SARIFAH ACCEPTS SAD LOSS OF HUSBAND DURING HAJ PILGRIMAGE

From Nurliyana Farhah Ruslan

MAKKAH, 19 Mei (Bernama) -- Despite the deep pain of losing her husband, Sarifah Hasan, 57, has found the strength to accept the passing of Abdullah Mat, 59, one of the Malaysian pilgrims who died during the tawaf ritual early this morning (local time).

“I received a call from the hospital after Subuh and that’s when I found out my husband had passed away.

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“I was in shock and broke down in tears, hugging my roommates. At that moment, I didn’t even know which hospital my husband was in. I was only told he was in the emergency zone,” she said when met by the media here today.

Sarifah admitted she depended greatly on her late husband in daily matters but made an effort to remain strong when she heard the sad news.

“My children told me, ‘Ma, be strong. Abah is the chosen one. Allah has chosen him to be in a better place’. They comforted me and asked me to accept it and keep going with my life,” she said tearfully.

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Meanwhile, Ashri Mohamed, 52, Abdullah’s roommate, said he was the last to be with him when he collapsed during their fifth lap of tawaf at around 2.30 am.

“At that time, we had just finished praying and were performing the tawaf. On the fifth lap, he began moving slowly, and I noticed he was getting weaker. I was right behind him and managed to hold him before he collapsed,” he said.

Ashri added that Abdullah collapsed near the green light (starting line for tawaf) and was immediately assisted by a man who introduced himself as a doctor from India before medical help arrived around 10 minutes later.

Abdullah was pronounced dead from a heart attack at about 4.15 am at Jiwar Hospital, Jabal Qamar, shortly before the Subuh call to prayer.

--BERNAMA