The third day of Hajj is known as Yawm al-Nahr (the Day of Sacrifice) on account of the large amount of animals that are slaughtered as sacrifices. This is Eid day, although pilgrims don’t partake in celebrations as would normally be the case for non-pilgrims. After Fajr prayer, pilgrims proceed to Mina to commence the rituals of Yawm al-Nahr. Here, they perform the act of Rami (pelting) at Jamarah al-Aqaba, the big pillar. Following this, pilgrims fulfil the obligation of Hady by sacrificing an animal, followed by the act of Halq/Taqsir, where they shave or trim their hair, leaving the state of Ihram. Subsequently, pilgrims proceed to Makkah to perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah and Sa’i.
Rituals in Mina
Once you’re back in Mina on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, you will partake in these rituals in the following sequence:
- Rami (pelting) of Jamarah al-Aqaba (the big pillar).
- Hady (sacrificing an animal) – this is only wajib (obligatory) for pilgrims performing Hajj al-Tamattu and Hajj al-Qiran. For those performing Hajj al-Ifrad, Hady is recommended.
- Halq/Taqsir (cutting the hair).
- Tawaf al-Ziyarah and Sa’i.
There is flexibility in terms of the timeframe in which each of these rituals must be performed. They can all be performed on the 10th if you wish or can be performed any time after sunrise on the 10th and before sunset on the 12th. However, it is necessary to perform them in the correct order. If the ritual is performed outside the fixed timeframe or the aforementioned rituals are performed in the incorrect order (excluding Tawaf al-Ziyarah, which can be performed before the Hady), a penalty will be due.
Rami of Jamarah al-Aqaba
On the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, only Jamarah al-Aqaba (the big pillar) will be pelted. You must not pelt the small and medium pillars on this occasion, although a penalty will not be due if they are pelted erroneously. The pillars are clearly marked with signposts in both English and Arabic, so make sure you identify the big pillar before you pelt.
Jamarah al-Aqaba (the big pillar) is the one located closest to Makkah, Jamarat al-Ula (the small pillar) is located near Masjid al-Khayf in Mina and Jamarat al-Wusta (the medium pillar) is located between the big and small pillars.
Pelting can be performed between the time of Fajr salah on the 10th and the time of Fajr salah on the 11th. However, there are various times of the day when pelting is more virtuous than other times. These times are as follows:
- Before Fajr salah – Not allowed to pelt.
- Between Fajr salah and sunrise – Disliked (makruh) for men*, but still valid and permissible for women, the elderly and the infirm.
- Sunrise to midday (10 minutes before the beginning of Dhuhr salah) – Sunnah. Try to perform Rami at this time, provided it isn’t too crowded.
- Between midday and sunset – Permissible (mubah) without being disliked.
- Between sunset and Fajr salah (of the 11th) – Disliked (makruh) for men*, but still valid and permissible for women, the elderly and the infirm.
*It will not be disliked (makruh) for a man who is a Mahram to perform Rami with a woman who is pelting at this time.
Pelting must be completed within the allotted timeframe; otherwise, a penalty will be due.
The busiest time for performing Rami is just after midday. There is less crowding immediately before or after Asr salah and during the night, so performing Rami during these times would be ideal if you want to avoid the congestion.
Walking to the Jamarat
The Jamarat are located on the far side of Mina, i.e., at the end closest to Makkah.
Before you set off, ensure you take your pebbles with you in your pebble bag or plastic bottle. Take about 10 pebbles – 7 to throw at the pillar and a few extra, just in case.
Walking to the Jamarat from your camp in Mina, through a series of tunnels, would prove easier than travelling there by coach.
Ensure you stay hydrated during this walk and use an umbrella to protect yourself from the sun. Despite the shade from the tunnels, it can still get very hot. Refreshments may be available on the way, and the police are even kind enough to spray pilgrims with water to keep them cool.
Don’t sit under the bridges or on any of the walkways on your way to Jamarat. Impeding the efficient flow of pilgrims could become a potentially dangerous situation.
If you are a woman, ensure you fix a meeting point with your Mahram in case you get separated from him during the walk.
Pelting the Jamarat
Please refer to this article for the procedure on how to pelt and for additional tips and advice.
After Pelting
After the pelting has been completed, you have two options:
1. Return to Mina
Return to your camp in Mina, where you wait until the animal sacrifice has been performed. You then have your haircut, exit the state of Ihram and proceed to Makkah, where you perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah. This is the sunnah method, albeit the most physically and mentally demanding option.
