Hajj: Siblings Visit Father's Grave In Makkah After Seven Years

From Kamarul Irwan Alias

MAKKAH, June 17 (Bernama) -- After almost seven years, two sisters finally had the opportunity to visit the Syaraek cemetery here, where their beloved father, Sajari Sawi, was buried after he died as he was performing the dawn prayer, when he was serving as a Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) staff member during the 2016 hajj season.

Nurul Syazwani Sajari, 32, and her sister, Nurul Farhanah, 29, who are currently in the Holy Land to perform the hajj pilgrimage, were brought by TH officers to the cemetery, located about 15 kilometres from their accommodation in Abraj Janadriyah, here.

As both entered the cemetery area with rows of unmarked graves, the sisters couldn’t hold back their tears, praying for their deceased father.

Nurul Syazwani said that she started to feel emotional seeing TH staff wearing uniforms similar to her late father's, when she arrived at the Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, on May 30.

“We had plans to visit my father's grave with my mother. Unfortunately, my mother fell ill and died two years after my father’s passing, due to cancer,” she said when met by reporters here.

The late Sajari, a TH staff member during the 2016 hajj season, died in a tent in Mina, Saudi Arabia, at about 6.10 am local time on Sept 14, due to a heart attack. He was 56.

Sajari, who had served with TH since 1985, and served as assistant manager of Zone 1 (Madinah) at that time, was buried at the cemetery after the Zohor prayer on the same day.

Recalling their last memories before her late father departed for the Holy Land, Nurul Syazwani said that her father asked her to pay attention to her daily prayers and look after her younger siblings, Nurul Farhanah and Muhammad Syamil, 28.

She added that her father was very happy to be able to work for the hajj season that year compared with previous years, He also shared his closely-guarded recipe of Nasi Arab, which he had not shared with family members before, despite being asked a few times.

Meanwhile, TH administrative unit staff member, Rashid Desa, 60, described the late Sajari as a good leader and friend.

“He was always soft-spoken, never rude and he disliked talking about other people,” he said.

-- BERNAMA