For Pakistani octogenarians Ejaz Dalali Ahmed and Ahmed Dalo Raj, performing Hajj - the greater Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca - did not come easy.
Last week, the two childhood friends finally fulfilled their decades-old promise of conducting Hajj together.
They made it to Mecca, after struggling for 25 years to fund the trip, refusing to allow old age or Raj's blindness to stand in the way.
Here's the heart-warming story of their journey to Mecca
According to the Saudi Gazette, Ahmed and Raj have been friends since early childhood.
When they were both 55 years old, the two friends made a promise to save up enough money to go to Hajj together.
Over the years, Ahmed managed to raise enough money to fund his trip, but Raj, who is totally blind, did not. Still, the former honored their pact and refused to perform the pilgrimage alone.
"I always had enough money to meet Hajj costs but my friend Raj did not," Ahmed told the Saudi publication. "So I had to wait for him for about 25 years until he had collected sufficient funds needed for Hajj."
"Ahmed is my eyes by which I can see. He is the power on which I lean."
This Hajj season, over two decades after they first made their promise, the two friends finally headed to Mecca to fulfill the fifth pillar of Islam.
Like a true friend, Ahmed helped Raj and guided him throughout the arduous trip.
"Ahmed is my eyes by which I can see. He is the stick I am using to find my way. He is the power on which I lean," said Raj. "He has always been [a] faithful and loyal friend to me."
The latter expressed his gratitude to his friend for not only putting his Hajj plans on hold for 25 years but also for helping him out throughout the journey.
"I will always be indebted to him and will never forget what he has done for me."
Ahmed and Raj were two of 2.35 million pilgrims from around the world who performed Hajj last week - a religious duty that every Muslim, who is physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, must carry out at least once in his/her lifetime.