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Practical Tips for the Six Days of Hajj
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Keep
the cards which are given to you by the Mutawwif as permits
for the camp at Mina with you (useful for directions).
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Bring
from home: "halal" high energy dry foods: yogurt bars,
chocolate bars, nutrious cookies/crackers etc. (This suggestion
sent in by a visitor to our site.)
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Drink
lots of water and juice. Carry some bottled water at all times.
AVOID carbonated drinks and solid foods during the Six Days of Hajj.
"Laban" (yoghurt), milk, and fruit
juices provide vital nutrients.
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It
is hard to find clean toilets. There are long queues of Hujjaj
waiting.
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During
Hajj, always be prepared to leave earlier than planned. For
example, if your Mutawwif asks you to be ready by 6 am for going to
Mina, be ready earlier. In case, the buses arrive sooner,
you can leave sooner. The buses could be early or late, it
is all very erratic.
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Do
NOT be late.
No one will wait for you. Hujjaj need to complete the
"arka'n" in time and need to proceed as soon as possible.
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During
the six days of Hajj, make
sure that you are in the correct area for each ritual. There are massive
pillars that mark the boundaries of Makkah, Mina, Arafat and
Muzdalifa. The areas are NOT regular geometrically.
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Because
of all the traffic and people, one tends to get confused and may
not realize that they are not in the correct locality.
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Do
NOT rely on the bus drivers for directions. Most of them are
from Egypt, Tunisia, and Nigeria and do NOT know the area
well enough.
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Be
READY and WILLING TO WALK between the localities so you can be
present at the correct locations at the required times if
transportation is unavailable, due to traffic gridlocks or
accidents.
Even if transportation is available it easier to walk and get to
the next location quickly.
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Approximate
Distances:
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Makkah
to Mina: 5 miles (8 KM)
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Makkah
to Arafat: 14 miles (22.4 KM)
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Mina
to Arafat: 9 miles (14.4 KM)
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Mina
to Muzdalifah: 1.8 miles (3 KM)
Mina
BEFORE Hajj:
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When
you arrive in Mina on the 8th, familiarize yourself with the area
around your camp.
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Remember,
that there are 2 road overpasses ("kubri"), King
Khalid overpass: closer to Jamarat; King Abdul Aziz:closer to
Muzdalifa, and also the pedestrian-only Jamarat overpass in
Mina. You should use the locations of the 3 well known masjids:
Mina mosque:near the King Abdul Aziz overpass; Al-Malim mosque:near
the King Khalid overpass; Al-Bayah mosque:near the Jamarat
overpass; as landmarks to pinpoint your camp so you can find
it when you return from Musdalifa on the 10th.
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You
could obtain detailed
http://www.geocities.com/al_hajj/Multimedia.html - Maps
maps of the entire area that could help in
finding your way around.
Arafat:
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You
have to be within the boundary of the specified area for your
"Arka'n" to to be correct.
For example, when you go for Wuquf to Arafat, make sure you are
WITHIN Arafat's marked boundaries during the time.
Signs
that
demarcate Arafat from other areas are all along the Arafat
boundary. It is important that you understand these signs. You have
to remain within Arafat during "Wuquf" for Hajj to
be valid.
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There
is a portion of Masjid
Namira that is NOT considered in Arafat. Avoid being in that portion during wuquf.
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SADLY
ENOUGH, most bus drivers, some Mutawwif and travel agents are NOT
VERY concerned about your Hajj "arka'n" and may NOT help
you get to the correct area in time.
Every year Hujjaj have horror stories to tell about their
Hajj facilitators. May Allah SWT accept your Hajj and make it easy.
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When
making wuquf it is adviseable to stand and make supplications.
And for health reasons, it is better if you are in the shade of the
tents or umbrellas since it is scorching hot and dry.
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Try
to leave Arafat as soon as possible after Maghrib. Do NOT pray Maghrib in Arafat.
Muzdalifah:
After
wuquf, one has to be in "Muzdalifah" till Fajr prayer.
It is dark and Hujjaj need to take precautions that they remain
WITHIN Muzdalifah.
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The
bus drivers and Mutawwif will try to leave Muzdalifah BEFORE Fajr. If
possible, resist that and ask them to wait till AFTER Fajr prayer
is over BEFORE leaving Muzdalifah. Even if they leave, because
of the traffic, they usually cannot get very far.
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You
could obtain detailed
http://www.geocities.com/al_hajj/Multimedia.html - Maps
maps of the entire area that could help in
finding your way around.
Mina
AFTER Hajj:
After
you arrive in Mina, go to your tent. If you have time, eat and
rest. You may have been up all night in Muzdalifa for "ibadat".
