Hajj Pilgrims Perform Final Stoning Ritual Amid Regional Tensions and Extreme Heat

Over 1.7 million Muslim pilgrims participated in the climactic stoning ritual of the annual Hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday near Mecca, symbolically casting pebbles at concrete pillars representing the devil.

The ceremony, held in the valley of Mina southeast of the holy city, commemorates the Prophet Abraham’s rejection of Satan’s attempts to dissuade him from obeying God’s command to sacrifice his son Ishmael.

This year’s pilgrimage, which marks the third consecutive year of regional instability, takes place amid ongoing conflicts involving the US-Israeli confrontation with Iran and Gulf nations. A fragile ceasefire established on April 8 has temporarily halted hostilities, though diplomatic efforts toward a definitive resolution remain unresolved.

Compounding the challenges, pilgrims faced extreme temperatures reaching 45°C (113°F) while performing outdoor rituals across multiple days. On Tuesday, participants gathered atop Mount Arafat—the site of the Prophet Mohammed’s final sermon—and spent the night at Muzdalifah collecting pebbles for Wednesday’s ceremony.

The stoning ritual concludes the Hajj, after which pilgrims return to Mecca for final circumambulation of the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine. The ceremony coincides with Eid al-Adha, commemorating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, later replaced by a goat, and traditionally observed through animal sacrifice with meat distributed to the needy.

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