MAKKAH - Bintang Rugby asal Selandia Baru, Sonny Bill Williams hebohkan publik saat dirinya mengunggah foto diirinya saat Umroh dan berada di depan Ka'bah.Dalam foto yang diposting di akun Instagramnya ( @sonnybillwilliams ), Selasa (16/1/2018), atlit berusia 32 tahun itu terlihat memakai kain ihram di depan Ka'bah dan menulis "Umrah 2018. Peace & ❤️ my friends".Postingan ini mendapat puluhan ribu likes dan ucapan selamat dan ketakjuban.@naqiudinbaharudin: "Alhamdulillah sonny! May allah bless u brother 🤙🏻"@aimishafie: "Alhamdulillah. May Allah bless you ❤️"Dalam foto lain yang diunggahnya di akun Instagramnya, Sonny Bill Williams terlihat dibimbing seorang sheikh berjalan di dalam Masjid Nabawi yang juga dikenal sebagai Masjid Nabi.Masjid di kota Madinah itu merupakan salah satu situs tersuci dalam Islam, di mana merupakan lokasi Rasulullahdimakamkan.Dilansir dari, rekaman yang tersiar di media sosial menunjukkan Williams juga diajak shalat bersama dengan Syeikh Kamal Abu Mariam sesaat setelah mereka berdiri di samping kuburan baginda Rasulullah.“Sungguh ini perasaan menakjubkan mengunjungi Nabi di masjid suci di Madinah,” kata Sonny Bill Williams di akun Instagramnya.Sonny Bill Williams memeluk agama Islam pada 2009 saat dirinya bertemu dan mengenal keluarga Muslim dari Tunisia yang adalah tetangganya. Dari mereka, Williams melihat mereka selalu bersyukur dengan apa yang mereka miliki walaupun hidup di ruang yang sempit. Bahkan, mereka sering mengajak Williams sarapan bersama meskipun mereka dari keluarga yang tidak terlalu sejahtera.“Sebelum saya menjadi seorang Muslim, saya tinggal di sebuah rumah di Toulon dan bahkan selalu khawatir terhadap hal kecil seperti di mana sepatu bot yang saya pesan itu dan lainnya,” katanya.“Kemudian saya bertemu dengan keluarga Tunisia yang tinggal di sebuah apartemen dengan satu kamar tidur. Mereka tidak punya banyak tapi mereka selalu mengajak sarapan dan tidak pernah meminta pamrih,” tambahnya.
Sonny Bill Williams on Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca
@SONNYBWILLIAMS/ TWITTER Sonny Bill Williams posts a picture of himself visiting Mecca on an Umrah pilgrimage on January 16, 2017.
Sonny Bill Williams has made a visit to Mecca as part of an Islamic pilgrimage.
The All Blacks star took the trip to the city in Saudi Arabia before commencing preseason training with Super Rugby team the Blues.
He has been posting pictures of himself on Twitter and described the experience as "an amazing feeling".
Williams said on Tuesday that he had spent the morning visiting the Baghi Cemetery and "making dua" for some of the greatest people in Islamic history. Dua was a profound act of worship conducted by Muslims.
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The trip was an Umrah pilgrimage, rather than the famous Hajj, as it was being undertaken at the wrong time of year for the annual mass gathering of Muslims in the central location of the faith.
Participating in the Hajj was one of the five tenets of Islam, required by all practising members of the faith to complete at least once in a lifetime.
Before making the trip, Williams spent a month training with friend Quade Cooper, preparing for the 2018 rugby season.
Umrah 2018. Peace & ❤️ my friends pic.twitter.com/0YqiBZJW8w — Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) January 16, 2018
What an amazing feeling visiting the prophets(as) holy masjid in Madinah. pic.twitter.com/kmYtKZSDVL — Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) January 14, 2018
- Stuff
All Blacks and Blues second five-eighth Sonny Bill Williams has taken some time off from pre-season training to visit Mecca, as part of an Islamic pilgrimage.
Visiting the holy city is a trip that every healthy Muslim must perform at least once in their lifetime.
Williams was recently training with Quade Cooper in preparation of the 2018 Super Rugby season, before he made the trip to the Saudi Arabian city.
The All Black posted a photo on Twitter standing in front of the Kaaba, a sacred black stone.
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Umrah 2018. Peace & ❤️ my friends pic.twitter.com/0YqiBZJW8w — Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) January 16, 2018
Williams, who was the first Muslim to wear the All Black jersey, also visited the baqee cemetery and the holy masjid in Madinah, which was built by the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Read more: Rugby: Fasting Sonny Bill Williams: 'First week is toughest'
What an amazing feeling visiting the prophets(as) holy masjid in Madinah. pic.twitter.com/kmYtKZSDVL — Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) January 14, 2018
Another sports star, Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, took some time off in 2016 to visit Mecca, and a refugee camp in Jordan.
All Blacks and Blues player Sonny Bill Williams has paused his off-season training to visit Mecca, as a part of an Islamic pilgrimage.
Sonny Bill Williams visited Mecca. Source: 1 NEWS
The 32-year-old rugby union star converted to Islam in 2009 and visiting Mecca is a trip that Muslims, who are able, must perform at least once in their lifetime.
Before making the trip to Saudi Arabia Williams had been training with a strength and conditioning coach alongside Quade Cooper, Michael Boxall and Nikko Boxall.
Sonny Bill Williams visited Mecca. Source: 1 NEWS
Williams has posted photos on his social media of his trip including himself standing in front of the Kaaba, which is a sacred black stone.
"What an amazing feeling visiting the prophets(as) holy masjid (mosque) in Madinah," Williams later wrote on Instagram.
