Turki Al-Sheikh, an adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, became curious about how to get in touch with the old Pakistani shepherd who has become an unlikely social media sensation after a video of him wandering the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah went viral. The shepherd is seen in the video barefoot and frail, with a long muslin cloth draped over his turban.
Abdul Qadir Bakhsh, 82, did Umrah on Saturday and came home to the village of Goth Haji Rahim in Hub, Balochistan on Saturday. He does not have a phone.
Bakhsh had been saving for 15 years in order to undertake the pilgrimage, and it was during his interview with Arab News in his hut on Sunday that he first watched his viral video.
I no longer have any concerns,” he declared. My soul is fulfilled. I have plenty to eat and am content with my situation. My ambition to visit the holy prophet’s tomb and the city of Makkah has come true.
Bakhsh is seen in the video, which has over a million views, using a walking stick to help with his fading eyesight as he walks alone and frequently turns around, as if he is lost and searching for someone.
Arabs on social media were struck by his look, with some drawing parallels between his modesty and that of well-known Islamic figures.
After returning home to his hamlet, he sat on the floor of a makeshift hut constructed from tree trunks and grass as visitors came and went, congratulating him on fulfilling a lifelong desire by making the trek.
Bakhsh has been selling his goats to fund his goal for a long time.
He described his overwhelming joy at first sight of Makkah. Even though he could only speak Balochi, he managed to find his way to the city without a guide. However, he claimed that his prayers were finally fulfilled after he reached the Kaaba.
He said, “I wandered around until I finally reached there,” and then he said, “At the shrine of the prophet, I wept.” “I thanked God for leading me to this place.
It was there that the video, whose creator is still a mystery, was shot and uploaded.
Bakhsh repeated the pilgrimage to Mecca. Now that he’s back home, he’s making plans to save up for Hajj, the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition.
I prayed to Allah at the Kaaba, saying, “I don’t know this place, so please be my guide. For the life of me, I can’t find a map or a guide. Since I am not particularly well-educated and suffer from poor eyesight, I think it is best that I stay here if I ever become ill. He pleaded, “Guide me, since you are my sole guide; lead me to your secrets.
And, he went on to say, God had heard his supplications.
