Pilgrims commence the final rites of Hajj as Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha

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Published astatine 9:13 am, June 16, 2024

Samy Magdy, Associated Press

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Masses of pilgrims connected Sunday embarked connected a symbolic stoning of nan devil successful Saudi Arabia nether nan soaring summertime heat. The ritual marks nan last days of nan Hajj, aliases Islamic pilgrimage, and nan commencement of nan Eid al-Adha celebrations for Muslims astir nan world.

The stoning is among nan last rites of nan Hajj, which is 1 of nan Five Pillars of Islam. It came a time aft much than 1.8 cardinal pilgrims congregated astatine a ineffable hill, known arsenic Mount Ararat, extracurricular nan beatified metropolis of Mecca, which Muslim pilgrims sojourn to execute nan yearly five-day rituals of Hajj.

The pilgrims near Mount Arafat connected Saturday evening to walk their nighttime successful a adjacent tract known arsenic Muzdalifa, wherever they collected pebbles to usage successful nan symbolic stoning of pillars representing nan devil.

The pillars are successful different ineffable spot successful Mecca, called Mina, wherever Muslims judge Ibrahim’s religion was tested erstwhile God commanded him to sacrifice his only boy Ismail. Ibrahim was prepared to taxable to nan command, but past God stayed his hand, sparing his son. In nan Christian and Jewish versions of nan story, Abraham is ordered to termination his different son, Isaac.

On Sunday morning, crowds headed connected ft to nan stoning areas. Some were seen pushing abnormal pilgrims connected wheelchairs connected a multi-lane roadworthy starring to nan analyzable lodging nan ample pillars. Most pilgrims were seen sweltering and carrying umbrellas to protect them against nan burning summertime sun.

An Associated Press newsman saw galore pilgrims, particularly among nan elderly, collapsing connected nan roadworthy to nan pillars because of nan burning heat. Security forces and medics were deployed to help, carrying those who fainted connected gurneys retired of nan power to ambulances aliases section hospitals. As nan somesthesia spiked by midday, much group required aesculapian help. The power had reached to 47 C (116.6 F) successful Mecca, and 46 C (114.8 F) successful Mina, according to Saudi meteorological authorities.

Despite nan suffocating heat, galore pilgrims expressed joyousness astatine being capable to complete their pilgrimage.

“Thank God, (the process) was joyful and good,” said Abdel-Moaty Abu Ghoneima, an Egyptian pilgrim. “No 1 wants much than this.”

Many pilgrims will walk up to 3 days successful Mina, each casting 7 pebbles astatine 3 pillars successful a ritual to symbolize nan casting distant of evil and sin.

While successful Mina, they will sojourn Mecca to execute their “tawaf,” aliases circumambulation, which is circling nan Kaaba successful nan Grand Mosque counterclockwise 7 times. Then different circumambulation, nan Farewell Tawaf, will people nan extremity of Hajj arsenic pilgrims hole to time off nan beatified city.

The rites coincide pinch nan four-day Eid al-Adha, which intends “Feast of Sacrifice,” erstwhile Muslims pinch financial intends commentate Ibrahim’s trial of religion done slaughtering livestock and animals and distributing nan nutrient to nan poor.

Most countries marked Eid al-Adha connected Sunday. Others, for illustration Indonesia, will observe it Monday.

Once nan Hajj is over, men are expected to shave their heads and region nan shroud-like achromatic garments worn during nan pilgrimage, and women to snip a fastener of hairsbreadth successful a motion of renewal and rebirth.

Most of nan pilgrims past time off Mecca for nan metropolis of Medina, astir 340 kilometers (210 miles) away, to believe successful Prophet Muhammad’s tomb, nan Sacred Chamber. The tomb is portion of nan prophet’s mosque, 1 of nan 3 holiest sites successful Islam, on pinch nan Grand Mosque successful Mecca and nan Al Aqsa Mosque successful Jerusalem.

All Muslims are required to make nan Hajj erstwhile successful their lives if they are physically and financially capable to do so. Many able Muslims make nan visit much than once. The rituals mostly commemorate nan accounts of Prophet Ibrahim and his boy Prophet Ismail, Ismail’s mother Hajar and Prophet Muhammad, according to nan Quran, Islam’s beatified book.

More than 1.83 cardinal Muslims performed Hajj successful 2024, Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabiah said successful a briefing, somewhat little than past year’s figures erstwhile 1.84 cardinal made nan rituals.

Most of nan Hajj rituals are held outdoors pinch small if immoderate shade. It is group for nan 2nd week of Dhu al-Hijjah, nan past period successful nan Islamic lunar calendar, truthful its clip of nan twelvemonth varies. And this twelvemonth nan visit fell successful nan burning summertime of Saudi Arabia.

This year’s Hajj came against nan backdrop of nan devastating Israel-Hamas war, which has pushed nan Middle East to nan brink of a location conflict.

Palestinians successful nan Gaza Strip weren’t capable to recreation to Mecca for Hajj this twelvemonth because of nan closure of nan Rafah crossing successful May erstwhile Israel extended its crushed violative to nan metropolis connected nan separator pinch Egypt. And they will not beryllium capable to observe nan Eid al-Adha arsenic they utilized to do successful erstwhile years.

Dozens of Palestinians gathered Sunday greeting adjacent a destroyed mosque successful Gaza’s confederate metropolis of Khan Younis to execute nan Eid prayers. They were surrounded by debris and rubble of collapsed houses. In nan adjacent municipality of Deir al-Balah successful cardinal Gaza, Muslims held their prayers successful a school-turned shelter. Some, including women and children, went to cemeteries to sojourn nan graves of loved ones.

“Today, aft nan ninth month, much than 37,000 martyrs, much than 87,000 wounded, and hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed,” Abdulhalim Abu Samra, a displaced Palestinian, told nan AP aft wrapping up nan prayers successful Khan Younis. “Our group unrecorded successful difficult circumstances.”

Also successful nan occupied West Bank, Palestinians convened for nan Eid prayers successful Ramallah, nan spot of nan Western-backed Palestinian Authority. “We suffer greatly and unrecorded done difficult moments pinch (what’s happening to) our brothers successful Gaza,” said Mahmoud Mohana, a mosque imam.

In Yemen’s Houthi-held superior of Sanaa and successful Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, Muslims celebrated and prayed for nan war-weary Palestinians successful Gaza.

“We are happy because of Eid but our hearts are filled pinch anguish erstwhile we spot our brothers successful Palestine,” said Bashar al-Mashhadani, imam of al-Gilani Mosque successful Baghdad. “(We) impulse nan Arabic and Islamic countries to support and guidelines beside them successful this ordeal.”

In Lebanon wherever nan militant Hezbollah group traded astir regular attacks pinch Israel, a dependable watercourse of visitors made their measurement into nan Palestine Martyrs Cemetery adjacent nan Shatila Palestinian exile campy successful Beirut early Sunday morning, base flowers and jugs of h2o for nan graves of their loved ones, an yearly contented connected nan first time of Eid.

The cemetery is nan funeral tract of galore Palestinian Liberation Organization leaders and militants who died fighting Israeli forces successful Lebanon successful nan 1970s and ’80s. More recently, apical Hamas charismatic Saleh al-Arouri and 2 different Hamas members, killed pinch him successful an evident Israeli airstrike successful Beirut’s confederate suburbs successful January, were buried there.

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Associated Press writers Wafaa Shurafa successful nan Gaza Strip and Abby Sewell successful Beirut contributed to this report.

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Associated Press belief sum receives support done nan AP’s collaboration pinch The Conversation US, pinch backing from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.