Mina

Imagine a whole city made out of tents! That is Mina during Hajj. It is a long valley just a few kilometers from Makkah, and every year it fills up with more than 100,000 white, fire-proof tents that house over two million pilgrims. From above, it looks like a huge field of snow.

Pilgrims stay in Mina for several nights during Hajj. They eat together, sleep on mats inside the tents, and walk back and forth to the other holy places. There is even an air-conditioned train that zooms pilgrims between Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah!

Mina is most famous for the Jamarat — three tall walls where pilgrims throw small pebbles. This action remembers Prophet Ibrahim. When Allah tested him by asking him to sacrifice his son Isma'il, the devil tried three times to whisper bad ideas to Ibrahim and his family. Each time, Ibrahim threw stones at the devil to chase him away.

So today, every pilgrim picks up tiny pebbles (about the size of a chickpea) and throws seven at each wall, saying 'Allahu Akbar!' each time. It is the pilgrim's way of saying, 'I also say no to the devil, just like Ibrahim did!'

Mina is also where the Eid al-Adha celebration begins. Pilgrims sacrifice an animal to remember Ibrahim's obedience, and then meat is shared with poor families all around the world — even frozen and shipped to other countries. It is one giant, global act of kindness.