Makkah: For Yahya Che An, the journey to perform the Haj was paved with both sacrifice and unwavering faith. To fulfil the fifth pillar of Islam, he made the difficult decision to sell one of his two homes so that he and his wife could travel to Makkah together.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, at 71, the murtabak seller from Batang Kali, Selangor, said he sold the house to his son for RM100,000 – money he used to realise a dream he had shared with his wife, Nor Aini Abdullah, 66, for the past 25 years.

Yahya feared divine questioning about not performing the Haj despite having the means and decided to sell the house. He expressed to his wife that their worldly possessions were insignificant compared to their deeds. The couple felt immense gratitude upon completing the pilgrimage, marking a lifelong aspiration.

Yahya shared his experience at the Abraj Al-Janadriyah Hotel in Makkah after returning from Mina, where he and his wife accomplished nafar thani. Despite his age-related physical challenges, he was grateful to have completed the journey. He recounted the difficulties faced in Mina, such as long waits for facilities and the intense heat during the stoning ritual, where he sought assistance from his nephew.

Yahya had long desired to perform Haj but delayed it to focus on raising his six children, who have grown into responsible individuals, pursuing various professional and academic paths. Before starting his murtabak business, Yahya was a lorry driver and later invested his pension in a small business, selling murtabak from his vehicle in Batang Kali since 2009.

As of yesterday, Malaysian pilgrims opting for nafar thani have started returning to their accommodations in Makkah after the stoning ritual at Mina. They will complete their pilgrimage with the final tawaf and sa’i before returning home.