What God wills, no frost can kill! The 82-year-old Pakistani pilgrim, Abdul Qadir Bakhsh, made headlines in both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia when he was seen wandering in Madinah a few weeks ago. He has been invited by the Kingdom once again.
Bakhsh is visiting the Holy Land on the invitation of Saudi Minister for Entertainment Turki Alalshaikh and will likely stay there for a while.
But the question is, who is this person and why did he become famous for performing Umrah where thousands of people go annually?
During the holy month of Ramadan in April this year, Bakhsh was noticed by many people for his unusual look. The elderly man was seen in a simple white dress, draping a white muslin cloth and a white turban, around the Shrine of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
Many Saudis liked the Balochi herdsman’s attire and compared his looks with some holy figures from the early days of Islam.
The overwhelmingly warm welcome that Bakhsh received made him an internet sensation in the Muslim world. While Bakhsh achieved what others couldn’t, his decades-long tale of compromises and sufferings gained much more attention.
The octogenarian spent years collecting money for his pilgrimage and did everything to get his passport made and renewed. Bakhsh reportedly sold his assets and goats and got a loan to be able to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.
“I still have a PKR56,000 debt to pay off,” Bakhsh said while sharing how he raised PKR256,000 for his Umrah.
Bakhsh is an elderly Baloch who lives a nomadic life with his four sons. Originally from the Marri tribe of Kohlu, Balochistan, Baksh spent over 50 years of his life in local migration and more than 30 years living in Sakran.
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