MINA: Most of this year’s more than 1.6 million pilgrims had begun performing Tawaf Al-Ifadah by Friday in Makkah — the ritual that marks the final days of Hajj and the beginning of Eid Al-Adha celebrations for Muslims around the world.
Eid day began with masses of pilgrims performing the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina under moderate temperatures nearing 30 C, with the National Center for Meteorology forecasting a high of up to 40 C. The stoning ritual is among the final rites of Hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.
The Tawaf Al-Ifadah — derived from the Arabic word meaning “to pour forth” — refers to the ritual circumambulation of the Kaaba performed by pilgrims after returning from Mina.
It is one of the essential and obligatory rites of Hajj. It involves walking around the Kaaba seven times within the Grand Mosque in Makkah, following the pilgrims’ return from Mina where they perform the symbolic stoning of the devil.
The ritual reflects spiritual submission, physical devotion, and the culmination of the core rites of the Hajj pilgrimage.
