I’m awed by splendor and magnificence of the Holy Cities: A pilgrim

Muhammad Mujahid Syed Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Abdul Rasheed Ansari, who performed Haj this year with his wheel-chair bound wife Rizwana Khatoon, said that he is blessed by the Almighty Allah with a twin bounty — first allowing us to complete our Haj and then secondly giving us the chance to pray at his holy harams, that held us spellbound. “The splendor and magnificence of these Holy Cities have left us overawed. Our thanks to Allah for allowing us to complete Haj with peace and security and may Allah give reward to the Saudi government and our Indian Haj officials,” Ansari said. “I came for Haj with the help of the Haj Committee. My wife is wheel-chair bound but I did not have any problem. In every room there are four pilgrims. Our residence was neat and clean. We had medical facility to which we were with easy reach. In Madinah and Makkah our stay was pleasant. And we hope that Allah has received our prayers at these two harams,” he added. Abdul Rasheed Ansari, in an interview to Saudi Gazette, said he and his wife could come for Haj because of his daughter. “One of my daughters is an electronics engineer in BHEL, Hyderabad. Her husband too, is a mechanical engineer in BHEL. My daughter decided to send me for the Haj pilgrimage.” “I was very eager to perform Haj and was always seeing off my relatives and friends who had earlier got the opportunity to perform Haj with this prayer that Almighty Allah give me a chance too to perform Haj and to pay respects to our Beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, in Madinah. “All my prayers are for my daughter and son-in-law whose help enabled me able to come for Haj with my wife Rizwana Khatoon,” said Ansari, who was born in Amani Ganj near Rudauli, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh on June 4, 1943. His father Abdul Khaliq was a mill worker in Kanpur. Ansari had to face many hardships in life but he never quit and continued his education. He completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1966 from Kanpur University. In his village he worked with a business group for many years. Twenty-three years ago he decided to come to Lucknow where currently he is the storekeeper of Mumtaz Darul Yatama. He has three daughters, who are married. “In Lucknow I work with Mumtaz Darul Yatama. When I came to Lucknow I had some money from which I bought a small house. In Darul Yatama (orphanage) there are 85 boys and 45 girls. These orphans are well taken care off by our orphanage that is run by Anjuman Islahul Muslimeen Trust. “Mumtaz Darul Yatama has 22 rooms along with kitchen and other facilities. The orphans who are at least 6 years of age are admitted here. They can stay here till they reach the age of 18. For every boy and girl education is a must. They can complete their education up to the post graduate level. They receive education in schools and colleges run by our trust. They have medical facility. When the girls reach puberty they are married off like any other girl,” said Ansari. “There’s one riddle that I’ve not been able to solve. I have never seen any orphan coming back to our institution. After they leave, they forget their home (this haven of refuge) where they had spent a lot of years. Sometimes I have seen them in different areas of the city. Many of them are well off. I never found any of them unsuccessful but I think they never want to remember the hardships they faced in the early phase of their lives as an orphan. But an orphan, who has been taken care off by society, then he or she should also remember his or her duty unto other orphans. This is the real teaching of the Holy Qur’an,” he added.