Manama: A picture of an elderly disabled man crawling to perform group prayers in a nearby mosque has gone viral in Saudi Arabia and prompted calls to the social affairs ministry to extend much-needed help.
Abdullah Asiri has been crawling to the mosque five times a day for decades and has invariably refused to take advantage of the religious licence to pray at home as he is disabled and going to the mosque for group prayers is a huge challenge, his family said.
The sons have placed long carpets to ease the pain of crawling in the secluded area under the scorching summer heat and the pinching cold winter, local news site Al Marsad reported on Wednesday.
Online comments praised Abdullah for his singular courage and his sons for their support, but called on the authorities to step in and provide much-needed help.
Some users suggest businessmen donate a wheelchair to help alleviate the elderly man’s suffering.
Ayedh Al Qarni, a well-known preacher in the Gulf, posted the picture on his Twitter account and asked people to contemplate the courage of the old man.
