The Description of Hajj

The Eleventh Topic

The Description of Hajj

The beginning of Hajj: ihram for Hajj: When it is the forenoon of the Day of Tarwiyah—which is the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah—whoever wishes to perform Hajj, being in Makkah, enters ihram for Hajj from the place where he is staying, whether in Makkah or outside it, among those near to it. It is not Sunnah to go to the Sacred Mosque or any other mosque or place to enter ihram there, because nothing is reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) nor from his Companions of deliberately seeking any of that. The mutamatti‘ Companions who were with the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Farewell Hajj entered ihram from the place where they were—al-Batḥā’—without deliberately seeking a specific place for its own sake. From Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “When we arrived, [the Prophet (peace be upon him)] commanded the people, so they exited ihram, until when it was the Day of Tarwiyah they entered ihram

for Hajj.” (1) And from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both): the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to them: “Exit your ihram with tawaf of the House and between al-Safa and al-Marwah, shorten, then remain halal until, when it is the Day of Tarwiyah, you enter ihram for Hajj, and make that for which you came an ‘umrah.” (2) And from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded us, when we had exited ihram, to enter ihram when we headed for Mina.” He said: “So we entered ihram from al-Batḥā’.” (3) At this point he follows the same procedure as when entering ihram at the miqat— bathing and grooming himself, removing sewn clothing, making the stipulation, applying perfume, and praying two rak‘ahs; he then enters ihram as explained above. For Hajj, he says “labbayka hajjan” instead of “labbayka ‘umratan.”

Going out to Mina: When he has entered ihram from his place on the eighth day: if he is in Mina he stays in it, and if

he is outside Mina, it is Sunnah for him to head to it before zuhr, and he prays zuhr, ‘asr, maghrib, ‘isha’, and fajr there—shortened without joining—and spends that night, which is the night of ‘Arafah, in Mina. From Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “When it was the Day of Tarwiyah they headed to Mina and entered ihram for Hajj, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) rode; he prayed zuhr, ‘asr, maghrib, ‘isha’, and fajr there, then stayed a while until the sun rose.” (1)

Standing at ‘Arafah: When the sun rises on the ninth day, he travels from Mina to ‘Arafah and stays at Namirah until the zenith if that is feasible for him; otherwise there is no harm upon him, because staying at Namirah is a Sunnah, not an obligation, and it is permissible to go to ‘Arafah from the previous night. When the sun passes its zenith, the imam delivers the ‘Arafah sermon to the pilgrims, then prays zuhr and ‘asr with them joined and shortened—joining at the earlier time, two rak‘ahs each. Those far from the imam pray in their places in ‘Arafah in congregations. After the prayer it is Sunnah for the pilgrim to make abundant supplication to Allah and praise of Him, and if it is feasible for him to stand at the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s standing place at

the rocks, it is better; otherwise he stands wherever is feasible for him in ‘Arafah. From Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “And [the Prophet (peace be upon him)] ordered a tent of hair to be pitched for him at Namirah, so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) traveled… until he reached ‘Arafah and found the tent had been pitched for him at Namirah, so he stayed there; when the sun passed its zenith he ordered al-Qaswa’ to be saddled for him; it was saddled, and he came to the bottom of the valley and addressed the people… then he gave the adhan, then the iqamah and prayed zuhr, then the iqamah and prayed ‘asr, praying nothing between them; then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) rode until he reached the standing place, and made the belly of his she-camel al-Qaswa’ face the rocks, with the walkers’ rope before him, and faced the qiblah; he remained standing until the sun set, the yellow tinge had gone a little, and the disc had disappeared; he seated Usamah behind him, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) pressed on.” (1) It is not Sunnah for him to climb the mountain of ‘Arafah, and attention should be paid to what some ignorant people do—deliberately climbing it and committing innovations and prohibited acts upon it such as seeking blessing from it and wiping it, or believing in the marker built on its summit. All of that is a rejected evil and misguidance that has not come from the Prophet (peace be upon him), nor from his

noble Companions—so it is forbidden for the pilgrim to do any of these evils and misguidances. All of ‘Arafah is a standing place— wherever he stands in it, his standing is valid. From Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both): the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “I stood here, and all of ‘Arafah is a place of standing.” (1) Whoever stands at ‘Arafah must verify that he is within the boundaries of ‘Arafah— there are markers indicating its boundaries, so let him be aware of that; whoever does not know, let him ask. Whoever stands outside the boundaries of ‘Arafah has no Hajj, because the Hajj is ‘Arafah. From ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya‘mar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I witnessed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when some people came and asked him about the Hajj; the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The Hajj is ‘Arafah; whoever catches the night of ‘Arafah before dawn rises on the night of Jam‘, his Hajj is complete.” Then he seated a man behind him who kept proclaiming that. (2)

