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MEANDER

A SAUNTER ALONG CUCKMERE RIVER

Cuckmere Haven, East Sussex, Saturday 29th August 2026. Early Bird ends 23rd Aug 2026,

“And whoever holds fast to God is surely guided to the straight path.” (Q: 3:101)

Join us for our exciting thirteenth annual walk where we will be sauntering along the Cuckmere river on Saturday 29th August 2026. 

Scroll down for details of this year’s walk and please see our FAQs page for details about pick up points. the timings, transport, etc. Click on past saunters for full details of all our previous walks since 2012.

Click on Register to complete the registration process and view ticketing options.

Register
London Sketch

MEANDER

We are excited to announce our thirteenth annual walk!

Join us as we trod along the Cuckmere river and on the chalk cliffs of Seaford, East Sussex, from Litlington White Horse to the golf course on the outskirts of Seaford.

💫 This year’s theme is ‘the Straight Path’ – reflecting on an essential Qur’anic concept as we meander along the river and saunter up and down the dramatic cliffs of Seaford.

🌿 We will be joined by revered scholars and teachers who will draw upon the Qur’an, the hadith and relevant chapters from Imām Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya’s Madārij al-Sālikīn (Ranks of the Divine Seekers) to reflect on this theme in a meaningful way.

WHY SHOULD I ATTEND?

🌊 Reflect with purpose – amidst dramatic coastal landscapes in community with others.

🍃 Feel the breeze – walk coastal paths that stir the soul and connect you to creation.

🕌 Inspired by tradition – spiritual reminders from learned scholars and teachers, Qur’an recitation, poetry and communal prayer.

🍽️ Fish & Chips at the finish – with mushy peas and a cold bottle of water. 😋

🌿 Support the Q-Institute – all proceeds will go directly towards fundraising for The Q-Institute via our dedicated JustGiving page.

London Subjects

YOUR TICKET & TRAVEL

What is included in my ticket?

🔸Participation in the walk with the CEI community
🔸Several spiritual reminders and talks from esteemed scholars and teachers
🔸Delicious locally sourced fish and chips and a bottle of water.

What are the travel arrangements?

London: Friend’s House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ (Endsleigh Gardens)

Time: 9:15am

Crawley: Pease Pottage Services, M23 Junction 11, Brighton Rd, Crawley RH11 9YA

Time: 11:15am

Full details of meet-up points, travel arrangements, and more will be confirmed upon registration.

London Subjects

💬 “Come, come, whoever you are…” – Rumi

✨ It’s not just a walk. It’s a path to God, with the sea by your side, and good hearts around you 🤍

THE ROUTE

The walk will take us from the High & Over car park just above The White Horse in Litlington (Point A on the map), heading south down towards Cuckmere Haven through the fields to our first resting point (Point B), and thereafter down King Charles III England Coastal Path to the Coastguard cottages (Point C). From there, we will walk along the white cliffs of Seaford to (Point D) and to the golf course, our final destination (Point E).

We will pause along the route for short inspirational talks, Qur’an recitation and devotional songs, and stop by the golf course (Point E) to enjoy some food overlooking Seaford and the English Channel.

The route above is easy to moderate in terms of difficulty, and is approximately 5km long.

See the interactive map below for the route for Saunterer’s Path 2026. Click on the points to learn more.

Route plan fallback showing High and Over, Cuckmere Haven and Seaford Head
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Imagery © Esri, Vantor, Earthstar Geographics & GIS User Community
London Subjects

THE THEME: THE STRAIGHT PATH

This year’s theme is ‘The Straight Path,’ reflecting on an essential concept of the Qur’an in view of the meandering nature of life, mirroring the bends of the River Cuckmere.

During the pitstop talks, we will use the Qur’an, prophetic traditions (ḥadīth), and relevant chapters from Imām Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya’s Madārij al-Sālikīn (Ranks of the Divine Seekers) to reflect on this theme in a meaningful way.

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 1350) was a renowned 14th-century Hanbali scholar based in Damascus, Syria. He was an important Islamic jurist, theologian, and spiritual writer. He wrote over a hundred books on various disciplines, including Madārij al-Sālikīn (Ranks of the Divine Seekers), a comprehensive spiritual guide mapping out the spiritual journey of a believer towards God.

