A singkong seller in Bogor surprised a customer with his self-funded umroh story from business savings. Pak Warji, the simple daun singkong vendor, revealed his stable income and properties without ever borrowing from banks. His tale reminds of true wealth through blessings and honesty.
On a Sunday morning in Bogor, a singkong seller named Pak Warji arrived at a loyal customer's home to deliver an order of jantung pisang. He had been absent for a while, so the customer asked, “Mang, why haven't you been around?” With a wide smile, Pak Warji replied, “Oh, I just returned from umroh, Bu. Almost two months off from selling.”
Surprised, the customer continued, “Masya Allah, who did you go with, Mang? Who paid?” He chuckled softly, “With my wife, Bu. Just us two. Paid ourselves. I saved for a year, took a 26 million package, five-star hotel, nice bus too. Sometimes save five million a month, sometimes two million, whatever I can. From our village, six of us went with neighbors.”
Pak Warji explained that besides selling daun singkong, he also sells sembako at home, earning two million rupiah a day. He owns four kontrakan, land of about 3,000 square meters, and recently bought another 1,000 square meters. He sells farm produce like daun singkong, bunga pepaya, and jantung pisang to fill his time. His three children are married and each run shoe businesses.
When asked about bank loans, he looked sharply and said firmly, “Uuh, teu meunang ku kyai, Bu (not allowed by the kyai). Bank money has interest, can't use it for worship. It ruins it, Bu.” Pak Warji's story exemplifies wealth without riba, living simply yet blessed, affording umroh with luxury facilities, buying land without debt, and remaining humble. He usually sells in front of Danau Ciomas Permai, Bogor. As a Sundanese saying goes, “Katempo kendor padahal ngagembol,” meaning he looks simple but holds treasures.