AFP
Hajj: the faithful carry out the stoning of Satan on the first day of Eid
Muslim faithful perform the last major ritual of the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia on Sunday in Mina, the stoning of the steles representing Satan, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, a major holiday in Islam. From dawn, the pilgrims will follow one another in front of the steles in the valley of Mina, near Mecca, on which they will throw stones, before returning to the holy city for new convolutions around the Kaaba, in the center of the Great mosque. The ritual of stoning turned into a tragedy in 2015 when a stampede left 2,300 dead, but the site has since undergone major developments to facilitate the movement of crowds. On Saturday, the faithful collected stones and slept under the stars in the plain of Mouzdalifa, located a few kilometers from Mina, after spending the day praying and reciting the Koran at Mount Arafat, under temperatures reaching 46 degrees. Celsius. “It was very, very hot,” admits Rohy Daiseca, a 60-year-old Gambian living in the United States. “But thank God I put a lot of water on my head and everything went well.” Despite the very high temperatures in one of the hottest regions in the world, the gathering around the hill where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have held his last sermon was held in great fervor. “This place shows us that we are all equal, that there are no differences between Muslims in the world,” said Amal Mahrouss, a 55-year-old woman from Egypt. One of the five pillars of Islam, the hajj must be performed by all Muslims at least once in their life if they have the means. As in 2023, more than 1.8 million faithful took part this year, including 1.6 million from abroad, the Saudi authorities announced on Saturday. – Festival of Sacrifice – The stoning ritual takes place at first day of Eid al-Adha, a festival celebrated by Muslims around the world in memory of the sacrifice that Abraham almost made by wanting to immolate his son, before the angel Gabriel offered him at the last minute to kill a sheep in its place, according to tradition. On this occasion, practitioners slaughter an animal, generally a sheep, and offer part of the meat to the needy. However, the celebrations are overshadowed this year by the deadly war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip, subject to intense bombing and besieged for more than eight months. “We are sad for the Palestinians, and we have prayed a lot for them,” said Intissar, a 25-year-old Syrian resident in Saudi Arabia, who did not wish to give her name. King Salman brought 2,000 at his own expense. Palestinians, half of whom are family members of victims in Gaza who have taken refuge abroad. The authorities have, however, warned that no political slogans will be tolerated during the hajj. This did not prevent many pilgrims from Arab countries and the rest of the Muslim world from expressing to AFP their solidarity with the Palestinians. “Pray for our brothers in Palestine, in Gaza (…) May God give victory to the Muslims,” a faithful shouted to Arafat on Saturday. saa/vl
