Little did Keita, an imam of a mosque in Ivory Coast, know that his sermon on electricity would lead him to Hajj. This sermon attracted the Christian mayor of Danqili district, who was impressed by its content, which prompted him to sponsor the imam's pilgrimage trip.
Al-Aji Keita speaks to “Okaz”, and joy shines from his face, close to the ancient house, sweeping away the wrinkles of time engraved on his face. He leaned on his hand and asked us to sit next to him, recalling the tape of memories: “I stood on the pulpit of the Eid chapel to address the Muslims on the last Eid Al-Fitr. I saw the Christian mayor of our district, Danqili, in Ivory Coast, attending the chapel, so I diverted the course of the sermon to talk about our need for electricity. This was my main concern. I finished the sermon, and it did not occur to me that the dream that had slept with me for years would come true. The next day, I was surprised by a summons from the mayor, which I attributed in my mind to “electricity.” However, the meeting was completely different, as the mayor asked me: What do you think we should send you for Hajj this year? You Muslims are our brothers, and we must lay the foundations for interfaith dialogue. At that time, I felt that my limbs were frozen, and my feet were no longer strong enough to carry me.
Tears flow from Hajj Keita's eyes, 53, and he continues, "Don't worry…these are tears of joy. I never thought that my Hajj would be so easy. The other thing is that I am infatuated with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its efforts to support Islam and Muslims everywhere, and for years I have been wanting to visit it.”
Before we left the place, Hajj Keita whispered to us, "My wife is pregnant, and if she gives birth to a son, I will name him Salman, so that he may follow the example of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his name becomes a good omen for him."
Mohammed Al-Aklabi (Jeddah) @awsq5