From Trash Collector to the Holy Land: Bejo Purwasanto’s Journey to Hajj 2025

TIMESINDONESIA, JAKARTA – In the quiet neighborhood of Sidokumpul in Gresik, East Java, lives a humble man with an extraordinary story for Hajj 2024. His name is Bejo Purwasanto, a 59-year-old garbage collector.

Despite his modest income, Bejo has held tightly to a dream many would consider unreachable. This year, that dream is becoming a reality as he prepares to embark on the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca.

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Bejo isn’t a man of wealth. For years, his income has come from the simplest of tasks—hauling garbage for neighbors who pay him a humble fee of Rp50,000 to Rp100,000 per month.

On good months, he earns up to Rp1 million (around $60 USD), barely enough to cover his living expenses. Yet through careful saving and unshakable devotion, he has achieved what once seemed impossible: registering as a Hajj pilgrim for the year 2025.

His name now appears on the official list of pilgrims departing with the KBIH Nurul Jannah Petrokimia Gresik group on May 29, 2025.

A Humble Beginning, A Holy Aspiration

Before collecting trash, Bejo made a living by selling water door-to-door. He bought jerrycans of clean water for Rp4,000 and resold them for Rp15,000. Every spare rupiah he earned was tucked away not for luxury, not for leisure, but for a single goal: to perform the fifth pillar of Islam, the Hajj.

“I used to save together with my wife. We always intended to go to Hajj together,” Bejo recalled, his voice thick with emotion. Sadly, fate had other plans. His wife passed away in 2016, eight years before his dream came true. “Now, I will go with my son. He will go in her place," he added.

Though his wife did not live to see this moment, her devotion lives on. Before her passing, she prepared her gold jewelry as a future provision to complete their Hajj expenses. “Thanks to her, I could finally fulfill this journey,” Bejo said tearfully.

A Life of Worship and Quiet Service

Beyond his physical labor, Bejo’s life is steeped in spiritual practice. He is a regular figure at Masjid Syuhada, often seen performing tahajjud (night prayers).

He also engaging in i'tikaf (spiritual seclusion), or quietly refilling the masjid’s ablution jugs with water, an act of devotion he considers small but meaningful. Sometimes he even sleeps at the mosque, particularly when he feels he has no other place to go. 

Bejo also adheres to a simple yet powerful daily routine of remembrance and supplication.

He regularly recites istighfar (seeking forgiveness), Ayat al-Kursi, and heartfelt du'as like Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum and Ya Muqollibal Qulub, thabbit qalbi ‘ala dinik (“O Turner of hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion”).

His personal mantra, spoken every time he passes a mosque, reflects the fire of hope that has burned in him for years: “Ojo mati-mati lek durung tekan Mekkah. Matio lek wes tekan Mekkah," (Don’t die until you’ve reached Mecca. Die only after you’ve been there.)

Faith Beyond Circumstance

Bejo’s story resonates far beyond the streets of Gresik. It is a testament to the kind of faith that survives hardship, the kind of love that endures even after death, and the kind of hope that carries a soul across oceans and deserts.

While others may measure success by wealth or status, Bejo’s journey reminds us that the true riches of life often lie in devotion, humility, and purpose. As he embarks on his long-awaited pilgrimage in Hajj 2025, the prayers of his neighbors and the memory of his late wife go with him—guiding each step toward the Holy Kaaba. (*)

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