"I'm Not 'Strong', It's By The Grace Of Allah" — Penang Grandpa Who Became A Dad At 80
His wife is 42.
A Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) retiree in Penang is grateful to Allah for blessing him with a newborn at the age of 80
"I never expected to have a child at this age, but it's not because I'm 'strong'; it's because Allah is powerful. The birth of my child is His will and grace," Yob Ahmad was quoted as saying by Harian Metro.
The baby girl, named Nur, was born on 31 May to Yob's 42-year-old wife, Zaleha Zainul Abidin.
According to the 80-year-old from Kepala Batas, he didn't dwell much on the idea of another child due to his advanced age and the fact that he already has four children from previous marriage.
"I surrendered to Allah because I can only make an effort; the rest is His will, and we have no power to stop it. But when Allah allowed my wife to conceive and we had a child, I considered it a blessing.
"I hope the child grows up healthy and righteous, that's all," he added.
Meanwhile, his wife, Zaleha, said that she and her husband never discussed having children together due to their age
According to Zaleha, they have been married for 10 years.
"I was pregnant five years ago but lost the baby due to a miscarriage.
"But when I found out I was pregnant, I was shocked and couldn't believe it because I thought I was already in menopause. But this is what we call a blessing, I am very grateful. Even my older children from my previous marriage were excited, as they hadn't had a new sibling in a long time," said Zaleha.
She has three children aged 12, 14, and 16 from her previous marriage.
Image via Harian Metro
The happy couple shared the news about the arrival of their newborn on TikTok, where it quickly went viral despite not having many followers
Zaleha said her intention was merely to share a good memory, and she was surprised by the response.
"95% of the comments are positive, mostly from those who don't have children yet, and some even shared stories of their mothers giving birth in their 50s," she said, adding that there were only a handful of negative comments.
"They assumed she was my grandchild and not my child, but I accept it as I have always surrendered to Allah in matters of sustenance.
"I accept whatever Allah gives, and I hope my story inspires others not to give up even if they haven't been blessed with children," she said while thanking those who prayed for her family.
Yob has seven grandchildren
When asked about his secret to staying healthy, he revealed that he rarely exercises but does consume herbs.
"That's it, I don't eat and sleep much either because even at night, I prefer to spend time in zikir," he said.
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