ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani man who has worked at the Great Mosque in Makkah for almost four decades called his job a “great honor” and said though he visited Pakistan every two years, his “heart and mind” remained in Masjid Al-Haram, the Great Mosque that surrounds the Kaaba.
Ahmed Khan, 62, traveled to Karachi from Mandi Bahauddin, a small town in central Punjab, in search of better economic prospects in 1982. There he got a job with a company responsible for sanitation work at the Great Mosque and began working at the holy sanctuary at the age of 24.
Khan got his first promotion in 1992 when he was elevated to the post of a foreman. In 1998, he was promoted to supervisor.
In this undated photo, Pakistani worker Ahmed Khan performs his duties at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo courtesy: Ahmed Khan)
“I am always near the Haram, and this is a great honor that only a person with a special relationship with Allah can have,” Khan told Arab News in an interview from Makkah. “I am grateful to Him for choosing me for this blessing and keeping me here for four decades.”
Despite his commitment and devotion to the job, Khan said he had never thought he would spend his entire life in Makkah. In fact he kept telling his parents he would return soon, but instead got more deeply involved in a job that he believes is an “act of worship.”
Even lucrative employment opportunities could not convince him to leave the holy city, Khan said, adding that he rejected all offers for the love of the Kaaba.
In this undated photo, Pakistani worker Ahmed Khan performs his duties at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo courtesy: Ahmed Khan)
“I will never leave this job until my company is willing to retain me,” said Khan, who has two sons, one of whom works in the electrical department at the Great Mosque. His other son and a daughter reside in Pakistan.
Khan said he had seen the Kaaba through many stages, including witnessing its restoration during the reign of King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, which he said was the “most important and beautiful stage” of his life.
“Love, harmony, happiness, tolerance, mercy and peace can be found in every corner of the Grand Mosque,” he said. “When I got married in 1989, I could only live in Pakistan for two months. Now I visit the country every two years for nearly 45 days, but my heart and mind remain in Masjid Al-Haram.”
This undated photo shows a performance certificate issued on September 30, 1998, by the Saudi Bin Laden group to Pakistani worker Ahmed Khan for his work at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo courtesy: Ahmed Khan)
This undated photo shows a performance certificate issued on November 29, 2015, by the Saudi Bin Laden group to Pakistani worker Ahmed Khan for his work at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo courtesy: Ahmed Khan)
