MECCA (AA) – More than two million Hajj pilgrims made their way to the plain of Muzdalifah on Monday evening after descending Mount Arafat.
According to Saudi Arabia’s official statistical agency, more than 2.3 million Muslims are taking part in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.
Numerous traffic and security personnel were deployed along the road to Muzdalifah to facilitate the throngs of pilgrims.
After spending the night in Muzdalifah, pilgrims will continue on to the tent city of Mina, where they will take part in the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ritual.
The ritual is a recreation of Prophet Abraham’s stoning of the devil at the three places where the latter is said to have tried to dissuade Abraham from obeying God’s order to sacrifice his son, Ismael.
After the stoning ritual on Tuesday, pilgrims will sacrifice animals to mark the beginning of the four-day Eid al-Adha holiday.
The Hajj pilgrimage is the fifth “pillar” of the Islamic faith — a ritual that must be performed by all Muslims, if financially viable, at least once in their lives.
Over the last month, hundreds of thousands of Muslims have converged on Saudi Arabia from all over the world to perform this year’s Hajj.
