The Error in Stoning the Pillars

In the previous Hajj, I was in Mina, and a crowd came upon us. Without realizing it, I threw twenty-one pebbles at the first pillar, which is supposed to be seven, and then I followed up with the second set of seven. You issued a ruling to us while we were in Mina that there is no harm if I took stones from around the pillars and threw them at the remaining two. I do not know in my own mind exactly what you told me when I threw twenty-one at the first one: are they all valid?You said: There is no harm. You take stones from around the pillars and throw them.
The important thing is that the pillars—may Allah reward you—accept pebbles from anywhere you take them, even from near the pool; there is no objection.
But regarding the twenty-one at the first pillar, you only have seven of them.