Categories
Kuwait Personal

What would help the old photographer

I passed by the old photographer this weekend. In our previous meeting I had asked him if there was anything that can be done to help him out and he had told me he needed a few days to think about it and a few days had passed and I was curious to what can be done. I was already brainstorming a few ideas in my head trying to think about what can be done to help him get back to his feet but I really couldn’t come up with anything long term. So I passed by again and we had another long chat.

He’s 80 years old and not in the best of condition. He has an employee he doesn’t trust, a store that only does photocopies, and he makes just enough income to feed himself and put a shelter on top of his head. He told me that he thought about restructuring his shop, to get into digital photography or at least upgrade his machine in the store. But he told me it would take to long for him to start making profit and he’s 80 years old and doesn’t have that much left to live. He then told me he thought about going back to his village in Lebanon but what would he do there? He doesn’t have anyone. His family all passed away, he has a half brother who he hasn’t spoken to in years but he’s also very old. He doesn’t have anything to go back to. He then moved onto the subject of death and how his family all passed away without every going on a hajj. He told me he doesn’t want to die without ever going to hajj.

I don’t know much about the hajj or how much it costs or if he actually can go being so old (I’m sure there are some kind of groups where young people help the elderly or something). If anyone would like to help me send the old man to hajj or at least if someone can post details on what the trip involves and who I could contact for information that would also be helpful.

In case you missed the previous posts here are the links:
In Kuwait since 1959
Update on the old photographer

67 replies on “What would help the old photographer”

Louka: Not sure, I need to find out how much it actually costs. If the amount isn’t that big I don’t think there would be a need to pitch I can manage myself I think.

Aren’t there foundations that finance poor people to go? Zakat house maybe?
Also, make sure his papers are in order, you wouldn’t want him to not be able to return to Kuwait or something.

They used to have Hajj tents accross from Souq Salmiya a few years ago that were up a few months before Hajj. Maybe you could go there and ask. I would think that they were for people to sign up.

Mark in the building I work there is an office which sends people to Hajj (dont know how that works) but I can atleast get that office’s information over to you. I dont speak Arabic so wont be able to converse or get more info.

Secondly; if the Old Timer permits may I sponsor a part of his trip for Hajj please? And also if he doesnt mind being sponsored by a Non Muslim.

As much as I would love to remain anonymous- I think in Islam you have to perform Hajj with your own money; but there is a solution – I could swoop down on his shop and get some copies done and pay 20 – 30 times. Dont mind doing it. Win Win for both of us.

Going to hajj should be with a Campaign and each one have different prices depend on the services they provide to the people who registered with them. This year prices for one person goes from 800kd to 7000kd depend on the service provided. And because he is not kuwaiti and traveling with kuwaiti Campaign, saudia arabia oblige him to pay 500kd to them.

So minimum he will need 1200kd ~1300kd

Mark, Hajj trips are allways expensive from kuwait. 100 to 200 Kd for UMRA trip ( lesser piligrimige) – There is a travel office called Ibrahim Pinto opposit Al Rasheed hospital in salmiya …may be you check with them for prices.

Actually, maybe not, because this organization is for converts…my friends who went for Hajj were also converts. But they might be able to suggest who you could ask..

Mark .. there are many ways to go to Hajj .. but given the age its best to go on a “hamla” (a haj sorta group travel agency) this basically takes care of everything during the trip beside creating good company .. there are many of the “hamla” agency … they come at different prices too … there’s one that I went with and it was really good and not so expensive and I know one of the guys that usually participate in it .. I’ll ask and let you know … but I think you should ask if he’s a Sunni or shiite because there are separate “hamla’s” for each… I think the cost can be managed .. but time is to be considered for the visa (if reqd am not sure), vaccination, and bookings etc..

Mark,
I think like Q8travelbud said that it also matters whether he is Sunnite or not. In Lebanon, there is a certain quota of non-Sunnites who are allowed to go to Hajj by the Saudi authorities every year. They increased this quota few years back, but in this man’s case, he is not even in Lebanon so i don’t know how it works.

I was surprised that you were willing to pay that much. I mean it’s very nice of you but obviously you had no clue how expensive are those trips. They plan for it years in advance usually.

You should have put something in the title about booze, religious people only come out to condemn you. 😛

If he wants to go personally, then set up a collection for him with everyone donating something like 5 KD or so and he can join the caravans that usually go. If his health is not up to standard then you can have someone go on his behalf.

