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Billionaire industrialist and BUA Group Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu has described his entry into the Holy Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, alongside President Bola Tinubu as an “honour beyond measure” and a once-in-a-lifetime blessing.
He made this known in a Facebook post on Sunday night alongside a photo with the Nigerian leader.
He wrote, “Some moments in life are beyond words, moments that touch the soul and remain forever engraved in the heart.
“Alhamdulillah, today I was profoundly humbled and blessed to be among those granted the extraordinary honour of entering the Holy Kaaba alongside His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime blessing, an honour beyond measure, and a moment of divine grace that will remain etched in my heart for as long as I live.
“This deeply sacred experience was one of immense gratitude, reflection, and renewed faith in the infinite mercy and blessings of Almighty Allah.
“In that most sacred of places, my thoughts and prayers were not only for myself and my family, but for our entire nation.
“May Almighty Allah accept our prayers and bless our beloved nation with lasting peace, unity, and prosperity.”
The entry into the Kaaba is one of the rarest privileges in Islam. The door of the Kaaba is opened only a few times a year for dignitaries and special guests by permission of the Saudi Royal Court.
Rabiu was part of a delegation that joined President Tinubu in Makkah for Umrah, the lesser Hajj, on Friday.
The delegation included Group Chief Executive Officer of Oando, Wale Tinubu, state governors, and other senior government officials.
According to the presidency, Tinubu performed the Umrah rites early Friday at the Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram, where he circled the Holy Kaaba and prayed for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and economic prosperity.
At a dinner in Makkah on Saturday for members of the delegation, Tinubu prayed that Nigeria’s diversity would translate into prosperity and development.
Speaking at the dinner, Rabiu pledged the continued support of the business community for the administration and thanked the president for the rare spiritual privilege.
Tinubu had told journalists after the Umrah that he felt fulfilled, describing it as a spiritual experience.
“We are here in this sacred place to pray for Nigeria, to pray for peace, long-lasting peace for the country, for unity in Nigeria,” Rabiu had said earlier after the Umrah.
The president, who is expected to return to Nigeria this week, performed a similar Umrah before the 2023 presidential election.
