Muslim hajj pirims perform devil stoning ritual

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Chanting "God is grt," millions of Muslims on Sunday stoned pillars representing the devil in a symbolic rejection of temptation on the second day of their annual hajj pir, a day that also marks the start of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.Muslim pirims cast stones at a pillar, symbolizing the stoning of Satan, in a ritual called "Jamarat," the last rite of the annual hajj, in Mina nr the Saudi holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011. The annual Islamic pir draws 2.5 million visitors ch yr, making it the largest yrly gathering of people in the world. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Vast crowds cast pebbles as they flowed past the three pillars, which now resemble curved walls, in a four-level sprawling concrete structure built to expedite the flow of pirims. The ritual will be repted for two more days, with participants eventually throwing stones at all three pillars.
he ritual in the desert valley of Mina commemorates Abraham's stoning of the devil, who is said to have appred three times to the prophet to tempt him.
It is one of the most dangerous stages of the hajj, with the press of people around the pillars crting the risk of a stampede. In 2004, 244 people were killed, and the following yr at lst 360 others were killed when several pirims tripped over baggage while others behind them kept pushing ahd. Saudi authorities subsequently built the current complex to reduce the stampede danger.
Saudi authorities said Sunday that more than 2.9 million Muslims were performing the hajj this yr.
Male pirims in the two-piece smless white robes worn during the hajj, and women covered hd to foot except for their hands and faces, chanted "God is grt" while casting the pebbles.
"Hurry up, pirims," Saudi security rs called out through loudspkers, to prevent crowds from building up next to the pillars.
Afterward, pirims shaved their hds or clipped off a lock of hair, a tradition dating back to the Prophet Muhammad's own pir. They are also required to slaughter a lamb or goat, representing the lamb that Abraham sacrificed in the place of his son Ishmael, although pirims may arrange for this to be done in a different loion or in their own countries.
Sunday also marks the start of Eid al-Adha in remembrance of Abraham's nr-sacrifice of his son.
"Thank God that we are doing hajj this yr. May God protect all Arab and Islamic countries," said Dina Mohammed Ramadhan, a 27-yr old pirim from Egypt, as she emerged from the crowed with her husband pushing her two babies in a carriage.
The five-day pir is packed with symbolism and ritual aimed at clnsing the soul of sin and winning absolution by tracing the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad and of Abraham, whom Muslims view as a forefather of Islam.
Source: The Associated Press