Part 44

desirable for pilgrims to keep asking Allah's forgiveness while departing from “Arafah (heading for Muzdalifah), for Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“Then depart from the place from where [all] the people depart and ask forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Me reiful.” (Qur'an: Al-Bagarah: 199)

Linguistically, the word “muzdalifah” (i.e., close) is an adjective derived from the Arabic word “izdilaf’ which means closeness, and Muzdalifah is so-called because when leaving ‘Arafah, the pilgrims become closer to it. Muzdalifah is also referred to as “Jam’” (i.e. gathering), as pilgrims gather there. It is called Al-Mash’ar Al-Haram (the Sacred Landmark) as well. In his volume entitled Al-Mughni' (the Sufficient), Ibn Qudamah, an eminent Hanbali scholar said, “Muzdalifah has three names: Muzdalifah (i.e. close), Jam (i.e. gathering), and Al-Mash’ar Al-Hardm (i.e. the Sacred Landmark).”

A pilgrim should keep on remembering Allah all through his way from ‘Arafah to Muzdalifah, supplicating Him devoutly, for a pilgrim at that stage is still shifting from one ritual to the other. Upon arriving at Muzdalifah, a pilgrim is to perform the Maghrib (Sunset) and the ‘Isha’ (Night) Prayers, shortening the ‘Isha’ to two rak‘ahs and combining them with one prayer call and two immediate prayer calls (one for each) before encamping. To illustrate, Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), in his description of the Prophet's performance of Hajj, narrated:

“... When he (PBUH) reached Muzdalifah, he performed the Maghrib (Sunset) and the ‘Isha’ (Night) Prayers, with one prayer call (adhan) and two immediate prayer calls (iqamahs) (i.e. one for each).”

A pilgrim then encamps at Muzdalifah and offers the Fajr Prayer at its due time, for Jabir narrated:

“...Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) then lay down until dawn and offered the Fajr Prayer with one prayer call and one immediate prayer call when the morning light was clear.”

It is worth mentioning that a pilgrim may stay anywhere at Muzdalifah, as the whole area between the two bottlenecks of ‘Arafah and to Batn Muhassir* (excluding the valley of Batn Muhassir itself) is called Al-Mash‘ar Al-Haram (the Sacred Landmark), as the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“All Muzdalifah is a standing place, but be away from Batn Muhassir?”

It is an act of the Sunnah (Prophetic Tradition) to spend the night at Muzdalifah and offer the Fajr Prayer at its due time. After that, while standing at Muzdalifah, a pilgrim keeps on supplicating Allah until the daylight spreads. Then, before sunrise, a pilgrim proceeds to Mina. As regards feeble pilgrims, such as old people, women, children and the like, as well as those who take care of them, they are allowed to head for Mina after midnight or when the moon disappears, instead of waiting at Muzdalifah until dawn. However, healthy pilgrims who do not have any weak people with them should not leave Muzdalifah before offering the Fajr Prayer, and they should stay until the daylight spreads.

Spending the night at Muzdalifah is one of the duties of Hajj. A pilgrim who enters Muzdalifah before midnight must not leave before dawn. As for a pilgrim who arrives there after midnight, it is sufficient for him to spend any length of time there, Still, it is much better in the latter case to stay until dawn, offering the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer and following it with supplicating Allah. Ibn Qudamah stated in his book entitled ‘Al-Mughni’* (the Sufficient):

“There is no harm on the one who arrives at Muzdalifah in the second half of the night, and the previous ruling related to arriving at the first half of the night (which obligates staying at Muzdalifah until dawn) will not be applicable to him.”

It is permissible for those pilgrims who have legal excuses, such as sick people who need to be hospitalized and those helping them, as well as shepherds and water providers, not to spend the night at Muzdalifah, as the Prophet (PBUH) gave permission to shepherds not to spend the night at Muzdalifah’. According to the above, spending the night at Muzdalifah is obligatory for all pilgrims who enter Muzdalifah before midnight, because the Prophet (PBUH) spent the night there, and we should follow his Sunnah, as he (PBUH) said:

So, leaving Muzdalifah (and heading for Mina) after midnightis permissible only for those who have legal excuses, as indicated in hadiths.

