Pilgrimage to Mecca

After Fajr, pilgrims will start to migrate to an area west of Mina called Jaramat (“stoning”). There are seven pebbles from each pilgrim will be thrown at the first of the three pillars. The three pillars are Jamart Al-Soghra, Jamart Al-Wofta, and Jamart Al-Qura. The Jamart (three stone pillars) have come in which to represent Shaitan (Satan). The pilgrims “stone the devil” by throwing seven stones at each of the three Jamart. According to Islamic literature, Jamart are the shrines which makes the place where Abraham stoned Satan for attempting to convince him to disobey one of God’s Commands. The command that the devil attempted to stray Abraham from, was God’s command for Abraham to sacrifice a sheep. The symbolic repudiation of evil commemorates Abraham’s faith by continuing to sacrifice the sheep as God told him to do so, and the stoning of Satan. The first day of the stoning is the “feast of sacrifice”, “Id ul-Adha”. During the stoning pilgrims repeat this Holy prayer, “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar”, each time a pebble is thrown. “Bishmillah” means “In the name of Allah”. “Allahu Akbar” means “God is great”.
The “stoning the devil” ceremony in Mina’s place of Jamart during the process of Hajj is performed by, on average, more than three million Muslims every year. (Nabeel Koshak, Hajj research institute, Umm Al-Qura University). During the stoning ceremonies in the Jamart there have been many serious accidents due to overcrowding. Many years ago a gigantic pedestrian bridge (fly-over) was constructed in the Jamart area (Ghandoorah, 1988). The construction of the bridge has made it possible for pilgrims to throw pebbles at two levels. Some people throw stones above and below the bridge. Despite the construction of the bridge with the increasing number of pilgrims the overcrowding problems still remain.
Following the “stoning of the devil” a sacrifice is required. The pilgrims Animal sacrifice done on the day called Eid Al Azha (Bakri Eid) that many so-called...