Dream come true: Parents guided by son as ‘Muzawwir’ in Madinah

MADINAH: For husband and wife Mohd Nasir Yusof and Ruzila Ab Halim, who embarked on the haj pilgrimage this year, nothing fills them with more pride than seeing their beloved eldest child welcoming them upon their arrival in the Holy City of Madinah.

The couple, who reside in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, were even more delighted as their son Muhd ‘Atiqullah, 22, who is currently pursuing a preparatory course in Arabic at the Islamic University of Madinah, served as their Muzawwir (tour guide) during their visiting programme, including to Mount Uhud, Quba Mosque and date palm farms.

Ruzila, who works as an Arabic language teacher at a school in Kelantan, said she never imagined that her dream of seeing her eldest son become their guide during haj would come true.

The mother of five noted that their turn to perform haj was slated for last year, but they did not receive the offer letter until they updated their address. It was only then that Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) issued the offer letter for this year’s pilgrimage.

“There’s certainly wisdom behind it because if it had been last year, my son would still be in his first year of studies. But now, praise be to Allah, he stands as a Muzawwir for me and my husband. “Previously, when he informed us that he received an offer to study at the Islamic University of Madinah, I expressed my desire for him to be my guide if had the opportunity to perform haj,” she said during a visiting programme here.

Meanwhile, Muhd ‘Atiqullah, one of the 88 students from the university who serves as a Muzawwir this year, expressed his joy upon reuniting with his parents in Madinah after more than a year apart.

“I only learned about my parents performing haj a month ago. At that time, I wasn’t sure if I would be selected to serve as a Muzawwir. It was only a few days before my parents’ departure that I received confirmation when a friend added me to the WhatsApp group for the ‘ziarah luar’ programme committee members,” he said.

Previously, Muhd ‘Atiqullah pursued diploma studies in Egypt, but within a year, he received an offer to continue his education at the Islamic University of Madinah, focusing on Quran and Sunnah studies.

Muzawwir is a group that provides detailed explanations to Malaysian haj pilgrims during visits to historical sites in Madinah, while Mutawwif are those who guide pilgrims during the haj or umrah pilgrimage.