Makkah: Three siblings were overjoyed and grateful after being selected to perform the Haj this year, believing their long-awaited dream of becoming guests of Allah together with their parents had finally come true. However, the family's plans changed after medical examinations found that their mother, Nazifah Abdul Latif, 73, who suffers from asthma, and their father, Mohd Mustafa Yahya, 71, who has a heart condition, were unable to proceed with the pilgrimage. Of the six family members who had originally planned to travel together, only the three siblings eventually arrived in Makkah for this year's Haj season.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Siti Munirah Mohd Mustafa, 38, said they had envisioned from the very beginning that they would care for their parents throughout their stay in the Holy Land. They had already planned how to look after them, with her younger brother taking care of their father, while Munirah and her sisters would assist their mother. However, after the medical results were revealed, they had to accept that Allah had not invited them this year. Although grateful for the opportunity to fulfill the fifth pillar of Islam, Munirah admitted the journey felt incomplete without their parents beside them.
As millions of pilgrims gathered at the Plain of Arafah, the three siblings agreed to offer the same heartfelt prayer: that their parents would be blessed with good health and granted the opportunity to perform Haj in the future. For Munirah, the prayer carries deep meaning because their presence in the Holy Land today was made possible through the sacrifices of their parents, who began saving for their children's Haj journey from an early age. Every duit raya, gift, and personal saving was carefully deposited into Tabung Haji accounts, and their parents registered all their children for Haj as early as 2009.
Munirah emphasized that their family was not wealthy. Their parents raised four children on modest incomes as civil servants, yet continued saving little by little to ensure their children would one day have the chance to be there. Although saddened that their dream of performing Haj together had yet to materialize this year, they chose to accept the situation with an open heart and believed there was wisdom behind every test. Their eldest sister, who had also received an offer to perform Haj, decided to postpone her pilgrimage to care for their parents at home and accompany them should they be called for Haj in the coming years.
Munirah expressed their belief that if Allah had made their journey possible, He could also open the way for their parents at the right time. She said that one of the prayers they hope will be answered most is for their parents to be blessed with good health and given the opportunity to perform Haj in the future.