On 9th of Dhul Hijjah, the actual day of Hajj, all pilrims leave their tentage village at Mina and proceed to plains of Arafat, a barren land near Mount Arafat, to spend the day in prayer, supplication, and repentance, seeking forgiveness from Allah. On this day the special sermon of Hajj is given at eh Masjid al Nimarah as did the Prophet Muhammad while perfforming his Hajj. Pilgrims typically arrive before noon, spend the afternoon in prayer, and then depart at sunset for Muzdalifah. This "standing before God" (wuquf) is a crucial part of the Hajj ritual.
Wuquf (Arabic: الوقوف) means “standing” or “staying.” In the context of Muzdalifah, it refers to the pilgrim’s presence there after sunset on the night of the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, following the Day of Arafah.
After spending the day at Arafat, they proceed to Muzdalifah, 9 kilometres away from Arafat toward Mina. Muzdalifah stretches from the Valley of Muhassar to the mountains of Ma\'zamayn. Here, the spend the night of 10th Dhul Hijjah and offer the combined Maghrab and Isha (shortening the 'Isha Salah to two Rakat) prayers, and spend the night here in the open under the open sky till sunrise the enxt day, when they proceed back to Mina.
The night stay at Muzdalifah (Photo: Wikipedia Commons / Author: Arisdp)
The night spend at Muzdalifah is a unique event wherein kings and ordinaries spend the night under the open sky on plain ground with no luxurious beds and other amentities of life. It is a night when rich and poor lie down on ground remebering their Lord, repenting their misdeeds and seeking forgiveness. Here there is a thin piece of cloth to lay on if carrying along, though many lie down on the ground with their arms as pillows. The overnight stay is sign of submission and equality before Allah . This experience symbolizes the simplicity of life, detachment from materialism, and reminds believers of the Day of Judgment.
In fact, the night stay at Muzdalifah remids the pilgrims of the Day of Resurrection when everyone will stand to listen to their dossiers and receiving rewards and awards accordingly. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ too stayed in the open at Muzdalifah during his Farewell Pilgrimage. Thus, pilgrims follow his exact footsteps as a sign of obedience and devotion.
The next morning after offering the pre-dawn prayer of Fajr, the pilgrims collect 21 pebbles from the area for stoning three Jumurat, seven each, the acct called (Arabic: رَمِي ٱلْجَمَرَات, romanized: Ramī al-Jamarāt, in remembrance of the act of Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham, peace be upon him) when at these three place Satan tried to disarray him from remembering of Allah, but the revered prophet struck him with seven pebbles to ward him off.
The night stay at Muzdalifah and the sleep on the empty ground is a sleep like no other sleep one would have ever slept. It is a night spent half awake and half sleep with continouous remembrance of Allah and seeking forgiveness from the misdeeds and sins of the lifetime. Lucky are those who get the opportunnity of performing Hajj, at least once in their lifetime, and get a chance to have their sins waived off as so Divinely promised.
You may now like to watch a video of pilgrims walking back from Arafat to Muzdalifah walk from Arafat to Muzdalifah by foot for overnight Wuquf:
To know more about Hajj, please refer to our reference pages:
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
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