The faithful performed on Wednesday near Mecca the ritual of the stoning of Satan, one of the last of the great annual pilgrimage which brought together more than 1.8 million Muslims, under overwhelming heat.
This ritual took place on the first day of Eid al-Adha, a major festival in Islam.
Throughout the day, pilgrims took turns at the site of the stoning in Mina, an arid valley a few kilometers from Mecca in western Saudi Arabia, to throw pebbles at a large stele symbolizing the devil. .
Elderly people rested in the shade of trucks parked near the site as the temperature soared to 47 degrees Celsius.
“I don’t think about the heat,” says Shahinaz Moustapha, a 57-year-old teacher from Egypt. “The hotter it is, the more valuable my stocks are,” she adds.
The stoning ritual has turned tragic several times, notably in 2015 when a gigantic stampede killed 2,300 people, the worst tragedy in the history of the great pilgrimage, the hajj.
Since then, the venue has been fitted out with concrete corridors and bridges to ensure the flow of crowd movements, and no incidents have been reported this year.
Authorities said on Wednesday they had “strengthened inspections at Mina to ensure the safety of pilgrims”.
After throwing the pebbles, worshipers return to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, for a final tour of the Kaaba — the black cubic structure at the heart of the Grand Mosque that Muslims around the world turn to to pray — marking the end of the great pilgrimage.
Sunni Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha on Wednesday, in memory of the sacrifice that Abraham had almost made by wanting to immolate his son, before the angel Gabriel offered him in extremis to kill a sheep in his place, according to tradition .
On this occasion, practitioners slaughter an animal, usually a sheep, and offer some of the meat to the needy.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, custodian of two of Islam’s three holiest shrines, has covered the expenses for the Feast of Sacrifice for 4,951 needy pilgrims from 92 countries, the Saudi public broadcaster said. Al-Ekhbariya.
The king also sent his wishes to the faithful in Mecca, praying to God to bring “well-being and prosperity to our country, to Muslims and to the world”.
The great pilgrimage, which consists of a series of codified rites taking place over several days in Mecca and its surroundings, is one of the five pillars of Islam. It must be undertaken by every Muslim at least once in his life if he can afford it. With an estimated cost of around $5,000 per person, some save for years to accomplish it.
According to Saudi authorities, the great pilgrimage brought together more than 1.8 million Muslims this year, far from the 2.5 million visitors welcomed in 2019 before the pandemic, despite the lifting of limitations on the number or age imposed during this period. the last three seasons.
The dates of the great pilgrimage being determined according to the lunar calendar, the faithful had to face the peak of summer temperatures in one of the hottest regions in the world.
For lack of being able to wear a hat, forbidden for men during the pilgrimage, many faithful have obtained umbrellas, regularly spraying their faces with water.
At least 287 people have been treated for heatstroke or sunstroke, authorities said.
“I’m very happy, but I’m exhausted,” said Sobhi Said, a 56-year-old Egyptian employee after praying Tuesday on Mount Arafat, another crucial stop, under a blazing sun.
Farah, a 26-year-old Tunisian, says she will no longer consider “having the hajj before it falls in winter”.
“I’ve achieved my life’s dream, but my body is melting,” she says, pouring water over her head.
28/06/2023 16:39:04 – Mina (Arabie saaudite) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP