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When he [Abraham] left Mina and was brought down to (the defile called) al-Aqaba, the Devil appeared to him at Stone-Heap of the Defile. Gabriel said to him: “Pelt him!” so Abraham threw seven stones at him so that he disappeared from him. Then he appeared to him at the Middle Stone-Heap. Gabriel said to him: “Pelt him!” so he pelted him with seven stones so that he disappeared from him. Then he appeared to him at the Little Stone-Heap. Gabriel said to him: “Pelt him!” so he pelted him with seven stones like the little stones for throwing in a sling. So the Devil withdrew from him.

—F.E. Peters, A Reader on Classical Islam, Princeton University Press, 1994

The ritual stoning is performed by Muslim pilgrims who travel to the city of Mina just outside of Mecca. The act requires pilgrims to collect a number of pebbles from the ground on the plain of Muzdalifah (various Hajj accounts list the number of pebbles as between 49 and 70), and throw the pebbles at the three pillars at Mina, which represent the devil. All three pillars represent the devil: the first and largest is where he tempted Abraham against sacrificing Ishmael, the second is where he tempted Abraham's wife Hagar to induce her to stop him, and the third is where he tempted Ishmael to avoid being sacrificed. He was rebuked each time, and the throwing of the stones symbolizes those rebukes.

It is the most dangerous part of the pilgrimage because of the crush of people; oftentimes many hundreds have suffocated or been trampled to death.

See also: Hajj.

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2 References

• F.E. Peters, A Reader on Classical Islam, Princeton University Press, 1994 (BooksEnthsiast.com)