PETALING JAYA: Losing her husband Abdullah Mat, 59, on their dream journey was the last thing Sarifah Hassan had expected.
Having prepared for years to complete their Haj pilgrimage together, 57-year-old Sarifah thought they had it all planned out.
However, the mother of four said God had other plans when her husband passed away from a heart attack while doing the tawaf (circumambulating) at the Holy Mosque here on May 19.
Abdullah from Pasir Mas, Kelantan, was the second death among the Malaysian pilgrims this year.
He died on May 19 from a heart attack, before he could perform his haj.
"I was the one who was sickly while here and he was always looking after me, making me eat fruits and drinking Zam Zam water. Yet, he is the one who has gone first.
"He was a man who loved looking after others and who was always giving. Back home, he would always donate to both of our villages in Ramadan and every Friday, he would tell the roti canai stall that all would be on his tab. It could amount to hundreds of ringgit at times.
"Even while in the Holy Land, he was busy handing out dates to other pilgrims, for he was that type of a person.
"There were no telling changes in him in his last days. I spoke to him the night before as we wives and husbands were staying in separate rooms for men and women here.
"I had asked if they were coming along for the late night prayers but he said the men wanted to rest and would go to the Holy Mosque for the dawn prayers.
"We were so tired on our return we slept off and that's when I got the early morning call that he had passed away at the hospital. It came as a shock as he had no prior illness of the heart," said Sarifah, who kept breaking into tears.
Abdullah's roommate Ashri Mohamed, 52, also from Kelantan, who was with him when he collapsed at the Kaabah, said there were no signs of him being ill prior to his collapse.
"The crowd was big and a minute before the dawn prayers, he just slowed down and collapsed. A doctor tried to resuscitate him but failed. They then took him to the hospital where we were told he had passed away.
"I only got to know him in Madinah as we were roommates and in that short time of a couple of weeks, he was always busy giving donations, be it dates or water. We would always be rushing but he would delay us as he wanted to hand out alms. Even when buying gifts back home, he would say they were to be donated.
"He also loved to take pictures and selfies. He always stopped us, his roommates, to pose for pictures. He was a jovial man who joked that we were to take care of him as he was the most senior among us," said Ashri, who never thought it would be such a short friendship.
A total of 31,600 Malaysian pilgrims are currently in Mecca to perform the hajj this year.
