Dubai: An Egyptian pilgrim died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. But what makes this incident especially poignant is the fact that both his father and grandfather died during their respective Hajj pilgrimages three decades and five decades ago.
The grieving family, hailing from Beheira Governorate, has been enveloped by both sorrow and an overwhelming sense of spiritual significance.
Hajj Mohammad Salim Salim Qassem was a respected retired post manager from Beheira. The family was informed of his death on Saturday, and the town has been in mourning since the news broke.
Dr. Jamal Amin Qassem, a cousin of the deceased, disclosed the startling fact that Mohammad’s death closely mirrored that of his father, who passed away over 30 years ago while undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage. Going back in the family’s history, Mohammad’s grandfather also died in the same manner about 50 years ago.
Dr. Jamal Qassem said, “My beloved cousin Mohammad Salim Qassem, former head of Rashid and Edku Post Group, has passed away in the holy land, as if we were on a date with meeting God in this holy spot, where his father, my uncle Saad Salim Qassim, and his grandfather, died in the same place and during the same journey.”
The town of Idku is now reflecting not only on the loss of a beloved community member but also on the profound coincidence that has connected three generations of the Qassem family.
The Hajj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam and holds immense spiritual importance for Muslims around the world. To have three generations of a family meet their end during this sacred journey is being seen by many as an unbelievable and poignant connection to their faith.
As the Qassem family and the community of Idku come to terms with their loss, many are finding comfort in the thought that Mohammad, his father, and his grandfather have been united in the holy land.
