In pictures: Muslims across the world celebrate Eidul Azha amid pandemic

Muslims around the world began marking a sombre Eidul Azha on Tuesday in the shadow of the pandemic and amid growing concerns about the highly infectious Delta variant of novel coronavirus.

Eidul Azha or the “Feast of Sacrifice” commemorates the Quranic tale of the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Allah, before the Almighty replaced the son with a ram to be sacrificed instead.

It marks the end of an annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, and should be undertaken by every Muslim who can afford to do so.

Read more: Masked Hajj pilgrims on Mount Arafat pray for Covid-free world

But only a limited number of mask-clad pilgrims hurled pebbles at a wall in a symbolic renunciation of the devil on Tuesday.

Before the pandemic, the annual Hajj rite typically drew more than two million Muslim faithful from around the world. For the second year running Saudi Arabia has banned worshippers from abroad and has allowed only 60,000 citizens and residents to participate in the Hajj.

With coronavirus the main concern, authorities have restricted access to pilgrims aged 18 to 65, who have either been fully vaccinated or have recovered for the virus and do not suffer from chronic diseases.

Worshippers will return to Jamarat over the next two days before continuing onto Makkah to pray at the Grand Mosque at the end of Hajj.

(With input from Reuters and AFP)