Two sites for pilgrimage duties
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Identifier: http://www.quraan.com/index.aspx?&tabid=32&artid=108
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Subject: hajj
Title: Two sites for pilgrimage duties
Created on: Thu Nov 08 09:38:35 -0500 2007
Updated on: Thu Nov 08 09:38:35 -0500 2007
Version: 1
Abstract: ... ably be the whole night, until just before sunrise. However, the Prophet exempted women, elderly and weak people, as well as those who have some tasks to complete for the welfare of pilgrims, allowing them to speed up their departure and proceed to Mina shortly after midnight. This concession remains in force. It may be exercised by anyone, but for those who are able to stay until the morning, such a stay is much better. When a pilgrim wakes up for Fajr prayer in Muzdalifah, which is also called Al-Mashaar Al-Haraam, one should not depart immediately after prayer. Instead, it is recommended to make an earnest supplication to God, asking Him to grant us any thing we desire, whether it relates to this world or to our life to come. So we pray Him for forgiveness of our sins, and for our welfare in this life, and for our parents and children, relatives, friends and the whole Muslim community. We continue with this supplication and glorification of God until the light of day is very clear, and the sun is just about to rise. We then proceed on our journey to Mina, repeating the phrases of talbiyah, which we maintain while moving from place to place during consecration, or ihraam. Spending time in Muzdalifah, or staying the whole night there, is a duty of pilgrimage, which requires, if omitted, compensation in the form of sacrificing a sheep and giving all its meat to the poor in Makkah or the Haram area. Mina is a narrow valley which is very close to Makkah, not more than 10 km from the Grand Mosque. We stop in Mina twice on our pilgrimage journey. The first time is on the eighth of Dul Hijjah, when all pilgrims who have arrived in Makkah should be ready for the journey. Those who are doing the tamattu’ method should get into the state of consecration again, while those who are doing either of the two other methods are already in consecration. Pilgrims then travel to Mina, a tent city that is occupied only at the time of pilgrimage. They arrive there after midday, and spend the day and night there, offering Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr prayers. Each one of the 4-rakaah prayers is shortened to two rakaahs only. This stay in Mina is a Sunnah, which means that it is not obligatory. If a person does not go out to Mina on the eighth of Dul Hijjah, but goes from Mina to Arafat on the ninth, he violates no rule and he has no compensation to make. The second stay in Mina is after the pilgrim has finished with the attendance at Arafat and Muzdalifah. If one proceeds from Muzdalifah shortly before sunrise on the tenth of Dul Hijjah, which is the Day of the Eid, one begins a busy day with four duties to fulfill. The first is the stoning at the grand Jamrah, where he throws seven little stones which he had collected in Muzdalifah or picked up in Mina. When he arrives there, he holds the pebbles, one by one, in his hand, glorifies God, and throws the pebble trying to aim at the Jamrah itself. One should get near enough to make sure that his pebbles do not fall away from it and do not hit people who are doing this duty. When one has finished throwing the stones, one turns toward the Kaaba and supplicates. He then moves on to attend to his other duties. The timing of this duty on the first day is from Fajr to sunset. However, because of the overcrowding that takes place at the Jamrah, women may do their own stoning at night. Alternatively they may ask one of their men companions to do it on their behalf. The same applies to weak, elderly or disabled people, men or women. On the second, third and fourth days of the Eid, a pilgrim carries on with the duty of stoning. However, on these days he must do the stoning at the three Jamrahs, beginning with the ... [Full Article...]
