Masses of pilgrims embarked on a symbolic stoning of the devil in Saudi Arabia in 47-degree heat on Sunday.
Masses of pilgrims embarked on Sunday on a symbolic stoning of the devil in Saudi Arabia, under the stifling summer heat. The ritual marks the last days of the hajjor Islamic pilgrimage, and the beginning of Eid al-Adha celebrations for Muslims around the world.
Stoning is one of the final rites of the hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam. It came a day after more than 1.8 million pilgrims gathered on a sacred hill, known as Mount Arafatjust outside the holy city of Mecca, which Muslim pilgrims visit to perform the annual five-day rituals of the hajj.
The pilgrims left Mount Arafat on Saturday afternoon to spend the night at a nearby place known as Muzdalifa, where they collected pebbles to use in the symbolic stoning of the pillars that represent the devil.
The pillars are located in another sacred place in Mecca, called Minawhere Muslims believe that Ibrahim’s faith was tested when God ordered him to sacrifice his only son, Ismail. Ibrahim was willing to obey the order, but God prevented him from doing so and forgave his son. In the Christian and Jewish versions of the story, Abraham is ordered to kill his other son, Isaac..
On Sunday morning, the crowd headed on foot to the stoning areas. Some were seen pushing disabled pilgrims in wheelchairs along a multi-lane road leading to the complex housing the large columns. Most of the pilgrims were sweltering and carried umbrellas to protect themselves from the scorching summer sun.
Inhuman heat in this year’s pilgrimage
An Associated Press reporter saw many pilgrimsespecially the elderly, collapse on the road towards the pillars because of the scorching heat. Security forces and medics fanned out to help, carrying those fainting on stretchers out of the heat to ambulances or field hospitals.
As the temperature rose at midday, more people needed medical help. The heat had reached 47 degrees Celsius in Mecca and 46 degrees Celsius in Mina, according to Saudi meteorological authorities.
Despite the stifling heat, many pilgrims expressed their joy at having been able to complete his pilgrimage.
“Thank God, (the process) was joyful and good,” said Abdel-Moaty Abu Ghoneima, an Egyptian pilgrim. “No one wants more than this.”
Many pilgrims will spend up to three days in Mina, each throwing seven pebbles at three pillars in a ritual that symbolizes the expulsion of evil and sin.
During their stay in Mina, they will visit Mecca to perform the “tawaf” or circumambulation, which consists of walk around the Kaaba seven times, in the Great Mosque, counterclockwise. Next, another circumambulation, the farewell tawaf, will mark the end of the Hajj as pilgrims prepare to leave the holy city.
The rituals coincide with the four days of ‘Eid al-Adha’, which means “Feast of Sacrifice”, when Muslims with financial means comment on Ibrahim’s test of faith by sacrificing cattle and animals and distributing the meat to the poor. Most countries celebrated Eid al-Adha on Sunday. Others, like Indonesia, will celebrate on Monday.
Once the hajj is completed, Men must shave their heads and take off their white clothing. similar to the shroud worn during pilgrimage, and women cut off a lock of hair in sign of renewal and rebirth.
Most pilgrims leave Mecca for the city of Medinaabout 340 kilometers away, to pray at the tomb of the prophet Muhammad, the Sacred Chamber. The tomb is part of the Prophet’s Mosque, one of the three holiest sites in Islam, along with the Great Mosque in Mecca and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
All Muslims must perform Hajj once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able to do so. Many wealthy Muslims perform the pilgrimage more than once. The rituals largely commemorate the stories of Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet IsmailIsmail’s mother, Hajar, and the prophet Muhammad, according to the Koran, the holy book of Islam.
More than 1.83 million Muslims performed the hajj in 2024Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabiah said in a briefing, slightly lower than last year, when 1.84 million performed the rituals.
Most hajj rituals are held outdoors, with little or no shade. It is set for the second week of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar, so its time of year varies. AND This year the pilgrimage fell in the hot summer of Saudi Arabia.
