On day three of Hajj, pilgrims stand in the open, praising Allah. The heat of Saudi Arabia at midday provides a hint as to what the Day of Judgement will be like. This day is spent deep in prayer and meditation. At the end of the day, the pilgrims travel to Muzdalifa for the night, where they gather together 49 small stones.

On day four of Hajj, the pilgrims return to Mina and throw these 49 stones at pillars called Jamarat. These pillars represent Satan. Then an animal sacrifice, often a sheep or goat, should be made – this is called Qurbani. Men’s heads are shaved and women cut off a lock of their hair.

On day five of Hajj, pilgrims return to Makkah and walk around the Ka’aba seven times again.

After Hajj, many Muslims also make additional pilgrimages to Madinah – the city that first welcomed Muhammad (pbuh) and was governed by his teaching. They may also visit Jerusalem, which is the third most holy city in Islam and is mentioned in the Qur’an.