PILGRIMS SERVE PILGRIMS UNDER SAHABAT MAKTAB IN HOLYLAND

MAKKAH, May 26 (Bernama) -- The initiative of Pilgrims Fund Board (TH) in creating Sahabat Maktab since 2006 has turned into one of the best platforms for pilgrims to spread kindness and aid their own group thus giving them the opportunity to enhance their charity while in the Holy Land.

For Dr Nazil Nuhairi Ismail, 47, his experience of 23 years in the field of medicine is not simply left behind in his homeland once he has the title of 'Duyufurrahman' as it should be fully utilised to help the less healthy pilgrims who share the same group or college as him.

This is because for him, worship in the Holy Land has a broad meaning and is not only focused on specific worship such as praying or dhikr alone.

"Serving is also a very big act of worship, even if you look in the hat there are people whose job is to greet the pilgrims at that time. Some bring drinks, some take care of charity and this is also a big act of worship.

"So when I was told by my wife Wan Nor Hasnita Wan Daud, 45, about this Sahabat Maktab, I invited her to join as soon as she arrived in Makkah on May 18 so that she could contribute some treatment knowledge to guests of Allah," he said.

He was met after the launch of Sahabat Maktab and the handing over of 'vests' and hats to members of Sahabat Maktab by the head of the Hajj Group 1445H/2024 Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman.

As for Wan Nor Hasni, before becoming a member of Sahabat Maktab, she and her husband helped an elderly male pilgrim who was tired after getting lost while performing Umrah for the first time recently.

"The elderly pilgrim's wife shared a room with me, her husband was sick because he had wandered far away, so I called my husband because I knew he was not sick normally, so before the Hajj Fund medical team arrived, I called my husband for a check-up first.

"The man was very tired, exhausted, dehydrated, lethargic and weak, which caused us to immediately contact the TH medical team before the situation became more serious since my husband did not bring any medical equipment to the Holy Land," she said.

Meanwhile, Syed Saleh said that this year's hajj season, a total of 315 Sahabat Maktab personnel have been selected from more than 500 applications received in Malaysia to work in nine groups or colleges without any remuneration.

Sahabat Maktab, he said, consisting of Sahabat Hujjaj, Sahabat Ibadat and Sahabat Medik will work together to help the Hajj staff manage the smooth activities of the pilgrims at the college, especially during the Masyair operation.

"For each college, we will select a total of 35 people consisting of 29 Hujjaj friends and three each for Sahabat Ibadat and Sahabat Medik,” he said.

He said those selected among the pilgrims who are healthy, young and have volunteer spirit and are highly motivated as well as skilled will also help the elderly pilgrims who need help as well as pilgrims performing their first Umrah.

-- BERNAMA