06 May 2024
At the end of April, Aspire Academy’s Department of Education and Student Affairs organised one of its regular Umrah trips for a group of student-athletes.
Nine student-athletes and two supervisors made the trip to Mecca to help improve the students' religious understanding of the Umrah pilgrimage.
Through such initiatives, Aspire Academy seeks to reinforce the student-athletes’ bond with their religious values and the principles of their religion.
The trip offered student-athletes an opportunity to devote an important part of their time to worship and get closer to God.
Aspire’s supervisors explained the Pillars of Islam and the correct ways to perform them, as well as I’tikaf (a ritual retreat) at Al Bayt Haram in Mecca, performed between Maghrib and Isha prayers, worshipping and reciting the Qur'an.
During the trip, student-athletes were also encouraged to do some charitable and volunteer work as they bought meals to hand out in the vicinity of Al Haram and the worshipers’ hospitality areas.
The trip also included classes to teach life skills and how they can improve the students’ daily lives.
There were also some religious and cultural quizzes to test their knowledge.
Mr. Abdul Aziz Al-Jedaia, the Student Affairs Services Manager at the Academy's Education and Student Affairs Department, explained the importance of organising these trips.
"At Aspire Academy, we ensure that our student-athletes learn everything that they can that will help develop their personalities and prepare them to face the future with confidence,” he said.
“In addition to our desire to offer them quality education and professional sports training to become champions in sports and life, we are also keen to guide them to understand religious values and ethics and voluntary social work.”
“In this context comes the Umrah trip initiative that we organise periodically for our student-athletes with the aim of reinforcing religious understanding, deepening their faith, and enhancing their spirit of cooperation and solidarity."