Two Siblings Replace Parents on Hajj Pilgrimage

Last year’s Eid al-Fitr was the final holiday Dona Putra, 32, and his two siblings spent with both their parents. The family lost their two role models within the same year. Grief over their father’s death had not yet subsided when their mother passed away just two months later. In a short time, Dona and his siblings lost the two people who had always been their home. Amid the sorrow, an unexpected responsibility emerged. Dona Putra and his older brother Doni were destined to become Hajj pilgrims in Group 14 from the Padang Embarkation, originating from Limapuluh Kota Regency. Their parents had registered for the Hajj queue in 2013 and had been waiting for their departure to the Holy Land. However, fate intervened. Before the call came, both parents had passed away. “Initially, there was sadness. We are departing to replace our parents who are no longer here. But we both strengthened our intentions, hoping that the Hajj we perform will also bring blessings to our late father and mother,” Dona said on Saturday (20/6). At 32, Dona never imagined he would perform the Hajj so soon. Together with his older brother, he received the transferred Hajj quota from his parents. However, accepting this mandate did not resolve all their problems. Once the transfer process began, they faced another reality: the settlement fees had to be prepared immediately. At the time, Dona and his family had no idea where the funds would come from. Initially, they even thought only one of them would be able to depart. “We thought maybe only one person could go because the payment was uncertain. But we kept trying and praying,” he recalled. Hope eventually grew from the plantation that had long been the family’s livelihood. After their parents passed away, the older brother chose to continue the family business by managing the citrus orchard and rice fields in their home village in Bukit Barisan District, Limapuluh Kota Regency. Unexpectedly, as the Hajj payment deadline approached, the harvest yield far exceeded expectations. The family had initially estimated a harvest of around 500 kilogrammes. However, when harvest season arrived, the yield was two to three times greater than anticipated. For the family, that harvest was not merely the result of agricultural work. It became the path that allowed the two brothers to pay for the Hajj and depart together to replace their parents. “Alhamdulillah, we were blessed with sustenance by Allah. It was from the plantation proceeds that the settlement could be made,” he said. While his older brother stayed to manage the family plantation, Dona had to make a different choice. To fulfil the mandate, he chose to resign from his job as an employee at an application company in Dharmasraya. According to him, the lengthy Hajj period made it difficult to obtain leave from his employer. “After last Eid, I decided to resign. Because the Hajj takes quite a long time and it was not possible to take extended leave,” he said. The decision was not an easy one. But for him, the opportunity to replace his parents in performing the Hajj was a mandate that would not come twice. Now, having finally arrived in the Holy Land with his older brother, his feelings remain mixed. There is gratitude for being able to answer Allah’s call. Yet, there is also longing for the parents who had long dreamed of this journey. Especially his mother, who during her lifetime often asked when their Hajj departure schedule would be. “The feelings are indeed mixed. There is sadness because we are replacing our parents. Moreover, mother often asked when we would depart for Hajj. But Alhamdulillah, we were finally able to carry out this mandate,” he said. Among the millions of pilgrims who come to the Holy Land each year, the journey of Dona and his brother may be just one of many stories. But for them, this year’s Hajj is not merely a spiritual journey. It is a journey to complete the hope their father and mother never got to realise. A journey that began with loss, was undertaken with effort, and was ultimately fulfilled with gratitude as the two brothers walked together towards Baitullah, carrying the names and prayers of their parents who had passed away before them.