Afterwards, a pilgrim heads for Mina shortly before sunrise (of the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah, ie. the Day of Sacrifice), as ‘Umar Ibnul-Khattaéb (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“The polytheists did not use to depart (from Jam’, i.e. Muzdalifah) until the sun had risen, and they used to say, ‘Let the sun shine on

you, O Thabir (a mountain in Mecca which overlooks Muzdalifah), so as to let us depart. Therefore, the Prophet (PBUH) contradicted them and departed (from Muzdalifah) before sunrise?”

Pilgrims should leave in a state of tranquility and calmness, but when they pass through the valley called Batn Muhassir, they should go faster. It is preferable for a pilgrim to pick up the pebbles, with which he intends to do the ritual of stoning, while he is on his way to Mina. Still, it is permissible for a pilgrim to pick them up from Muzdalifah, Mina or elsewhere, as Ibn * Abbas, (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:

“In the morning of the Day of Al-‘Aqabah (the day of throwing the pebbles at Jamratul-'Aqabah), Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said to me, ‘Pick up pebbles for me. I picked up seven pebbles for him as large as beans. He (PBUH) then started shaking them while saying, ‘You should throw pebbles as large as these ones. Then, the Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘O people! Beware of excessiveness in religion, for those (nations) before you were ruined because of excessiveness in religion?”

Thus, pebbles should be as large as beans, i.e. slightly bigger than chickpeas. It should be noted that it is insufficient to use anything other than small pebbles or to use stones for this purpose, for the Prophet (PBUH) used small pebbles (as large as beans) for stoning. So, we have to follow in the Prophet's footsteps, as he (PBUH) said:

Upon reaching Mina, which is between the valley called Batn Muhassir and Jamratul-‘Aqabah, pilgrims are to head for Jamratul-' Aqabah (the nearest Jamrah to Mecca which is called the Great Jamrah) and stone it with seven consecutive pebbles. The time for stoning is after sunrise, and extends until sunset. Each pebble should be thrown into the throwing place (the fenced area surrounding the pillar), whether it settles there or not after falling inside. A pilgrim should point at the fence while throwing the pebbles, not at the pillar itself, for it is not built to be stoned, but to help as a sign showing the throwing place. So, it is insufficient if a pilgrim throws a pebble at the pillar and then it falls outside the fenced area.

Itis permissible for the weak pilgrims and those who have valid excuses to throw the pebbles at Jamratul-'Aqabah after midnight. It is also permissible

for healthy pilgrims to delay stoning until midnight, yet it is not desirable for them.

It is an act of the Sunnah to start throwing pebbles at Jamratul-'Aqabah as soon as a pilgrim arrives at Mina and before doing anything else, for it is regarded as a sign of greeting to Mina. On the other hand, it is desirable for a pilgrim to utter takbir'' upon throwing each pebble, saying:

“O Allah! Make it an accepted Hajj of ours that serves as a pardon for our sins.”

Itis important to point out that a pilgrim should by no means throw pebbles

at any jamrah other than Jamratul-'Aqabah on the Day of Sacrifice (the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah), as this ritual is restricted to Jamratul-' Aqabah on that day.

After stoning Jamratul-' Aqabah, it is preferable for a pilgrim who performs Hajj as tamattu’ or qiran to slaughter the obligatory sacrificial animal. Such a pilgrim has to buy a sacrificial animal to slaughter and distribute its meat among the poor, keeping a share for himself to eat from.

Afterwards, a pilgrim shaves his head or cuts his hair short, yet shaving is better, for Allah, Exalted be He, says: “... With your heads shaved and [hair] shortened...” (Qur'an: Al-Fath: 27)

“The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) got his head shaved during the Farewell Hajj.”