2. Go to Makkah
Proceed to Makkah to perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah directly from the Jamarat while the animal sacrifice is performed on your behalf, as is normally arranged by tour operators. The individual responsible for the sacrifice should then let you know that the sacrifice has been carried out. At that point, you can go ahead and have your haircut in Makkah, allowing you to leave the state of Ihram and perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah.
Hady
Hady is the wajib (obligatory) sacrifice performed on the Day of Nahr. It can be carried out after performing Rami of the Jamarah al-Aqaba (the big pillar) up until sunset on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah. If it is carried out before or after this timeframe, a penalty will be necessary. It must be performed before cutting your hair and leaving the state of Ihram. Although it is not obligatory for those performing Hajj al-Ifrad, it is certainly recommended.
Where to Perform Hady
The sacrifice can be carried out anywhere in Mina, Muzdalifah or Makkah. There are a number of modern slaughterhouses next to the Europa Camps in Mina as well as in Muzdalifah. It is a sunnah to perform your sacrifice in Mina, although it is completely acceptable to have it done in Muzdalifah and Makkah.
After you have performed Rami, if you have returned to your camp in Mina, you can go directly to the slaughterhouses where the sacrifices are performed. There are kiosks outside the slaughterhouses selling coupons which you will need for the animal sacrifice. You can either have someone do it in front of you or do it yourself. Remember that millions of animals are being slaughtered in this area, so it isn’t for the faint-hearted.
It is more likely, however, that the animal sacrifice has already been arranged as part of your Hajj package. If so, you don’t have to be physically present at the slaughterhouse to supervise the sacrifice. Once the Hady has been carried out, you should be notified. At this point, you can have your haircut and leave the state of Ihram.
Please refer to this article for additional information on animal sacrifice.
Halq/Taqsir
After you have received confirmation of the animal sacrifice being carried out, proceed to have your hair shaved if you’re a man (Halq) or trimmed if you’re a woman (Taqsir).
If you’re performing Hajj al-Ifrad as opposed to Hajj al-Tamattu or Hajj al-Qiran, your hair may be cut immediately after pelting the big pillar on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah. You don’t need to wait for the animal sacrifice to be carried out.
The hair must be cut before sunset on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah. If it is delayed beyond this point, a penalty will be due.
Your hair may be cut in Makkah, Mina or Muzdalifah, although it is sunnah to have the hair cut in Mina. Cutting the hair outside the boundary of the Haram will result in a penalty.
All Ihram restrictions will be lifted once the hair has been cut, except marital relations between husband and wife. This final restriction is only removed once Tawaf al-Ziyarah has been performed in Makkah.
For health and safety reasons, please ensure you use a licensed barber to cut your hair or use your own equipment.
Please refer to this article for additional information on Halq/Taqsir.
Tawaf al-Ziyarah
After cutting your hair, you will proceed to Makkah to perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah (also known as Tawaf al-Ifadah). Tawaf al-Ziyarah is one of the two pillars of Hajj (the other being Wuquf at Arafat), and its omission would render it invalid. It should be performed after Fajr on the 10th and before sunset on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah, although performing it on the 10th is advisable. If for any reason it can’t be performed until after the 12th, its performance will still be necessary although a penalty will also be due as expiation.
Women in a state of major impurity must delay performing Tawaf al-Ziyarah until they are clean. They won’t, however, be liable for a penalty if the Tawaf is delayed until after its fixed time for this reason. If a person is forced to return home without having performed Tawaf al-Ziyarah, marital relations will remain prohibited until that person returns to Makkah and performs the Tawaf.
It is a sunnah to perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah after Halq or Taqsir. Although it’s acceptable to perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah before Halq or Taqsir, the restrictions of Ihram won’t be lifted until the hair has been cut.
Travelling to Makkah
It is advisable to travel to Makkah by bus or taxi as you will need the energy to perform the Tawaf and Sa’i. Your tour operator is unlikely to arrange a coach to take you to Makkah because pilgrims will be performing the various rituals at different points in the day. Therefore, you need to make arrangements with a private bus or taxi, normally available in Aziziyah, just beyond the Jamarat.
If you plan to walk, the distance from the Jamarat to Masjid al-Haram is approximately 5 kilometres (3 miles) and may take about 1 hour 30 minutes. After pelting Jamarah al-Aqaba (the big pillar), continue in the direction of Makkah until you reach a series of pedestrian tunnels leading you directly to Makkah and the area between Safa and Marwa.
