By FATIMA SANDA USARA

He was once a tailor. Today, he sells threads for a living because age is fast gripping him.

For twelve long years, he nurtured a dream ? to one day stand on Mount Arafat in humble devotion to his Lord. For twelve years, he saved diligently, driven by faith and hope.

By 2022, when foreign exchange was liberalized jerking up the Hajj fare, reality began to dawn on him: his savings might never be enough to afford a flight to Saudi Arabia for Hajj. Still, he remained undeterred. If money failed him, he resolved to rely on his physical strength ? like the pilgrims of old ? to make the journey to the Holy Land.

With that conviction, Mallam Ismail gathered all the information he could around February of 2023 and set out, determined to reach Makkah by any means available. He braved insecurity and hardship, believing firmly that Allah would make a way for him. By the special grace of Allah, he reached Sudan safely.

There, he spent a month doing menial jobs ? anything honorable to earn a living. Eventually, he raised enough money to pay for a Hajj visa and a ticket from Sudan to Saudi Arabia. His dream was finally within reach. He began counting the hours to Arafat.

But then, tragedy struck.

Conflict erupted in Sudan in April of that year, chaos spread. Borders were shut down. Fear overtook hope. Mallam Ismail, who had come so far, was now trapped in a land gripped by violence. On Eid day, instead of praying in the sacred precincts of Haram, he prayed on unfamiliar soil, weeping like a child for what was not meant to be. The pilgrimage he had waited for over a decade to perform was snatched away just moments from its fulfillment.

Eventually, he was among the Nigerians rescued and returned home.

His story reached the ears of the NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, who was deeply moved. Mallam Ismail was invited and granted a Hajj slot under NAHCON?s Corporate Social Responsibility in recognition of his sacrifice.

The moral of the story is deep:

When your heart is truly set on worshipping Allah, rely on Him and strive with what you have ? without placing burdens or expectations on others. He will make a way out for you.

In an era in Nigeria when the wealthy lobby forcefully for Hajj slots ? despite that some of them have wealth sufficient to sponsor entire communities ? yet lobby without concern for whether such opportunities come through halal or haram means, or if their lobbying would deprive rightful persons from performing their lawful duties: Mallam Ismail stands apart.

He had nothing but his faith, his strength, and his determination to worship his Lord on Arafat day. In a world full of entitlement, he is a symbol of self-reliance. A humble tailor, now turned thread seller whom Allah chose and placed on a high rank.

In the face of privilege, this man is a hero.

? Usara is an Assistant Director with NAHCON.

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