The Prophet (PBUH) invoked Allah three times to be merciful to those who have their head shaved, and invoked Him only once to be merciful to those who got their hair cut short”. If a pilgrim chooses to shorten his hair,

then he must shorten all his hair and not only some of it, for Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“+ With your heads shaved and [hair] shortened...” (Qur'an: Al-Fath: 27) The aforementioned verse indicates that shaving or cutting should be

applied to the whole head, not only some or certain parts of it. As for a female pilgrim, she should only shorten her hair by cutting a small part equivalent to

a fingertip of each hair braid (or of the tips of her hair). This is because it was narrated by Ibn * Abbas that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Shaving (the hair) is not a duty laid on (pilgrim) women; only clipping their hair is incumbent on them."

Another reason is that shaving a woman’s head is in fact a sort of disfigurement for her. It is worth mentioning that if a female pilgrim does not have her hair braided, she may gather it and clip a part equivalent to a fingertip.

It is also an act of the Sunnah for a pilgrim who shaves or cuts his hair short to clip his fingernails, shorten his mustache, shave his pubic hair and pluck out the hair of the armpits. However, it is forbidden for a pilgrim (or any Muslim) to shave his beard or cut it short,” as the Prophet (PBUH) enjoined growing the beard and forbade shaving it off or cutting it short, and Muslims should obey the Prophet's commands and avoid what he forbade, especially pilgrims, who are undergoing such a glorious act of worship. In the case of a bald man who has little or no hair at all, it is desirable to pass a razor over his head as if he is shaving his head, for the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“If I command you to do something, then do (of) it as much as you can.”

After stoning Jamratul-*Agabah and shaving or cutting the hair short, a pilgrim becomes in a state of semi-consecration, namely the first (partial) release of ihram. That is to say, a pilgrim at this stage is partially released from the state of shram, and everything becomes lawful for him, such as wearing sewn clothes, wearing perfume, etc., except for having sexual intercourse with his wife. To illustrate, “A ishah (the Prophet's wife, may Allah be pleased with her) said:

“When one of you throws pebbles at Jamratul-‘Aqabah, everything becomes lawful for him except women (i.e. sexual intercourse).”

“L applied perfume consisting of musk to Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) once before he assumed ihram, and once on the Day of Sacrifice before circumambulating the House (i.e. the Ka ‘bah)?"”

A pilgrim reaches this first (partial) release of ihram after fulfilling two of the following three rituals:

« Throwing the pebbles at Jamratul-‘Aqabah + Having the hair shaved or shortened

+ Performing [fadah (Going-forth) Tawdf followed by sa ‘y (going between As-Safa and Al-Marwah) for those obliged to perform sa'y

However, thesecond (complete) release ofihramisachieved after performing all the aforesaid three rituals; when a pilgrim fulfils them, everything that was unlawful due to ihram becomes lawful for him, even sexual intercourse.

After throwing the pebbles at Jamratul-‘Aqabah, slaughtering the sacrificial animal, and shaving or shortening the hair, a pilgrim then proceeds to Mecca to perform Ifadah (Going-forth) Tawdf. After that, a pilgrim performs sa‘y if he is performing Hajj as tamattu’ , or as girdn or ifrad but he has not performed it following the Arrival Tawdf. Yet, if a pilgrim is performing Hajj as qiran or ifrad and has already performed sa‘y following the Arrival Tawdf, then he does not have to perform another sa‘y after [fadah Tawaf.

These four rituals are to be performed in the following order, if possible; stoning Jamratul-‘Aqabah, slaughtering the sacrificial animal, shaying or shortening the hair, and performing the Ifadah Tawéf followed by sa’y. Performing these rituals in this order is an act of the Sunnah, so there is no sin on a pilgrim if he has to perform them in a way other than the aforesaid order. This is because on the Farewell Hajj (the Prophet's one and only Pilgrimage) whenever a pilgrim violated that order of rituals and told him, he (PBUH) replied, “Do it and there is no harm (sin).”" However, sticking to this order is better, for the Prophet (PBUH) performed them in that way’.