Performing Tawaf al-Ziyarah
Before performing Tawaf al-Ziyarah, it is a sunnah to perform ghusl. If you have had your hair cut and left the state of Ihram, you may use scented products while showering. If you haven’t had your hair cut and are still in the state of Ihram, be careful not to use any products that violate the restrictions of Ihram.
You may want to perform this Tawaf on the roof level as the lower levels can become extremely congested. Masjid al-Haram tends to get very crowded after 10 AM, so if you arrive in Makkah early, it’s a good idea to do Tawaf before this time. The next best time to perform Tawaf is after Isha salah.
As you begin the Tawaf, you don’t have to make a specific intention for Tawaf al-Ziyarah. Any Tawaf performed in the aforementioned timeframe for this particular Tawaf will count as Tawaf al-Ziyarah.
Complete the seven circuits of Tawaf and perform two rak’ahs of salah at Maqam Ibrahim thereafter. You should also drink some Zamzam water. Please note that Idtiba (uncovering your right shoulder if in Ihram) or Raml (walking briskly) should not be practised during this Tawaf.
Refer to this article for a detailed guide on Tawaf.
Marital relations will now become lawful, provided the Hady has been completed and you have had your hair cut, allowing you to leave the state of Ihram.
Sa’i of Tawaf al-Ziyarah
Sa’i of Tawaf al-Ziyarah is a requirement for those performing Hajj al-Tamattu. If you are performing Hajj al-Qiran or Hajj al-Ifrad, you may have already performed Sa’i after Tawaf al-Qudum (the Welcome Tawaf). If this is the case, you aren’t required to perform this particular Sa’i. If you didn’t, you must perform Sa’i at this juncture.
Like with the Tawaf, no particular intention has to be made for this Sa’i. The first Sa’i performed after Tawaf al-Ziyarah will be regarded as the Sa’i of Tawaf al-Ziyarah.
This Sa’i can be performed in regular clothing if you have discarded your Ihram (as is the case with Tawaf al-Ziyarah if you have had your hair cut before performing it.)
Complete the seven circuits of Sa’i between Safa and Marwa.
The Sa’i doesn’t have to be performed immediately after Tawaf al-Ziyarah, nor does it need to be performed before sunset on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah. However, you should endeavour to perform it within this timeframe. There is no harm in delaying it until after this point, although returning home without performing it will result in a penalty. However, marital relations will be lawful as the Tawaf has been completed.
The hair will not be cut again after this particular Sa’i has been completed.
Refer to this article for a detailed guide on Sa’i.
Travelling back to Mina
Travelling back to Mina and spending the nights of the 10th and 11th of Dhul Hijjah is a sunnah. According to the Hanafi Madhhab, remaining in Makkah for these nights without a valid reason is makruh (disliked), although doing so won’t incur a penalty. According to the other three Madhhabs, remaining in Makkah will result in a penalty. Therefore, every effort should be made to return to Mina. If Tawaf al-Ziyarah and its Sa’i are performed during any one of the nights of the 10th and 11th, the remainder of each respective night should be spent in Mina.
As was the case with travelling to Makkah, buses may not be available, so you should take private transport, hire a taxi or walk. If you take a taxi, you won’t be taken directly to your camp, but you will be dropped off near Jamarat, as the police won’t allow the taxi to travel beyond this point.
If you walk back to Mina, be sure to avoid getting lost and follow those who are sure of the route.
Remaining in Makkah
If you are elderly, infirm or very young, or caring for someone who is, you may spend one or both nights in Makkah, depending on your situation, without it being makruh. Women may also have their Mahrams remain with them if the need arises. However, please remember that Rami al-Jamarat must be performed on the 11th and 12th of Dhul Hijjah. The elderly and infirm may have a proxy to pelt on their behalf.
