Muslim faithful took part in the climactic ritual of the annual Haj pilgrimage on Wednesday, symbolically stoning the devil near Makkah.

From dawn, crowds of pilgrims gathered in the valley of Mina, southeast of the holy city of Makkah, to throw pebbles at concrete pillars symbolising the devil.

It reenacts the Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) stoning of the devil at three places where Satan is said to have tried to dissuade him from obeying God’s command to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail (AS).

More than 1.7 million people are taking part in the Haj this year. The most important festival in Islam has, for the third year in a row, been overshadowed by war — this time the US-Israeli conflict with Iran that has drawn in the Gulf nations.

A fragile ceasefire, in place since April 8, has mostly brought a halt to the fighting, but diplomatic efforts to bring the war to a definitive end have proved inconclusive so far.

The Haj, which involves a series of mostly outdoor rituals over several days, is taking place during intense heat this year.

On Tuesday, pilgrims prayed atop Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is believed to have delivered his last sermon, enduring temperatures of 45°C.

They then spent the night under the stars at Muzdalifah, halfway between Arafat and Mina, where they collected pebbles for the stoning.

After this final ceremony, the pilgrims return to Makkah for a last circumambulation of the Holy Kaaba. This last day of the Haj coincides with Eidul Azha.