Known as the “2 Muslim Night Riders”, Noor Alam and Ahtsham Arfan have been honoured with community pioneers award after inspiring people to ‘get on their bikes’.
The founders of the 2 Muslim Night Riders won the ‘Community Pioneers of the year’ award for promoting healthy living and advocating mental health while cycling and having fun at the same time, Asian Image reported.
“First of all we want to thank Allah, and send salutations on our beloved Muhammad (saw) and we thank our parents and our teacher Shaykh Ahmad Dabbagh for inspiring and guiding us on how to contribute positively to society. His famous saying is to ‘Be fruitful wherever Allah has planted you’,” Alam said.
📚 Read Also: Here Are the Winners of 10th British Muslim Awards
“To get the award was great, we actually didn’t expect to win and it’s very humbling to see the work we started two years ago and where it has gone now.”
The honor the two friends received was part of the British Muslim Awards, an annual award ceremony that honors the success and achievements of British Muslim individuals, groups and businesses.
Long Journey Together
Arfan and Noor Alam have been friends for more than 16 years. After the coronavirus hit the world, the two friends opted for cycling tours in Manchester at night to avoid gaining weight.
Now, the ‘2 Muslim Night Riders’ videos on YouTube showing their adventures have become widely popular.
“Our message has reached a national level and many different organization have contacted us from the Manchester city council, to the UK national cycling network,” Alam said.
“Many young teens and adults join us on our local rides. It’s all documented on our YouTube channel and promotes cohesion all across the board regardless of color, race or fitness level. Cycling is for everyone, regardless of background or fitness level. Our ethos is ‘Be simple be you.’”
Muslims’ approach to sport is often determined by religious, cultural, and ethnic factors.
In general, Islam promotes good health and fitness and encourages both men and women to engage in physical activity to maintain healthy lifestyles.