As a reiteration, don’t remain in Makkah without a genuine reason; make every effort to return to Mina and follow the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
The Prophet ﷺ on Yawm al-Nahr
Rami of Jamrat al-Aqaba
Upon arrival, in mid-morning, the Prophet ﷺ went to Jamrat al-Aqaba and positioned himself in a manner where Mina was to his right and Makkah to his left. Still mounted on his camel, he stopped uttering the Talbiyah and began to stone the pillar, reciting Takbir as he threw each of his seven stones.1 He was accompanied by Bilal and Usama ibn Zayd L who held the reins of his she-camel, with the latter shading him from the heat with a garment. Sulaiman ibn Amr ibn al-Ahwas I narrates on the authority of his mother:
I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ throwing pebbles at the Jamrat from the bottom of the valley while he was riding (on a camel). He was uttering Takbir (Allah is most great) with each pebble. A man behind him was shading him. I asked about the man and they said: He is al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas. The people crowded and the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘O people, do not kill each other. When you throw pebbles at the Jamrat, throw small pebbles.2
While he was performing Rami, people crowded around him, although they weren’t rebuked for doing so. Qudamah ibn Abdullah ibn al-Kilabi I narrates:
The Messenger of God, cast at the mound at al-Aqaba from the middle of the valley on the day of the sacrifice, mounted upon a reddish-hued camel he owned. And there was no striking, no pushing away and no saying: ‘Keep away! Keep away!’3
The Prophet ﷺ, with seeming foreknowledge of his demise, then said the following to his companions, as narrated by Jabir I:
I saw Allah’s Apostle ﷺ flinging pebbles while riding his camel on the Day of Nahr, and he was saying: ‘Learn the Hajj rituals from me, for I do not know whether I will make the pilgrimage after this Hajj of mine.’4
Sermon at Mina
During the course of the morning, still seated on his camel, the Prophet ﷺ stopped between the Jamarat and informed his companion Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bujali I, who was a tall man with a loud voice, to gather the companions as he wanted to address them. Eager to listen to the words of the Prophet ﷺ, some stood whilst others sat down as they congregated.
After praising God, the Prophet ﷺ said: “People, acknowledge that time had taken its original form on the day that God created the heavens and the earth. A year consists of 12 months, four of which are sacred. Three of these are consecutive: Dhul Qadah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram, and the fourth is Rajab, which falls between Jumada al-Thani and Sha’ban.” The Prophet ﷺ then recited the Quranic verses:
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ وَقَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَافَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ كَافَّةً ۚ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ ❁
Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous [who fear Him].
[Surah al-Tawbah, 9:36]
إِنَّمَا النَّسِيءُ زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ ۖ يُضَلُّ بِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُحِلُّونَهُ عَامًا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُ عَامًا لِّيُوَاطِئُوا عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ فَيُحِلُّوا مَا حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ ۚ زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ أَعْمَالِهِمْ ۗ وَاللّٰهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ ❁
Indeed, the postponing [of restriction within sacred months] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led [further] astray. They make it lawful one year and unlawful another year to correspond to the number made unlawful by Allah and [thus] make lawful what Allah has made unlawful. Made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds; and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.
[Surah al-Tawbah, 9:37]
The Prophet ﷺ then asked the people which month they were in. They said: “God and His messenger know best”. He kept silent for a moment until he asked: “Is it not Dhul Hijjah?” They said “Yes.” He asked: “What city is this?” They said: “God and His messenger know best. He again kept silent until he said: “Is it not the city (of Makkah)?” They affirmed that it was. He then asked: “What day is this?” They again said: “God and His messenger know best.” He was silent for a short while before he replied: “Is it not the Day of Sacrifice?” They said that it was. He then added: “God has declared your blood unlawful, and your property and your reputation are as sacred as this holy month of yours, in this land of yours, in this day of yours, until you meet your Lord. Surely you will meet your Lord, and He will ask you about your deeds. Have I delivered God’s message? My Lord, be my witness.”
“I shall tell you what a true Muslim is. A Muslim is one who keeps other Muslims safe from his tongue and hand. A true believer is one whom people trust with their lives and their property. A migrant, for God’s sake, is one who abandons all sins, and a striver for God’s cause is one who strives to maintain the path of obedience to God. Whenever harm is inflicted, it will come back to the one who carries it out. Let no parent harm his child, and no child harm his parent. Do not make tyrants of yourselves or return to disbelief and kill one another. Have I delivered God’s message? My Lord, be my witness.”
“O people, know that Satan has despaired of being worshipped in this land of yours, but he is satisfied if he is obeyed in some minor act of evil which you may consider trivial. Guard yourself against him, lest he spoils your faith. Indeed, every Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. All Muslims are brethren. It is not lawful for a Muslim to take from his brother except that which he has given him willingly, so do not wrong yourselves. O people, listen and obey, even if your ruler is a black Abyssinian slave with cuts in his face. As long as his governance is in accordance with God’s book, then listen to him and obey him. Three matters must remain pure in a Muslim’s heart: carrying out actions purely for the sake of God, giving sincere advice to people in authority, and remaining with the Muslim community, for the community encompasses all.”
