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| Arabic | جمرات |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | ja-ma-RAHT |
| Etymology | From the Arabic root ج-م-ر (j-m-r), whose primary meanings include 'pebble, live coal, ember.' The word jamrah (جمرة) literally means 'a small stone' or 'a glowing ember,' and by extension refers to the pillar that is the target of the pebbles. The plural jamarat (جمرات) is also used colloquially to refer to the entire stoning ritual. Some scholars note the poetic connection between the 'burning ember' meaning and the act of driving away Satan — as if the الحاج is casting burning coals at the tempter. The same root gives jamr (جمر), meaning 'hot coals,' used in everyday Arabic. |
الجمرات(جمرات) الجمرات (singular: jamrah) are the three stone pillars in the valley of منى that الحج الحجاج stone with pebbles in a ritual known as rami al-jamarat, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim's rejection of Satan's temptations.
جمرات
The ritual stoning of the الجمرات (rami al-jamarat) is one of the essential rites of الحج, rooted in the experience of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, صلى الله عليه وسلم). According to Islamic tradition, when Ibrahim was walking to sacrifice his son Ismail in obedience to Allah's command, Satan (Iblis) appeared to him at three successive points, attempting to dissuade him from carrying out the divine order. At each encounter, Ibrahim drove Satan away by throwing stones at him. These three locations became the sites of the three الجمرات pillars in the valley of منى. The three pillars are: Jamrat al-Ula (the first/smallest, closest to Masjid al-Khayf), Jamrat al-Wusta (the middle), and Jamrat al-Aqabah (the largest, also called Jamrat al-Kubra, closest to مكة). On the 10th of ذو الحجة (يوم النحر, the Day of Sacrifice), الحجاج stone only Jamrat al-Aqabah with seven consecutive pebbles, each roughly the size of a chickpea, saying 'Allahu Akbar' with each throw. On the 11th, 12th, and 13th (Ayyam al-التشريق), all three pillars are stoned in sequence — seven pebbles each, starting from the smallest and ending with the largest — for a total of 21 pebbles per day. The modern الجمرات complex is a massive multi-level bridge structure, redesigned after tragic stampedes in earlier years. The pillars have been replaced with elongated walls (designed to catch pebbles from any angle), and the bridge has five levels with multiple access ramps to manage the flow of millions of الحجاج. Pilgrims collect their pebbles from مزدلفة on the night of the 9th or from anywhere in منى. The stoning on the 10th marks the beginning of the الحاج's exit from الإحرام — after stoning Jamrat al-Aqabah, most restrictions of الإحرام are lifted (called al-التحلل al-awwal, the first release).
From the Arabic root ج-م-ر (j-m-r), whose primary meanings include 'pebble, live coal, ember.' The word jamrah (جمرة) literally means 'a small stone' or 'a glowing ember,' and by extension refers to the pillar that is the target of the pebbles. The plural jamarat (جمرات) is also used colloquially to refer to the entire stoning ritual. Some scholars note the poetic connection between the 'burning ember' meaning and the act of driving away Satan — as if the الحاج is casting burning coals at the tempter. The same root gives jamr (جمر), meaning 'hot coals,' used in everyday Arabic.