Pilgrims ‘stone the devil’ at haj gripped by intense heat

MINA, Saudi Arabia – Muslim faithful ritually stoned the devil on May 27 in the climactic ceremony of a haj pilgrimage held in intense heat and against the backdrop of a war that has plunged the wealthy Gulf into crisis.

From dawn, crowds of pilgrims gathered in the valley of Mina, south-east of the holy city of Mecca, to throw pebbles at concrete pillars symbolising the devil.

It reenacts the Prophet Abraham’s stoning of the devil at three places where Satan is said to have tried to dissuade him from obeying God’s command to sacrifice his son, Ishmael.

The white-robed pilgrims have been contending with searing desert heat as they perform the days-long, mostly outdoor rituals, with temperatures reaching 44 deg C in Mecca and Mina on May 27.

After more than 1,300 died at the 2024 hajj, when temperatures soared past 50 deg C, the Saudi authorities ramped up anti-heat measures, including giant fans, mist sprayers, cooled floors and trucks distributing drinking water.

More than 1.7 million people are taking part in the haj in 2026. The pilgrimage is a requirement for all Muslims to perform at least once in their life if they have the means.

The most important festival in Islam has, for the third year in a row, been overshadowed by war, this time the US-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.

Despite the physical challenges, many were overjoyed to complete the pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means to do so.

“I can’t believe I’ve finished the hajj rituals,” Iraqi pilgrim Adnan Hamad, 58, said, as his daughters in white robes, or abayas, looked on. “Every step was enjoyable despite the extreme hardship.”

Ms Marwa Dahchouri, from Egypt, called the devil-stoning “a truly unique feeling”.

“It’s as if you were in paradise, or as if you’ve become a small part of it,” she said.

On May 26, pilgrims prayed atop Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his last sermon, enduring temperatures of 45 deg 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 Mecca for a last circumambulation of the Kaaba, the cuboid building at the heart of the Grand Mosque towards that Muslims turn when they pray.

This last day of the haj coincides with Eid al-Adha, the festival celebrating the memory of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son before the angel Gabriel intervened and offered him a goat in Ishmael’s place.

The festival is usually marked with the slaughter of a sheep, with some of the meat given to the needy. AFP