Perak:<Text>

While many children use their 'duit raya' for personal spending or savings, 12 siblings from Perak were raised with a different tradition -- depositing their Aidilfitri money into their respective Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) accounts. The practice, started by their parents more than two decades ago, has now borne fruit, with 10 siblings and six of their spouses currently in the Holy Land to perform the haj pilgrimage for the 1447H/2026M season.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Muhammad Huzair Zakhal, 39, shared that their parents began planning for their children's haj savings from a young age by opening TH accounts and making consistent monthly contributions. "We never viewed duit raya as money to spend because most of it would be deposited into Tabung Haji," he explained. Although they may not have understood the significance of this practice during their childhood, the siblings now appreciate their parents' early efforts to secure their ability to perform the haj .

In addition to duit raya contributions, Huzair noted that his mother, Azizah Zaudi, 69, consistently saved RM10 monthly for each child, later increasing the amount to RM20 as the family's financial situation improved. This effort continued until all siblings were successfully registered for haj in 2009. However, when they received the offer to perform the pilgrimage this year, some needed to increase their savings to cover the journey fully.

Huzair recounted that when the haj offer came, not all siblings had sufficient savings. "We thought some might need to postpone it, but our mother still wanted all her children to go together and helped wherever necessary," he said. Among the 12 siblings, their eldest sister had already completed the haj last year, while another sister could not join due to health issues.

Besides financial planning, Huzair emphasized that their parents prioritized religious education, including Quranic studies, hadith lessons, and fo stering strong family ties from an early age. These values remain integral to the family's bond, even as each sibling has their own family. "While in the Holy Land, we are not only able to worship together, but also spend valuable time with siblings whom we rarely get to gather with in large numbers back home," he shared.

The haj experience has inspired the next generation in the family to continue the culture of saving. Most of the children already have their own Tabung Haji accounts, with some even registered for future haj pilgrimages.