It is Sunnah for him to raise his hands while supplicating at ‘Arafah. It is established from Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “I was riding behind the Prophet (peace be upon him) at ‘Arafat, and he raised his hands supplicating; his she-camel leaned, her halter fell, so he took hold of the halter with one of his hands while keeping his other hand raised.” (1) These are selected supplications from the Book and the Sunnah, from the comprehensive adhkar and supplications: ﴿رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ حَسَنَةٗ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ﴾ [Our Lord, give us in this world good and in the Hereafter good, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.] (Al-Baqarah 201) [Al-Baqarah: 201]. ﴿رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذۡنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوۡ أَخۡطَأۡنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحۡمِلۡ عَلَيۡنَآ إِصۡرٗا كَمَا حَمَلۡتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلۡنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦۖ وَٱعۡفُ عَنَّا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَآۚ أَنتَ مَوۡلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ﴾ [Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or err; our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden like that You laid upon those before us; our Lord, do not burden us with what we cannot bear; pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Guardian, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people.] (Al-Baqarah 286) [Al-Baqarah: 286]. ﴿رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوبَنَا بَعۡدَ إِذۡ هَدَيۡتَنَا وَهَبۡ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةًۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡوَهَّابُ﴾ [Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from Yourself. Indeed, You are the Bestower.] (Al 'Imran 8) [Al ‘Imran: 8].

﴿رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ﴾ [Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.] (Al 'Imran 16) [Al ‘Imran: 16]. ﴿رَبِّ هَبۡ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةٗ طَيِّبَةًۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ﴾ [My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.] (Al 'Imran 38) [Al ‘Imran: 38]. ﴿رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسۡرَافَنَا فِيٓ أَمۡرِنَا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ﴾ [Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excess in our affair, plant firmly our feet, and give us victory over the disbelieving people.] (Al 'Imran 147) [Al ‘Imran: 147]. ﴿رَّبَّنَآ إِنَّنَا سَمِعۡنَا مُنَادِيٗا يُنَادِي لِلۡإِيمَٰنِ أَنۡ ءَامِنُواْ بِرَبِّكُمۡ فَـَٔامَنَّاۚ رَبَّنَا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرۡ عَنَّا سَيِّـَٔاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارِ ﳀ رَبَّنَا وَءَاتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلَىٰ رُسُلِكَ وَلَا تُخۡزِنَا يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۖ إِنَّكَ لَا تُخۡلِفُ ٱلۡمِيعَادَ﴾ [Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, ‘Believe in your Lord,’ and we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us our sins, remove from us our misdeeds, and take us to You with the righteous. Our Lord, grant us what You promised us through Your messengers, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You do not break the promise.] (Al 'Imran 193-194) [Al ‘Imran: 193, 194]. ﴿رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ﴾ [Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will surely be among the losers.] (Al-A'raf 23) [Al-A‘raf: 23]. ﴿حَسۡبِيَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۖ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ﴾ [Allah is sufficient for me; there is no god but Him. Upon Him I rely, and He is the Lord of the magnificent Throne.] (At-Tawbah 129) [At-Tawbah: 129]. ﴿رَبِّ ٱجۡعَلۡ هَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدَ ءَامِنٗا وَٱجۡنُبۡنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعۡبُدَ ٱلۡأَصۡنَامَ﴾ [My Lord, make this city secure and keep me and my sons from worshipping idols.] (Ibrahim 35) [Ibrahim: 35].

