On arriving at Wady Muna, each nation encamped upon the spot which custom
has assigned to it, at every returning Hadj. After disposing of the
baggage, the hadjys hastened to the ceremony of throwing stones at the
devil. It is said that, when Abraham or Ibrahim returned from the
pilgrimage to Arafat, and arrived at Wady Muna, the devil Eblys presented
himself before him at the entrance of the valley, to obstruct his
passage; when the angel Gabriel, who accompanied the patriarch, advised
him to throw stones at him, which he did, and after pelting him seven
times, Eblys retired. When Abraham reached the middle of the valley, he
again appeared before him, and, for the last time, at its western
extremity, and was both times repulsed by the same number of stones.
According to Azraky, the Pagan Arabs, in commemoration of this tradition,
used to cast stones in this valley as they returned from the pilgrimage;
and setup seven idols at Muna, of which there was one in each of the
three spots where the devil appeared, at each of which they cast three
stones. Mohammed, who made this ceremony one of the chief duties of the
hadjys, increased the number of stones to seven. At the entrance of the
valley, towards Mezdelfe, stands a rude stone pillar, or rather altar,
between six or seven feet high, in the midst of the street, against which
the first seven stones are thrown, as the place where the devil made his
first stand: towards the middle of the valley is a similar pillar, and at
its western end a wall of stones, which is made to serve the same
purpose. The hadjys crowded in rapid succession round the first pillar,
called "Djamrat el Awla;" and every one threw seven small stones
successively upon it; they then passed to the second and third spots
(called "Djamrat el Owsat," and "Djamrat el Sofaly," or "el Akaba," or
"el Aksa,") where the same ceremony was repeated. In throwing the stones,
they are to exclaim, "In the name of God; God is great (we do this) to
secure ourselves from the devil and his troops." The stones used for
this purpose are to be of the size of a horse-bean, or thereabouts; and
the pilgrims are advised to collect them in the plain of Mezdelfe, but
they may likewise take them from Muna; and many people, contrary to the
law, collect those that have already been thrown.--_Burckhardt's
Travels_.
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