Loyalty of an Algerian wife to her husband saved her from death in the Mina stampede on Thursday.
Aisha Iyadah, 62, said her husband Mohammed Rajie, 73, complained of severe stomach pain as they were on their way to the Jamarat complex for the stoning ritual on the fateful day.
She insisted on going back to her tent from the middle of the road to bring medicines for her husband.
When Rajie was fighting death in the stampede, his wife was hurrying back to him with the medicines.
Iyadah narrated the story to Al-Hayat newspaper amid tears and crying, “the Haji has gone.”
She said her husband had severe stomach pains while they were in Muzdalifah. When they arrived in Mina around 7.30 a.m and were on their way to throw pebbles at Satan, his pain increased and became unbearable.
She said she asked him to wait for her where he was until she brought painkillers for him from the tent.
“He refused to let me go and insisted on completing our journey to the Jamarat, but I was adamant,” she said.
The bereaved wife said she went back to the tent, brought the medicine, but was delayed for more than three hours because of the congestion.
“When I arrived at the street where I asked him to wait for me, I was surprised to see a security cordon and a number of ambulances. Some pilgrims told me about the tragic incident,” said Iyadah, who along with her husband was performing Haj for the first time.
Iyadah said they have 10 children who kept calling asking to speak to their father to congratulate him on performing Haj, but every time she told them that he was asleep.
“At about 10 p.m on the day of the incident, my eldest son Belqasim, who is 35 years old, called me and told me that he had heard about the stampede,” she said.
The mother said she could not hide the news of the death of her husband any more.
“I am faithful and patient. I fully accept the fate of destiny. All I want now is to have a final look at him before he is buried,” she said.
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