Mother of eight martyrs performs Haj hosted by King Salman

The 60-year-old mother said her sons promised to take her to the pilgrimage but death was faster than their promise.

A grief-stricken elderly mother from Yemen, who lost all of her eight sons to the Houthis, was left in tears when she was invited by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman, to perform the Haj at his own personal expense.
Alya Zainullah, 60, said her sons had promised to take her on Haj, but after their deaths, her dream to perform Haj became even more far-fetched. "The Houthis took them one after the other. I lost all my eight sons. My grief has no boundaries but it was relieved by King Salman who helped me realise my dream," Zainullah was quoted as saying in Saudi Gazette.
Hailing from Maarib province in Yemen, the devastated mother said that due to her family's economic condition, her dream to perform Haj could not be fulfilled. "My husband was also poor so he was unable to send me to the Haj," Zainullah added.
She also thanked the King for helping her realise her dream and the Saudi government and people for the great services extended to all the pilgrims.
"My sadness over the death of my sons and grandsons was intermingled with happiness when I received the King's invitation to be one of his guests whom he invites every year for the Haj or Umrah," Zainullah said.

• Saudi Arabia