Woman Declared Dead During Hajj Returns Home After Her Funeral Ceremony

• A Ghanaian woman who was part of the Ghanaian group that travelled for the 2025 Hajj was pronounced dead
• However, Fatima Kassim returned home, leaving her relations in dismay and with several questions unanswered
• The task force in charge of the 2025 Hajj gave an explanation on what could have led to such an error

Fatima Kassim joined the many Ghanaians who travelled to Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage, but she was pronounced dead.

She was declared dead in Saudi Arabia, and a death certificate was issued by Ghana’s consulate to confirm the news. The death certificate was later delivered to her family as evidence of her no longer being part of the living on earth.

After receiving official documents to prove her death, Fatima Kassim’s family organised her funeral as per Islamic demands.

However, a week after organising her funeral, Fatima Kassim arrived at her house in Madina UN in Accra, leaving everyone amazed. She came home on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

Her family members and neighbours were all in disbelief and initially fled when they saw her, thinking they had seen a ghost. In a video on X, her relatives said they were happy to have her back.

“I feel happy and sad, because we are still confused about the situation. This is like a wonder,” one person told Accra-based Citi FM.

A member of the Hajj Taskforce, Alhaji Amadu Sorogho, said they mistook Fatima Kassim for another person.

“We have mistaken identity. The most important thing is that the lady is alive and everything is over.”

Explaining further, the Director of Administration of the Hajj Taskforce, Alhaji Iddi Sumaila, said there were two women on admission at a Saudi hospital.

“There were two patients there, one had a tourist visa and the other went with us, but by then their passports were not with them. So, we mistakenly gave the one with the tourist passport to this one. Usually, when it happens, it is the embassy that takes control, so they issued the certificate. So we knew that one was gone and one was on admission mistakenly, we exchanged it,” he said.

Watch the video below:

Ghanaians react to dead Hajj woman's arrival

YEN.com.gh collated some reactions to the post shared on social media. Some criticised Ghana’s Hajj authority, while others called for further investigation. Read them below:

@CollinsDukeman said:

“This isn’t just a bizarre story, guess the same way it’s alleged they bury people even when they’re in a coma.”

@JackB_87 wrote:

“They mismanaged the hajj pilgrimage and came back to lie... Incompetent people in government.”

@AliduAbdu91640 said:

“This mistake has to be investigated, but let's not try to politicise this matter.”

@kbkukubor wrote:

“Someone must be taking photographs of the dead and confirming with relatives before issuing a certificate and burial.”

@PeaceWarInsight said:

“This was negligence by the Ghana Hajj authorities and whoever was in charge for announcing her dead, but how can you say “she didn’t dead” 😂😂😂😂.”

@SensibleAshanti wrote:

“When the economy is good, why shall she die? Aban papa aba. Ɛyɛ zu.”

@manaff4633 said:

“We live in the same neighbourhood. This is what happened: she got ill and was sent to the hospital. The handlers didn’t check on her, and to make matters worse, they didn’t know where she was taken. To cover their incompetence, they concluded that she died.”

Seven Ghanaian pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia

The Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said seven Ghanaian pilgrims in Mecca lost their lives during the 2025 Hajj.

Alhaji Collins Dauda said the deceased had been buried in Saudi Arabia under Islamic traditions

He stated that the affected families back in Ghana had been informed of the unfortunate incident

Source: YEN.com.gh