﴿رَبِّ ٱجۡعَلۡنِي مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِيۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلۡ دُعَآءِ ﰧ رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لِي وَلِوَٰلِدَيَّ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلۡحِسَابُ﴾ [My Lord, make me one who establishes prayer, and from my descendants. Our Lord, accept my supplication. Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day the reckoning is established.] (Ibrahim 40-41) [Ibrahim: 40, 41]. ﴿رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةٗ وَهَيِّئۡ لَنَا مِنۡ أَمۡرِنَا رَشَدٗا﴾ [Our Lord, grant us mercy from Yourself and prepare for us right guidance in our affair.] (Al-Kahf 10) [Al-Kahf: 10]. ﴿رَبِّ ٱشۡرَحۡ لِي صَدۡرِي ﰘ وَيَسِّرۡ لِيٓ أَمۡرِي﴾ [My Lord, expand for me my chest and ease for me my task.] (Ta-Ha 25-26) [Ta-Ha: 25, 26]. ﴿رَّبِّ زِدۡنِي عِلۡمٗا﴾ [My Lord, increase me in knowledge.] (Ta-Ha 114) [Ta-Ha: 114]. ﴿لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبۡحَٰنَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ﴾ [There is no god but You; glory be to You. Indeed, I was among the wrongdoers.] (Al-Anbiya 87) [Al-Anbiya: 87]. ﴿رَبِّ لَا تَذَرۡنِي فَرۡدٗا وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡوَٰرِثِينَ﴾ [My Lord, do not leave me alone, and You are the best of inheritors.] (Al-Anbiya 89) [Al-Anbiya: 89]. ﴿رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنۡ هَمَزَٰتِ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِ ﱠ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحۡضُرُونِ﴾ [My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the whispers of the devils, and I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they attend me.] (Al-Mu'minun 97-98) [Al-Mu’minun: 97, 98]. ﴿رَبَّنَا ٱصۡرِفۡ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَۖ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا ﱀ إِنَّهَا سَآءَتۡ مُسۡتَقَرّٗا وَمُقَامٗا﴾ [Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell; indeed, its punishment is ever-adhering. Indeed, it is an evil resting place and abode.] (Al-Furqan 65-66) [Al-Furqan: 65, 66]. ﴿رَبَّنَا هَبۡ لَنَا مِنۡ أَزۡوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعۡيُنٖ وَٱجۡعَلۡنَا لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا﴾ [Our Lord, grant us from our spouses and descendants comfort to our eyes, and make us leaders of the righteous.] (Al-Furqan 74) [Al-Furqan: 74]. ﴿رَبِّ أَوۡزِعۡنِيٓ أَنۡ أَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَيَّ وَأَنۡ أَعۡمَلَ My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your blessing which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do

صَٰلِحٗا تَرۡضَىٰهُ وَأَدۡخِلۡنِي بِرَحۡمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ﴾ […righteousness that pleases You, and admit me by Your mercy among Your righteous servants.] (An-Naml 19) [An-Naml: 19]. ﴿رَبِّ أَوۡزِعۡنِيٓ أَنۡ أَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَيَّ وَأَنۡ أَعۡمَلَ صَٰلِحٗا تَرۡضَىٰهُ وَأَصۡلِحۡ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِيٓۖ إِنِّي تُبۡتُ إِلَيۡكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ﴾ [My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your blessing which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do righteousness that pleases You. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed I am among the Muslims.] (Al-Ahqaf 15) [Al-Ahqaf: 15]. ﴿رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَلِإِخۡوَٰنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلۡإِيمَٰنِ وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلّٗا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٌ﴾ [Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not place in our hearts any rancor toward those who believe. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.] (Al-Hashr 10) [Al-Hashr: 10]. (O Allah, endear faith to us and adorn it in our hearts; make disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience hateful to us; and make us among the rightly guided.) (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the trial of the Fire and the punishment of the Fire, from the trial of the grave and the punishment of the grave, from the evil of the trial of wealth and the evil of the trial of poverty. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil of the trial of the false Messiah (al-Masih al-Dajjal). O Allah, wash my heart with the water of snow and hail, and cleanse my heart of sins as You cleansed the white garment of filth, and set a distance between me and my sins as You distanced the East from the West. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from laziness, sin, and debt.) (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, laziness, cowardice, old age, and miserliness; and I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave and from the trial of life and death.)

(O Allah, I seek refuge in You from severe affliction, the depth of misery, evil destiny, and the gloating of enemies.) (O Allah, set right for me my religion, which is the safeguard of my affair; set right for me my worldly life, in which is my livelihood; and set right for me my Hereafter, to which is my return. Make life an increase for me in every good, and make death a relief for me from every evil.) (O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and sufficiency.) (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, laziness, cowardice, miserliness, old age, and the punishment of the grave. O Allah, grant my soul its piety and purify it—You are the best of those who purify it; You are its guardian and its master. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not humble, from a soul that is never satisfied, and from a supplication that is not answered.) (O Allah, guide me and grant me steadfastness; O Allah, I ask You for guidance and steadfastness.) (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the removal of Your blessing, the shifting of Your well-being, the suddenness of Your vengeance, and all of Your displeasure.) (O Allah, increase my wealth and my children, and bless me in what You have given me.) (There is no god but Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the magnificent Throne; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the noble Throne.)