The Prophet ﷺ then spoke at length about the Dajjal. He said: “Each one of God’s messengers had warned their communities against him. Nuh and the Prophets that came after him warned their people against him. He will emerge from among you. Indeed, your Lord is not one-eyed while the Dajjal is blind in his right eye. This eye looks like a protruding grape.”
The Prophet ﷺ then concluded by saying: “I do not know whether I will meet you after this day. May God have mercy on anyone who listens to my words, understands them and conveys them to others. A person may have scholarly knowledge, but that doesn’t make him a scholar, and a person may deliver knowledge to someone who is a better scholar than him. Let those of you who are present inform those who are absent. Perhaps some of those who receive the message have a better understanding than some of those who have heard it.”
The Prophet ﷺ then lifted his head to the sky and said: “Have I delivered my message? Have I delivered my message?” The people said: “Yes”. The Prophet ﷺ then lifted his hands up, facing the sky, and said: “My Lord, bear witness.” He repeated this three times. During the course of the speech, he repeatedly asked: “Do you hear?” And regularly called out: “My nation, have I delivered my message to you?”5
Answering Questions
Some of the pilgrims sensed that the sermon was that of a person who was bidding farewell. One of the companions asked him: “What do you ask of us, Messenger of God?” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Worship God alone, offer your five daily prayers, fast during Ramadan, pay the Zakat due on your property with tranquillity and obey your leaders. If you do so, you will be admitted into Paradise.”6
Some Bedouins approached the Prophet ﷺ and asked him: “Messenger of God, should we make use of medical treatment?” He replied: “Yes, make use of medical treatment, for God has not created a disease without appointing a remedy for it, with the exception of one.” They asked: “Which one, Messenger of God?” He said: “Old age.” They also asked: ‘”What is the best thing people have been given?” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Good ethics.”7
Place of Encampment
The Prophet ﷺ then went to his place of encampment in Mina, situated where Masjid al-Khayf stands today. He housed the Muhajirin to his right and the Ansar to his left, with other pilgrims staying around them. Abdur Rahman ibn Mu’adh I narrates:
The Prophet ﷺ addressed the people at Mina, before showing them to their dwellings. He then said: ‘The Muhajirun (Emigrants) should stay here’, and he made a sign to the right side of the Qibla, ‘and the Ansar (Helpers) here’, and he made a sign to the left side of the Qibla. ‘The people should stay around them’, he added.8
His companions asked him if he’d like a structure built to provide him with shade, but he refused. Aisha J narrates:
We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, should we not build you a house in Mina that will be a means of shade for you?’ He said: ‘No, Mina is just a stopping place for whoever gets there first.’9
Animal Sacrifice
He then headed to the place of sacrifice to offer his Hady. It was narrated from Jabir I that the Prophet ﷺ said:
All of Mina is a place of sacrifice and all the pathways and roads of Makkah are places of sacrifice.10
According to the research of the scholar Nur al-Din Ali al-Qari V, the place of sacrifice was close to where the Prophet’s ﷺ was staying in Mina.11 With the modern expansion of Masjid al-Khayf, this place of sacrifice is now situated within the confines of the mosque, although it is no longer marked out as it once used to be.
The Prophet ﷺ then asked Ali I to come forward. The Prophet ﷺ had brought 63 camels with him from Madinah, whilst Ali had brought 37 from Yemen, making 100 sacrificial animals in total. The Prophet ﷺ slaughtered 63 himself and ordered Ali to sacrifice the remainder. Jabir ibn Abdullah I narrates:
The total number of those sacrificial animals brought by Ali from the Yemen and of those brought by the Prophet ﷺ from Madinah was one hundred. The Prophet ﷺ went to the place of sacrifice and sacrificed 63 (camels) with his own hand. Then he gave the remaining number to Ali who sacrificed them, which he shared with him.12
Scholars have mentioned that the rationale behind offering 63 sacrificial animals was that the number was equal to that of his age. In other words, he offered one camel in gratitude for each one of his years.13
Camels were then brought forward to the Prophet ﷺ in groups. The front left leg of each camel was tied up, and they remained upright by standing on their other legs before they were slaughtered. During the sacrifice, the companions witnessed a strange spectacle. Each camel was trying to get ahead as they moved towards the Prophet ﷺ as if they were eager to be sacrificed by his blessed hand.14
The Prophet ﷺ then gave Ali specific instructions regarding the meat of the animals. Ali I narrates:
The Prophet ﷺ ordered me to supervise the slaughtering of the camels and to distribute their meat, skin and hide to charity and not to give anything (of their carcasses) to the butcher as wages for slaughtering, saying: ‘We would pay him ourselves.’15
He also instructed Ali to save some meat for themselves as well as giving his companions permission to take from the sacrifice. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Take a small piece from each camel and prepare it in one pot so we can eat its meat and drink its soup.”16
The Prophet ﷺ sacrificed one cow on behalf of each of his wives who were present with him on the pilgrimage. Aisha J said:
On the day of Nahr, beef was brought to us. I asked, ‘What is this?’ The reply was, ‘Allah’s Apostle ﷺ has slaughtered (sacrifices) on behalf of his wives.17
The companions also carried out the Hady, with each group of seven people sacrificing a camel or a cow between them.18 The Prophet ﷺ gave them permission to partake in it and store it, so the companions ate from it whilst they were in Mina and also ate from it during their return journey to Madinah.
