DUSHANBE, December 18, Asia-Plus  -- Performance of the main rituals of the Hajj has started in Saudi Arabia.  

Upon arrival in Mecca, Hajji performs a series of ritual acts symbolic of the lives of Ibrahim (Abraham) and his concubine/wife Hajar (Hagar). The acts also symbolize the solidarity with Muslims worldwide.

            According to the directorate for religious affairs (DRA) of the Ministry of Culture (MoC),   today, pilgrims left Mina for Mount Arafat. 

This is considered the highlight of the Hajj, as they stand in contemplative vigil, near a hill from which Muhammad gave his last sermon.  Pilgrims must spend the afternoon within a defined area on the plain of Arafat until after sunset.  No specific rituals or prayers are required during the stay at Arafat, although many pilgrims spend time praying, talking to God, and thinking about the course of their lives. If a pilgrim does not spend the afternoon on Arafat then their pilgrimage is considered invalid. ^.

As soon as the sun sets, the pilgrims leave Arafat for Muzdalifah, an area between Arafat and Mina, where 49 pebbles are gathered for the next day''s ritual of the stoning of the Devil (Shaitan).  Many pilgrims spend the night sleeping on the ground at Muzdalifah, before returning to Mina.  

After the Stoning of the Devil, an animal is sacrificed. This symbolizes God having mercy on Abraham, and replacing his son with a ram, which Abraham then sacrificed.

Traditionally the pilgrim slaughtered the animal himself or oversaw the slaughtering. Today many pilgrims buy a sacrifice voucher in Mecca before the greater Hajj begins; this allows an animal to be slaughtered in their name on the 10th without the pilgrim being physically present. Centralized butcher houses will sacrifice a single sheep for each pilgrim, or a cow can represent the sacrifice of seven people. The meat is then packaged and given to charity, shipped to poor people around the world.  At the same time as the sacrifices occur at Mecca, Muslims worldwide perform similar sacrifices, in a three day global festival called Eid ul-Adha. 

We will recall that 5,000 Tajik Muslims have made hajj this year.   

The Hajj which is the pilgrimage to Mecca is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world.  It is the fifth pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so, at least once in their lifetime. It is the demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God

As of 2007, an estimated two million pilgrims participate in this annual pilgrimage.  Crowd-control techniques have become critical, and because of the large numbers of people, many of the rituals have become more stylized.  It is not necessary to kiss the Black Stone, but merely to point at it on each circuit around the Kaaba.  Throwing pebbles was done at large pillars, which for safety reasons were in 2004 changed to long walls with catchbasins below to catch the stones.  But even with the crowd control techniques, there are still many incidents during the Hajj, as pilgrims are trampled in the crush, or ramps collapse under the weight of the many visitors, causing hundreds of deaths. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj has a website, with the message, "Be peaceful, orderly and kind. No crushing."