Al-Qalam 
By Nabeelah Shaikh
Five South Africans lost their lives during this year’s hajj period and are among more than a thousand pilgrims who have died in Saudi Arabia.
Durban mother and son, Shereen Khan, 56, and Ebrahim Khan, 27 are among those who passed away. They both died during the 10 days of hajj. Their deaths sent shockwaves through the hajj and local communities but are regarded as a blessing for them at the same time.
Ebrahim has been described as a hardworking young man who dedicated much of his pilgrimage to helping those around him. Those who knew them said Ebrahim accompanied his mother on pilgrimage because she was widowed at a young age and she had single-handedly raised her four children. He developed a sudden pain in his chest and was taken to hospital. He suffered a heart attack and passed away. Six days later, his mother, Shereen, who was dealing with the trauma of losing her young son, fell ill and also passed away.
Hujjaj, who spent time with them, said the mother and son were extremely fond of each other, and it was heartbreaking to have lost them both just days apart.
Moaaz Casoo, President of the South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC), says a lot of the hujjaj bonded with the son and mother, and those who did became very emotional about their deaths.
“There’s a special brotherhood and a sisterhood bond that is developed among the hujjaj. They arrive in Madinah together, in Makkah together, and spend a couple of weeks with each other. At least 90% of one’s time is spent with fellow hajjees. I think those people who spent a lot of time with Ebrahim and Shereen were deeply affected by their passing because they developed that really special relationship with them,” said Casoo.
He said it was shocking for many because fellow hujjaj started preparing for the five days of hajj together with them, and the son suddenly passed away.
“And then you had a lot of people after Ebrahim’s death who started getting close to Shereen because she had just lost her son and they wanted to be there for her. They bonded with her and immediately after the five days of hajj, she then passed on. So, of course, it’s going to be emotional for many because of the relationships they had formed with them,” said Casoo
He said he knew of someone who was very close to Ebrahim, and that individual was deeply affected by his death.
“This hajjee said the two of them did everything together, and to lose him on the eve of Mina, he felt completely lost as well. But Alhamdulilah, many people long for a death like theirs,” said Casoo.
The Saudi Hajj Ministry said that more than 1300 pilgrims died this year, mainly due to the extreme heat conditions.
Meanwhile, Casoo said overall, this year’s hajj was a success for South African pilgrims.
“There were one or two minor challenges. One of them was the issuing of identification cards by the Ministry of Hajj in Saudi Arabia. It took a while for them to wrap up their allocation. But Alhamdililah, a majority, received it in advance. It was only 30-40 pilgrims who received it very late, on the last three days before the hajj,” said Casoo.
The other challenge they experienced was about the bussing system at the holy sites from Aziziyah to Mina and from Mina to Arafah.
“It was a bit of a challenge because of the time it took for the buses to arrive to transport the pilgrims. The rest, Alhamdulilah, there is nothing to complain about. Everything went well. We received our camps 10 days before hajj for the first time in the history of SAHUC. There was sufficient food and drinks in the camps for hujjaj. The medical team was always available, so everything went exceptionally well. Praise be to Allah Subhana Wa Ta’alaa,” said Casoo.
Casoo says they will be opening up a complaints inquiry this week so that pilgrims can write to SAHUC with their feedback. By the end of this week, all hujjaj are expected to be returned home to South Africa.
“Our mission team will be the last lot to arrive. They will arrive back in South Africa on Saturday and Sunday,” said Casoo.
