Muslim pilgrims 'stone the devil' as hajj nears end in Saudi Arabia

Muslim pilgrims 'stone the devil' as hajj nears end in Saudi Arabia

Muslim pilgrims throw seven stones at each of three concrete walls symbolising the devil in the Mina valley

Huge crowds of pilgrims "stoned the devil" in the last major ritual of the hajj pilgrimage on Friday, as Muslims around the globe celebrated the beginning of the Eid al-Adha holiday.

Starting before dawn, 1.6 million-plus pilgrims began throwing stones at three giant concrete walls symbolising the devil at the Jamarat complex, near the holy city of Mecca.

Despite the throngs, the annual pilgrimage has seen its lowest numbers in decades and a range of new precautions after 1,301 people died in extreme heat last year.

Temperatures hit 42 degrees Celsius (108 Fahrenheit) on Friday, still well below the high of 51.8C (125F) that caused major difficulties in 2024.

However, after three days of long treks in the summer sun, many pilgrims were clearly feeling the effects.

Walking back from the Jamarat, one Egyptian in a white veil told AFP: "I can't talk, the heat is killing me" as sweat trickled down her face. 

A Sudanese man in his fifties said he had walked 20km (12 miles) in the heat that day, adding: "I am happy but all the energy has left my body."

- 300,000 an hour -

Droves of pilgrims, some in wheelchairs, set out from their accommodation in the sprawling tent city in Mina before day-break, taking advantage of the cool temperatures.

The ritual commemorates Abraham'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.

Saudi officials have revamped Jamarat, building concrete walkways and bridges, after a 2015 stampede left 2,300 people dead, the hajj's worst tragedy.

The complex was operating at full capacity, handling up to 300,000 pilgrims an hour, the official Saudi Press Agency said.

"Our experience in Mina was easy and simple," said 34-year-old Wael Ahmed Abdel Kader, from Egypt, after carrying out the ritual at dawn. 

"We entered and within five minutes we had completed the stoning of the devil at the Jamarat."

Howakita, a pilgrim from Guinea, said: "When I threw the stones I felt at ease. I was truly proud."

A day earlier, pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat, praying and reciting Koranic verses at the 70-metre (230-foot) rocky rise where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his last sermon.

Many climbed the mount despite the searing heat, though numbers had thinned by midday following official warnings for them to stay inside between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.

- Source of prestige -

That was one of a number of measures to avoid over-exposure to the heat, including expanding shaded areas, providing thousands more medics and installing hundreds of cooling units.

Saudi officials also cracked down hard to prevent unauthorised pilgrims, who lack access to amenities such as air-conditioned tents and made up the bulk of the victims last year.

This hajj season has recorded the lowest number of pilgrims in over three decades, barring the years of Covid restrictions from 2020-2022.

Last year, 1.8 million Muslims took part, according to official figures.

Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota basis and distributed to individuals by a lottery system.

But even for those who can secure them, the high costs spur many to attempt the hajj without a permit, even though they risk arrest and deportation if caught.

Saudi Arabia earns billions of dollars a year from the hajj, and the lesser pilgrimage known as umrah, undertaken at other times of the year.

The pilgrimages are also a source of prestige and legitimacy for the Saudi monarch, who is known as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques of Mecca and Medina.

The end of the hajj coincides with the beginning of Eid al-Adha -- an annual feasting holiday marked by the slaughter of an animal -- typically a goat, sheep, cow, bull or camel.

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