Pilgrims Begin Stoning Ritual in Mina as Eid Al-Adha Commences
Riyadh, The Gulf Observer: In the early hours of Friday, pilgrims began the spiritual journey from Muzdalifah to Mina, marking a pivotal moment in the annual Hajj pilgrimage — the symbolic stoning of the Jamarat, which signifies the start of Eid Al-Adha and commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s rejection of Satan.
Following a night spent in devotion and rest, during which pilgrims combined and shortened the Maghrib and Isha prayers and collected pebbles for the ritual, the movement towards Mina commenced shortly after midnight. The operation was meticulously coordinated by Saudi authorities, who ensured a safe and structured flow of pilgrims through routes pre-planned by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior.
Security forces, crowd management units, and hundreds of volunteers were deployed along the routes to assist and protect the pilgrims, many of whom are elderly or physically fatigued after the preceding rites in Arafat and Muzdalifah.
Transportation was facilitated through a comprehensive system, including a fleet of buses operating on strict schedules and the Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro. This dedicated Hajj-only railway system, connecting Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah, has a capacity of 72,000 passengers per hour and significantly helped reduce surface congestion, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The initiative aligns with the Kingdom’s broader strategy to ensure a safe and sustainable Hajj experience.
Upon arrival in Mina, pilgrims made their way to the Jamarat Bridge, a multi-level, purpose-built structure designed to accommodate millions during the ritual. Each pilgrim cast seven pebbles at Jamrat al-Aqaba, symbolizing the rejection of evil — a ritual that will continue over the next two days at all three Jamarat pillars.
The stoned pebbles fall into a 15-meter-deep basement beneath the Jamarat Bridge, where they are gathered via conveyor belts. The stones are then sifted, washed, and transferred to storage vehicles. According to Ahmed Al-Subhi, a representative of Kidana Development Co., which manages the holy sites, bags of pebbles were prepared in advance and distributed through over 300 contact points across Muzdalifah and Mina. This system is part of ongoing efforts to enhance environmental sustainability while preserving the ritual’s spiritual significance.
To ensure order and safety, the Jamarat Bridge is equipped with advanced surveillance systems, ventilation units, emergency exits, and clearly marked pathways for both groups and individuals. Access is regulated using RFID-enabled Nusuk cards and digital crowd-monitoring systems managed by the Saudi Data and AI Authority.
According to the General Authority for Statistics, a total of 1,673,230 pilgrims are participating in Hajj this year, including 1,506,576 international pilgrims.
The successful management of this critical phase of Hajj underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to facilitating a spiritually fulfilling and logistically secure pilgrimage for Muslims from around the world.
