California while praying in the courtyard of Masjid an-Nabawi.
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Blue Cairo
Omar Sheira and Bíborka Anna Kis are the founders of Blue Cairo. Through their page, they show the beauty of Cairo and revive the forgotten art of tale-telling, inspired by folklore, history, and art while involving the community.
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Bilal Hassan
Bilal Hassan is a doctor by profession. He also works as a photojournalist and travel/culture writer. He has been published and featured in numerous publications, including Vice, The Guardian, The Toronto Star, Al Jazeera, BBC and Gulf News to name a few. He also co-founded Pakistan’s first guided tour bus in Karachi called the Super Savari Express. He hosts his own food and travel themed podcast on Patari, a local streaming platform. In his spare time he enjoys traveling to off the beaten track parts of the country.
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Abdullah Sattar
Pakistani-Canadian writer. Passionate about Islamic theology, philosophy, poetry and tasawwuf.
Alex Reynolds
Alex Reynolds is an American traveller blogger. She shares her travel experiences at Lost With Purpose. Check her out on Instagram, where she is known for her candid (and often hilarious) Insta Stories as she travels solo in various parts of the world.
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Humza Sheikh
Canadian. Geologist. Photographer. Scuba Diver. Teacher. Chocolate & Travel Junkie. Best travel moment? That first tickle of wanderlust on my first backpacking trip, somewhere on the road between Istanbul, Damascus, Jerusalem and Cairo.
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Hafsa Adil Chughtai
Student of Psychology. Writer by passion. An avid reader of Islamic history and all cultures related to it. Best travel moment? Standing at the Tomb of Bulle Shah as the sounds of qawwali echoed through the air.
Muhammad Ayaz
Muhammad Ayaz Ramjaun
French born Mauritian from Paris. Accountant. Student of knowledge. Passion for Muslim heritage & producing creative video content. Best travel moment? Seeing the stars through a clear sky for the first time in Mauritius.
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Nishat Lal
SOAS Arabic graduate. Wife. Mother. Student of Anse Tamara Gray. Healthy eating enthusiast. Best travel moment? Wading through the spice fields in Zanzibar on my honeymoon.
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Rida Arif
Cultural heritage professional and documentary photographer based in Islamabad. Best travel moment? Walking into Hagia Sophia for the first time...actually, every time.
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Shafquat Arefeen
Studies Engineering at the University of Toronto. Spends hours walking all over Toronto and when he gets a chance, prints footsteps on foreign soil. Loves the adventure of reaching spots that others dare not go. Best travel moment? Climbing past the guided pathway and reaching the highest point of Gibraltar
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Muhammad A Twahir
Muhammed A. Twahir is from Kerala, South India and is a graduate of Jamia Markaz in Calicut. He authored a biography of Syed Fazl Pasha in Malayalam as a part of ‘Makers of Islam in Malabar’ book series published by Malaibar Press, India. He is currently pursuing his masters in Sociology at Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul. He can be reached at @el.malaybari on Instagram.
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William Barylo
Researcher. Film maker. Pizza baker. Baking Sociology theories at the University of Warwick and dismantling the Empire one video at a time. Best travel moment? Getting off at Kilburn station and walking to Rumi's Cave.
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Brooke Benoit
Californian living fulltime in Morocco. Art school dropout. Memoirist. Unschooler. Cactus aficionado. Best travel moment? Getting giddy on a bus with a youth group at no particular point on the journey between snowy mountains and the desert.
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Ali Abbas Ahmadi
A journalist and a photographer who is obsessed with history. I love exploring the nooks and crannies of urban spaces to discover new stories, meanings, and moments of magic. When not wandering around or taking photographs, I work for First Draft, a London based non-profit that fights online misinformation.
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Sukina Pilgrim
Performance poet, rapper, visual artist & workshop facilitator. One half of Muslim female Hip Hop duo, Poetic Pilgrimage, has toured the world with her music. Holds a BA in English Literature & Caribbean Studies & currently doing an MA in Cultural Management & Creative Industries. Favourite travel moment? Time spent with her father in Jamaica experiencing the 'Natural Mystic' of the beautiful island her family originate from.
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Mohammed Abdillahi
A History postgraduate student specializing in the medieval Islamic world at the Queen Mary University of London. Also enjoys looking thoughtful for no reason. Favourite travel moment? Being taught how to read Quran and play marbles with his grandfather in Somaliland.
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Samira Musleh
Doctoral candidate studying how work and money shape Muslim/human intimacies. Retired engineer anticipating the next big career leap. Lover of solo journeys, sad music, and soulful conversations. Best travel moment? Kayaking into Fajardo's bioluminescent bay on a pitch dark night and soaking my feet in its starry waters.
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Nsenga Knight
Nsenga Knight is an award winning artist who currently lives and works in Cairo and New York. She has exhibited her artwork at the New Museum for Contemporary Art, New York and numerous other museums and galleries. Knight earned a Masters of Fine Arts degree at the University of Pennsylvania, a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production at Howard University.
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Hasen Abbas
Hasen Abbas is a Torontonian by way of Harar. Lover of history, culture and travel. Most memorable travel moment? Watching the sun set over Istanbul on the courtyard of Sultan Suleymaniye Cammii.
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