Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims stoned Satan after massing on Sunday in a valley near the Saudi holy city of Mina, the last rite of the annual hajj.
Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims stoned Satan after massing on Sunday in a valley near the Saudi holy city of Mina, the last rite of the annual hajj.
Hundreds of people have been trampled to death in stampedes which have blighted several previous pilgrimages to Islam's holiest sites when the faithful rush to hurl stones at huge pillars symbolizing the devil.
To complete the ritual, a pilgrim must throw 7 pebbles at each of three 25-metre (82-foot) pillars.
"This ritual gives me moral strength. Right now I feel as though I'm defeating Satan," said Mokhtar Khan, a 29-year-old who arrived at the site with dozens of fellow Bangladeshis who chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest).
Saudi authorities have installed a multi-level walkway through the site in a bid to avoid the trampling that caused the deaths of 364 people in 2006, 251in 2004 and 1,426 in 1990.
So far this year, no major incidents have been reported among the more than 2.5 million pilgrims.
A large security force monitored worshippers for the stoning after the slaughtering of sheep in a ritual for the Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha) to recall Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's order.
Most pilgrims did not sacrifice an animal themselves, but instead bought vouchers from the Saudi authorities which then forward meat in the form of aid to poor Muslims in other countries.
After the stoning ceremony, the pilgrims go to Mecca's Great Mosque for a "farewell visit" to the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure into which is set the Black Stone, Islam's most sacred relic.
The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be performed at least once in a lifetime by all those who are able to make the journey.
Mukhtar al-Rahman, who is more than 100 years of age, told media sources that "this is the dream of my life which took a century to come true."
More than 1.83 million pilgrims have arrived in the kingdom from abroad, marking a 1.5 percent increase from last year, said Mecca governor Prince Khaled al-Faisal.
