About Solace 

Solace is a UK-registered charity dedicated to supporting revert women facing difficulties beyond the shahadah for over 14 years. They provide essential services such as 1:1 support, Financial aid, Islamic will writing, and marriage support—whether they have been Muslim for two weeks or 20 years. Many revert women struggle alone, suffer in silence, or even question their faith due to life's challenges. Solace ensures they are never left without the support they need. 

About the Marathon

On Saturday, 21st June 2025, Aliyah Umm Raiyaan completed a 50KM (approximately 31-mile) walk to commemorate 26 years since embracing Islam. The journey took over 14 hours, and her goal is to raise £19,000 to provide essential support for revert women in need.

Aliyah embraced Islam in 1999 at the age of 16. Like many revert women, she faced loneliness, isolation, and a lack of support. Every revert woman’s journey is unique, and beyond the shahadah, the need for emotional, spiritual, and practical support remains deep and ongoing.

Aliyah Umm Raiyaan said: “I walked my first ever marathon - an ultramarathon of 50km (31 miles) by Threshold Trail Series, in Chichester! Started at 7.30am on a very very hot day. It was an incredibly special day for me as it fell on my 26th year shahadah anniversary.

I was joined by my friend and colleague Nez, I walked whilst fundraising for the charity I founded Solace UK to support women who have embraced Islam and find themselves in difficulty.

Midway through, I had to get bandaged up as my knee started playing up and my feet were really sore. At 41km, we were exhausted but gave each other a pep talk to see the rest of the 9km through. Then suddenly my friend felt a pop in her foot and was in agony. We were deep in the forest with no one around. I broke a thick long branch off of a tree so Nez could use it as an aid as she struggled to walk through the forest to the nearest road. I called for help and the organisers came to pick her up. I was going to stop and call it a day as was physically and emotionally drained at that point. But Nez looked at me and said, 'You go on.' And a Threshold Trail series team member said,  'Why don't you continue for the both of you?'

Nez started crying. I became emotional. And I knew I had to continue for Nez, for all the kind people that had donated to my fundraising target and for myself on my shahadah-versary.

I was the last walker on the route. As night drew in and darkness began to fall, I climbed the biggest hills of the route and walked through deep forest, alone, tired and in pain. It was dead quiet, dark and physically the hardest part of the route. But I was determined to continue.

After more than 14 hours, I finished at 10pm!

I want to thank everyone who has supported me. Alhamdulillah I did it!!! Nothing is impossible with Allah's Help.

I received a message from a sister who had been following my daily reflections from the last 26 years of my life as a Muslim that made me cry. She said..

By taking on this challenge, Aliyah is walking/running in solidarity with revert women, raising awareness and vital funds to ensure no woman walks this path alone."

You can still contribute to the fundraiser today and support revert women who say, “La ilaha illallah," not just at the beginning, but throughout their journey.

Where will your donations go? 

• Ensuring revert women get the support they need in a way that is customised and unique to each woman.
• Providing emergency accommodation to women who are left without shelter from converting to Islam, and supporting women with their mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
• Helping service users through marital problems and mediation with non-Muslim relatives.
• Providing psychotherapy for victims of abuse through our psychotherapy support programme.
• Guiding and supporting women in starting and running a business through our business training programme so they can have a means of livelihood.
• Teaching women how to manage their finances through our financial literacy programme.
• Providing financial aid for revert women in the UK, who are burdened by debt, or are struggling with their basic needs.
• Ensuring revert women, especially if living with non-Muslim families, are buried as Muslims through the burial fund…and so much more!

Your donation is supporting revert women like: 

• Hannah, who was rejected by her family due to her faith and was left homeless, seeking emergency accommodation.
• Jennifer, who faces loneliness in a town with a small Muslim community and needs a support system.
• Priyanka, who doesn’t have a Muslim family, needs an Islamic will to ensure she can have an Islamic burial.

*This is a Zakat-eligible cause