Bintulu: After 36 years of his conversion to Islam, Mohd Saufi Lim Abdullah, 71, finally stepped foot in the Holy Land to complete the fifth pillar of Islam, the sacred pilgrimage.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Saufi, formerly known as Kris Lim and of Baba and Nyonya descent, described his conversion as the most profound spiritual journey of his life. Since his conversion, he has held on to the dream of performing the haj.

"I was overwhelmed with emotion and thought, why wasn't I told earlier that Islam is the truth... that it helps us to better ourselves. Islam is not just a set of teachings but a way of life. It taught me how to be a better human being," he said when met at Abraj Al Tayseer recently.

Mohd Saufi, who resides in Bintulu, Sarawak, was 35 and actively involved as a preacher of another faith with overseas missions, including in the Philippines. During an economic downturn, he was sent to a house of worship in Johor Bahru, where he befriended Malay youths who introduced him to the beauty of Islam, ultimately drawing him in.

He recounted a strange dream before his conversion, symbolizing his spiritual journey, where he found himself caught between his former beliefs and the Islamic faith. This dream led him to recite the syahadah at the Johor Islamic Religious Council office in 1989, a month after the dream.

Mohd Saufi is the eldest of ten siblings, with seven having reverted to Islam. His main prayers at the Kaabah were for his family members who have yet to accept Islam to receive guidance. "I pray Allah makes me a beacon to guide them to Islam. That was my vow when I first laid eyes on the Kaabah because my family is my greatest love," he expressed emotionally.