Malaysian Hajj Pilgrim Dies Inside Masjid al-Haram

A Hajj pilgrim from Malaysia died of a heart attack while performing Sa’i at the Grand Mosque.

A Malaysian pilgrim in his 50s passed away from a heart attack inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, just 12 hours after arriving for the upcoming Haj 1445 AH-2024 pilgrimage.

Mohammad Zuhair, from Alor Setar, Kedah, started the journey with his wife after their last-minute Hajj application was unexpectedly approved.

When Zuhair arrived in Makkah on May 29, he completed the tawaf, which is the ritual of walking around the holy Kaaba.

As he was heading towards Al Mas’aa, where the Sa’i ritual is performed at the Grand Mosque, he suddenly collapsed from a heart attack, Bernama reported.

He was quickly taken to a clinic at the Grand Mosque and then moved to a Saudi hospital for further treatment, but sadly, he was pronounced dead.

Fawzia, Zuhair’s wife, recounted an emotional story about their departure from Kuala Lumpur. She mentioned that Zuhair had reflected on whether they would come back, Arabic daily Sabq reported.

She felt that her husband had always wanted to pass away at the Grand Mosque, and sadly, his wish came true.

The funeral prayer took place at Masjid al-Haram after the Dhuhr prayer on May 31. Zuhair was then laid to rest at Al Sharayea Cemetery the next afternoon.

Zuhair was the second Malaysian Haj pilgrim to pass away in Makkah this year.

On May 24, a 72-year-old male pilgrim from Kubang Pasu, Kedah, passed away from a ruptured blood vessel at a hospital in Makkah.