During the days of Eid al-Adha, the small stones thrown by pilgrims in Mina collectively referred to as “cemre” (plural: “JAMARAT”) are directed at three different locations. Sequentially from Mina:
First Cemre (Little Devil): This is where the Devil appeared to Prophet Abraham (AS) as the third manifestation and was stoned. On the first day of the festival, no stones are thrown at the first and second devils.
Second Cemre (Middle Devil): This is where the Devil appeared to Prophet Ibrahim (AS) as the second manifestation and was stoned.
Third Cemre (Cemretu’l Aqaba – Big Devil): This is where the Devil appeared to Prophet Ibrahim (AS) as the first manifestation and was stoned. On the first day of the festival, only the big devil is stoned, followed by a brief period of prayer.
The distance between the first and middle cemres is 156.40 meters, and between the middle and Akabe cemres is 116.77 meters. Hadith books narrate that after completing the construction of the Kaaba and during his first Hajj under the guidance of the Archangel Gabriel (AS), Prophet Ibrahim (AS) stoned the devil in these three places when the devil tried to divert him from fulfilling Allah’s command, particularly when he was about to sacrifice his son Isma’il (AS). Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also threw stones at these pillars during his Farewell Pilgrimage and emphasized learning the proper way of performing the Hajj from him during this act.
The practice of stoning the devil is rooted in the tradition of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and symbolically related to the act of pelting the devil. These stone-throwing rituals commemorate the story of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) stoning the devil and symbolize a form of resistance against the constant temptations of the devil.
The locations for the cemres in Mina were marked with boundary stones even before the advent of Islam. However, until the 19th century, there were no walls or barriers around the cemre locations to limit the distance the stones would fall. In 1875, iron railings were erected around Cemretu’l-Aqaba to prevent overcrowding and potential incidents. However, due to concerns that this might be misinterpreted as expanding the area for stone-throwing, the railings were removed a year later, and pools-shaped walls were built around each of the three cemres to indicate the area where stones should be thrown.
In 1975, the locations of the cemres were reorganized with a 40 to 80-meter wide, 1-kilometer long pathway, and two floors, to prevent overcrowding. In response to incidents like the one in 2005 where many pilgrims died due to overcrowding, the locations of the cemres were restructured again, and construction began on a four-story stone-throwing pathway.