Faith, fate and a flight: How a pilgrim named Al Gaddafi finally made it to Hajj

Dubai: What began as a routine journey to the holy city of Mecca became an extraordinary tale of faith, persistence, and destiny for one Libyan pilgrim who refused to be left behind.

Amer Al Mahdi Mansour Al Gaddafi, a young man from Libya, had set his heart on performing Hajj this year — a deeply spiritual commitment that Muslims around the world aspire to fulfill at least once in their lifetime.

But trouble struck at the airport: Amer was held back at immigration due to a security delay linked to his surname — Al Gaddafi — still flagged in some systems over a decade after Libya’s civil unrest.

As his group boarded the flight, Amer was still being held at the counter. Despite his pleas, the flight captain reportedly insisted on departing without him, citing security uncertainty and scheduling constraints.

Amer, however, remained resolute. “I will not move from here unless it’s toward Hajj,” he said.

Moments later, the flight developed a technical malfunction and was forced to return. After a delay and minor repairs, it took off again — only to encounter a second issue, forcing another return.

According to passengers and crew, it was after the second emergency landing that the captain announced: “I swear I won’t fly again unless Amer is with us on this plane.”

Authorities quickly cleared Amer for travel. On the third attempt, with Amer aboard, the flight departed without incident.

The story spread quickly on social media, many interpreting it as a sign of divine will and answered prayer. “I only wanted to go to Hajj,” Amer later said in local media. “And I believed that if it was written for me, no force could prevent it.”

-- Huda Ata is an independent writer based in the UAE