A heartwarming tale of unwavering faith and perseverance has emerged from the holy city of Makkah, where a 62-year-old visually impaired Malaysian woman, Zawiah Mohamad, is among the pilgrims participating in the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage. Despite living in darkness for nearly four decades, Zawiah’s journey to the sacred land has touched many, inspiring fellow pilgrims and observers alike.
Zawiah, a retired teacher, lost her sight at the age of 24 due to complications from glaucoma, a condition she had battled since her teenage years. The critical point came in 1987, during her first pregnancy. Medical experts had urged her to undergo immediate surgery and consider terminating the pregnancy in an attempt to salvage what was left of her vision. However, with strong conviction and maternal instinct, she declined the procedure and chose instead to carry her pregnancy to term, accepting the risk of permanent blindness.
Her decision, one rooted in deep faith, led to the birth of a healthy baby boy in 1988. While she never saw her child with her eyes, Zawiah describes his arrival as a divine gift that gave meaning to her sacrifice. Over the years, she adapted to her new reality with the support of her family, continuing to live a quiet but purposeful life.
Today, her long-held dream of performing Hajj has come to fruition. Speaking from Makkah, Zawiah shared her emotional experience: “Even though I can’t see, I feel everything. When I touched the walls of the Kaaba and heard the talbiyah being recited around me, I knew in my heart that Allah had brought me here. It’s a moment I will never forget.”
Accompanied by her devoted husband, Mohd Isa Yakob, and their daughter, Nor Salehah, who temporarily suspended her nursing studies to assist her mother throughout the pilgrimage, Zawiah has already completed some of the core Hajj rites including the Tawaf and the Sa’i between Safa and Marwah. As she prepares for the next phase of the pilgrimage known as the Masyair, her resilience remains evident in every step she takes, guided by her family’s support and her unwavering faith in Allah.
Fellow pilgrims have described Zawiah as a source of inspiration in Makkah, with many touched by her quiet strength and spiritual devotion. Her journey underscores a profound truth of the Hajj—that the pilgrimage is not just a physical act of worship, but also a spiritual one that transcends physical limitations.
Zawiah’s story is a testament to the human spirit and the power of faith in the face of adversity. Blind for nearly 40 years, yet spiritually enlightened, she now joins the ranks of millions of Muslims fulfilling a lifelong aspiration—to stand before the Kaaba and surrender wholly to the will of Allah. Her presence in Makkah this year is not only a personal victory but a reminder that with faith, determination, and support, even the most daunting obstacles can be overcome.