(O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand; Your judgment over me is carried out; Your decree upon me is just. I ask You by every name that is Yours—by which You named Yourself, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to one of Your creation, or kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen with You—that You make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the dispeller of my sorrow, and the remover of my worry.) (O Allah, Turner of hearts, turn our hearts toward obedience to You.) (O Changer of hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.) (O Allah, You are pardoning and generous; You love pardon, so pardon me.) (O Allah, I ask You for the doing of good deeds, the abandoning of evil deeds, and the love of the poor; and that You forgive me and have mercy on me; and if You will a trial for a people, take me to Yourself untested. And I ask You for Your love, the love of those who love You, and the love of deeds that bring me closer to Your love.) (O Allah, I ask You for all good, immediate and deferred, what I know of it and what I do not know; and I seek refuge in You from all evil, immediate and deferred, what I know of it and what I do not know. O Allah, I ask You for the best of what Your servant and Prophet asked You, and I seek refuge in You from the evil of what Your servant and Prophet sought refuge from. O Allah, I ask You

for Paradise and what draws near to it of word or deed, and I seek refuge in You from the Fire and what draws near to it of word or deed, and I ask You to make every decree You decree for me good.) (O Allah, apportion for us of fear of You what will keep us from disobeying You, of obedience to You what will bring us to Your Paradise, and of certainty what will make the calamities of this world easy for us. O Allah, grant us enjoyment of our hearing, our sight, and our strength as long as You keep us alive, and make it the inheritor from us; make our vengeance upon those who wronged us, and grant us victory over those who showed enmity toward us; do not make our calamity in our religion; do not make the world our greatest concern nor the limit of our knowledge; and do not place over us those who will not have mercy on us.) (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from cowardice, I seek refuge in You from miserliness, I seek refuge in You from being returned to the most decrepit age, and I seek refuge in You from the trial of this world and the punishment of the grave.) (O Allah, forgive me my sin, my ignorance, my extravagance in my affair, and what You know better of than me. O Allah, forgive me my jesting and my seriousness, my error and my deliberate act—and all of that is in me.) (O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly, and none forgives sins but You; so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me—indeed You are the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.)

(O Allah, to You I have submitted, in You I have believed, upon You I have relied, and to You I turn in repentance, and by You I contend. O Allah, I seek refuge in Your might—there is no god but You—from leading me astray. You are the Ever-Living who does not die, while jinn and men die.) (O Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the magnificent Throne; our Lord and Lord of all things; Splitter of the grain and the stone; Revealer of the Torah, the Gospel, and the Criterion—I seek refuge in You from the evil of everything whose forelock You hold. O Allah, You are the First—nothing before You; You are the Last—nothing after You; You are the Manifest—nothing above You; You are the Hidden—nothing beneath You. Settle our debt for us and enrich us from poverty.) (O Allah, help me to remember You, thank You, and worship You well.) (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, incapacity and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debt, and being overcome by men.) (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the Fire, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, I seek refuge in You from trials—those apparent and those hidden—and I seek refuge in You from the trial of the Dajjal.) (O Allah, guide me among those You have guided, grant me well-being among those You have granted well-being, and take me as an ally among those You have taken as

allies; bless me in what You have given; and shield me from the evil of what You have decreed—for the one You befriend is not humbled, and the one You oppose is not honored. Blessed are You, our Lord, and exalted.) (There is no god but Allah alone, without partner; His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is over all things powerful.)

Staying overnight at Muzdalifah: Then, after the sun sets on the day of ‘Arafah and its disc disappears, the pilgrim presses on to Muzdalifah with tranquility, and does not harm his fellow pilgrims. When he reaches it, the first thing he begins with is the prayer before unloading his baggage—he prays maghrib and ‘isha’ joined there: maghrib three rak‘ahs and ‘isha’ two. Then he stays overnight at Muzdalifah. It is permissible for the weak, men and women, to press on from Muzdalifah to Mina after midnight (1), as explained in the obligations of Hajj. As for one who is not weak nor following a weak person: it is Sunnah for him to stay at Muzdalifah until dawn, pray fajr there, and remain until it is

very bright, as is the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him). When he has prayed fajr he goes to al-Mash‘ar al-Haram if it is feasible for him, faces the qiblah, declares Allah’s oneness, greatness, and divinity, and supplicates as he wishes until it is very bright; then he presses on from Muzdalifah to Mina before sunrise. If he cannot go to al-Mash‘ar al-Haram, he faces the qiblah in his place in Muzdalifah, declares Allah’s oneness, greatness, and divinity, and supplicates. From Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both): the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “I slaughtered here, and all of Mina is a place of slaughter—slaughter in your camps; and I stood here, and all of ‘Arafah is a place of standing; and I stood here, and all of Jam‘ is a place of standing.” (1) All of the foregoing is established as the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s action; in the long hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both): “He remained standing until the sun set, the yellow tinge had gone a little, and the disc had disappeared; he seated Usamah behind him, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) pressed on, having tightened al-Qaswa’'s rein until her head nearly touched the rear of his saddle, saying with his right hand: ‘O people, calm, calm’—whenever he came upon a rope of the ropes he slackened it a little, until

he ascended, until he reached al-Muzdalifah, where he prayed maghrib and ‘isha’ with one adhan and two iqamahs, without offering any tasbih between them; then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) lay down until dawn rose, and prayed fajr when the morning became clear to him, with an adhan and an iqamah; then he rode al-Qaswa’ until he reached al-Mash‘ar al-Haram, faced the qiblah, supplicated Him, declared His greatness, divinity, and oneness, and remained standing until it was very bright, then pressed on before the sun rose.” (1)