Shaving the Head
After the sacrifice, the Prophet ﷺ called for a barber to shave his head with a razor. The companion who had the honour of shaving his head was Ma’mar ibn Abdullah al-Adwi I. He narrates:
During the Farewell Hajj, I had the honour of serving the Prophet’s conveyance. When the Prophet finished with the sacrifices at Mina, he said ‘Come, shave my head’. I brought a blade and stood by the Prophet ﷺ. He looked at me and said in good humour: ‘The Messenger of Allah is putting his head in your hands at the time when you have a blade in them!’ I replied: ‘By Allah O Messenger of God, this is Allah’s greatest favour upon me.’
The Prophet ﷺ then distributed his blessed hair to his companions. Anas ibn Malik I reports:
The Prophet ﷺ stoned the Jamrat and then performed the animal sacrifice. After that he went into his tent and called for the barber, who shaved the hair from the right side of his blessed head. The Prophet ﷺ called Abu Talha al-Ansari and gave him the hair. The barber then shaved the hair from the left side of his head and the Prophet ﷺ again gave it to Abu Talha, instructing him to distribute it amongst the people.19
Abu Talhah, his wife Umm Sulaym and her son Anas ibn Malik M were all very close to the Prophet ﷺ, and this was perhaps a parting gift. Abu Talhah also later had the honour of digging the Prophet’s ﷺ grave after his demise. This gift may have been a signal to indicate that he was the one to have this honour.
Anas also reports the conduct of the companions during the haircut:
I saw the Prophet ﷺ and the barber was shaving his head. The companions had encircled him not wanting any of his hair to fall except into a man’s hand.20
It was the custom of the companions to sit around the Prophet ﷺ and collect his hair whilst he was having a haircut, not just when he was on pilgrimage but throughout his life. He would only ever shave his head in its entirety whilst performing Hajj or Umrah; apart from this, he would always have hair on his head.
The great scholar Imam Muhammad al-Zarqani al-Maliki V explains the rationale behind the Prophet ﷺ distributing his hair:
The Prophet ﷺ distributed the blessed hair amongst the companions so that blessing would remain amongst them and it could become a means of remembering him. In this, the Prophet ﷺ also signalled towards his impending demise.21
Some of the companions got their hair cut short, whilst others shaved their heads completely. The Prophet ﷺ supplicated three times for those who had their heads shaved and once for those who had their hair trimmed. Abdullah ibn Umar I narrates:
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ‘O Allah! Be merciful to those who have their head shaved.’ The companions said: ‘O Messenger of God! Supplicate for those who get their hair cut short.’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘O Allah! Be merciful to those who have their head shaved.’ The companions said: ‘O Messenger of God! And supplicate for those who get their hair cut short.’ The Prophet ﷺ for a third time supplicated for those who shave their head. The companions pleaded: ‘O Messenger of God! And supplicate for those who get their hair cut short.’ The Prophet ﷺ then supplicated once for those who had trimmed their hair.22
It is also reported that the Prophet ﷺ clipped his nails and distributed them amongst his companions. Muhammad ibn Zayd I reports:
My Qurayshi friend and I were at Mina when the Prophet ﷺ was distributing meat from the sacrifices. My friend and I didn’t manage to get any of it, so the Prophet ﷺ gave me his blessed hair and gave my friend his blessed nail clippings.23
Leaving the State of Ihram
After having shaved his head, the Prophet ﷺ removed the two Ihram garments and put on his ordinary clothes. His wife Aisha J then perfumed his head with musk.24 Abdullah ibn Abbas said:
When the pilgrim has stoned the Jamrat, everything becomes permissible for him except (intimacy with) women. It was asked: ‘And perfume?’ He said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ smelling strongly of musk – is it not a perfume?”25
Tawaf al-Ziyarah
The Prophet ﷺ then mounted his she-camel and headed to Makkah to perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah, with Usama ibn Zayd I seated behind him. Upon reaching the Kaaba, he performed Tawaf on his camel so that everybody could see him and learn the rituals from him. Jabir I reports:
