When we reached the Mina train station, we had to walk a bit further to reach the Jamarat Bridge. The bridge is a multi-level structure leading to the place where stoning the devil is performed. It was the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, early in the morning, so it wasn't very humid. There are three symbolic structures representing the devil: small, medium, and large. On this day, we only had to stone the large Jamarah.
Before coming to Hajj, I was more afraid of the Jamarat Bridge than anything else because of previous incidents and accidents. However, I found this step of Hajj to be the most peaceful. The entire structure was beautifully engineered. There was no waiting, no queue. We were guided to the top floor, where we took out seven stones each (the ones we collected in Muzdalifah). We threw them one at a time, saying "Allahu Akbar" each time. I had read that with each stone, one of your major sins would be forgiven, even those that could lead you to hellfire.
After stoning the devil, we exited the opposite way and continued walking. We walked miles until we reached a road that branched in several directions. We took the one leading to Mecca/Kaaba. Along the way, we saw a man pushing a wheelchair who inadvertently hit a lady on the leg, causing her to cry out in pain. It was difficult to watch.
We met a Bangladeshi group who said that walking was the only way and that it would take an hour or more. They asked us to follow them since we were unsure of the route. The thought of walking several more miles was daunting, and we were on the verge of collapsing. We made an instant decision to leave the group and head to an area where people were taking taxis. Alhamdulillah, Allah was watching over us. As stated in Al-Baqarah, Ayat 286: "Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear."
We suddenly found a taxi with a Chinese man and his mother. We waved, the taxi stopped, and we shared the fare. We reached Mecca very quickly. It was a happy day for everyone.
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