About 717 people were killed and 863 injured at the Hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
According to the Saudi Civil Defence Service, the stampede broke out during the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual.
Several Nigerians are believed to have been killed in the stampede, which occurred in Mina.
A journalist with the Voice of American, Nasir Adamu el-Hikaya, revealed to Thisday, that many of the Nigerian victims were from Lagos, Kastina and Borno states.
NigerianEye confirmed that Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Maiduguri, Prof Tijani al-Miskin, and a female Nigerian veteran journalist, Bilkisu Yusuf, were among the 717 pilgrims who died in the Hajj stampede in Mecca on Thursday.
Yusuf, who was the first female editor from the North, was a graduate of political science and journalism. She pursued a successful career in journalism in Nigeria, working for Daily Trust and Leadership newspapers.
Another victim was Hafsat Shittu, who was a member of the Nigeria’s medical team in Mecca.
Reacting to the tragedy, the factional Deputy National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Issa Aremu, on Friday said though the death of pilgrims in Mecca was tragic, they did not die in vain.
Aremu, who spoke to journalists in Ilorin, described the incident as a spiritual accident.
He said, “We believe, as Muslims, that death is inevitable, but it is more exciting when one dies in the Holy Land.
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Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Maiduguri, Prof. Tijjani El-Miskin
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“They died in the course of serving Almighty Allah. They did not die stealing money; they did not die destroying public property and they did not die killing people like suicide bombers, but they died while worshiping Allah.”
While the Saudi authorities blamed the incident on the pilgrims’ failure to follow crowd control rules, its regional rival, Iran, had expressed outrage at the deaths of 131 of its nationals, with Iranian politicians suggesting that Saudi authorities were incapable of managing the event.
“Death to the Saudi dynasty!” hundreds of demonstrators chanted at a protest in Tehran Iran, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani also blamed Saudi Arabia for the incident.
“I ask the Saudi Arabian government to take responsibility for this catastrophe and fulfill its legal and Islamic duties in this regard,” Rouhani said in a statement published on the state news agency IRNA.
But Saudi Health Minister, Khalid al-Falih, assured that an investigation would be conducted and a final toll of the dead and wounded calculated.
“The investigations into the incident of the stampede that took place in Mina, which was perhaps because some pilgrims moved without following instructions by the relevant authorities, will be fast and will be announced as has happened in other incidents,” Falih said in a statement.
Saudi King Salman had also ordered a review of Hajj plans after the disaster, in which two big groups of pilgrims collided at a crossroads in Mina, a few miles east of Mecca, on their way to performing the “stoning of the devil” ritual at Jamarat. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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They went to stone the devil and the devil stoned them back.
ReplyDeleteLol. This is spiritual ritual indeed
DeleteLol. This is spiritual ritual indeed
DeleteContinue with your stupid comment! Bigger tragedies shall befall you and your entire household soonest, IN SHA ALLAH. If you like it rebuke it 1m times, it shall happen to you since what you know how to do best is to mock Muslims and those that lost their lives & play with the emotions of those they left behind.
DeleteIf over 3million people go to mecca to stone the devil and the devil is still alive causing more harm, what difference does it make? Nigerians among them that should stay back home stoning the real devils here are also there taking the blame for the tragedy as Africans, may their soul rest in peace.
DeleteY making monkery of them anonymous 6:51am? That is their believe. May their souls rest in peace
ReplyDeleteMust u talk. Why not keep your dirty mouth shut if u don't have anything good to say. This is how people invite curse to themselves.
ReplyDelete@ anonymous 6.51am. If you can not pray for the dead, do not speak of what you know not. It is ordained on every soul that when the time is reached we go. It is only God that determines how we go.
ReplyDeleteThis is tragedy on a large scale. It's disheartening and sad to see human lives lost in their pursuit of spiritual cleansing. But we can take some comfort from knowing that dying in Hajj, Allah will grant them automatic entry to Paradise.
ReplyDeleteMay their souls rest peacefully. I don't like the word ritual, it is not a ritual, it is an exercise.
ReplyDeleteIt's high time the pilgrimage boards start taking measures to control the number of people admitted for hajj... They should only admit people they can easily control and cater for.. its not everybody that applies that should be given opportunity cause I feel the pilgrims were much. May Almighty God accept the souls of the departed
ReplyDeleteThat is true anonymous 7:49 AM may their souls rest in peace
ReplyDelete@ anonymous 6.51am may be a free thinker who does not respect the sanctity of human life. I am sure he will have a rethink if he visits the emergency unit of any teaching hospital for just 1 hour.
ReplyDeleteMay their souls rest in peace. For me i believe that it is not beyond an average muslim to induce death in the Holy land with the belief that dying there during Hajj will mean direct entry into Paradise. Am I right people??
ReplyDeleteI mean if people are tripping and falling why does everyone not stop walking. Why trample on 700 people this makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteNobody is condemning the Iranians for their outburst against the Saudi dynasty over this incidence. But we all condemn the mock statement of the anonymous @ 6.51 am. I was actually sympathising with the death and their family. Ur comments however make me look foolish since you have succeeded in saying that it's favor done to them by getting killed in the holy land. It also implies that the Saudi authority should stop the probe of the incidence since it is a very good way to die and go to paradise straight.
ReplyDeleteAh! Anonymous 1054 you are making sense. Instead of people finding a way to stop future occurence of this tragedy, the Saudi authorities are pushing the blame on God and saying it's a nice way to DIE!!!
DeleteIf we continue to believe that dying in the Saudi like this is good for the soul, then the Saudi authorities will continue to neglect basic safety since they have succeeded in convincing the faithfuls that its the best place to die. If it is a natural unavoidable death due to ill health or something like that, it is understandable. But gross negligence as this must be condemned.
ReplyDeleteThese moslems shaa, if they are not blowing themselves up in mosques they are trampling themselves to death in Mecca. God dey
ReplyDeleteLaugh wan kill me. Negligence and care freeness is now been blamed on the devil. Stop castigating anonymous 6:51am. Must they die in a strange land. Friends, the wasters just wasted them period. True my brother. If they are not blowing themselves up for their god, they will be trampling on each other. My opinion plssss!
DeleteTheir souls can only rest in peace if they had made peace with God before their death.
ReplyDeleteTruth!
DeleteAutomatic entry into heaven. Hmmmm!!!
ReplyDeleteAmen
ReplyDeleteMay their souls rest in peace if they deserve it
ReplyDelete