MINA, 1 January 2007 — More than two million pilgrims yesterday threw stones, no bigger than beans, at all the three walls representing the devil on the second day of a Haj ritual here that represents Prophet Abraham’s rejection of Satan’s temptations.
Civil Defense helicopters monitored pilgrim traffic that flowed smoothly on the high-tech Jamrat Bridge throughout the day.
In the last of the Haj rituals, pilgrims chanting “God is Greatest” threw seven small pebbles at each of the three gray stone walls. The stoning that symbolizes the rejection of evil and temptations will be repeated again today as the Haj draws to a close. Watched by alert, friendly and extremely polite security officers, pilgrims were directed to approach the stoning site in orderly waves.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah formally received here the Islamic dignitaries and heads of Haj missions who performed Haj this year.
“You came from various countries to meet at one place at one time,” the king said after greeting the guests of God. “The hearts are brought together with the firm faith alone. This great event stresses that Allah can unite the hearts of this Ummah. If we are sincere in our religion, Allah will bestow us victory and glory and thus we will become a leading vibrant nation and not a backward one.”
Among the dignitaries who attended the reception were Sudanese President Omar Bashir, Sierra Leone’s President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, Speaker of Egyptian Parliament Ahmed Fathi Sorour, Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi and Mauritius Vice President Abdul Raouf Bundhun, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
At the Jamrat, authorities heaved a sigh of relief at the orderliness of the stoning ritual since in the past it has been marked by fatalities due to overcrowding. The stoning ritual tends to be the most animated, with pilgrims heaving their pebbles along with declarations against the evils they perceive in the world. Many had political overtones with pilgrims shouting out the names of those they perceive to be persecuting Muslims worldwide.
“This is nothing but an act of catharsis,” said one pilgrim from Singapore. “To me these walls represent those men who are either killing or are responsible for the genocide of my brethren in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.
One Sudanese pilgrim took a more personal approach to the exercise. “This is an act of self-purification,” he said as he completed his stone-throwing.
Tension and anxiety disappeared from the faces of pilgrims who had completed the most crowded performance of the Haj, and they started sharing lighter moments in Mina.
Indian pilgrim Mushtaq Ahmad was seen strolling on the main Al-Jauhara Street with his wife and enjoying a cup of coffee. “This is my first Haj, and, by the grace of Allah, we completed all the rituals at ease and without any trouble,” he said. “This is really unbelievable that more than two million pilgrims performed Haj without any incident whatsoever. Just amazing.”
“Alhamdulillah, the stoning was peaceful and smooth and everybody is safe and sound. What more can we expect?” said Habib Al-Jassar from Kuwait.
— With inputs from Galal Fakkar, Siraj Wahab, Syed Faisal Ali, Samir Al-Saadi and Zainy Abbas
