Pilgrims performed Sunday the last major ritual of the hajj, the “stoning of the devil”, in western Saudi Arabia, as Muslims the world over celebrated the Eid al-Adha holiday.

Beginning at dawn, the 1.8 million Muslims undertaking the pilgrimage this year threw seven stones at each of three concrete walls symbolising the devil in the Mina valley, located outside Mecca, the holiest city in Islam.

The ritual commemorates Abraham’s stoning of the devil at the three spots where it is said Satan tried to dissuade him from obeying God’s order to sacrifice his son.

The stoning ritual has been witness to multiple stampedes over the years, most recently in 2015 when up to 2,300 worshippers were killed in the worst hajj disaster.

The site has been revamped since then to streamline the movement of the large crowds.

Roads leading to the concrete walls were nevertheless packed early Sunday, with some pilgrims visibly struggling under the morning sun.

Some sat on the side of the road to rest and drink water, while others stretched out on the ground, apparently exhausted.

On Saturday, temperatures reached 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in Arafat, where pilgrims performed hours of outdoor prayers.

One treatment centre in the area recorded 225 cases of heat stress and fatigue, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

That figure was not comprehensive. Last year more than 10,000 cases of heat-related illnesses were documented during the hajj, 10 percent of which were heat stroke, a health ministry spokesman told AFP.

“It was very, very hot,” Rohy Daiseca, a 60-year-old Gambian living in the United States, told AFP on Saturday night as pilgrims collected stones to throw.

“Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), I put a lot of water on my head and it was OK.”

Worshippers have tried to take the gruelling conditions in stride, seizing what for many is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pray at Islam’s holiest shrines.

“I am so happy that I can’t describe my feelings,” said Amal Mahrouss, a 55-year-old woman from Egypt.

“This place shows us that we are all equal, that there are no differences between Muslims around the world.”

One of the five pillars of Islam, the hajj must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means.

This year’s figure of 1.8 million pilgrims is similar to last year’s, and Saudi authorities said on Saturday that 1.6 million of them came from abroad.

Feast of the sacrifice

The stoning ritual coincides with Eid al-Adha, or the feast of the sacrifice, which honours Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son before God offered a sheep instead.

Worshippers typically slaughter a sheep and offer part of the meat to the needy.

This year’s hajj and Eid al-Adha holiday have been clouded by the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“We don’t feel the Eid holiday because our brothers in Gaza are oppressed under the (Israeli) occupation,” said Najem Nawwar, a 43-year-old Egyptian pilgrim.

King Salman invited 2,000 Palestinians to the hajj at his own expense including relatives of Gazans who have sought refuge elsewhere.

But Saudi authorities have warned no political slogans would be tolerated during the pilgrimage.

That has not stopped many worshippers from voicing solidarity with Palestinians.

“We pray for them… and for the liberation of Palestine, so that we have two holidays instead of one,” said Wadih Ali Khalifah, a 32-year-old Saudi pilgrim.

In a message to hajj pilgrims on Saturday, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “the ironclad resistance of Palestine and the patient, oppressed people of Gaza… must be fully supported in every way”.

AFP

The tripartite committee established by the Federal Government to review the minimum wage has urged labour unions to reassess their wage demands.

Speaking with NAN on Sunday, Bukar Aji, the committee’s chairman, asked labour to reconsider their position based on economic factors and the non-monetary incentives provided by the government.

Aji highlighted several incentives of the government, including the N35,000 wage award for all treasury-paid federal workers, N100 billion for gas-fuelled buses and gas kit conversions, a N125 billion conditional grant, financial inclusion for small and medium enterprises, and a N25,000 monthly stipend for 15 million households over three months.

He also listed the N185 billion in palliative loans to states to mitigate the effects of petrol subsidy removal, N200 billion to boost agricultural production, N75 billion to strengthen the manufacturing sector, and N1 trillion for student loans, among other interventions.

Aji called on the labour unions to consider accepting the N62,000 minimum wage offered by the federal government.

He said the committee is trying to avert a situation where the minimum wage would lead to further job losses, especially as many businesses are already struggling.

BACKGROUND

In January 2024, the federal government inaugurated a 37-member tripartite committee on the national minimum wage.

The committee was tasked with the responsibility of recommending a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Over the past few months, the federal and state governments, organised labour and representatives of the private sector have been deliberating on a mutually acceptable sum.

However, the demand by organised labour is yet to be met.

On June 3, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) embarked on a nationwide strike to protest the federal government’s inability to meet their demand.

Twenty-four hours later, the labour unions “relaxed” the strike by one week.

Both unions had earlier proposed N615,500 and N494,000, respectively, as the new minimum wage, which the federal government said was unrealistic.

On June 7, the federal government increased its offer from N60,000 to N62,000, while the labour unions insisted on N250,000.

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, joined Muslim faithful to observe Eid Kabir prayers at the Dodan Barracks in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Eid-el-Kabir festival is celebrated by Muslims worldwide on the 10th day of the Hijri month of Dhual-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar.

Accompanied by top government functionaries, the President arrived at the Eid praying ground at 8:55 am on Sunday.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat; former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola; businessman Aliko Dangote, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, and other dignitaries are also at the praying ground.

Earlier, the President enjoined Nigerians to reflect on the essence of the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir, which bears strong meaning and significance for the nation.

He made the call in his message to the Muslim Ummah on the joyous occasion of Eid-el-Kabir, an event that denotes sacrifice, faith, and obedience to the will of the Almighty.

“The President acknowledges the sacrifices that Nigerians have made in the past one year as his administration sets the nation on a firm pedestal of growth and development.

“President Tinubu affirms that the sacrifices and great expectations of citizens will not come to nought as already propitious outcomes are beginning to manifest with the economy strengthening and vibrancy returning to critical sectors,” a statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, read.

President Tinubu urged citizens to spare a prayer for the nation for continuous peace and stability while working according to purpose in promoting unity, peace, and progress.

“The President acknowledges the sacrifices that Nigerians have made in the past one year as his administration sets the nation on a firm pedestal of growth and development.

“President Tinubu affirms that the sacrifices and great expectations of citizens will not come to nought as already propitious outcomes are beginning to manifest with the economy strengthening and vibrancy returning to critical sectors.”

The President also reassured Nigerians that his administration is prioritizing their physical, social, and economic security and will not relent on this noble endeavour.