The journey from Muzdalifah to Mina, and staying there: When it is the Day of Sacrifice—the blessed ‘Eid al-Adḥā, the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah—the pilgrim presses on from Muzdalifah to Mina before sunrise. When he reaches Mina he performs four acts:

1. Stoning Jamrat al-‘Aqabah, which is the largest and last of the jamarat: He picks up seven pebbles the size of khadhf pebbles, slightly larger than chickpeas, from wherever is convenient for him—there is no specific place for picking them—then stones the jamrah with them, one after another, saying takbir with each pebble: Allahu akbar

when throwing each pebble—he does not throw the pebbles all at once. He throws from a place in the bottom of the valley if it is feasible for him, placing the Ka‘bah to his left and Mina to his right. From ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Yazid, from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him): he went to the largest jamrah, placed the House to his left and Mina to his right, and stoned with seven pebbles, saying: “This is how the one upon whom Surat al-Baqarah was revealed stoned.” (1) Stoning is not valid with anything other than pebbles, such as sandals, khuffs, and the like. The pebbles must fall into the stoning pit; they need not remain in it. 2. Slaughtering the hady for the mutamatti‘ and the qarin, if that is feasible for him; if he has deputized someone for its slaughter, there is no harm upon him. The hady and the time of its slaughter have already been explained.

3. Shaving or shortening: For men, the Sunnah is to shave the head; if he shortens it, there is no harm upon him. Allah Most High said: ﴿لَتَدۡخُلُنَّ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدَ ٱلۡحَرَامَ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ You will surely enter al-Masjid al-Haram, if Allah wills, in safety,

ءَامِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ رُءُوسَكُمۡ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ﴾ with heads shaved or shortened. [Al-Fath: 27], and the Prophet (peace be upon him) shaved and did not shorten. From Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to Mina, went to the jamrah and stoned it, then went to his dwelling in Mina and slaughtered; then he said to the barber: ‘Take,’ pointing to his right side, then the left.” (1) And the Prophet (peace be upon him) supplicated for the shavers three times and for the shorteners once—from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both): the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “May Allah have mercy on the shavers.” They said: “And the shorteners, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “May Allah have mercy on the shavers.” They said: “And the shorteners, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “May Allah have mercy on the shavers.” They said: “And the shorteners, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “And the shorteners.” (2) He applies shaving or shortening to his whole head—it must include all the hair of his head. As for the woman: she shortens only the ends of her hair, about a fingertip’s length. When the pilgrim has stoned Jamrat al-‘Aqabah and shaved or shortened his head, what was forbidden to him of the restrictions of ihram becomes lawful except women—clothing such as trousers, vests, and garments, perfume, cutting hair and nails, and other

prohibitions except women. This is called the first tahallul, and it is Sunnah for him to perfume himself for this first tahallul. From ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: “I used to perfume the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) for his ihram when he entered ihram, and for his release before he made tawaf of the House.” (1) And in a narration: “I used to perfume the Prophet (peace be upon him) before he entered ihram, and on the Day of Sacrifice before he made tawaf of the House, with perfume containing musk.” (2) 4. Tawaf of the House, which is called tawaf al-ifadah, tawaf al-ziyarah, and tawaf al-Hajj. Allah Most High said: ﴿ثُمَّ لۡيَقۡضُواْ تَفَثَهُمۡ وَلۡيُوفُواْ نُذُورَهُمۡ وَلۡيَطَّوَّفُواْ بِٱلۡبَيۡتِ ٱلۡعَتِيقِ﴾ [Then let them complete their prescribed rites, fulfill their vows, and perform tawaf of the Ancient House.] (Al-Hajj 29) [Al-Hajj: 29]. And from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) in the description of the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s Hajj: “Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) rode and made ifadah to the House, and prayed zuhr in Makkah.” (3) And from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: “We performed Hajj with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and made ifadah on the Day of Sacrifice.” (4) And from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) in the description of the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s Hajj: “And he slaughtered his hady on the Day of Sacrifice, made ifadah, and made tawaf

