MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) 鈥� Huge crowds of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia threw pebbles at a pillar in a symbolic ritual on one of the final days of the in temperatures reaching over 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 Celsius) as Muslims around the world on Wednesday started celebrating the Islamic holiday of .
Pilgrims in Mina chanted 鈥淎llahu akbar,鈥� or 鈥淕od is great,鈥� in the ritual seen as a symbolic stoning of the devil. The act is also seen as rejecting evil and a commemoration of the Prophet Ibrahim鈥檚 rejection of temptation when the devil tried to dissuade him from submitting to God鈥檚 will.
The physically demanding Hajj is occurring in intense heat. Many pilgrims poured water over their heads to cool themselves or carried umbrellas. Saudi authorities have highlighted the importance of drinking water and reducing direct exposure to sunlight. The National Center of Meteorology shared the high temperatures.
Aamar Shakur, a pilgrim from Pakistan, said he saw the pebble throwing as a symbol of confronting personal struggles in which he was 鈥渢hrowing the stone to my own devil.鈥�
Crowds moved through the sprawling Jamarat complex after arriving from Muzdalifah, following a day of worship and .
The last days of the Hajj coincide with Eid al-Adha, or 鈥淔east of Sacrifice,鈥� marking the willingness of Ibrahim, known as Abraham to Christians and Jews, to sacrifice his son. During the holiday, Muslims typically slaughter sheep or cattle and distribute part of the meat to the poor.
The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able. Performed over several days, the Hajj can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God鈥檚 forgiveness. Rituals on its final days also include circling the cube-shaped Kaaba.
The joyous occasion is subdued for some
The Hajj brings together Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, creating a sense of unity for many. More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived from abroad, a Saudi official said Friday.
This year’s Hajj takes place against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the and throughout the region. Eid al-Adha is typically joyous, marked with communal prayers, food and festive gatherings. In some places, though, conflicts and are dampening festivities.
is observing Eid al-Adha amid a between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. Many displaced people are sheltering in tented settlements or public schools repurposed as shelters.
鈥淭here is no Eid for us. We are displaced, forced to leave our land, our homes, our livelihoods, while our memories are being destroyed,鈥� said Rabee Khreis, who fled the village of Khiyam, where intense fighting has taken place.
A U.S.-brokered appears by the day, complicating efforts at a broader peace.
鈥楨id is only for the people who lost no one鈥�
In the Gaza Strip, where the has devastated the territory and displaced most of its people, Palestinians are observing a subdued Eid al-Adha under a fragile ceasefire and .
鈥淭his is not Eid … we鈥檙e dead,鈥� said Mahmoud Saqer, a displaced man from Khan Younis.
In Khan Younis and Gaza City worshippers gathered for prayers amid destroyed buildings and with few signs of celebration.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no Eid. My children were killed,鈥� said Ayda Al-Banna, a displaced woman from Gaza City, who prayed with her granddaughter. 鈥淓id is only for the people who lost no one.鈥�
Israel鈥檚 military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 72,803 Palestinians, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.
Israel launched the offensive after Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage . While the heaviest fighting has mostly subsided since a fragile ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, have repeatedly . Hamas and Israel have accused each other of violating the ceasefire.
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Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida. Associated Press journalists Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Ali Sharafeddine in Beirut contributed.
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