Shafaqna Pakistan: Muslim pilgrims on Wednesday performed one of the final major rituals of the annual Hajj pilgrimage by symbolically stoning the devil near Makkah.
Since early morning, large numbers of pilgrims gathered in the Mina valley, southeast of the holy city, to cast pebbles at concrete pillars representing the devil.
The ritual commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) rejection of Satan at three locations where the devil is believed to have attempted to deter him from carrying out God’s command to sacrifice his son, Prophet Ismail (AS).
More than 1.7 million pilgrims are participating in this year’s Hajj. The pilgrimage is an obligation for every Muslim to undertake at least once in their lifetime, provided they possess the financial and physical ability to do so.
The most important festival in Islam has, for the third year in a row, been overshadowed by war — this time the United States-Israeli conflict with Iran that has drawn in the Gulf nations.
A fragile ceasefire, in place since April 8, has mostly brought a halt to the fighting but diplomatic efforts to bring the war to a definitive end have proved inconclusive so far.
The Hajj, which involves a series of mostly outdoor rituals over several days, is taking place during intense heat this year.
On Tuesday, pilgrims prayed atop Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is believed to have delivered his last sermon, enduring temperatures of 45 °C.
They then spent the night under the stars at Muzdalifah, halfway between Arafat and Mina, where they collected pebbles for the stoning.
After this final ceremony, the pilgrims return to Makkah for a last circumambulation of the Kaaba at the heart of the Grand Mosque.
Source: Express Tribune