of the House, then became halal of everything that had been forbidden to him.” (1) If the pilgrim is a mutamatti‘, he must perform sa‘i between al-Safa and al-Marwah after tawaf al-ifadah, because his first sa‘i was for ‘Umrah and he must perform sa‘i for Hajj—the ‘Umrah is one rite and the Hajj is another rite, and the rite is not complete except with sa‘i. Allah Most High said: ﴿إِنَّ ٱلصَّفَا وَٱلۡمَرۡوَةَ مِن شَعَآئِرِ ٱللَّهِۖ فَمَنۡ حَجَّ ٱلۡبَيۡتَ أَوِ ٱعۡتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَاۚ﴾ [Indeed al-Safa and al-Marwah are among the rites of Allah; so whoever performs Hajj to the House or ‘Umrah—there is no blame upon him for walking between them.] (Al-Baqarah 158) [Al-Baqarah: 158]. And from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): he was asked about mut‘ah of Hajj and said: “The Muhajirun, the Ansar, and the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s wives entered ihram in the Farewell Hajj, and we entered ihram; when we reached Makkah the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘Make your ihram for Hajj an ‘umrah—except whoever has garlanded the hady.’ So we made tawaf of the House and between al-Safa and al-Marwah, approached women, and wore clothes; and he said: ‘Whoever has garlanded the hady—it is not lawful for him until the hady reaches its place.’ Then he commanded us on the evening of Tarwiyah to enter ihram for Hajj; when we finished the rites we came and made tawaf of the House and between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and our Hajj was complete, and the hady was upon us.” (2) And from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: “Those who entered ihram for ‘Umrah made tawaf of the House and between al-Safa and al-Marwah, then exited ihram, then made tawaf

again after they returned from Mina for their Hajj; as for those who had combined the Hajj and the ‘Umrah, they made only one tawaf.” (1)

If the pilgrim is a mufrid or a qarin: if he already performed sa‘i after the arrival tawaf, he does not repeat the sa‘i again, because he already did it earlier. From Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions did not make tawaf between al-Safa and al-Marwah except one tawaf”—in a narration it adds: “his first tawaf.” (2) It is also evidenced by ‘A’ishah’s hadith that those who combined the Hajj and the ‘Umrah made only one tawaf. If he has not performed sa‘i, it is obligatory upon him, because the Hajj is not complete without sa‘i, as previously explained. When the pilgrim has finished tawaf al-ifadah and sa‘i between al-Safa and al-Marwah, the second tahallul occurs and everything that was forbidden to him becomes lawful—from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) in the description of the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s Hajj: “Then nothing that had been forbidden to him remained forbidden until he completed his Hajj, slaughtered his hady on the Day of Sacrifice, made ifadah, and made tawaf of the House; then he became halal of every

thing that had been forbidden to him.” (1) All of the foregoing is established as the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s action; in the long hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both): “He remained standing until it was very bright, then pressed on before the sun rose… until he reached Batn Muhassir, where he moved a little, then took the middle road that comes out at the largest jamrah, until he reached the jamrah near the tree and stoned it with seven pebbles, saying takbir with each pebble—the size of khadhf pebbles—throwing from the bottom of the valley; then he went to the slaughtering place and slaughtered sixty-three with his own hand; then he gave ‘Ali, who slaughtered what remained, and he shared him in his hady; then he ordered a piece of meat from each camel, put it in a pot, and it was cooked; they ate of its meat and drank of its broth; then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) rode and made ifadah to the House, and prayed zuhr in Makkah.” (2) The Sunnah for these four acts is to perform them on the Day of Eid after sunrise, in the order they came in this hadith, as follows: 1. Stoning Jamrat al-‘Aqabah. 2. Slaughtering the hady for the mutamatti‘ and the qarin.

3. Shaving or shortening. 4. Tawaf then sa‘i for the mutamatti‘; as for the qarin and the mufrid, they make tawaf then sa‘i— unless they performed sa‘i with the arrival tawaf, in which case tawaf al-ifadah alone suffices on the Day of Eid, because the sa‘i was already done and finished. If he puts some of these acts before others, there is no harm in that— from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both): the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood in the Farewell Hajj at Mina while people asked him; a man came and said: “I did not realize—I shaved before slaughtering.” He said: “Slaughter, and no harm.” Another came and said: “I did not realize—I slaughtered before stoning.” He said: “Stone, and no harm.” And the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not asked about anything done early or late but he said: “Do it, and no harm.” (1) And in a narration: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)—a man came to him on the Day of Sacrifice while he was standing at the jamrah and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I shaved before stoning.” He said: “Stone, and no harm.” Another came and said: “I slaughtered before stoning.” He said: “Stone, and no harm.” Another came and said: “I made ifadah to the House before stoning.” He said: “Stone, and no harm.” He said: I never saw him asked that day about

anything, but he said: “Do it, and no harm.” (1)

