THE STAY AT ARAFAAT THE STAY AT MUZDALIFAH

The third obligation in Hajj-ul-Tamatoo is the stay at Muzdalifah which is also known as Macer-ul-Haraam. The limits within which the stay is obligatory are from Ma'zmein to Hiyadh and Wadi Muhassar. If, because of overcrowding and limited time, it is not possible to be within the limits, one can climb to Ma'zmein. The intention for the stay must be to attain nearness to Allah.

When the pilgrim departs from Arafaat he must, as a matter of caution, spend the night in Muzdalifah. As a matter of caution, he should stay till sunrise even though it is apparent that he can depart from Muzdalifah for Wadi Muhassar before sunrise but he is not permitted to cross the Wadi and enter Mina before sunrise.

It is obligatory to stay in Muzdalifah from dawn to sunrise on the day of Idd but the stay throughout the period is not one of the fundamentals of Hajj. Thus, if a pilgrim stopped there for a period of the eve of Idd, then he departs before dawn, his Hajj is valid, but if he does so deliberately, he incurs a penalty of a sheep. If he does so out of ignorance, there is no penalty on him.

If a person does not stay there at all between dawn and sunrise, his Hajj is invalid. The exceptions are ladies, children, the fearful, the weak, the aged and the sick. It is permissible for them to spend the night (the eve of Idd) at Muzdalifah and proceed to Mina before dawn.

The stay at Muzdalifah must be with the intention of attaining nearness to Allah and consciously as stated for the stay at Arafaat.

If a person forgets to stay at Muzdalifah or is, for other cause, unable to remain there between dawn and sunrise, he must do so for a period between sunrise and noon on the day of Idd. If he omits to do so altogether, his Hajj is invalidated.