As for tawaf (circumambulating the Ka’bah), a pilgrim has to start it from the Black Stone, standing aligned with it, and kissing it if possible, or touching it with his right hand. If this is unavailable due to the huge throng of pilgrims, it is sufficient for a pilgrim just to wave to the Black Stone instead, without pushing others or thronging to reach it. From the Black Stone as a starting point, a pilgrim begins the first round of fawdf (circumambulation) counterclockwise, keeping the Ka‘ bah on his left and occupying himself with supplications, the remembrance of Allah, and the recitation of the Qur'an.

Upon reaching the Yamani (the Yemeni) Cor ner, a pilgrim should touch it if possible, but not kiss it, and recite (when being between the Yamani Corner and the Black Stone):

“Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Qur'an: Al-Baqarah: 201)

By reaching the Black Stone again, a pilgrim will have completed one full round of fawdf. Then, a pilgrim approaches and kisses the Black Stone or at least waves to it, and starts the second round, and so on, until he finishes seven rounds.

8Circumambulating the whole Ka’ bah, avoiding passing through Hijr Isma‘il (Ishmael’s Precinct)” or ascending it and walking on its crest

10Observing succession while performing the seven rounds of tawéf, unless there is a call for a prayer or there is a Funeral Prayer to perform. In such cases, a pilgrim is to interrupt his fawdf and offer the prayer, then he resumes tawéf from where he has stopped and completes the remaining rounds.

11Circumambulating within the borders of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque)

12Beginning each round of tawéf at the Black Stone 13Ending the round at the Black Stone as well

After performing the Ifadah (Going-forth) Tawédf, it is a confirmed act of the Sunnah for a pilgrim to offer two rak'ahs (units of prayer); they are recommended to be performed at the Standing Place of Ibrahim (Abraham) if possible. Otherwise, a pilgrim may perform them elsewhere in the Sacred

Mosque or Al-Haram (the Sanctuary). It is an act of the Sunnah to recite the surah of Al-Kéfirain (the Disbelievers)” in the first rak‘ah, and the surah of AlIkhlas (Sincerity of Faith)" in the second, and each to be recited following Al-Fatihah (the Opening Chapter of the Quran). Afterwards, a pilgrim heads towards As-Safa to perform sa'y (going between As-Safa and Al-Marwah). When a pilgrim first reaches As-Safa he ascends it, says, “Allahu-Akbar’” (i.e. Allah is the Greatest) thrice, and then says:

“There is no deity but Allah Alone Who has no partner. To Him belongs dominion, and to Him belongs (all) praise; He gives life and causes death, and He is the Ever-Living Who never dies; in His Hand is (all) good, and He is over all things Omnipotent.”

After that, a pilgrim descends the hill of As-Safa and heads for Al-Marwah starting the first round. While so doing, a pilgrim is to walk at a normal pace but to jog when being between the two green marked posts, and then a pilgrim continues walking normally towards the hill of Al-Marwah. When a pilgrim reaches Al-Marwah, he ascends it and repeats what he has said on As-Safa; by so doing, the first round is completed. Then, he descends Al-Marwah heading for As-Safa, ensuring walking where walking is designated and jogging where jogging is designated. ‘The pilgrim continues this procedure until he completes seven rounds ending at Al-Marwah; going from As-Safa to Al-Marwah is a round and returning is another.

While performing sa 'y (goingbetween As-Safa and Al-Marwah), itis desirable for a pilgrim to be occupied with making supplications, reciting the Qur’an, and mentioning and remembering Allah. There is no particular supplication to be made during sa ‘y, so one may make any supplication he likes.