NEW DELHI: Arif Shah was delighted when he heard his name was on the list of people granted permission to travel from India to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year, along with those of his wife and son. After putting money aside for years, he had saved $10,000 to fund their pilgrimage.
When the Indian authorities declared a nationwide lockdown on Mar. 24 in an attempt slow the rapid spread of coronavirus cases, however, his family decided to cancel the trip and instead use the money to help others.
“We were really looking forward to visiting Makkah and Madinah for Hajj but the coronavirus intervened,” said Shah, 48. “We thought Allah does not want us to visit this year, He wants us to use the money for some noble cause.”❑
