MINA: This year’s Hajj pilgrims completed the second day of Tashreeq on Friday, following the ritual stoning of the three pillars at the Jamarat complex in Mina.
Almost 1.71 million pilgrims have performed Hajj this year, with the majority taking part in the stoning ritual with ease and comfort, thanks to extensive supervision by Saudi security, health and emergency personnel deployed throughout the area.
Thousands of officers, medical teams and field workers monitored crowd density and responded rapidly to emergencies, helping pilgrims move safely from their tents to the Jamarat complex.
Under Islamic jurisprudence, pilgrims who complete the stoning on Dhul Hijjah 12 may opt for Ta’ajjul, or hastened Hajj, allowing them to proceed to Makkah to perform Tawaf Al-Wada, or farewell circumambulation, before leaving Mina prior to sunset. Those who remain in Mina beyond that time are required to stay for a third day and complete the final stoning on the 13th.
After completing the ritual stoning by casting seven pebbles at each pillar, groups of pilgrims proceeded to the Grand Mosque in Makkah to perform the final tawaf before journeying back to their home countries.
Weather conditions in Mina were relatively moderate, with temperatures around 31 C in the early hours of the morning. However, temperatures reached around 41 C later in the day, according to the National Center for Meteorology.
Water-spraying systems deployed across the holy sites helped improve conditions for pilgrims, along with 456 air-conditioning units at the Jamarat complex. Able to serve up to more than 300,000 pilgrims per hour, the complex facilitated smooth and safe crowd movement during the stoning ritual.
Pilgrims expressed appreciation for the organization and services provided from their arrival through to the completion of the rituals.
Speaking to Arab News after performing the stoning, Syrian pilgrim Ibrahim Abu Abd, from Aleppo, said: “The stoning process went easily and comfortably, and everything is fine. We performed the ritual on the second floor of the Jamarat complex.”
Asked whether he had encountered any difficulties, he added: “No, no, no. Security personnel guide you to the designated pathways. They don’t allow congestion. You throw and then immediately move on.”
He also expressed his gratitude to the Saudi leadership, saying: “They embraced us with brotherly warmth and generosity. Thank you so much, and May Allah grant your country blessing and lasting security.”
Another pilgrim, Amr Anwar of Egypt, said he found the Hajj ritual “very emotional” and felt it was something personal connecting him to God: “There are no words that can express our feelings, to be honest. Everyone is trying to help us, support us as much as they can. They are welcoming us.”
He added he did not want the trip to end: “I want to be in that mood forever, but Hajj will give us power to face the rest of the world, to spread our Islamic teachings, and to behave truly with other people. That is the true influence of this.”
