Saudi Arabia Hajj Death: One of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj has turned out to be deadly for the muslims around the globe. It is because of extreme heat and weather conditions, over 1300 people have lost their lives. Approximately 1.83 million muslims attended Hajj this year with 1.6 million pilgrims from 22 countries other than Saudi Arabia and it turned out to be a nightmare to many of them. The government has responded after witnessing the huge death toll rising. Read the story to know about it in detail.
Saudi Arabia Hajj Deaths Highlights
- This year’s Saudi Arabia Hajj witnessed a nightmare when so many Pilgrims lost their lives during the Hajj.
- The most possible reason for the death is the extreme weather and peak summers in Saudi Arabia. The maximum temperature recorded there at this time was 51.8 Degree Celsius.
- Along with it, the huge number of unregistered pilgrims going to Mecca were not given the facilities as given in the Hajj package and hence faced casualties.
- Muslim people from around the globe witnessed casualties. As per the statements, Egypt witnessed a sudden increase in the death toll of their citizens in Saudi Arabia.
- Approximately 98 Indian citizens also lost their lives.
- There have been instances like these in the past at the time of Hajj in Saudi Arabia that were criticized from around the globe. This year too, the handling of pilgrimage by the nation has been criticized across the globe but Saudi Arabia claimed its hajj as a huge success.
- Governments of various countries whose citizens lost their lives during Hajj took action on the tourist companies who granted illegal visas to the public and didn’t give services as promised to their citizens.
- Some people from the muslim community believe that dying in Mecca is a blessing and will give them heaven but it is not so, a person with good karmas dying at any place can attain heaven and there is no need to die at Mecca.
- People visit Pilgrimages blindly as visiting them holds no benefit. Pilgrimages have no importance as far as salvation is concerned.
What is Hajj?
- Hajj is one of the five pillars in Islam and is the holiest pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia for the entire Muslim community. It is considered that Muslims who are physically and financially stable should do Hajj once in their lifetime.
- It is physically very tough for the young pilgrims to complete this 5 day pilgrimage and there are elderly pilgrims as well. Some believe that dying in Mecca is a great blessing, however it is not true.
- Hajj takes place around the time of Eid-al-Adha. Circling the Kabba and praying near Mount Arafat are some of the rituals of the Hajj. People spend their lives saving for visiting this Saudi Arabia Hajj once in their lifetime.
What happened at this year’s Hajj?
- Around 1.8 million pilgrims visited Saudi Arabia Hajj this year out of which 1.6 million were from countries other than Saudi Arabia. At this time of the year when the summers are on its peak, pilgrims experienced higher temperatures ranging upto 51.8 Degree Celsius.
- The Saudi Arabia Government has issued the advisory to stay indoors and stay hydrated. Along with it they have prescribed the use of Umbrellas for avoiding the direct exposure of the sunlight.
- Misting pilgrims with water and installing shades at sites are some of the measures adopted by the Saudi Arabia government to decrease the temperature’s effect as people were seen getting unconscious and their bodies can be seen lying on streets.
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Saudi Arabia Hajj Death: How people died at Hajj?
- The rise in temperature is the main reason behind the death of so many people which made them unconscious and they succumbed to death in the extreme weather conditions.
- Another reason given by the Saudi Arabia government was that the presence of a large number of unregistered pilgrims was also a factor in increasing the death toll. Those unregistered pilgrims remained deprived of the air conditioned facilities and had to travel a large distance by walking under exposed sunlight. Some of them didn’t get the accommodation and had to take shelter on roads and footpaths which ruined the situation.
- Some pilgrims were already ill and elderly and those people died of chronic illnesses as performing Hajj is a physically challenging task.
- Many attendants of the missing and dead complained about the lack of basic facilities for the unregistered devotees. They questioned the government’s inability to provide basic facilities to unregistered pilgrims like drinking water and cooling stations and questioned their capabilities.
- There are a lot of people who have lost their lives during the Saudi Arabia Hajj. However, the exact death toll hasn’t been declared by the Saudi Arabia Government but a figure of 1301 people was said in a statement.
- They further added that unregistered pilgrims were very large in number and the extreme weather conditions during the Hajj were the reasons for so many casualties.
- Saudi Arabia’s Health Minister Fahd Bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel said that 83% of the casualties were unregistered pilgrims from across the globe who walked long distances in high temperatures around the holy city of Mecca without any facilities.
- As per the death toll, 1301 people lost their lives of which approximately 600 were from Egypt, 60 Jordanians, 35 Tunisian Pilgrims, 132 Indonesian Pilgrims, 98 Indian citizens, 58 Pakistani pilgrims, 22 Algeria pilgrims, 37 from Iran, 19 from Iraq, 2 from United States, 5 from Russia and many more.
- However, they are approximate figures obtained from the country and Saudi Arabia’s statements, but no official data has been released yet.
Why were there so many unregistered pilgrims?
- Saudi Arabia Hajj Death: One of the primary reasons for it is the increasing Hajj package’s value which costs around $10,000 which varies on the basis of the country you are traveling from. This Hajj package ensures access to medical care, air conditioned accommodation, air conditioned buses and access to the holy sites.
- This increasing value of the Saudi Arabia Hajj package makes it unaffordable for the pilgrims to afford it. On the other hand, in place of it they preferred a tourist visa to reach Saudi Arabia and then accessed Mecca illegally.
- The effect of which is seen when a number of tourists were seen traveling in direct sunlight for over 12 miles to reach Mecca. They had no tents, no accomodation whatsoever and had to bear the extreme weather conditions.
- Some of the tourist companies provided tourist visas and illegal access to Mecca in the name of Hajj packages to rob money from the tourists. Some of the tourists complained that they were not given the facilities of accommodation and traveling as promised by the tourist agent before.
Saudi Arabia Hajj Death: What happened to Indians during Hajj?
- Saudi Arabia Hajj Death: Every year Saudi Arabia allows country wise quotas for accommodating their citizens in the country. This year Saudi has allowed 1.75 lakh Indian citizens to the Hajj.
- 1.4 lakh Indians went through Hajj Committee of India (HCoI) and the rest went through expensive private operators.
- This year approximately 98 Indian citizens have lost their lives during the Hajj.
- Randhir Jaiswal, Ministry of External Affairs said “These deaths have happened on account of natural illness, natural causes, chronic illness and old age. Last year, the figure of Indians who died on Hajj was 187,”
- He further said “We have heard that because it was very hot, and on the day of Arafat, the pilgrims who come there, several people suffered that day due to the heat wave. People from other countries suffered more. From our country, six people died on the day of Arafat,”
- If someone has lost his life during the Hajj, the information is being given by the hospital or the mortuary to the country’s representative at the place.
- After obtaining the Non Objection Certificate (NOC) from the family of the deceased for their burial in Saudi Arabia, the process is carried out.
Official Statements from Saudi Government
- The Saudi Government said in a statement “The health system addressed numerous cases of heat stress this year, with some individuals still under care. Regrettably, the number of deaths reached 1,301.”
- The Saudi Government further said “Identification completed, despite the initial lack of personal information or identification documents. Proper processes were followed for identification, burial, and honoring the deceased, with death certificates provided.”
What are the reactions from different countries?
- Saudi Arabia Hajj Death: The governments from different countries reacted upon seeing the increasing Saudi Arabia Hajj deaths.
- The President of Tunisia fired the country’s religious affair minister on Friday which recorded approximately 35 deaths.
- Upon witnessing a surge in the death toll of the people from Jordan, it opened up an investigation upon illegal Hajj routes. This is a reflection of the system which is going within the tourist companies in the nation.
- Government of Egypt canceled the license of those 16 companies who were involved in providing visas to the people without adequate services resulting in losing their lives.
- The tourist companies in Egypt even switched off their mobile phones when the people from Egypt in Saudi Arabia tried reaching them.
Visiting Pilgrimages holds no benefit
- Pilgrimages were the places where once some saint or some divine power came and lived for a while. Pilgrimage had their importance when those saints and divine power used to live there and when they left, their importance also vanished.
- People visit Pilgrimages and have made rituals which are nowhere mentioned in our holy scriptures. And following rituals other than mentioned in our Holy Scriptures cannot give us any happiness and salvation.
- Saudi Arabia Hajj Mecca has witnessed so many deaths in the past as well, stampedes in 2015 killed 2200 people, in 1985, more than 1700 people died and much more. If God really existed there then why would he kill so many people?
- There is yet another myth circulating in the muslim community which is that if one dies at Mecca, he will attain heaven for sure. This is a totally baseless fact as attaining heaven or hell totally depends on the karmas and our way of worship. It has nothing to do with the place of death. If we consider this myth as true then those who survived at the Hajj were unlucky?, they missed their chance to heaven? How pointless is this?
- Only by the true way of worship one can attain salvation and immortality.
Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj provides True Way of Worship
In this world where we see people dying everyday, humanity ceases to exist, brotherhood has vanished among people, it becomes very difficult for someone to believe that God really exists. But Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj from Haryana, India is turning all the odds and is proving with the help of Holy Scriptures and giving benefits to His devotees that a God gives to His devotees including the extension of life. That Supreme God exists and His name is Kabir.
It has become very clear from His approach that anything done other than what is mentioned in our Holy Scriptures won’t help. The way of worship given by Him certainly proves that it is indeed the true way of worship. This way of worship is only with Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj as He is the only Complete Saint of Supreme God Kabir Who holds the knowledge of every Holy Scriptures and has also unveiled the creation of universe exposing the identity of Satan(Kaal Brahm) and revealing the identity of Supreme God Kabir which was hidden from us till now. To know more you can visit www.jagatgururampalji.org or you can visit His youtube channel Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj.
FAQs: Saudi Arabia Hajj Deaths
Q: How many people died during the Hajj?
A: As per the statement from a Saudi Arabia official 1300 people died during the Hajj.
Q: What was the deadliest Hajj disaster?
A: A stampede in Hajj killed around 2200 people in 2015.
Q: Who founded Hajj?
A: Prophet Mohammad
Q: Can non muslims go to Mecca?
A: No, non muslims are forbidden to go to Mecca.
