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Pilgrims sent messages of support for the Palestinian people as the Hajj pilgrimage concluded on Tuesday with the third day of the symbolic stoning of the devil and the final circumambulation of the Kaaba in Makkah.
The three-day stoning ritual in Mina, a desert site outside Makkah, is among the final rites of the pilgrimage and symbolises the casting away of evil and sin. It started a day after pilgrims assembled on Saturday at Mount Arafat.
The days of the annual Hajj coincide with the celebrations of Eid Al Adha, the feast of sacrifice.
"This is my second time in Saudi Arabia, and my first Hajj. Everything is perfect here, I am very happy to be here. The police are very helpful and always smiling. It was a nice experience, thank God," Lotfy Hajjam, from Toulouse, France, told The National after he performed the stoning rite.
Mr Hajjam, originally from Algeria, sent a message of support for people in Gaza.
"Palestine is always in our heart, even before the Gaza war. It does not matter where we come from, they are our brothers," he said.
Zayed Khalil, also from France, said it was his first time in Makkah for the pilgrimage.
"So far all is well, it's very hot, but thank God everything is well organised. Saudis are very welcoming. Policemen pour water on our heads when we're walking. Everything is great, it feels good," he told The National.
He said that "the Palestinian people are always in our duaa [prayers]".
"Our thoughts are with them. From the first moment of our arrival in Saudi Arabia, we think about them in all the prayers," he said.
"It's true that we're performing Hajj and we're a bit away from all that's happening, but given what happened in the recent weeks it's not possible to forget them."
A Nigerian pilgrim told The National he was happy with the "improvements during Hajj this year, especially in Mina and Muzdalifah". "Thank God there are a lot of changes this year."
The rocky areas of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah are a few kilometres east of Makkah, where pilgrims have been gathering to perform the sacred rite of the Hajj pilgrimage, which culminated with Sunday’s Eid Al Adha holiday.
Another pilgrim, Ashaz, from Pakistan, said he was satisfied with his Hajj trip.
"It was my first time for the Hajj. It was a good experience. I had the chance to explore many spiritual aspects of my life," he said.
On Palestine, he said: "We are like one body … if they are in trouble we feel the same for them, Inshallah Allah will make it easy for them."
The summer heat was relentless on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 47°C in Makkah and the sacred sites in and around the city, according to the Saudi National Centre for Meteorology.
Many pilgrims, particularly the elderly, reportedly collapsed and required medical assistance because of the heat. The health ministry warned pilgrims to avoid peak hours between 11am and 4pm.
After the third symbolic stoning on Tuesday, pilgrims headed to Makkah to perform Tawaf, circling seven times around the Kaaba. That circumambulation, known as the Farewell Tawaf, marks the end of Hajj as pilgrims prepare to leave the holy city.
Once Hajj is over, men are expected to shave their heads, and women to snip a lock of hair in a sign of renewal.
Most pilgrims then leave Makkah for Madinah, about 340km away, to pray at the Prophet Mohammed’s tomb, the Sacred Chamber.
The Sacred Chamber is part of the Prophet’s Mosque, one of the three holiest sites in Islam, along with the Grand Mosque in Makkah and Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
All Muslims are required to make the Hajj once in their lives if they are physically and financially able. Many wealthy Muslims make the pilgrimage more than once.
The official number of pilgrims this year was 1,833,164, authorities said. About 22 per cent of the pilgrims came from Arab countries, according to the official statistics.
Last year, more than 1.8 million pilgrims performed Hajj, which was lower than pre-pandemic levels.
In 2019, more than 2.4 million people made the pilgrimage. Saudi authorities control the flow of pilgrims through quotas, allowing each country one pilgrim for every 1,000 Muslim citizens.
These included 221,854 domestic pilgrims, including citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia, and 1,611,310 pilgrims from outside the kingdom.
