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A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Rania Hafez, senior lecturer at the University of Greenwich.

A very good morning to you, on this last day of August, and our last summer holiday weekend.

This year, August coincided with the month of Dhul-Hejja, the twelfth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, also known as the month of pilgrimage. It’s the time of year when millions of Muslims from around the world embark on a once in a lifetime journey, a religious pilgrimage to Makka, Islam’s holiest site.

Pilgrimage has been a feature of the human story from time immemorial. The Kaaba, the square shrine at the centre of the great mosque in Makka, is said to have been be built by Abraham and his son Ishmael thousands of years ago. The Quran tells of God commanding them to build a house of worship and then to call upon believers from far and wide to journey to the site as an ultimate act of faith and communion with the divine.

People embark on pilgrimages for many reasons; for some it’s a confirmation of faith; for others it’s a search for meaning. We may choose to trek to far off destinations, or our quest may be closer to home. It’s a journey to somewhere where the heart lies. Somewhere that has significance, either in personal history or in association. This year, for the first time in 45years, I visited my old Catholic convent school. I came away touched by grace with renewed purpose.

A pilgrimage need not always be a religious quest. Many today will be making their way to hallowed grounds, to be part of a very important communal ritual…the football match. Even sport can be a pilgrimage.

Wherever the journey takes you today, may it bring you meaning, fulfilment and joy. And may God’s grace accompany you on the way. Amen.