A stampede at the Hajj in Saudi Arabia on Monday killed 35 Muslim pilgrims, a civil defense chief said. Ten Centuries of Travelers Writing About the Muslim Pilgrimage. The Hajj area is many square miles. The accident occurred in a small part of the Hajj area. Many people won't know this happened until they watch it on television or read it in the local paper.
Accidents are perhaps inevitable given the sheer crush of humanity there.
A Muslim who dies on Hajj holds in his or her heart the notion that they've died on sacred ground. In Muslim tradition, this means they have an immediate access to paradise. To die on sacred ground is a blessing. This softens the suffering and the pain of the families of these people. The Saudi authorities have been widely praised in recent years for improvements in logistics and crowd control at the Hajj.