Muslim faithful took part in the climactic ritual of the annual Haj pilgrimage on Wednesday, symbolically stoning the devil near Makkah. From dawn, crowds of pilgrims gathered in the valley of Mina, southeast of the holy city of Makkah, to throw pebbles at concrete pillars symbolising the devil. It reenacts the Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) stoning of the devil at three places where Satan is said to have tried to dissuade him from obeying God’s command to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail (AS).

Every year, millions of Muslims from every corner of the world gather in the sacred city of Makkah to perform Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam. At one level, Hajj is a pilgrimage — a sacred obligation performed through rites established by Prophet Abraham (AS) and restored by Prophet Muhammad (SAWS). But at a deeper level, Hajj is far more than ritual movement, ceremonial devotion, or historical remembrance.