Al-Ajooz according to the folk tales is an old tall man who appears at night and in old cemeteries. The old man is often described as someone who is wearing a long robe and carrying a small lantern that barely lights a dark path (similar to Ab Lamba). He makes no sound, but he attracts the attention of people who pass by with his looks that carry a mixture of sadness and mystery.
The old man does not harm those who encounter him, but he appears suddenly in forgotten or remote places, which makes his sight terrifying. Many people believe that he comes to remind humankind that death is closer than they think and tell them that he regrets his previous life. A life that was not lived as it should have been.
Stories warn against approaching him or trying to touch him because the legend says that whoever does so, will be afflicted with bad luck or an unknown disease.
Some people believe Al-Ajooz is just the spirit of a person who lived a long life. However, his life was full of regret and perhaps bad deeds. Therefore, his spirit continues to wander, after death. He is looking for salvation or repentance that he wasn’t able to achieve in his previous life. Seeing him is considered a warning, either by reminding the person who sees him of an imminent fate or of a danger that surrounds him without him realizing it.
Other tales about Al-Ajooz are repeated on many occasions. These stories suggest that he only appears to people who are about to die or those who suffer from deep sadness. Therefore, people who claim to see this ghost, believe that they are either affected by an incurable illness or are spending their last days.
This part of the tale about Al-Ajooz is very sad because if someone sees him, their family will start to mourn the person’s “inevitable” death. They would be gathered together and spend more time with the victim as “these are their last days”. This shows how deep the beliefs about this spirit are and how deeply people are affected by that.
Although the stories about Al-Ajooz are frightening, they carry lessons about wisdom and death and remind people to live wisely and avoid wasting their time doing the wrong things.
