Wuquf (Staying) at Muzdalifah is one of the obligatory acts of Hajj, and leaving it without a valid excuse in Shariah necessitates a penalty. Therefore, it is obligatory to spend some time in Muzdalifah after nightfall and until the brightness of dawn spreads there. Standing in Muzdalifah until the appearance of the pre-dawn light is a Sunnah. It is narrated from Hazrat Amr bin Maymun that Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattab (رضی اللہ عنہ) said:
كَانَ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ لَا يُفِيضُونَ حَتَّى يَرَوُا الشَّمْسَ عَلَى ثَبِيرٍ، فَخَالَفَهُمُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَدَفَعَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ
(أبو داود، السنن، كتاب المناسك، باب الصلاة بجمع، 2: 191، الرقم: 1938، بيروت: دار الفكر)
(ابن حبان، الصحيح، باب الوقوف بعرفة والمزدلفة والدفع منهما، ذكر وقت الدفع للحاج من المزدلفة إلى منى، 9: 173، الرقم: 3860، بيروت: مؤسسة الرسالة)
“The people of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era of ignorance) would not depart until they reached the Thabir Mountain, nor would they leave until the sun had risen. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ opposed this practice and instructed his followers to depart before the sunrise.”
According to the blessed hadith, it is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to depart before the sunrise. The scholars of hadith explain this hadith in the light of the Prophet’s teachings:
وَالصَّحِيحُ أَنَّهُ إذَا أَسْفَرَ أَفَاضَ الْإِمَامُ وَالنَّاسُ، لِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ دَفَعَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ
(المرغيناني، الهداية شرح البداية، 1: 147، المكتبة الإسلامية)
“And indeed, it is correct that when there is ample daylight, the imam and the people should depart. This is because the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself departed before the sunrise.”
Scholar Allama Ala al-Din Kasani, referring to the aforementioned blessed hadith, elucidates the time for departure from Muzdalifah towards Mina in the following manner:
ثُمَّ يَدْفَعُ مِنْهَا إلَى مِنًى قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ لِمَا رُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةَ كَانَتْ تَنْفِرُ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَقَامِ وَالشَّمْسُ عَلَى رَؤُوْسِ الْجِبَالِ فَخَالِفُوهُمْ فَأَفَاضَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ… وَإِنْ دَفَعَ بَعْدَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ النَّاسُ الْفَجْرَ فَقَدْ أَسَاءَ وَلَا شَيْءَ عَلَيْهِ أَمَّا الْإِسَاءَةُ فَلِأَنَّ السُّنَّةَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ الْفَجْرَ وَيَقِفَ ثُمَّ يُفِيضَ فَإِذَا لَمْ يَفْعَلْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَ السُّنَّةَ فَيَكُونُ مُسِيئًا وَأَمَّا عَدَمُ لُزُومِ شَيْءٍ فَلِأَنَّهُ وُجِدَ منه الرُّكْنُ وَهُوَ الْوُقُوفُ وَلَوْ سَاعَةً
(كاساني، بدائع الصنائع، فصل وأما بيان سنن الحج، 2: 156، بيروت: دار الكتاب العربي)
Then proceed towards Mina before the sunrise because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The people of Jahiliyyah used to depart from this place when the sun was still on the mountaintops. So, you should oppose them.” Then you (the companions) departed before the sunrise. If someone leaves after the time of Subh but before people offer the Fajr prayer, then although it is blameworthy as it opposes the Sunnah, there is no obligatory expiation because the essential element of the act, which is the standing at Arafat, has been fulfilled, even though it is only for an hour.
If someone has a valid Sharia excuse, they can shorten or skip the stay at Muzdalifah and perform the Fajr prayer in Mina. Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that she wished to seek permission from the Prophet ﷺ like Hazrat Saudah did, to perform the Fajr prayer at Mina and throw pebbles at the Jamrat before the arrival of the people. It was asked to Hazrat Aisha, “Did Hazrat Saudah take permission?” She replied:
نَعَمْ، إِنَّهَا كَانَتِ امْرَأَةً ثَقِيلَةً ثَبِطَةً، فَاسْتَأْذَنَتْ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَذِنَ لَهَا
(مسلم، الصحيح، كتاب الحج، باب استحباب تقديم دفع الضعفة من النساء وغيرهن من مزدلفة إلى منى في أواخر الليالي قبل زحمة الناس واستحباب المكث لغيرهم حتى يصلوا الصبح بمزدلفة، 2: 939، الرقم: 1290، بيروت: دار إحياء التراث العربي)
“Yes, she was a heavy-built woman. She sought permission from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and he granted her permission.”
Hazrat Urwah bin Mu’arrah (رضی اللہ عنہ) narrated that he attended the service of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in Muzdalifah. He said, “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I come from the mountains and have endured much hardship. I have not left any peak upon which I did not stand. Will my Hajj be complete?’ The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ replied,”
مَنْ صَلَّى صَلَاةَ الْغَدَاةِ هَا هُنَا مَعَنَا، وَقَدْ أَتَى عَرَفَةَ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ، فَقَدْ قَضَى تَفَثَهُ، وَتَمَّ حَجُّهُ
(النسائي، السنن، كتاب مناسك الحج، باب فيمن لم يدرك صلاة الصبح مع الإمام بالمزدلفة، 5: 264، الرقم: 3043، حلب: مكتب المطبوعات اسلامية)
“The person who prayed Fajr with us and then stopped at Arafat, his Hajj is complete, and he has fulfilled his obligations.”
Allama Kasani states:
وَأَمَّا حُكْمُ فَوَاتِهِ عَنْ وَقْتِهِ أَنَّهُ إنْ كَانَ لِعُذْرٍ فَلَا شَيْءَ عَلَيْهِ لِمَا رُوِيَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدَّمَ ضَعَفَةَ أَهْلِهِ، وَلَمْ يَأْمُرْهُمْ بِالْكَفَّارَةِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فَوَاتُهُ لِغَيْرِ عُذْرٍ فَعَلَيْهِ دَمٌ؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَرَكَ الْوَاجِبَ مِنْ غَيْرِ عُذْرٍ، وَإِنَّهُ يُوجِبُ الْكَفَّارَةَ
(كاساني، بدائع الصنائع، فصل وأما حكم فواته عن وقته، 2: 136)
“And if someone misses the stay in Muzdalifah due to some excuse, then there is no obligation upon them, because it is mentioned in the hadith that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave priority to those who were weak among his family members and did not command them to perform any expiation. However, if someone misses it without any excuse, then expiation becomes necessary for them, because they have abandoned something obligatory without a valid excuse, and therefore expiation becomes obligatory.”
The above statement makes it clear that in the case of a valid excuse, the stay in Muzdalifah can be shortened, and one can depart from Muzdalifah before dawn breaks. However, if there is no excuse, it is recommended to stay in Muzdalifah until shortly before sunrise. Therefore, unnecessarily abandoning the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and departing towards Mina before sunrise should be avoided.
