Saudi suspends stoning ritual for five hours due to heat wave.
Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has stopped pilgrims from proceeding to the Jamarat Bridge for the ritual of throwing stones from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. due to extreme heat
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman, issued the directive in a statement on Monday in Mina, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Sulaiman reported that the measures became necessary to ensure the welfare of pilgrims amidst high temperatures and to prevent heat stress.
“Consequently , the following measures have been implemented: Pilgrims are prohibited from proceeding to the Jamarat Bridge for the ritual of throwing stones from 11. a.m to 4.pm.”
Furthermore, he said security personnel would be stationed at camps to enforce the restriction and prevent any pilgrim from departing before 4 p.m.
He urged the Office of Hajj Affairs and service providers to ensure compliance, adding that they would be held responsible for any violations thereof. Thereby suspending the stoning rituals for five hours.
“We pray for Allah’s protection over the pilgrims and the acceptance of their Hajj.”
Meanwhile, the official of Nigeria’s Hajj Commission has intercepted two illegal migrants of Nigerian descent ( Muhammed Umar and Nazifi Tasi’u GARBA), over infiltration of pilgrims’ tents amidst concerns regarding overstretched accommodation and petty theft.
Accordingly, the suspects were handed over to the Saudi Police, where their biometrics were obtained and a fine of 10,000 Saudi Riyals was imposed on them to be paid whenever they were leaving the country.
NAN reports that the Jamarat are three pillars located in Mecca and are an important part of the Hajj pilgrimage for Muslims.
As part of their pilgrimage to Mecca, pilgrims throw pebbles at the pillars to symbolically “stone the devil.”
The Stoning of the Devil—or rajm al-jamaat, translated as throwing pebbles—is a way for Muslims to reject temptation, affirm their faith in Allah, and honour the Prophet Ibrahim.
Over 1.83 million pilgrims performed this year’s hajj, according to the Saudi Gazette.
A total of 1,833,164 pilgrims came from within the Kingdom and abroad to perform the annual pilgrimage and they included 1,611,310 foreign pilgrims and 221,854 domestic pilgrims, both citizens and expatriates.
Recall that At least 550 people have died during the Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in the scorching heat.
How it happened
Temperatures reached 51.8C (125F) in the shade in the Saudi Arabian city, as huge crowds of Muslims undertook the annual religious journey – one of the five pillars of Islam.
“Hajj is a difficult task, so you have to exert efforts and perform the rituals even in the conditions of heat and crowding,” an Egyptian pilgrim said.
Pilgrims used umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun, as Saudi authorities warned pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid being outdoors during the hottest hours between 11am and 3pm.
Stampedes, tent fires and other accidents have caused hundreds of deaths during the Hajj in the past 30 years. Some 240 people reportedly died last year.
This year’s pilgrimage began on Friday and as usual coincided with the religious holiday, Eid al-Adha.
Several deaths been reported during this year’s Hajj, with the AFP news agency putting the total at 550, citing diplomats.
Some 323 of the dead were Egyptians, most of whom perished due to heat related illness, AFP said.
A 2024 study by the Journal of Travel and Medicine found that rising global temperatures may outpace strategies to deal with the heat. A 2019 study by Geophysical Research Letters said that as temperatures rise in arid Saudi Arabia due to climate change, pilgrims performing Hajj will face “extreme danger”.
A Saudi health official, speaking on Monday before many of the reports of deaths were issued, said authorities had not noticed any unusual fatalities among Muslim pilgrims amid the extremely high temperatures.
The ministry had so far treated more than 2,700 pilgrims who suffered from heat-related illness, he added.