Returning to Mina for the overnight stay and stoning the jimar: When the pilgrim has finished the tawaf and the sa‘i on the Day of Eid, he returns to Mina and stays there on the Day of Eid and the days of Tashriq after it; he must spend the night in Mina on the eleventh night and the twelfth night, and if he wants to delay he must spend the night of the thirteenth—and delaying is better. Allah Most High said: ﴿وَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ فِيٓ أَيَّامٖ مَّعۡدُودَٰتٖۚ فَمَن تَعَجَّلَ فِي يَوۡمَيۡنِ فَلَآ إِثۡمَ عَلَيۡهِ وَمَن تَأَخَّرَ فَلَآ إِثۡمَ عَلَيۡهِۖ لِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰۗ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ﴾ [Remember Allah during the appointed days; whoever hastens in two days—there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays—there is no sin upon him—for one who is mindful. And be mindful of Allah.] (Al-Baqarah 203) [Al-Baqarah: 203]. And from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya‘mar al-Dayli (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was at ‘Arafah; some people—or a group—of the people of Najd came, and they ordered a man to call out to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): “How is the Hajj?” So he ordered a man who called out: “The Hajj is the day of ‘Arafah; whoever comes before the fajr prayer of the night of Jam‘, his Hajj is complete. The days of Mina are three; whoever hastens in two days—there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays—there is no sin upon him.” He said: then he seated a man behind him who kept proclaiming that. (2) And from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made ifadah

at the end of his day when he had prayed zuhr, then returned to Mina, and stayed there the nights of the days of Tashriq, stoning the jamrah when the sun passed its zenith—each jamrah with seven pebbles, saying takbir with each pebble; he would stand at the first and the second, prolonging the standing and beseeching, and he stoned the third without standing at it. (1) Leaving the overnight stay is permissible for an excuse connected to the benefit of the Hajj or the pilgrims— from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah’s (peace be upon him) permission to spend the nights of Mina in Makkah because of his duty of providing water to the pilgrims—“and he permitted him.” (2) And from ‘Asim ibn ‘Adi: the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave a concession to the camel shepherds regarding the overnight stay—they stone on the Day of Sacrifice, then stone the next day, or two days after the next day, and they stone on the day of departure. (3) He stones the three jamarat each day of the days of Tashriq—each with seven consecutive pebbles, saying takbir with each pebble and throwing it after the zenith.

He stones the first jamrah, which is next to Masjid al-Khayf, then advances a little, and stands facing the qiblah for a long time, supplicating with his hands raised. Then he stones the middle jamrah, then takes the left side and walks a little, standing facing the qiblah for a long time, supplicating with his hands raised. Then he stones Jamrat al-‘Aqabah, then departs without standing at it. From Salim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to stone the nearest jamrah with seven pebbles, saying takbir after each pebble; then advance and descend, standing facing the qiblah for a long time, supplicating and raising his hands; then stone the middle jamrah likewise, take the left side and descend, standing facing the qiblah for a long time, supplicating and raising his hands; then stone the jamrah at al-‘Aqabah from the bottom of the valley without standing at it; and say: “This is how I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) do it.” (1) Stoning the jamarat on the days of Tashriq is after the sun’s zenith— from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stoned the jamrah on the Day of Sacrifice in the forenoon, and thereafter when the sun passed its zenith.” (2) From Wabarah

ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman, who said: I asked Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), “When do I stone the jimar?” He said: “When your imam stones, you stone.” I repeated the question to him; he said: “We used to watch for it—when the sun passed its zenith, we stoned.” (1) When the pilgrim has stoned the three jimar on the twelfth day, he has finished the obligation of Hajj; he then has the choice: If he wishes, he may stay in Mina for the thirteenth day and stone the jimar after the zenith; if he wishes, he may depart from it. Allah Most High said: ﴿وَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ فِيٓ أَيَّامٖ مَّعۡدُودَٰتٖۚ فَمَن تَعَجَّلَ فِي يَوۡمَيۡنِ فَلَآ إِثۡمَ عَلَيۡهِ وَمَن تَأَخَّرَ فَلَآ إِثۡمَ عَلَيۡهِۖ لِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰۗ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ﴾ [Remember Allah during the appointed days; whoever hastens in two days—there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays—there is no sin upon him—for one who is mindful. And be mindful of Allah.] (Al-Baqarah 203) [Al-Baqarah: 203]. Delaying is better, because it is the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s action, and because it is more work—the overnight stay of the thirteenth night and the stoning of the jimar of its day are attained. Whoever wants to hasten in two days must leave Mina before the sun sets on the twelfth day; if the sun sets on the twelfth day before he departs from Mina, he may not hasten then—because Allah said: ﴿فَمَن تَعَجَّلَ فِي يَوۡمَيۡنِ فَلَآ إِثۡمَ عَلَيۡهِ وَمَن تَأَخَّرَ فَلَآ إِثۡمَ عَلَيۡهِۖ﴾ [Whoever hastens in two days—there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays—there is no sin upon him.] (Al-Baqarah 203) He restricted hastening to the two days and did not leave it unrestricted; so when the two days end, the time of hastening ends—and the day ends with the setting of its sun.

