An elderly Pakistani Muslim who lost his leg in a train accident 50 years ago has arrived Makkah for the lifetime journey of Hajj, filled with hope and resilience to fulfill the rituals.

“Life needs a strong will and we can only live with hope and challenge,” 68-year-old Pakistani pilgrim, Muhammad Maimoun, told Al-Arabiya.net in Arabic after he arrived in Makkah.

“I am happy to be here. I will lean on my cane. When I feel tired, my daughter will help me with the wheelchair,” he added.

Maimoun added that since he lost his leg 50 years ago, he never allowed despair to control him.

Managing to save enough money to perform the Hajj journey, he said he can’t wait to mount Arafat with other pilgrims.

He added that he will try to perform the devil stoning himself to fulfill all hajj rituals.

Muslims from around the world pour to Makkah every year to perform Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.

Hajj consists of several rituals, which are meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.

Every able-bodied adult Muslim who can financially afford the trip must perform Hajj at least once in a lifetime.

Hajj 2019 will commence on Friday, 9th of August 2019 and will continue till Wednesday, 14th of August 2019; in the evening time.

It is highly recommended for elderly people to take a medical hand out for their health conditions; especially if they take life-saving medications. Also, youth are urged to offer help to elderly people during Hajj rituals.