Muslim Rugby Star Leaves for Umrah and Visit Prophets Graves

Madina, MINA – Muslim convert Sonny Bill Williams has travelled to a historic Islamic mosque in Saudi Arabia as he prepares for his pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Daily Mail reported.

The 32-year-old rugby union star, who converted to Islam in 2009, was led by a Sheikh through Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, also known as the Mosque of the Prophet.

The place of worship, in the city Medina, is one of the holiest sites in Islam and the place of burial for Prophet Muhammad.

Footage posted to social media shows Williams being led into an Islamic prayer by Sheikh Kamal Abu Mariam as they stand beside the grave.

‘What an amazing feeling visiting the prophets(as) holy masjid [mosque] in Madinah,’ he later wrote on Instagram.

‘Thanks to the Shiek’s for their insightful knowledge today,’ he said in another post.

According to the video’s caption, Williams will soon perform umrah – a pilgrimage to Mecca which can be undertaken at any time of the year, unlike the Hajj.

‘Dr. Sheikh Kamal Abu Mariam with one of our favourite NRL players Sonny Bill Williams at Masjid Al-Nabawi and soon to perform umrah,’ the caption reads.

‘May Allah accept from them both… Williams recently reverted to Islam… by the will of Allah.’

The cross-code superstar recently spoke to MailOnline about his faith.

‘I’m a proud Muslim. It’s given me a feeling of happiness and contentment I’ve always looked for. I see it as a responsibility,’ he said.

‘Before I became a Muslim, I lived up in a flash house in Toulon and would worry about where the pair of boots I’d ordered were or some rubbish like that.

‘Then I met a Tunisian family living in a one-bedroom apartment in the projects. They didn’t have much but they always had me round for breakfast and never asked for anything back.

‘They always asked Allah for guidance and it really struck a chord.'(T/RE1/RS5)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)