The Night at Muzdalifah

What the mabit at Muzdalifah is

Mabit means "spending the night". At Muzdalifah it means being present in the land of Muzdalifah, even for a moment, at some point between midnight on the night of the 10th of Dhul Hijjah and dawn.

It is an obligation (wajib) of Hajj. Leaving it without a valid excuse is sinful and a dam is due (Chapter 7).

Muzdalifah lies between Arafah and Mina, inside the Haram. Its boundaries are marked with signs. Inside it stands Masjid al-Mash'ar al-Haram, built at the place where the Prophet ﷺ stood in du'a after Fajr.

The night, step by step

1. Leave Arafah after sunset, calmly, with the talbiah on your tongue. Do not push.
2. On arrival, pray Maghrib and Isha together at Isha time (jamak ta'khir), led by your group's religious guide. Remember the course's ruling for the masha'ir: prayers are combined but prayed in full, not shortened (Chapter 16). Do not let the time of Isha pass because of a delayed bus, if needed, pray on the way.
3. Collect your pebbles. You need seven for the 10th, and 21 a day for the Days of Tashriq, 49 if you leave on the 12th (Nafar Awwal) or 70 if you stay for the 13th (Nafar Thani). Take a few extra in case some miss. Many pilgrims collect only seven here and the rest in Mina, which is also permitted.
4. Rest and sleep if you can, tomorrow is the longest day of Hajj.
5. Make sure you are in Muzdalifah after midnight. Your group will tell you when the buses leave; some groups leave soon after midnight, others after Fajr.
6. Ideally, pray Fajr at Muzdalifah, then stand facing the qiblah in du'a and dhikr until the sky is bright, before setting off for Mina before sunrise.

The pebbles

• Each pebble should be small, about the size of a chickpea or a date stone, roughly the tip of your finger. Larger stones are not better and can injure people.
• Any stone or rock material is valid.
• You do not need to wash them.
• Keep them in a small pouch or bottle, and count them.

The sunnahs of the night

1. The talbiah.
2. Du'a.
3. Dhikr.
4. Voluntary prayer.
5. Collecting the pebbles.

Who is excused from the mabit

A pilgrim with a genuine excuse who cannot be at Muzdalifah after midnight is not sinful and owes no dam. The excuses listed in the course are:

1. Fear for your life or property.
2. Caring for or accompanying a sick person.
3. Searching for a lost companion or family member, or a missing worker under your responsibility.
4. Illness that makes it very difficult to stay.
5. Being forced, for example, being left behind by your transport.

Moving on to Mina

Weak pilgrims, women, the elderly and those caring for them may leave after midnight, as the Prophet ﷺ allowed for his weaker family members. Others leave after Fajr. On reaching Mina, the first task is stoning Jamrah al-'Aqabah, see the next chapter.