Hajj Yatra 2024 Death: What Happens If You Die While Completing Hajj Pilgrimage In Mecca?

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This year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia was marked by scorching temperatures and crowd control issues, making it disorienting and dangerous for participants. With temperatures reaching 48°C people reportedly fainted and vomited while performing the rituals. Street closures near Mina, where pilgrims perform a ritual symbolizing the stoning of the devil, forced people to walk for hours in extreme heat.

At least 1,300 people died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage and Saudi Arabian authorities said that many precautions were taken ahead of the sacred event and that over 465,000 people received free health treatment, according to a report published in NBC News.

Let us know what happens if one dies during Hajj In Mecca and whether it is auspicious or inauspicious.

Hajj Yatra In Mecca

Mecca is considered the most sacred in the religion of Islam. Dying during the Haj pilgrimage and being buried in the land of Mecca or Medina gives a feeling of good fortune to the people of the Muslim religion. Therefore, the families of many deceased people, despite the grief of their loss, are satisfied with the fact that their family members got the land of Mecca in their last moments. Many people believe that taking the last breath on the land of Mecca brings peace to the soul and is considered a blessing from Allah.

The Hajj is not just a journey but a deeply symbolic act that involves several rites and rituals commemorating the actions of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his family. Pilgrims participate in a series of events over several days, including walking around the Kaaba, standing on the plain of Arafat, and the symbolic stoning of the devil. Completing the Hajj is considered a significant milestone in a Muslim's spiritual life, and it is believed to result in the forgiveness of sins and a renewed sense of spiritual purity.

Haj Yatra Death, Is It Auspicious Or Inauspicious?

In Islamic teachings, dying while performing Hajj is generally considered highly auspicious. It is believed that those who die while engaged in such a significant act of worship are granted a special status in the afterlife. The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said, "Whoever sets out for Hajj and dies, then for him is the reward of Hajj until the Day of Resurrection" (Sunan Ibn Majah).

This hadith highlights the profound respect and honor accorded to those who pass away during the pilgrimage. It is believed that such individuals die in a state of ihram, a sacred state of purity that pilgrims enter before performing the rites of Hajj. Their souls are thought to be in a state of spiritual purity, making their transition to the afterlife especially blessed.

Hajj Pilgrims Death Rules In Saudi Arabia: Rituals And Burial

When a pilgrim dies during Hajj, specific Islamic burial rites are followed, which underscore the sanctity of their death. The body is typically washed, shrouded in the simple white garments worn during Hajj (ihram), and buried with prayers and respect.

In many cases, pilgrims who die during Hajj are buried in Mecca, which is considered an additional honor. The holy city is believed to be a place of immense spiritual significance, and being laid to rest there is seen as a final blessing.

According to a report published in CNN, an 86-year-old Indonesian man, Ngatijo Wongso Sentono, was among the deceased, passing away in his tent while waiting for midday prayers. His daughter, Heru Jumartiyah, found solace in the fact that her father was buried in Mecca, as it is considered a blessing in Islam.

Jumartiyah's mother, Pariyem Prawirodinomo, remains healthy and is set to return to Indonesia on 07 July 2024. Indonesian officials have reported that at least 215 Indonesians are among this year's Hajj casualties, with most being over 50 years old.

If someone dies during the Haj pilgrimage, the dead body of that person is not sent back to his country and it is buried there by the authorities concerned. In fact, in the form to be filled at the beginning of the Haj pilgrimage itself, signatures are taken that after death the body will be buried in Saudi Arabia itself. Any objection from his family or anyone else is not accepted regarding this matter.

Pilgrims consider it sacred to be buried on the soil of Mecca. The Saudi Arabian government is not responsible for paying any compensation in case of death due to natural causes. The entire responsibility falls on the family members of the deceased person. The dead body is buried in the graveyard around Mecca. There is no mark on his grave, although a number is assigned on it so that the family members can come and visit the grave.