The Place of Standing at Arafat
It is recommended to stand near Jabal al-Rahmah after Dhuhr and Asr prayers and supplicate. Besides this, it is permissible to stand anywhere in the plain of Arafat, as mentioned in the hadith:
وعرفة كلها موقف
“Arafah is the entire place of standing.”
In the hadith of Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) left Arafat for Muzdalifah after sunset, and when he reached there:
فصلى بها المغرب والعشاء بأذان واحد وإقامتين ولم يسبح بينهما شيئا ثم اضطجع حتى طلع الفجر
“He performed Maghrib and Isha with one adhan and two iqamats and did not pray any nafl between them. Then he lay down until Fajr had risen.”
Then after praying Fajr, he would come to Mash’ar al-Haram and remain there remembering Allah until before sunrise, then he would come to Batn al-Muhassir.
The details of this are present in the hadith narrated from Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him). Furthermore, regarding remembrance, Allah Almighty says:
فَاذْ كُرُوا اللهَ عِندَ الْمَشْعَرِ الْحَرَامِ
“Remember Allah near Mash’ar al-Haram.”
Amr bin Maymun narrates that when Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed Fajr in Muzdalifah, I was also present. After the prayer, he stayed and said that the polytheists (in the time of ignorance) did not leave from here before sunrise. They used to say, “O Thubayr! (Thubayr is the name of a mountain on the left side while going to Mina) shine.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) opposed the polytheists and left from there before sunrise.
It is understood that after Fajr prayer in Muzdalifah, one should return before sunrise. However, the weak, sick, elderly, children, and women may go to Mina without spending the entire night in Muzdalifah. As narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), Hazrat Suda (may Allah be pleased with her) sought permission from the Prophet (peace be upon him) to return before him from Muzdalifah because she was heavy-bodied (thus walked slowly). The Prophet (peace be upon him) granted her permission.
Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) says that I was also among those whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent to Mina from Muzdalifah at night with the weak members of his household.
Muhassir is the name of a famous valley between Mina and Muzdalifah, but it is neither part of Mina nor Muzdalifah. It is called Wadi al-Muhassir because Abraha’s elephants stopped here and were then punished here. Therefore, one should pass through Wadi al-Muhassir quickly, as Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم اوضع فى وادي محسر
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) passed quickly through Wadi al-Muhassir.”
Then, while walking on the middle path, he would come to the jamrah near the tree, called Jamrah Aqabah, where he would throw seven small pebbles, each small enough to be thrown with the thumb and index finger, saying Takbir with each pebble.
This is exactly mentioned in the long hadith of Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him).
The word “Hadhf” is a verbal noun from the form خَلَفَ يَخْدِف (strike). It means to throw pebbles with the fingers (the size of which is approximately that of a bean).
In one narration:
امرهم أن يرموا بمثل حصى الخذف
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered the people to throw small pebbles.”
These pebbles are thrown only after sunrise; however, women and children may throw them earlier.
It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
لا ترموا الجمرة حتى تطلع الشمس
“Do not throw pebbles before sunrise.”
In the narration from Hazrat Asma (may Allah be pleased with her), she threw pebbles at night and then returned and prayed the morning prayer at her camp. In the narration of Sunan Abi Dawood, she said:
إنا كنا نصنع هذا على عهد رسول الله
“We used to do this during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).”
Moreover, the narration from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that “Hazrat Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) threw pebbles before Fajr” is weak.
(The majority, Ahmad, Hanafi) It is not permissible to throw pebbles before the true dawn. If someone does so, he should throw pebbles again after dawn.
(Shafi’i) It is permissible to throw pebbles even before Fajr.
(Preferred) Pebbles should not be thrown before Fajr, but if there is an excuse or if the weak, incapable elderly, children, or women want, they may throw pebbles at night before Fajr, as proven by the previous hadiths.
◈ The time for throwing pebbles during the days of Tashreeq is from noon (when the sun passes its zenith) until sunset, as narrated from Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him):
رمي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الجمرة يوم النحر ضحى وأما بعد فإذا زالت الشمس
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) threw pebbles at Jamrah Aqabah on the day of sacrifice after the sun had risen, and then during the days of Tashreeq, he threw pebbles in the afternoon.”