Allah’s Messenger circumambulated the House on the back of his riding camel on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage and touched the Stone with his stick so that the people could see him, and that he be conspicuous so they would be able to ask him (questions pertaining to religion) as they crowded round him.26
As he was mounted, he performed Istilam of the Hajar al-Aswad with a stick. Abdullah ibn Abbas I narrates:
In his last Hajj, the Prophet ﷺ performed Tawaf of the Kaaba riding a camel and pointed a bent-headed stick towards the Black Stone while uttering Takbir.27
Abu al-Tufail Amir ibn Wathilah I mentioned that he also kissed the stick. He narrates:
I saw the Prophet ﷺ performing Tawaf and touching the Hajar with his stick, before kissing the stick.28
During this Tawaf, he did not perform Raml.29
Zamzam
The Prophet ﷺ then went to his uncle al-Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib I for a drink of water. Al-Abbas was the custodian of Siqaya, which was the privilege of providing water to pilgrims. Abdullah ibn Abbas I narrates:
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ came to the drinking place and asked for water. Al-Abbas said: ‘O Fadl! Go to your mother and bring water from her for Allah’s Messenger ﷺ.’ Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ‘Give me water to drink.’ Al-Abbas said: ‘O Allah’s Messenger ﷺ! The people put their hands in it.’ Allah’s Messenger ﷺ again said: ‘Give me water to drink.’ So, he drank from that water.30
Abdullah ibn Abbas mentioned that the drink they gave to the Prophet ﷺ was Nabidh, a beverage made from dates or raisins. Ibn Abbas said:
Allah’s Apostle ﷺ came here riding his she-camel and Usama was sitting behind him. He asked for water and we gave him a cup full of Nabidh. He drank it and gave the remaining part to Usama.31
The Prophet ﷺ then went to the well of Zamzam, where the members of the Abdul Mutallib clan were extracting water from it. Ibn Abbas narrates:
He then went to the Well of Zamzam where the people were offering water to the others and drawing water from the well. The Prophet ﷺ said to them: ‘Carry on! You are doing a good deed.’ Then he said, ‘Were I not afraid that other people would compete with you (in drawing water from Zamzam), I would certainly take the rope and put it over this (i.e. his shoulder, to draw water).’ On saying that the Prophet ﷺ pointed to his shoulder.32
What the Prophet ﷺ meant by his last statement was that if he himself drew water from the well, people would consider it a sunnah and want to emulate him, thereby causing hardship for the Abdul Mutallib clan, which would be overwhelmed and deprived of their work.
At the well of Zamzam, the Prophet ﷺ drank its water and blessed it. Ibn Abbas again narrates:
The Prophet ﷺ came to Zamzam. We drew up a bucket for him and he drank. Then he spat into it and we poured it into Zamzam.33
He drank the Zamzam water while standing. Ibn Abbas said:
I gave the Messenger of Allah some Zamzam to drink and he drank it while standing.34
He then took three sips of the water. Ibn Abbas narrates:
The bowl of Zamzam was presented to the Prophet ﷺ. He took hold of it and put it to his mouth reciting ‘Bismillah’ and drank from it. He then raised his head and said ‘Alhamdulillah’. He then put it to his mouth again whilst reciting ‘Bismillah’ and drank from it, before raising his head and saying ‘Alhamdulillah’. He then put it to his mouth again reciting ‘Bismillah’ and drank from it, before raising his head and uttering ‘Alhamdulillah’ once again. He declared that the difference between us and the hypocrites was that they do not drink Zamzam to their full.35
Dhuhr Salah
After completing the rites of Yawm al-Nahr, the Prophet ﷺ performed the Dhuhr prayer. Abdullah ibn Umar I reported that the Prophet observed the prayer upon his return to Mina:
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ observed Tawaf al-Ziyarah on the Day of Nahr (10th of Dhul Hijjah) and then came back and observed the noon prayer at Mina. Nafi (one of the narrators) said that Ibn Umar used to observe Tawaf al-Ziyarah on the Day of Nahr and then return and observe the noon prayer at Mina and mentioned that it was the practice of the Prophet.36
Jabir ibn Abdullah I, on the other hand, reported that he performed the prayer in Makkah before returning to Mina.37 It is possible that the Prophet ﷺ performed the Dhuhr prayer in Makkah, before returning to Mina where he found his companions waiting for him, observing the prayer once again with them at the end of the afternoon.
