Salim Kumar wished to go for hajj, he couldn't, instead he sponsored a pilgrim

In his National Award-winning film 'Adaminte Makan Abu,' actor Salim Kumar played an elderly Muslim man who is cash-strapped and unable to go on Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The actor, who passed away on Saturday in Kochi following a cardiac arrest, also felt inspired to go for the pilgrimage after acting in the movie. However, he eventually realised that only a person born into Islam can perform Hajj. That's when the actor wondered what he could do instead to fulfil his wish.

In 2011, Salim Kumar decided to sponsor someone else who had financial constraints to undertake the pilgrimage. Someone told him about Koppilakkal Alavikutty, a 71-year-old man from Malappuram who was working at an orphanage. Interestingly, Alavikutty had never watched even a movie in his life and wasn't planning to in the future, either. Moreover, he didn't know anything about Salim Kumar's National Award-winning movie or even the accolades it won. It was for the pilgrimage that Alavikutty stepped outside Kerala itself, for the first time.

Thanks to Salim Kumar, Alavikutty got to visit Medina for eight days, following a few days at Mecca. He also brought back some dates, the holy Zamzam water and photos of the Kaaba for the actor from the Holy Land. Alavikutty visited Salim Kumar at his residence in Paravoor, too, once back. Going by his name, many thought Salim Kumar was a Muslim. However, he was born into a Hindu family, and his atheist father named him Salim without bothering about its religious connotations. When he was enrolled at school, the authorities also added a 'Kumar' to his name, the actor revealed in an interview.

Prerequisites to go for Hajj
According to the Haj committee of India, a hajj pilgrim should be a practising Muslim who should be physically, behaviourally, and mentally fit. The person should also not be in debt. An individual can perform hajj through the Haj Committee of India only once in their lifetime. A person is expected to walk up to 25 km a day, that too in extreme climatic conditions, as part of the pilgrimage. Therefore, those aged 65 and above must be accompanied by someone. To know more about hajj eligibility, visit HCoI website.