Nearly 2M pilgrims continue Hajj ritual on 1st day of Eid al-Adha

ISTANBUL

Nearly two million Muslim pilgrims began the ritual of casting stones at the Jamarat pillars on Friday morning, marking the first day of Eid al-Adha and one of the key rituals of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mina, western Saudi Arabia.

After completing the stoning of Jamarat Al-Aqaba, pilgrims continue with the other rites of Eid, including the ritual animal sacrifice marking the beginning of the four-day Eid al-Adha festival.

Pilgrims will remain in Mina during the three days of Tashreeq (Saturday to Monday), continuing the stoning ritual.

Saudi authorities announced on Thursday the successful movement of pilgrims to Mount Arafat, aided by advanced artificial intelligence systems.

The six-day Hajj season began on Wednesday, and the final rituals will continue until Monday.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics announced that the number of Hajj pilgrims for the 1446 AH Islamic calendar year is 1,673,230, including 1,506,576 who arrived from outside the kingdom.

The number of domestic pilgrims, Saudi citizens and residents, is 166,654.

Last year, over 1.8 million Muslim pilgrims from 200 countries around the world performed the Hajj.

The Hajj pilgrimage is the fifth pillar of the Islamic faith, a ritual that must be performed by all Muslims, if financially viable, at least once in their lives.

The Hajj includes a number of rituals aimed at illustrating the fundamental concepts of Islam and commemorating the Prophet Abraham and his family's trials.