Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

Sri Lankan couple serving the faithful in Makkah for 17 years

Sri Lankan couple serving the faithful in Makkah for 17 years

A Sri Lankan couple are extremely gratified for the unique opportunity to serve Hajj and Umrah pilgrims as well as visitors to the Grand Mosque in Makkah for about 17 years.
The couple, Ashraf and Fatima, are among 12,000 employees under the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques who are deployed in the Grand Mosque. The couple expressed their happiness for having been blessed with the honor of serving Islam’s holiest shrine for a long period of time. They praised the Almighty for bestowing them His infinite blessing to engage in a job that enables them to earn a livelihood and at the same time win God’s pleasure.

They recalled many unforgettable stories and experiences while working at the Makkah Haram.

The story began 17 years ago when Fatima came to work at the Grand Mosque. She was assigned to take care of the women’s prayer areas as well as prayer rugs spread out there. After a few years, she wanted to bring her husband Ashraf to be part of the Haram Presidency’s workforce.

“After four years of working alone at the Haram, I asked the Haram Presidency to allow her to bring her husband from Sri Lanka to work along with her. The presidency accorded approval for her request, and eventually, Ashraf was hired as a worker at the Grand Mosque,” she said.

Even though Ashraf was alone in Sri Lanka, he was busy with some activities there. Therefore, initially, he was reluctant to leave Sri Lanka for Saudi Arabia.

However, Fatima's persistent persuasion changed his mind and he decided to set out for Makkah. Now, he feels extremely happy to have this great blessing of working in the Haram and serving pilgrims and worshippers day and night.

“It is a matter of immense pride and happiness for me to work at the Grand Mosque. Fatima and I work in the same shift and assist each other, and we perform Umrah on a weekly basis,” he said while noting that the job in Makkah made their life totally changed and they feel blessed in serving the pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
×