Muslim pilgrims performed the ritual stoning of the devil on Wednesday during the climactic rite of the Hajj pilgrimage, carried out in intense heat and against a backdrop of regional conflict that has heightened tensions across the Gulf.
From dawn, crowds gathered in Mina, a valley southeast of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, where they threw pebbles at concrete pillars symbolising the devil.
The ritual re-enacts the moment in Islamic tradition when the Prophet Abraham stoned Satan at three locations after being tempted to disobey God’s command to sacrifice his son Ishmael.
White-robed pilgrims have been contending with searing desert heat as they carry out the days-long, largely outdoor rituals, with temperatures reaching 44C in Mecca and Mina on Wednesday.
After more than 1,300 people died during the 2024 Hajj, when temperatures soared past 50 degrees Celcius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), Saudi authorities ramped up anti-heat measures, including giant fans, mist sprayers, cooled floors and trucks distributing drinking water.
