Hajj Stampede: ‘We don’t need to stone the devil at the same time,’ Amir

I am sure some Muslims would want to die in Makkah, but certainly, not that way. I don’t know of anybody that will want to be killed in a stampede or die in pains as that.

The Amir Hajj for Osun State Muslims Pilgrim Welfare Board, Zikrulahi Olakunle Hassan gave an idea that will help Hajj Pilgrims avoid stampedes during the ritual of stoning the Devil.

In an interview with Vanguard Newspapers, Hassan said “Now, on the Jamarah case, I think again, it will be more reasonable for us to look at a time when we know that the crowd could be less on the road. The issue of what happened was about the crowd and over rowdiness.”

He also said “I am sure some Muslims would want to die in Makkah, but certainly, not that way. I don’t know of anybody that will want to be killed in a stampede or die in pains as that. I think what we need to do and I am sure we work on that at our own level here in Nigeria is to look at the possibility of throwing stones at a time when the crowd is less.”

Adding that “Statistically, there are times when the crowd are more and used to be after the morning prayer of Subhi. When we left  Muzdalifah, we went back to the tent in Mina before going for the stoning later in the day. In that way, the crowd was less.”