And from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “Whoever has the sun set on him in the middle of the days of Tashriq while he is at Mina must not depart until he stones the jimar the next day.” (1)

Deputation and proxy in stoning: It is obligatory on male and female pilgrims to perform the stoning of the jimar themselves; delegation is not permissible except for one who is unable to do it due to young age, old age, illness, or weakness that prevents him from stoning. If he is unable to stone, he may delegate a trustworthy person to stone on his behalf—the deputy stones for himself, then stones for his delegator. The manner of stoning by proxy: the deputy stones seven pebbles for himself first, then stones for his delegator afterward. There is no harm in stoning for himself and for the one who delegated him from one standing place—he need not complete all three for himself, then return for his delegator.

The farewell tawaf: When the pilgrim has finished all the rites of Hajj and wants to travel, he must

not leave Makkah until he performs the farewell tawaf. From ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “People used to depart in every direction, so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘Let no one depart until his last contact is with the House.’” (1) Once he has performed the farewell tawaf, he may not remain in Makkah nor busy himself with anything except what relates to his travel needs— such as loading baggage, waiting for companions, or waiting for transport; if he stays for other than what was mentioned, he must repeat the tawaf so that his last contact is with the House. As for the menstruating or postpartum woman: the farewell tawaf is waived for her— she does not perform it and nothing is upon her. From ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “The people were commanded that their last contact be with the House, except that the menstruating woman was excused.” (2)

Summary of the rites of Hajj

Acts of the first day, which is the eighth day: 1. He enters ihram for Hajj from his place—he washes, applies perfume, puts on the ihram garments, and says: “labbayka hajjan—here I am, O Allah, here I am; here I am, You have no partner, here I am; indeed all praise, favor, and sovereignty are Yours; You have no partner.” 2. He heads to Mina and remains there until sunrise on the ninth day, praying zuhr of the eighth day, ‘asr, maghrib, ‘isha’, and fajr there—each prayer at its time, shortening the four-rak‘ah prayers.

Acts of the second day, which is the ninth day: 1. He heads after sunrise to ‘Arafah, prays zuhr and ‘asr shortened and joined at the earlier time, and stays at Namirah before the zenith if it is feasible for him. 2. He devotes himself after the prayer to dhikr and supplication, facing the qiblah with his hands raised, until sunset. 3. He heads after sunset to Muzdalifah, prays maghrib three rak‘ahs and ‘isha’ two rak‘ahs there, and stays overnight there until dawn rises.

Acts of the third day, which is the Day of Eid: 1. He prays fajr in Muzdalifah after dawn rises, then devotes himself to dhikr and supplication until it is very bright. 2. He heads to Mina before sunrise. 3. When he reaches Mina, he goes to Jamrat al-‘Aqabah and stones it with seven consecutive pebbles, one after another, saying takbir with each pebble. 4. He slaughters his hady if he has a hady. 5. He shaves his head or shortens it. With this the first tahallul occurs—he wears his clothes and applies perfume, and all the restrictions of ihram become lawful to him except women. 6. He goes down to Makkah and makes tawaf of the House—tawaf al-ifadah, which is the tawaf of Hajj—and performs sa‘i between al-Safa and al-Marwah for Hajj if he is a mutamatti‘, and likewise if he is not a mutamatti‘ and did not perform sa‘i with the arrival tawaf. With this the second tahallul occurs, and all the restrictions of ihram become lawful to him, including women. 7. He returns to Mina and spends the eleventh night there.

Acts of the fourth day, which is the eleventh: 1. He stones the three jamarat—the first, then the middle, then Jamrat al-‘Aqabah—each with seven consecutive pebbles, saying takbir with each pebble, throwing them after the zenith, and stands for supplication after the first and middle jamrahs. 2. He spends the night in Mina on the twelfth night.

Acts of the fifth day, which is the twelfth: 1. He stones the three jamarat as he stoned them on the fourth day. 2. He departs from Mina before sunset if he wants to hasten, or spends the night there if he wants to delay.

Acts of the sixth day, which is the thirteenth:

This day is for whoever delayed; he does in it: 1. He stones the three jamarat as described in the two days before it. 2. He departs from Mina after that. The last of the rites is the farewell tawaf upon his departure. And Allah knows best.