Hajia Fatima Kassim
When unexpectedly Hajia Fatima Kassim of Madina Libya Quarters showed up on Tuesday after the Islamic funeral had being performed for her, some family members were scared and thought they had seen a ghost.
Hajia Fatima travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj, but upon reaching Jeddah to connect a flight back home, she fell ill and was taken to hospital for attention in Jeddah.
Unfortunately, she was left behind to continue the treatment, by which completion information had reached her family members that she had passed away and a death certificate to that effect issued.
According to her sister Hajia Kankani, who saw her arrival bearing her belongings, “It was around 2pm when during a conversation with a sister who had come to me somebody opened the door and stood in front of me. I asked ‘who are you?’ and she said ‘it is me Hajia Fati.’ I said no she wasn’t the one, and she said she is the one. When I asked where she was coming from, she said ‘Mecca’. I tried to run away but there was nowhere to run to. I suffered an immediate headache. I told her she could be coming from Togo but she said Mecca. I hugged her and discovered that truly she was Hajia Fati.”
Hajia Fatima’s brother-in-law, Alhaji Nasiru, narrated how the woman’s death announcement prompted the prayers or aduwa for her soul.
“Word reached us that she had passed on and a death certificate to that effect provided to us. We informed family members and prayers for the dead were organised. I would blame the agent and the Hajj Taskforce for the mix-up. When she was taken to hospital when she collapsed, an official should have done a follow-up,” he stated.
As to whether there is a ritual to reverse the prayers offered for her soul, he said “all we shall do is inform those who presided over the prayers to pray for her since after all she is alive, and that is all.”
A staff of Al Balad Travel and Tours, Alhaji Ali, through which she travelled, said indeed the lady was their passenger. He denied however the story that he took her to hospital and abandoned her.
“The sister of the lady, Muiba Kassim, a resident of the UK had earlier brought some dresses to be given to Hajia Fati. In Jeddah we had completed all departure formalities when I was told that Hajia Fati was feeling unwell and had collapsed. It was not possible to return to her having completed departure formalities. I however called some of our people to inform them about the condition of the lady. I called Alhaji Hamza, Alhaji Ridwa so that they would ensure all went well.
“When we arrived in Accra, her daughter called to find out about the condition of her mother. Muiba Kassim, the lady who gave me her goods also called to find out about Hajia Fati. Alhaji Garba, CEO of Al Balad asked whether the woman had passed on and I told him I was not aware. A Ghanaian resident in Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Issa also asked whether the woman was dead and I told him I was not aware. I sent shots of her passport details to those on the ground so they would be sure about whether or not the woman was the one being referred to,” he disclosed.
Many days have passed and family members without doubt now accept the fact that their mother, sister is alive and not the ghost they thought she was when they saw her arrival.
There could have been a paperwork mix-up. A request from the Consul-General’s Office in Jeddah reads “The Consul-General has been informed about death of Ghanaian pilgrim Fatima Kassim with Passport/TC No G5347562 on 25/06/25 in Jeddah. The Consulate wished to request for the release of the body for burial. Signed Consul Abu Diban Abukari.”
Officials of the Hajj Taskforce are reported to have visited the family at Madina, but details of their engagement were not made public.