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Going
for Ramy
in the heat, with the huge crowd, is physically very taxing.
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I
STRONGLY recommend that women, children, weak, sick and older
people should NOT go for Ramy. Particulary, the first Ramy. Any able bodied person is allowed to perform Ramy
on their behalf.
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When
going for Ramy, do NOT take ANYTHING EXCEPT the pebbles, a
little money for emergency, your ID card and your
Mina Tent
Card. The rush is significant and you will NOT be able to
care of extra items.
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The
Ramy area has two levels. I prefer the top level since it is open air.
The upper level is like a railway overpass and the "Shaytan"
or "Jamarat" can be accessed through the round
"well-like" openings. The "Shaytan"
are vertical pillars about 2 stories high.
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The
distance between the 1st and 2nd "shaytan" is
about 150 yards. The distance between the 2nd and 3rd
"jamarat" is just over 120 yards.
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During
Ramy, be very careful. FOLLOW ALL the traffic directions and the
instructions of the Saudi police. If you DROP anything or lose your
slippers, you should NOT bend to pick it up. You can be trampled very quickly. Unfortunately most deaths
in the past have occurred during Ramy.
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Furthermore,
have "sabr". It only takes about a minute
to complete Ramy (for each person) so there is NO need to rush
or push. With patience, you will Insha Allah be able to
perform it properly.
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You
should try to get to the edge of the Jamarat enclosure. If you are
able to get to the ledge, it is easy to hit the Jamarat with
pebbles. Do NOT bend over the stone banister precariously, you
could be pushed over it by the crowd.
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If
you miss, depending on your madhab, you may have to keep
trying till you strike the Jamarat at least 7 times (for each
person).
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Do
NOT try to hit the Jamarat from far away. You may miss the Jamarat and hit a Haji. That is an "adhab"
(sin) rather than a "hassana" (reward).
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Do
NOT throw things other than small pebbles at the symbolic "shaitan" (Satan).
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After
performing Ramy, proceed along the ROUTE PRESCRIBED by the Saudi
authorities. Do NOT go against the flow of Hujjaj near the
Jamarat. Follow the directions and avoid stampedes.
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You
could obtain detailed
http://www.geocities.com/al_hajj/Multimedia.html - Maps
maps of the entire area that could help in
finding your way around.
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Nahr
is the next requirement. You can either do it yourself or you could
pay at the bank. Depending upon your skills you may choose to
perform it yourself. Nahr has to be completed before you can
shave your head and perform Tawaf ul-Ifada.
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The
Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has set up booths around Makkah and
Mina, to facilitate buying of Nahr coupons. These coupons indicate
the approximate time when the animal would be slaughtered. One
should shave head after the noted time for "zabiha".
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After
completing Nahr, you are supposed to shave your head (preferred for
men). There are many barbers shaving heads but several Hujjaj
have been seriously injured by the inexperienced barbers.
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Although,
not an absolute requirement, it is recommended that Tawaf ul-Ifada
be completed on Eid-ul-Adha day itself since the this Tawaf marks
the completion of Hajj.
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Be
prepared to walk to Makkah since millions of Hujjaj are proceeding
to Makkah to complete this Tawaf.
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On
finishing the Tawaf and Sa`y, you may go to your room in Makkah and
change clothes, take a bath and refresh your self.
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You
can take fresh supplies for the next two nights in Mina.
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You
should try and return to Mina as soon as possible. Again, be prepared to walk back to Mina since available transportation
is scarce.
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On
the 13th, after doing final Ramy, leave Mina for Makkah or
Madinah as soon as possible. Your tour group should provide
return transportation. You should have already paid for it.
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Make
sure your travel agent has confirmed reservations for you on a
flight out of Arabia.
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Otherwise
you can make arrangements at a hotel or with an acquaintance in
Jeddah to spend time.
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Every
year, more return flights are over-booked and passengers who
are not vocal are left stranded at the Jeddah airport for
several days.
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Because
of the huge crowds, Jeddah Airport's resources are stretched to
the limits and it is not a very comfortable place to
spend too much time. Especially after the gruelling trip from
Makkah or Madinah by bus or taxi.
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May
Allah SWT accept your Hajj, give the best of rewards and make it
easy for you. Ameen!.
Assalamualikum,
If
there are any mistakes in this document they are mine, and mine
alone (so please pray for my forgiveness), and if what is said is
correct, then All Praise is due to Allah SWT.
Jazak
Allah Khairan
Shad
Ahmad
*Adapted from teachings on manasekuae.com.
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