During this year’s Hajj, around two million Muslim pilgrims gathered in Saudi Arabia to take part in the symbolic stoning of the devil.
This ritual marks the conclusion of the pilgrimage and signifies the beginning of the Eid el-Kabir celebrations for Muslims worldwide.
In Nigeria, Eid al-Kabir, also known as Babbar Sallah in Hausa, is observed as a feast of sacrifice honoring Prophet Ibrahim’s obedience to Allah’s command, particularly his willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail.
It is a time for sharing, where Muslims who can afford it, especially buy a ram, slaughter it, and distribute the meat among their neighbors.
The stoning of the devil on Sunday is one of the final rites of the Hajj, which is one of the five Pillars of Islam.
On Saturday, June 15, over 1.8 million pilgrims had gathered on the sacred hill outside Mecca known as Mount Ararat, before moving to Muzdalifa to spend the night.
Here, they collected pebbles which they would later use in the symbolic stoning of pillars representing the devil.
The pillars are located in Mina, another sacred site in Mecca where Muslims believe Prophet Ibrahim’s faith was tested when he was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Ismail.
As narrated in the Quran and the Bible, Ibrahim (known as Abraham in the Bible) was willing to carry out the sacrifice before God intervened and provided a ram instead.
During the next three days in Mina, pilgrims will walk long distances on pedestrian-only streets, heading towards a complex where they will cast seven pebbles at three pillars to symbolically reject evil and sin.
In Mina, they will also visit Mecca to perform ‘tawaf’, circling the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque counterclockwise seven times.
This signifies the pilgrims reaching the end of their journey before departing the holy city.
After the Hajj, men usually shave their heads and change out of the white garments worn during the pilgrimage.
Some pilgrims then proceed to Medina to offer prayers at the tomb of Prophet Muhammad, located within the prophet’s mosque – one of Islam’s three holiest sites.
According to Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister, Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabiah, more than 1.83 million Muslims are participating in the 2024 Hajj.