Islam requires that all Muslims who are financially and physically able to perform the hajj at least once in their lifetime. The pilgrimage is supposed to cleanse Muslims of their sin. The hajj begins and ends in the holy city of Mecca, the birthplace of the 7th century Prophet Mohammed and the site of Islam's holiest shrine, the Kaaba. Pilgrims on Monday, joined in a feast of freshly slaughtered sheep, goats and camels at a huge tent city in Mina, a desert valley east of Mecca. Muslim tradition says it was at Mina, 3 miles from Mecca, that the devil tried to tempt Abraham to disobey God by refusing to sacrifice his son. Hordes of pilgrims dressed in their white robes streamed across Mina valley Monday toward three walls symbolizing the devil known as the Jamarat, chanting "at thy service, my God, at thy service." The massive crowds streamed through a four-story platform the size of an airport terminal built around the walls, and each pilgrim stoned the largest wall with pebbles collected earlier on the nearby rocky plain of Muzdalifah. They will return on each of the final two days of the five-day pilgrimage, which ends Wednesday, to stone all three walls. -- associated press (18 images)
Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims move around the Kaaba, the black cube seen at center, inside the Grand Mosque, during the annual Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Dec. 8. AP / Hassan Ammar
Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Dec. 7. Nearly 3 million pilgrims converged Saturday around the holy city of Mecca at the beginning of the 5-day hajj pilgrimage, a lifelong dream for many Muslims. AP / Hassan Ammar
Muslim pilgrims pray outside Namira mosque in Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Dec. 7. Nearly 3 million pilgrims converged Saturday around the holy city of Mecca at the beginning of the 5-day hajj pilgrimage, a lifelong dream for many Muslims. AP / Hassan Ammar
Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Dec. 7. AP / Hassan Ammar
Saudi police secure the street as Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Dec. 7. Nearly 3 million pilgrims converged Saturday around the holy city of Mecca at the beginning of the 5-day hajj pilgrimage, a lifelong dream for many Muslims. AP / Hassan Ammar
Water is sprayed over Muslim pilgrims as they pray outside Namira mosque in Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Dec. 7. Nearly 3 million pilgrims converged Saturday around the holy city of Mecca at the beginning of the 5-day hajj pilgrimage, a lifelong dream for many Muslims. AP / Hassan Ammar
Muslim pilgrim throw pebbles at a stone pillar representing the devil, during his Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Dec. 8. AP / Hassan Ammar
Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Dec. 7. Nearly 3 million pilgrims converged Saturday around the holy city of Mecca at the beginning of the 5-day hajj pilgrimage, a lifelong dream for many Muslims. AP / Hassan Ammar
Muslim pilgrims arrive at Mina to throw pebbles at a stone pillar representing the devil, during their Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Dec. 8. Three million Muslims on the hajj pilgrimage performed rituals to symbolize rejection of temptation and later in the day many pilgrims enjoyed a feast of freshly slaughtered sheep, goats and camels at a huge tent city in Mina, a desert valley east of Islam's holiest city, Mecca. Similar sacrifices, marking the start of the Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, were carried out by Muslims around the world. AP / Hassan Ammar
Bangladeshi people board a train to go back home to celebrate Eid al-Adha, from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Dec. 7. Eid al-Adha, or the "Feast of the Sacrifice," marks the end of hajj pilgrimage. The feast commemorates God's gift of a ram to substitute for Abraham's impending sacrifice of his son and is considered the most important holiday in the Islamic calendar. AP / Pavel Rahman
Muslim pilgrim pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Dec. 7. Nearly 3 million pilgrims converged Saturday around the holy city of Mecca at the beginning of the 5-day hajj pilgrimage, a lifelong dream for many Muslims. AP / Hassan Ammar
Muslim pilgrims head to Arafat from Mina near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Dec. 6. AP / Hassan Ammar
Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Dec. 7. Nearly 3 million pilgrims converged Saturday around the holy city of Mecca at the beginning of the 5-day hajj pilgrimage, a lifelong dream for many Muslims. AP / Hassan Ammar
Muslim pilgrims visit al-Noor mountain where the Hiraa cave is located, overlooking the Saudi holy city of Mecca, late on Dec. 5. According to tradition, Islam's Prophet Mohammed received his first message to preach Islam while he was praying in the cave. Around two million Muslim pilgrims have flocked to the holy city of Mecca for the annual hajj pilgrimage. AFP / Getty Images / Khaled Desouki
A Muslim pilgrim prays at the top of Mount Noor in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Dec. 5. The pilgrims will visit the Hera cave in Mount Noor where the Prophet Mohammad worshipped before the revelation. Mecca at that time was a society governed by ignorance and corruption and in order for the Prophet to worship in privacy, he went alone to Hera cave outside the city. His solitude was spent in prayer and reflection. AP / Hassan Ammar
A Muslim pilgrim prays at the top of Mount Noor in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Dec. 5. The pilgrims will visit the Hera cave in Mount Noor where the Prophet Mohammad worshipped before the revelation. Mecca at that time was a society governed by ignorance and corruption and in order for the Prophet to worship in privacy, he went alone to Hera cave outside the city. His solitude was spent in prayer and reflection. AP / Hassan Ammar
A Muslim pilgrim reads the koran at Mount Arafat, southeast of the Saudi holy city of Mecca, on Dec. 7. A human tide washed over Mount Arafat today morning as hundreds of thousands of devoted Muslims gathered for the key moment of the annual hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. AFP / Getty Images / Khaled Desouki
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba inside the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Dec. 5. Muslim pilgrims flooded into the holy city of Mecca in preparation for the annual hajj, beginning on Saturday. AP / Hassan Ammar
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