The “stoning of the devil” is the final major Hajj rite that pilgrims perform. Muslims worldwide marked the start of the Eid ul Adha celebration on Friday.
Beginning at sunrise, the more than 1.6 million Muslims participating in the pilgrimage hurled seven stones at each of the three devil-shaped concrete walls in the Mina valley, which lies outside of Makkah, the holy city.
This ceremony honors Prophet Ibrahim’s deed of stoning Satan at the exact locations where, according to legend, the devil tried to talk Prophet Ibrahim out of sacrificing his son as Allah had commanded.
A day before, pilgrims gathered on Mount Arafat, a 70-meter (230-foot) rocky elevation close to Makkah, where they prayed and recited passages from the Quran.