Return to Mina
At Mina, the Prophet ﷺ provided guidance to the people and answered their questions. Some companions approached the Prophet ﷺ seeking clarification about the rituals on Yawm al-Nahr. One man said: “I shaved my head before carrying out the pelting.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Perform the pelting now, there is no harm.” Another man said: “I shaved my head before performing the animal sacrifice.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Sacrifice the animal now, there is no harm in it.” A third man asked: “Unwittingly, I performed the animal sacrifice before pelting.” He told him: “Do the pelting now. There is no harm in it.” Another asked: “I performed Tawaf before pelting.” He replied: “There is no harm in it.” When the Prophet ﷺ was asked about anything concerning the order of rites on Yawm al-Nahr, his reply was the same for each scenario: “Do it now, there is no harm in it”.38
Summary of Day 3
- Go to Mina after Fajr.
- Perform Rami (pelting) of Jamarah al-Aqaba (the big pillar).
- Perform Hady (animal sacrifice).
- Perform Halq/Taqsir (get your hair shaved or trimmed).
- Proceed to Makkah.
- Perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah.
- Perform Sa’i.
- Return to Mina (unless you have a valid excuse to stay in Makkah).
References
| ↑1 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1544 & 1683; Muslim, Hadith No. 1281 & 1298; Ibn Khuzaymah, Hadith No. 2887. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 1834 & 1966. |
| ↑3 | Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 903; Ahmad, Hadith No. 15410. |
| ↑4 | Muslim, Hadith No. 1297; Ahmad, Hadith No. 16087, 16088. |
| ↑5 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 121, 1741, 4403, 4405, 4406, 5550 & 6869; Muslim, Hadith No. 65, 1679 & 1838; Ahmad, Hadith No. 2036, 16649, 19754, 20695, 23234. |
| ↑6 | Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 616; Ahmad, Hadith No. 22161 & 22258; Ibn Hibban, Hadith No. 4563. |
| ↑7 | Al-Bukhari, Al-Adab al-Mufrad, Hadith No. 291; Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 2015 & 3855; Ahmad, Hadith No. 18454. |
| ↑8 | Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 1951; al-Bayhaqi, Sunan, vol. 5, p. 138; Ahmad, Hadith No. 16588 & 23177. |
| ↑9 | Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 2019; al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 881; Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 3006 & 3007. |
| ↑10 | Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 1937; Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 3048; Malik, Hadith No. 886. |
| ↑11 | Nur al-Din Ali al-Qari, Mirqat al-Mafatih. |
| ↑12 | Muslim, Hadith No. 1218; Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 3074 & 3076; Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 1905; al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 815. |
| ↑13 | Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah. |
| ↑14 | Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 1765; Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 3158; Ahmad, Hadith No. 19075; al-Hakim, Al-Mustadrak, vol. 4, p. 221. |
| ↑15 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1717 & 2299; Muslim, Hadith No. 1317 |
| ↑16 | Ahmad, Hadith No. 894, 1002,1325, 1374 & 2359. |
| ↑17 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1709, & 1720; Muslim, Hadith No. 1319; Ahmad, Hadith No. 26109. |
| ↑18 | Muslim, Hadith No. 1213. |
| ↑19 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 171; Muslim, Hadith No. 1305; al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 912; Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 1981. |
| ↑20 | Muslim, Hadith No. 2325. |
| ↑21 | Sharh al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah. |
| ↑22 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1727, 1728 & 1729; Muslim, Hadith No. 1301 & 1302; Ahmad, Hadith No. 17598. |
| ↑23 | Al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah. |
| ↑24 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1754; Muslim, Hadith No. 1189. |
| ↑25 | Al-Nasa’i, Hadith No. 3041; Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 3084. |
| ↑26 | Muslim, Hadith No. 1273. |
| ↑27 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1607, 1612 & 1613. |
| ↑28 | Muslim, Hadith No. 1275. |
| ↑29 | Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 2001. |
| ↑30, ↑32 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1635. |
| ↑31 | Muslim, Hadith No. 1316. |
| ↑33 | Ahmad. |
| ↑34 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 5617; Muslim, Hadith No. 2027; al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 1882; al-Nasa’i, Hadith No. 2964 &2965; