“To Allah we belong and truly, to Him, we shall return. [Noble Quran 2:156]
No fewer than 398 pilgrims died during the just concluded Hajj, Muslim News findings have revealed.
The figure however represents (0.022 %), less than 1% of the entire 1.8 million pilgrims that performed the pilgrimage worldwide.
Although officials did not provide a death toll, data independently sourced by Muslim News on Thursday showed that Indonesia has the highest percentage of death casualties 209 constituting 52.5%.
Interestingly, they also had the highest number of pilgrims of 221,000 at the just concluded Hajj, followed by Bangladesh which recorded 59 dead according to their local media report, this constitutes about 14.8 % of those that died.
Based on the report obtained from Anadolu Agency, 30 Turkiye pilgrims including 8 women, died during the Hajj rites, constituting 7.5% of the total pilgrims that died.
India media reported on Wednesday that 31 pilgrims from across India lost their lives during Hajj 2023. The figure, according to Muslim News findings, is about 7.8%.
In its July 2 edition, Pajhwok, the largest independent news agency in Afghanistan reported that 15 Afghan pilgrims returned to their Creator, Allah, during Hajj rites this year. That is about 3.8% of the total number of pilgrims that died this year.
Nigeria which had 95,000 pilgrims that performed the pilgrimage is 6th on the list with 14 dead cases in the global index, as of Thursday, constituting 3.5% of the death casualties in the 2023 Hajj.
The latest figure included the Lagos pilgrim, Alhaja Kuburat Sekoni that was reported died on Wednesday by State Amir-ul-Hajj, Prince Anofiu Elegushi.
The Nigerian casualties though regrettable constitute less than 0.02% of the 95,000 Nigerians that travelled for the 2023 Hajj died during Hajj 2023.
Other countries that recorded death casualties with the percentage of their citizens are Iran (2.5%), Egypt (2%), Algeria (2%), Morocco (1%), Kashmir, Filipino and Senegal with 0.8% each and Pakistan, which recorded 1 according to the country’s report with 0.3%.
Breakdown
Indonesia 209 (52.5 %)
Iran 10 (2.5%)
Algeria 8 (2.0%)
Morocco. 4 (1.0%)
Egypt 8 (2.0%)
India 31 (7.8%)
Kashmir 3 (0.8%)
Nigeria 14 (3.5%)
Filipino 3 (0.8%)
Bangladesh 59 (14.8%)
Pakistan 1 (0.3%)
Senegal 3 (0.8%)
Afghanistan 15. (3.8%)
Turkiye 30 (7.5%)
Total 398 (100.0%)
Percentage of pilgrims who died = 0.022%
Causes of death
Their causes of death varied but Muslim News findings showed that many dead as a result of heatstroke. Other causes include heart attacks or diseases related to old age, among others.
According to Dr Usman Galadima, the Head of the Medical Mission, of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, “Most of our pilgrims lost their lives at Arafah. Many went to Jabal ar-Raḥmah (mount Arafah) and were exposed to direct sunlight and developed heatstroke and collapsed. Attempt to rescucitate them failed.”
They are martyrs
The 398 pilgrims who died during Hajj 2023 (and those we were unable to track as at the time of filing this report) died as martyrs, according Shariah.
This is based on the authentic Hadith reported by Abu Huraira where Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:
“Whoever goes out for the Hajj pilgrimage and dies, the reward of Hajj will be written for him until the Day of Resurrection. Whoever goes out for the Umrah pilgrimage and dies, the reward of Umrah will be written for him until the Day of Resurrection. Whoever goes out for military service and dies, the reward of military service will be written for him until the Day of Resurrection.”
May Allah forgive them their shortcomings, clean their sins and grant them entry to al-janna firdaous. Ameen
