1.9 million pilgrims complete stone-throwing ritual
For the next 3 days, Malaysian pilgrims will throw pebbles at Jamratul Sugra, Wusta and Kubra
MINA
MALAYSIAN haj pilgrims completed the first part of the Stoning of the Devil ritual on Friday, with each of them casting pebbles at Jamratul Kubra.
The symbolic gesture, signifying the renunciation of the devil, takes place over four days at the massive, three-storey Jamrat Complex, a 3.5km walk from the Malaysian tents here.
After casting their pebbles at the Kubra, the biggest of three walls representing the devil, pilgrims can change out of their ihram and wear normal clothes for the remainder of their haj.
Over the next three days, they will make three more trips to the complex, throwing pebbles at all three walls — Jamratul Sugra, Wusta and Kubra.
“Throughout the stoning ritual, we advise pilgrims to take care of their health. They should avoid walking in extremely hot weather because it can cause heatstroke,” Tabung Haji (TH) Masyair operations director Mohd Norber Kassim said.
He said pilgrims should follow schedules and routes set by TH and Saudi authorities to avoid getting lost in the crowd and being unable to find their way back.
During the haj, the city here is transformed into a city of white tents with a total population of more than two million pilgrims.
“So far, most of the pilgrims who completed throwing pebbles at Kubra have returned to their tents. A few lost their way and we sent help to them,” Norber said at a briefing to Malaysian media.
TH has stationed officials at several checkpoints along the route to the Jamrat Complex, and has rescue teams that can be despatched to provide medical aid on site.
“Most of the health cases (we have seen) are related to cramps, fatigue and heatstroke,” said Norber, adding that TH’s operations centre here had a clinic.
There are walkalators in the tunnels to and from the complex, as well as water cooler stations.
Saudi volunteers along the route spray water on the pilgrims to cool them down.
Walking back from the Jamrat Complex late on Friday night, the Malaysian media came across several elderly pilgrims who had stopped to rest their legs before continuing their long walk back.
Jaapar Ismail from Baling, Kedah, was one exception. While TH officers stopped to help his 80-year-old friend who had cramps, the 92-year-old refused any assistance.
“I’m okay. I’m 92 and today, is my birthday,” he said, smiling.
Arab News reported that plans for nearly two million pilgrims to ascend Mount Arafat and its surrounding, stay the night in Muzdalifa and return to Mina Valley to spend post-haj days were declared as a success.
Saudi Arabia’s adviser to the minister of haj and umrah, Hatem Hasan Gadhi, said more than 1.9 million pilgrims had successfully completed the stonethrowing ritual and were headed back to the Grand Mosque in Mecca for the circumambulation before coming back here for the tashreeq period.
Gadhi was quoted as saying that representatives of more than 80 foreign and domestic haj missions took part in workshops held by authorities to advise pilgrims on the culture of pilgrimage.