This man had the most incredible job in the entire world. He was over 90 years old and from amongst the Aghwat - the individuals who have the keys to the Prophetic chambers. They are honoured with the job of opening the chambers for guests. Only one remains. Their job is to also, 'clean the Prophetic chambers' but I don't like that particular description. I prefer to say that they are the men chosen by Allah to take from the blessings of the dust particles in the Prophetic chamber a. Everything connected to Rasulallah a is pure and purifying. Historically, the Aghwat would also light the
lanterns and serve the Masjid.
There used to be thousands in the Haramayn but now only a handful remain. According to some historians, this tradition in Masjid al-Nabawi began in the time of Sultan Salah al-Din.
Shaykh Samir al-Nass once met the grandson of Shaykh Sarhiti, a worker who changed the curtains within the noble chambers of Rasulallah a in the 1970s. The man spoke about the experience and said 'My grandfather would weep and say,
grandfather would weep and say, 'Despite my age, my body felt like a young man. I went in with dust allergy but being in that room was a cure to my illness. A large piece of the curtain needed to be removed so I lifted it with ease on my shoulder. Later on, 5 young men tried to lift the same cloth but they were unable.'
"I wore thick glasses and was unable to see without them, but during the days he was in the chambers of the Prophet a, he used to miracously place thread into the needle whilst it was extremely dark without needing glasses. He was a man who had a hobby of collecting beautiful scents but he said, 'By Allah, on the day the chambers were opened, I never smelt a fragrance, aroma, or perfume more heavenly than the fragrance in the room during those days.'
