What began as a routine pilgrimage turned into an extraordinary story of faith, perseverance, and destiny for a Libyan man who refused to let go of his dream of performing Hajj.
Amer Al Mahdi Mansour Al Gaddafi, a young pilgrim from Libya, was eager to fulfill his lifelong spiritual aspiration of taking part in Hajj this year. But his journey hit a major roadblock at the airport when immigration officials detained him over security concerns tied to his surname — “Al Gaddafi” — a name still flagged in some systems more than a decade after Libya’s civil unrest.
While his group was allowed to board, Amer was held back. Despite his pleas, the flight departed without him, with the captain citing both security concerns and strict schedules as the reason for leaving him behind.
But destiny had other plans.
Soon after takeoff, the aircraft experienced a technical fault and was forced to turn back. After undergoing repairs, it attempted to take off again — only to encounter a second malfunction, requiring another emergency landing.
It was after the second failed attempt that the captain made a heartfelt announcement: “I swear I won’t fly again unless Amer is with us on this plane.”
Following this unexpected declaration, authorities cleared Amer for travel. On the third attempt — with Amer now on board — the flight finally departed and landed without further incident.
The story has since captured widespread attention on social media, hailed by many as a powerful example of divine will and the strength of unwavering belief.
“I only wanted to go to Hajj,” Amer told local media. “And I believed that if it was written for me, no force on earth could stop it.”
