Ramy al-Jamarat (Stoning)

What is Ramy al-Jamarat?

Ramy ("throwing, casting") refers to the stoning of three stone pillars at Mina during Hajj — the jamarat: al-Jamrah al-Sughra (the small), al-Wusta (the middle), and al-Aqaba (the large). It commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim, who, when commanded to sacrifice his son and tempted by Satan to disobey, drove him away with stones.

How and When It Is Performed

• Day of Sacrifice (10 Dhul-Hijjah): only Jamrat al-Aqaba is stoned, with seven small pebbles, after sunrise.
• Days of Tashriq (11, 12 and optionally 13 Dhul-Hijjah): all three pillars are stoned in order — small, middle, then Aqaba — with seven pebbles each, after Dhuhr.
• The pebbles are about the size of a chickpea; they are thrown one by one, with the takbir said at each throw, following the example of the Prophet ﷺ (Muslim 1305).

Its Meaning

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The tawaf around the House, the sa'y between Safa and Marwah, and the stoning of the jamarat were instituted only to establish the remembrance of Allah" (Tirmidhi 902, Abu Dawud 1888). The ramy is not directed at "Satan" as a physical being; it is a symbolic act of casting away one's own arrogance and the whisperings that draw a person to disobedience, in obedience to Allah's command.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do pilgrims throw stones in Hajj?

It is a re-enactment of Ibrahim's rejection of Satan and an act of worship instituted in the Hajj rites. It expresses, through the body, the believer's rejection of all that turns him from Allah.

What if I cannot do the stoning myself?

Those who are weak, ill, very old, pregnant, or accompanying small children may appoint a proxy to throw on their behalf. This is a well-established concession in Islamic law.