TEACHERS

Sh Thaqib Mehmood
Dr S Ashraf
Dr Ibrahim Harvey
Ustad Abdullah Colle 
Awais Rafique (Qur’an recitation)

Completion Connect
Completion Connect
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FIRST TALK: THE JOURNEY

The central topic for each stop will be based on Imām Ibn al-Qayyim’s Madārij al-Sālikīn (Ranks of the Divine Seekers):

‘On the stations of “You alone we worship”, in which the heart moves from station
to station in its journey to God the Exalted.’

This chapter explores the many stations seekers go through on the path to servanthood, including awaking, purpose, and resolve.

SECOND TALK: POEM

There will be a short talk on the following poem by Kahlil Gibran.

‘The River Cannot Go Back’

(‘The River Cannot Go Back’ is a poem by Lebanese–American poet and mystic Kahlil Gibran (d.1931) where the author uses the image of a river flowing toward the sea to reflect on the nature and greater purpose of life.

London Subjects

THE RIVER CANNOT GO BACK

By Kahlil Gibran.

It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.
She looks back at the path she has travelled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.
And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

Completion Connect

But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.
Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.
The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.

THIRD TALK: REPENTANCE

‘Guidance to the straight path cannot be obtained in the presence of ignorance of one’s sins or persistence in them.’

This chapter explores how, on a servant’s journey from one station to the next, repentance must accompany him all along.

Completion Connect

QUR’AN RECITATION 

Along the walk, we will stop and listen to live recitation of the Qur’an.

Join us as we celebrate 13 years of sauntering on the coast!

FISH AND CHIPS

All attendees will be provided with a bottle of water at the start of the walk, and as is tradition, we will end the walk with locally sourced fish, chips and mushy peas!

London Subjects

PREVIOUS YEARS

Saunterer’s Path is CEI’s annual summer walk. Since 2012, we have chosen a piece of coast to walk along in the south of England. Along the route we stop to recite verses of Qur’an, poetry, devotional songs, listen to short reminders and absorb the stunning scenery around us to reflect on God’s creation.

Click on past saunters for full details of all our previous walks since 2012.

Q-READ:
Join us for our next Q-Read: In Memoriam – Dr Hassan Burhan at The Wesley Euston, London, on Saturday 25th July , at 2– 6:00 pm Register to secure your spot.
Q-IMMERSION:
University of Oxford weekend of 5-6 September 2026, covering Sura Al-Mu'minun (Q. 23), Registration now open. Click on Q-Immersion for full details and to register.
Q-RIDE:
Starts Saturday 1st of August 2026: Registration for ‘ Q-Ride ’ is now open. Click the register to sign up and join.
Q-RUN:
Starts Saturday 1st of August  2026 : Registration for  ‘ Q-Run ’  is now open.  Click the register to sign up and join.
Q-CLUB POP-UP:
Now’s your chance to bring the Q-Club experience to your community. Check out our Pop-Up JustGiving page and join the fun!
Welcome:
Click on latest to see our latest announcements and follow us on social media.
CalenderREGISTER
Q-READ:
Join us for our next Q-Read: In Memoriam – Dr Hassan Burhan at The Wesley Euston, London, on Saturday 25th July , at 2– 6:00 pm Register to secure your spot.
Q-IMMERSION:
University of Oxford weekend of 5-6 September 2026, covering Sura Al-Mu'minun (Q. 23), Registration now open. Click on Q-Immersion for full details and to register.
Q-RIDE:
Starts Saturday 1st of August 2026: Registration for ‘ Q-Ride ’ is now open. Click the register to sign up and join.
Q-RUN:
Starts Saturday 1st of August  2026 : Registration for  ‘ Q-Run ’  is now open.  Click the register to sign up and join.
Q-CLUB POP-UP:
Now’s your chance to bring the Q-Club experience to your community. Check out our Pop-Up JustGiving page and join the fun!
Welcome:
Click on latest to see our latest announcements and follow us on social media.
CalenderREGISTER
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