Forty-two Indian Umrah pilgrims who lost their lives in the devastating Madinah bus fire on November 17, 2025, will be buried in one of Islam’s most sacred graveyards, Jannat-ul-Baqi, beside the Prophet’s Mosque. The decision, taken after heartfelt requests from grieving families, has brought a measure of comfort to relatives who see it as the highest honour possible.
Most of the victims belonged to tight-knit neighborhoods in Hyderabad’s Old City, Tolichowki, Mehdipatnam, Asifnagar, and Langar Houz. Entire families were wiped out in seconds: one household lost 18 members, including grandparents, parents, and young children aged between 4 and 12. Neighbors recall them leaving with smiles, carrying sweets and new ihram clothes, dreaming of praying at the Rawdah.
Telangana Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammad Azharuddin, who reached Madinah within hours, personally conveyed the families’ wish to Saudi authorities. “They said, ‘Our loved ones left for Allah’s house; let them stay there forever.’ Jannat-ul-Baqi was their only request,” he shared. Saudi officials quickly approved, waiving usual procedures.
At Madinah hospitals, the bodies, many of which were completely burned, were cleaned and covered according to Islamic rites at Madinah hospitals. As the sacred soil of Jannat-ul-Baqi embraces these 42 pilgrims, their unfinished Umrah has become an eternal one, closer to the Prophet (PBUH) than they ever dreamed.