Thank you Mark for your initiative to help
How can we get in touch with the photographer, where is he located to be able to get the details
I’m willing to pay for the whole trip, but i’m more worried about paper work, Visa, finding a Hamla that will accept him and take extra care of him being old and alone, .. etc

he can pay somebody 4x the money required and go do it on behalf of him

but i think that would be a bit expensive for him

allah y3eenah

Mark, you can ask courtyard Marriott (array) when the hajj exhibition will be held this year, every year courtyard Marriott organize a huge exhibition of hajj where they collect all the trusted certified hamlet and you can go to each ask about what the offers and their programs. I went last year to hajj and it cost about 1400-5000 kd , mine cost 1600 kd and it was good

Guys we don’t need a zakat house, they have enough ppl to take care of im sure… there is enough people on this site that contributions don’t have to be much and we can do it… the first 248am haj sponsorship, think about it!

1,300 kd… if 50 ppl pay 25 kd each we’d already be above the requirement… and considering we pay that much for a keyboard or an extra mouse, it’s not a big deal really… or a 100 can pay 12.5 kd… that a meal in some restaurants…

i think we can easily pull this off mark… just lead it.. put up the “telethon” or whatever and we can easily send this dude to haj

@project mayhem .. money is not an issue at all in here as you can say we can contribute .. I also can get people to pay it its not an issue … the issue is with the time and hajj travel complications that usually the “Hamla” people would have a better idea of … Saudia Arabia has a law on how many people not from the GCC are permited entry .. the restriction every year changes .. I know someone who worked (might still work) for a “hamla” and he can help with info but I think that Mark should first find out if he’s a Sunni or Shiite .. because it makes a difference to which Hamla to talk to …

Bureacratic Hurdle
1) He needs to join a group that is going. They will arrange where they stay and even arrange his shots – oh, yes immunizations – sometimes the take the bus or fly
2) He will fill a Lebanese quota – if he can get one…

Moral Hurdle
1) I don’t believe it’s religiously possible to pay for another’s haj
Haj is a Islamic compulsion but only if the traveller can pay with their own money.
You’ll are wasting your time –
give him,
1) a decent bath, shave, message and nail cut
2) company and conversation
3) a comfortable bed and other nice things

A HAJ? Nay….

some 7amlat can take him and you can pay extra to have someone else like a worker go with him and take care of him.. i think that is the best way and im sure you will find generous readers here to help with that.. i think its better for him to go than to have someone go instead of him because he wants to experience it himself..

he is barely making any money….so it kinda frightens me how much his employee is getting. i think i will investigate and find out how we all can help the employee

hi mark here is the thing a non Muslim can pay for a Muslim to go to hajj but this money can not be dirty money aka halal money and if it is halal money the Muslim man must ask a sheik or some one that is deeply in Islam to what he can do with the money so he can go to hajj.

@UmMahdi a Muslim and a non Muslim can pay for a person to go to hajj the money can be considered as a gift

he can go to hajj with a hamla and they would take care of him and some cost 1500 – 1700 KD and some even cost 5000 KD that is the full VIP serves

all he needs is a valid eqama and a valid passport it doesn’t matter if he is from Lebanon or any where he can go to hajj

and thats it it is good to know that there is still some good left in some people i wish you luck and i hope he can go and i will pray for him 🙂 🙂 🙂

oh and he needs to get some vaccination so he doesn’t get sick and they need to take some blood from him all of that is medical stuff 🙂 🙂 🙂

Guys like the others said, let’s find a “hamla” and they will let us know exactly what is needed regarding price, vaccinations, etc etc etc.

Everyone can contribute and inshallah all our contributions would be from halal money, but if it turns out that some of it isn’t then that’s on the contributor and not on the guy receiving… it isn’t his fault basically… so let’s not let that worry stop us from helpin out , you know?

Mark, since he’s lebanese sometimes it’s easy to know whether he’s sunni or shiite from his last name, which would save you the awkwardness of askin and would help us pin point a hamla…

biggest speedbump here i think is the visa part…

This Halal money from a non Muslim assumption is ridiculous. I’m pretty sure Mark isn’t working as a drug lord on the side.

If this is the case, then any Muslim who works for a “non Islamic” bank gets a “haram” salary since almost all if not most of those banks make profit off of interests which might be part of the salary that is given to the Muslim employees, and those Muslims may use their “haram salary” to go to hajj, so their hajj is automatically nullified since their salary is haram right?

