MAKKAH: The Pilgrims Fund Board or Tabung Haji (TH) has pledged that the needs of visually impaired pilgrims will be fully supported during this year’s haj, with special attention given to enabling their participation in the key rite of wukuf in Arafah.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said 11 pilgrims with visual impairments are currently in the Holy Land for the annual pilgrimage and will be accompanied by trained support personnel to ensure they can complete the pilgrimage.
“TH staff, including sahabat maktab (pilgrim companions), are fully prepared to prioritise the needs of disabled pilgrims. This is about ensuring they too can achieve haji mabrur (a fulfilling and accepted haj),” he told reporters after a meet-and-greet event with Malaysian pilgrims here today.
In a step towards greater inclusion, the minister also launched a Braille version of the Haj and Umrah guidebook, a collaboration between TH, the Ibn Ummi Maktum Research Centre (UMMI) of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) and the Malaysian Islamic Association for the Visually Impaired (PERTIS).
“I congratulate TH on this meaningful effort, as this guidebook will benefit our visually impaired pilgrims and may inspire others still waiting for their chance to perform the haj,” he said.
He added that any additional support required by disabled pilgrims would be provided promptly to ensure smooth access to services throughout the pilgrimage.
As preparations intensify ahead of wukuf, considered the pinnacle of the haj, set to take place this Thursday (June 5), the minister urged all pilgrims to prioritise their health.
“Haj cannot be completed without wukuf in Arafah. We want no one to miss it due to illness in the final 24 hours,” he warned.
Among this year’s visually impaired pilgrims is Nai’mah Mansor, 64, a retired schoolteacher from Kuala Terengganu who lost her sight completely just two years ago.
Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in her youth and later glaucoma at 55, she became fully blind in 2023. Yet, she has since mastered Quranic Braille.
“I never missed a single day of practice, even if just for an hour. Maybe that’s why I picked it up quickly. Now I’m able to teach it to others too,” she said.
