Pilgrims 'stone the devil' to mark end of Hajj and start of Eid

Symbolic act is final ritual of holy pilgrimage

Muslims performed the last ritual of Hajj on Friday known as the “stoning of the devil” in Makkah, as millions around the globe celebrated the beginning of the Eid Al Adha break.

Saudi Arabia has this year hosted more than 1.6 million pilgrims. They threw stones at three concrete walls symbolising the devil in the Mina valley, on the outskirts of Makkah. Droves of pilgrims had already set out from their accommodation in the sprawling tent city in Mina before dawn, taking advantage of the cool temperatures.

The ritual commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim's stoning of the devil at the three spots where it is said Satan tried to dissuade him from obeying God's order to sacrifice his son.

On Thursday, pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat, praying and reciting the Quran at the 70-metre rocky rise near Makkah, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his last sermon. Many climbed despite searing heat, though numbers had reduced by midday, following official warnings for pilgrims to stay inside between 10am and 4pm.

At this year's Hajj authorities implemented a range of heat-mitigation efforts alongside a wide-ranging crackdown on illicit pilgrims, resulting in noticeably thinner crowds and a heavy security presence at sites in Makkah and the surrounding areas.

This year's statistics, by the General Authority for Statistics (Gastat), showed a total of 1,673, 230 pilgrims performed Hajj. Of these, 1,506,576 were international pilgrims and 166,654 were domestic pilgrims, including both citizens and residents. According to Gastat, 877,841 were men and 795,389 were women.

Every year at the Hajj, Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia to unite in religious rituals and acts of worship as they fulfil one of the five pillars of Islam, a religious obligation. It can be the spiritual experience of a lifetime for them and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.