Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah made a decision to halt pilgrims’ journey to the Jamarat Bridge for the stone-throwing ritual between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. due to scorching heat conditions.
In Mina, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Dr. Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, issued a statement on Monday implementing this directive.
To safeguard the well-being of pilgrims during extreme temperatures and prevent heat-related illnesses, Sulaiman emphasized the essential nature of these measures.
“As a result, the following actions have been taken: Pilgrims are not allowed to proceed to the Jamarat Bridge for the stone-throwing ritual from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.”
Furthermore, security personnel will be stationed at camps to enforce the restrictions and prevent any pilgrims from departing before 4 p.m.
He urged the Office of Hajj Affairs and service providers to ensure compliance, asserting that they would be accountable for any breaches.
“We pray for the protection of the pilgrims by Allah and for the acceptance of their Hajj.”
Additionally, an official from Nigeria’s Hajj Commission intercepted two individuals, Muhammed Umar and Nazifi Tasi’u GARBA, of Nigerian descent, for infiltrating pilgrims’ tents amidst concerns regarding overcrowded accommodation and petty theft.
Consequently, the suspects were handed over to the Saudi Police, had their biometrics taken, and were fined 10,000 Saudi Riyals, to be paid upon their departure from the country.
NAN reports that the Jamarat are three pillars situated in Mecca and are a significant aspect of the Hajj pilgrimage for Muslims.
Pilgrims symbolically “stone the devil” by throwing pebbles at the pillars during their pilgrimage to Mecca.
Stoning of the Devil, known as rajm al-jamaat, symbolizes Muslims’ resistance to temptation, reaffirmation of faith in Allah, and honoring of Prophet Ibrahim.
This year’s Hajj witnessed over 1.83 million pilgrims, as reported by the Saudi Gazette.
A total of 1,833,164 pilgrims, both domestic and foreign, including 1,611,310 foreign pilgrims and 221,854 domestic pilgrims, citizens, and expatriates, performed the annual pilgrimage.
NAN