Hajj Stoning
The Quran emphasizes the commemoration of God as the sole purpose of Hajj (pilgrimage). Rituals not prescribed in the Quran, such as the stoning ritual, detract from this purpose.
The Purpose of Hajj
The Quran repeatedly stresses that the objective of Hajj is to glorify and remember God:
فَإِذَآ أَفَضْتُم مِّنْ عَرَفَـٰتٍۢ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عِندَ ٱلْمَشْعَرِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۖ وَٱذْكُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَإِن كُنتُم مِّن قَبْلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
Fa-idhā afadttum min ʿarafātin fa-udhkurū Allāha ʿinda al-mashʿari al-ḥarām, wa-udhkurūhu kamā hadākum wa-in kuntum min qablihi lamina aḍ-ḍāllīn.
Then when you disperse from Arafat, commemorate God at the Al-Haram shrine. And commemorate Him as He has guided you, for before that, you were among the misguided.
2:198
فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُم مَّنَـٰسِكَكُمْ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ ءَابَآءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًۭا ۗ
Fa-idhā qaḍaytum manāsikakum fa-udhkurū Allāha ka-dhikrikum ābāʾakum aw ashadda dhikran.
Then, once you have completed your worship rituals, commemorate God as you commemorate your own fathers or even a greater commemoration.
2:200
These verses make it clear that all rituals during Hajj must focus exclusively on God.
The Origin of the Stoning Ritual
The stoning ritual is a non-Quranic practice derived entirely from hadith literature. It includes:
- Collecting pebbles from specific locations.
- Throwing seven pebbles at the "Jamrat Al-ʿAqabah" on the 10th of Dhū al-Hijjah.
- Stoning three separate pillars over subsequent days.
These intricate instructions are absent from the Quran, which does not prescribe stoning as part of the pilgrimage rites.
Preoccupation with Satan’s Name
The stoning ritual involves targeting Satan symbolically, diverting attention from the primary goal of Hajj—commemorating God.
وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَٰطِى مُسْتَقِيمًۭا فَٱتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلسُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ ۚ
Wa-anna hādhā sirāṭī mustaqīman fa-ttabiʿūhu wa-lā tattabiʿū as-subula fa-tafarraqa bikum ʿan sabīlihi.
This is My path, a straight one, so follow it. And do not follow other paths, for they will divert you from His path.
6:153
The Quran warns against practices that divert believers from God's commandments, and the stoning ritual exemplifies such a diversion.
Risks and Tragedies
The stoning ritual has led to numerous stampedes and fatalities due to overcrowding at the stoning sites. These tragedies highlight the unnecessary dangers posed by a non-Quranic ritual.
Adding Rituals to God’s Religion
The Quran explicitly forbids introducing unauthorized practices into religion:
أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَـٰٓؤُا۟ شَرَعُوا۟ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ
Am lahum shurakāʾu sharaʿū lahum mina ad-dīni mā lam yaʾdhan bihi Allāh.
Or do they have partners who legislate for them of the religion what God did not authorise?
42:21
Adding non-Quranic rituals like stoning constitutes shirk (associating partners with God) by elevating human sources to the level of divine legislation.
Prophet Muhammad’s Role
The Quran affirms that Prophet Muhammad’s duty was solely to deliver God’s message:
وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ
Wa-mā ʿalā ar-rasūli illā al-balāghu al-mubīn.
The sole duty of the messenger is the clear delivery.
24:54
Attributing the stoning ritual to the Prophet undermines his role as a faithful messenger of God’s complete and perfect Quran.
Conclusion
The stoning ritual during Hajj has no basis in the Quran:
- Distraction from the core purpose of Hajj—glorifying and commemorating God.
- Adds complexity and risk to the pilgrimage.
- Originate from non-Quranic sources, contradicting the Quran's claim of being fully detailed and complete.