Good Deed Saved UAE Pilgrim from Mina Stampede

TEHRAN (IQNA) – A UAE resident has told of how a good deed may have saved the lives of his siblings as they were delayed in getting to Makkah on their Hajj pilgrimage.

Dubai resident Sayed Qutbur Rehman said his brother and sister were delayed when they helped a woman receive medical aid at Mount Arafat, just hours before a deadly stampede at Mina claimed hundreds of lives.

Their act of kindness delayed their arrival at Mina, where they could have been caught in the tragic events.

“In the end, Allah saved them,” said Rehman, after speaking to his siblings in Makkah to confirm they were safe. “The others in the group were worried they would not finish all the rituals in time, but my brother kept telling them that helping another person was like praying, The National daily reported.

“They stayed with the lady and were delayed by two to three hours – that may have saved their lives. This was meant by God. I’m so happy they are safe. It’s because of this lady they are safe.”
The woman was separated from her husband in the crush of people on Mount Arafat and had fainted.
On Thursday, more than 1300 pilgrims died and many more injured in a stampede in Mina, outside of Makkah.
About two million Muslims are performing the Hajj. After climbing Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) gave his final sermon, the pilgrims move to gather pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the three pillars at Jamarat, representing temptation by the Devil.