Senai: After 14 years of patiently waiting and praying for the chance to fulfill her dream of performing the haj, Rohaya Abdul Kadir never expected she would finally be granted the opportunity to go to the Holy Land, sponsored by a kind-hearted individual.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Rohaya, 69, shared that her entire pilgrimage to the Holy Land was made possible by the generosity of an individual who wanted to express gratitude after Rohaya’s recovery from a 25-day stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to COVID-19.
She described the sponsorship as the most meaningful gift she had ever received, though she chose not to disclose the identity of the benefactor. “I was admitted to the ICU at Sultanah Aminah Hospital for 25 days due to COVID-19 in 2020. The generous individual was overjoyed at my recovery and expressed her gratitude by sponsoring my pilgrimage,” she said during the haj pilgrims’ send-off ceremony at the Senai International Airport.
The ceremony was attended by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, state Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid, and state Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah.
Rohaya, who has been serving at Masjid Pulai Utama since 2017 by performing the bathing and shrouding of female Muslim bodies, reflected on her challenging experience with COVID-19. She expressed that the ordeal deepened her appreciation for life. “After testing positive, Allah granted me the blessing of life and allowed me to return to my normal routine. On top of that, a kind-hearted individual came forward to sponsor my pilgrimage. I am truly grateful,” she said.
She is traveling to the Holy Land with her husband and is among the 142 pilgrims from Johor who left for Makkah. Meanwhile, Mohd Fared highlighted that a total of 3,800 prospective haj pilgrims from Johor will be performing the haj this year, including 500 individuals traveling under the state government delegation via 14 scheduled flights starting yesterday.