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Most pilgrims will hurl rocks at three pillars representing Satan between noon and sunset, leaving the holy city of Mina before dusk.
But others will stay on in Mina until tomorrow when they will perform the stoning ritual one final time.
Worshippers living outside Mecca will have to perform the farewell circumambulation around the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure in Mecca towards which Muslims worldwide pray.
The hajj officially ends tomorrow but pilgrims who are in a hurry to conclude their journey can do so today.
"I hope I will be able to perform the haj again in the future," said Um Hassan, an Iraqi pilgrim. "It was a great experience."
Able-bodied Muslims must perform the hajj at least once in their lifetime.
The devil-stoning in Mina, once the most dangerous phase of the hajj marred by deadly stampedes and fires in tent camps, has passed without incident this year.
Most tents are now fire-proof and gas canisters and cooking are banned. The stoning area has also been expanded to avoid overcrowding.
Saudi authorities have built a five-level structure around the stoning site, allowing for the smooth flow of pilgrims.
Over three million registered pilgrims took part in this year's haj, based on official figures. But many others also performed the pilgrimage without permits camping on roads and walking on foot between the holy sites.
I think you must get some knowledge before posting such a ridicules comment. Eating goats and chicken will not make them endangered. Moreover Islam is not the only religion which practice animal sacrifice. Animal sacrifice is there in Hinduism. Thousands of animals are scarified during Durga Pooja or Kali pooja. There is also Evidence of human sacrifice. So pls do not make any comment on any religion if you don't know about them. I respect all religions and expect people of other religion to respect my religion.
Eid-ul-Zuha.. In this holy land of Bharat, innocent animals are slaughtered to celebrate a festival. Not one human being has tears for these animals? Oh, I forgot, we have only demons left in this once upon a time punya bhoomi called Bharat...
The annual sacrifice by pilgrims and others called . 'Qurban' literally means 'to be closer', that is, to be closer to God by abiding to His wish that we should strengthen our relationship among each other through sharing of meat from the sacrificed animal, and other good deeds. And if necessary we should be ready to sacrifice ourselves to save faith and belief in God and the righteousness. It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him." (Qur'an 22:37) This may not go down well with vegetarians, animal lovers and animal rights groups who are opposed to any killing of or cruelty toward animals. But, as much as we respect and understand their position and concern, we seek their respect and understanding on the needs, practices and wishes of the majority of their omnivores brothers and sisters. Islam appreciates the fact that human beings are naturally omnivores. Our teeth consist of both the herbivores (molars) and carnivores (canine) type. Thus, Islam allows its followers to eat from both the animal and vegetable kingdom, albeit with rules and conditions. And foremost among them is to avoid cruelty to animals. In fact, Islam prohibits cruelty not only to humans and animals, it also prohibits cruelty to plants and even our planet Earth.
How true
Killings should not be Adored Nation celebrated Eid-ul-Zuha on Saturday, October 27, 2012, with extraordinary enthusiasm and fervor. Politicians, bureaucrats, media etc., were vying with each other in throwing Mubarakbad to Muslims as if they were participating formula racing. Almost all the newspapers and electronic channels were showing the pictures of helpless, innocent, voiceless, to be slaughtered goats, camels, buffalos, with the first sun ray. This animal sale/purchase was being held on the main roads and highways causing massive traffic jams. Similarly Eid namaz was also read on the roads and most of the roads witnessed traffic jams. Administration remained mute witness to all this. But, alas! In this secular nation where every body talk very highly about animal rights and non-violence, millions and millions of animals are butchered to celebrate a festival and joined by our so called secular leaders and media. Perhaps we Indians are hypocrites of the highest order. In this country even insects, rats, frogs etc., are not allowed to be killed even for medical and research purposes. The gangs of animal lovers are there to make big hue and cry on even minor harassment to animals. But on mass killing all remained silent. After the festival of Eid-ul-Zuha all the drains, sewers were filled with blood and flesh of animals. Road were littered with animal skins and bones. Every where cities were stinking. The most dangerous part of all this is that deadly bio-medical waste breeds deadly deceases and viruses. Even for deadly dengue virus this bio-medical waste is the best place to breed. But all these secularists, media, NGOs and activists are very vociferous in defaming Hindu festivals, like Dipawali (Noise Pollution), Holi ( Color Infection), Durga Statue Immersion ( Water/River Pollution) but they are all silent on this mass killing of animals, noise pollution and traffic jams (Namaz On Loudspeaker on high decibel and Namaz on Roads), Bio-Medical Pollution (Animal Killings). If this type of animal killing continues that day is not very far when in India goats, camels, buffalos etc., will be endangered animals. So adoration of killing must be stopped in the national interest.
Ur concern about noise/water/air pollutions seems noteworthy, but why did you not condemn the practitioners from both sides. While talking sensibly, you ended up only cynically. But mind you one thing-- all the said pollution is temporary and reversible, and what is more deadly and irreversible is nuclear proliferation, genetically modified crops, pathogen laded vaccinations, oil spills in oceans, electro magnetic radiations, non-stop pillage of earth minerals/coal/gas/oil and the list is inexhaustible. Now, tell me, have you ever wondered which people are behind all these chaos and mayhem? If u really want to do any good to humanity and mother earth, then just stop ranting on your co-religionists and start to expose and nail the biggest criminals who are all lurking behind many smoke screens of development, businesses, corporations and financial institutions.
