Close to 2.5 million pilgrims take part in a symbolic stoning of the devil in the final days of the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as Muslims around the world marked the start of the Eid al-Adha celebrations.
Muslim pilgrims pray after they cast stones at a pillar symbolizing the stoning of Satan, in a ritual called "Jamarat," the last rite of the annual hajj, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Mina near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. The hajj is required of all Muslims to perform once in their lifetime if they are financially and physically able.
The five-day hajj pilgrimage is required of all Muslims once in their lifetime, if they are financially and physically able to make the journey. The hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings on earth and a massive logistical challenge for the Saudi government to oversee each year. The kingdom provides pilgrims with health care and buses for transportation, as well as meals, snacks and water along the routes of hajj.
While following a route the Prophet Muhammad once walked, Muslims trace the rites of hajj back to the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael as they are named in the Bible.
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