DJ Goes on Hajj, Ali Topan's Story of Ups and Downs to the Holy Land

DJ Naik Haji, Cerita Ali Topan Jatuh Bangun Bisa ke Tanah Suci

DJ Naik Haji, Ali Topan's Story of Ups and Downs to Reach the Holy Land

Dream - Ali Topan (45) has long intended to go on a pilgrimage. However, the man from Surabaya could only leave today. Not immediately, he had to queue. His strong determination to become a guest of Allah required him to save money. Luckily, Ali had another skill besides being a journalist, which is being a disk jockey (DJ). "Alhamdulillah, after waiting for 13 years, it's finally his turn. Alhamdulillah," he said in Mecca, Tuesday, May 28, 2024.

Ali has a special mission to depart to the Holy Land, which is repentance and praying for one of his autistic children. In Mecca, he is determined to pray for his 21-year-old child at Multazam, one of the places where prayers are answered. Ali wants his child, who is currently studying at a special school in Surabaya, to be able to live a normal life like everyone else. For 21 years, Ali has patiently and understandingly taken care of his child named Aziz.

DJ Goes on Hajj, Ali Topan's Story of Ups and Downs to the Holy Land

"I want to ask Allah that my child can live a normal life like everyone else," said Ali. "So you could say that a disk jockey is going on a pilgrimage. I want to be like a baby again after returning from the Holy Land. I know the best gifts are here," he added. He said that there are many DJs who go on a pilgrimage. Being a DJ is just a job that happens to be closely related to the nightlife. But he promised himself that he will become even better after returning. "After returning, I want to retire. Just play DJ at home," he said.

Two resolutions are what made Ali not give up waiting for 13 years even though he always encountered trials on his journey. The feeling of despair continues to arise when the trial comes. The first trial was when he almost couldn't pay for the pilgrimage on time. "I almost failed 99 percent, sir. In short, I was sad and cried because of the administration. I didn't have enough money. But I believe that if Allah calls, I will definitely depart," he said.

"In early 2024, he received a notification letter regarding the deadline for the payment of Hajj expenses. However, at that time Ali did not have any money at all. Ali eventually had to borrow from here and there in order to pay off the expenses."

Ali is relieved to be able to get a loan. However, a problem arose when he went to Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) on February 12, 2024. When he came to make the payment, Ali was rejected due to administrative issues. The problem was that he did not have a medical checkup (MCU) letter from the hospital. Even though at that time, the bank's services would close in a few hours. "The bank teller said that the payment was closed until 15.00," said this father of two. Ali then rushed to the community health center to request a health certificate. The letter was immediately submitted to BSI, but it was rejected because what was needed was an MCU, not a health certificate.

Ali is helpless. He intends to return the loan money from his friend. But suddenly a miracle happened. The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) extended the deadline for BIPIH repayment until February 24. Ali feels relieved. However, just before the extended repayment, suddenly his child fell ill. His other child also needs money to enroll in school.

"Terpaksa uang yang rencananya digunakan untuk melunasi Bipih diambil untuk anak-anaknya itu. 'Enggak tahu mbak saya bingung. Linglung, menghayal apa bisa haji atau tidak. Sama security bank katannya koyok wong gendeng,' katanya." Translation: "The money that was planned to be used to pay off Bipih was taken for his children. 'I don't know, sister, I'm confused. Dazed, wondering if I can go on Hajj or not. According to the security bank, it seems like a fool,' he said."

"In a moment when Ali couldn't think, a miracle happened. A friend whom he hadn't seen in almost seven years called him. After asking about his well-being, Ali told him about his condition. Without hesitation, his friend immediately helped cover the repayment costs. Ali felt relieved. The series of trials finally came to an end. His desire to visit the Baitullah finally came true. He was even asked to become the leader of the group of 7 that departed from the Surabaya-Asrama Haji Sukolilo embarkation."

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