Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — The emotionally charged post by an Egyptian doctor about his wife who died while performing Umrah near the Holy Kaaba went viral on social media.

Many Saudi twitteratis and other social media users commented and shared the post of Abdelmoniem Elkhateeb, professor of surgery at Assiut University’s Faculty of Medicine. Heba, an Umrah pilgrim from the Egyptian governorate of Qena, died in Makkah the other day.

The post by a grief-stricken Elkhateeb was deeply moving and heart-wrenching. “God has what He takes, and God has what He gives. With hearts filled with patience and anticipating reward and with eyes shedding abundant tears, I mourn my wife, the mother of my children, my soul-mate, my companion, the flower of my heart, my goodness in this world, my smile, my partner, my companion...”

Elkhateeb continued: “I bear witness to God that she was the righteous and obedient wife who was loyal to her family and her husband’s family. She was straightforward and performed the role of mother and sister very well.”

He went on to say: “She meets me with a smile and bade adieu to me with prayers and we offer our condolences as her soul ascended to God from the Grand Mosque in Makkah while she was fasting and performing Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan. We belong to God and to Him we will return.”

“O Allah, forgive her, have mercy on her, and grant her the highest Paradise, and grant us patience and the ability to bear with the pain of separation,” he added.

Many social media users interacted with the post, supplicating God to bestow on her His mercy and forgiveness. One social media influencer said: “She wished to be buried in Makkah and hence she had what she wished for. A good ending was written for her, as she died while performing the Umrah pilgrimage in Ramadan and was buried in Makkah after prayers were offered for her by thousands of worshipers in the Grand Mosque."