Good intention is the key here, and Mark, everyone seems to have good intentions.

Probably I would be repeating what the others have said:
1. Find out if he is Sunni or shia
2. If shia then who does he follow from shia clerics e.g. Fadl Alla, Sistani, Khomeini…etc
3. Either way, one should ask a cleric if Haj is a MUST for this man considering his age, health and that he cannot afford it.
4. If he could have afforded it when he was young & Didn’t go that would be a problem
5. If a person dies before going to Haj, someone else can go in his place but if he is still living & it is his first time, most clerics would not approve of that.

Mark what is going on ??
You want to help this person improve his life status or just send hem to haj??
Every one here wants to send hem to haj and what Then?? What will happen when he is back ??
We forget about hem ??
I asked u for his address . As I have said in my comment on ur previous update on hem my in-laws have some studio shops here and there we might be able to help hem
they r in the same busniss and will be more able to help hem I hope
[email protected]

@Nael I just said halal money to put my point out to let people know that and by halal money I mean money that you worked hard not sat down and someone did the job and you got the money I only said it for information I didn’t mean that mark has any thing to do with it cause some people actually don’t know if they can give him money or no

🙂 🙂 🙂

Mark, the man is old and poor. Part of the “rules” in Islam is being able and having money to do so. If he has the money but is unable to go due to being old and/or sick, then the money can be given to another person to go on his behalf. All he (or in this case you) has to do is contact a “Hamla” and see how much it costs for a person to do Hajj on his behalf. From now until Hajj time, you can collect the money needed and that’s it. No need for visa, residency, vaccine shots, etc. That’s the way it’s done.

Look, the guy wants to go and thats all that matters. If he can, lets chip in and foot the bil, if he cant due to age and health then we foot the bill for a person to go on his behalf.

Simple.

The guy can go, and its real nice if he manages to go, but if he looks frail and tired, i think he should get someone to go on his behalf… that is allowed since:
a) he wasnt able to go before due to finances
b) he is too old and tired and wont be able to handle the extremes of hajj… it isnt a walk in the park

Halal Money !!!!!!!
Wake up people !!!!!!
Mark is trying to help and the guy wants to do Hajj and you are thinking if its Halal or not !!!????

Mark, just set a paypal account for “contributions” and this guy can go. Please keep the contributions hidden and give him a digital camera so we can document his trip.

Thank you for the great work so far.

Mark…. as Q8Sultana said we have to make sure that his residence permit is legal .

For the best “Hamla” in my opinion …its called Al-Shaygi there no. is 24929945

i tried to call them now but no one is answering

i think the price for it would cost between 800 up to 1500 k.d but am not sure

please Mark keep us updated coz i belive that alot of ppl would like to be a part of this

thx

thx a lot mark for the post, love the initiative. just as so many ppl said, if he can’t afford to go to Haij with his own money, he shouldn’t go

AmonA, i agree that if he cant afford it with his own money there is no must for him to go to hajj but comon ppl as he is 80 years old he is looking for what we call ” 7osen al khatema” so if ppl can help him why not

i mean we all speand at least 10 k.d for lunch in a rest in a day

why we dont help this guy instead we look for any reason not to help him

and for the ppl who said that the main reason was to help him improve his way of living comon ppl ….the guy is almost 80 that means as we say ” 2ger bel dnyaaa o 2ger bel 2a’7ra” so

please mark keep it up bro and lets help this guy to make this guy dream comes true

If he is willing to sell his shop then i will buy it and then he can have enough money to go to hajj and live fairly for the rest of his life ,, so if he is willing , there is a buyer ,, thanks and good luck ,,

A quick update on the age issue for Haj – it doesnt matter how old one is. I have seen old ppl suffering from paralysis too going for Haj with ‘Hamla’. He would perhaps require a helper to accompany him. People who can’t walk hire a chariot sort of thing for the Tawaf and other activities. May Allah fulfil this man’s desire to witness Haj.

no updates? I … time is ticking for Hajj … maybe Omra would be easier … anyways someone gave me a contact for al khrafi hamla i believe and this guy can help atleast with explaining all procedures and what help (non financial i mean) they can provide … please let us know of the updates

Sorry I’ve been meaning to post an update but just haven’t had time this week to pass by the old man. Basically a very kind reader met with the photographer and will be taking care of the trip for him financially. She even found a hamla that are willing to take him even though he is very old and they are now getting all the paperwork for him. I will post a proper post about this after I pass by him in the next few days.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *