Rabat – At dawn of the 1st day of Eid Al Adha on Wednesday, more than 1.8 million Hajj pilgrims began to perform the throwing of the pebbles ritual at the Jamarat area by throwing the seven stones of “Jamrat Al-Aqaba,” the Stoning of the Devil ritual.
At the Grand Mosque in Mecca, pilgrims observed Eid al-Adha on Wednesday by participating in fervent prayers and sermons to celebrate one of the holiest events in the Islamic calendar.
The pilgrims to the Holy Lands completed this last major stage of the Hajj smoothly, without congestion or jostling, benefiting from ample security, health, and emergency services provided by different departments of the Saudi government especially mobilized for this purpose.
After completing this phase, pilgrims shave and cut their hair, then sacrifice the “Hady” (sacrificial animal) of Eid Al-Adha.
They then perform the “Tawaf al-ifadha,” after which they return to Mina to spend the night for the remainder of the “Tashreeq” days, the three days that follow the day of Eid Al Adha.
The pilgrims spent the night yesterday in Muzdalifah, an open area located southeast of Mina near Mecca, after gathering on the plains of Mount Arafat, the main rite of the Hajj, in an atmosphere of piety and meditation.
According to the Saudi Arabian Statistics Authority, this year’s Hajj attracted over 1.8 million worshippers. All able-bodied Muslims who have the financial means must perform the Hajj rite.
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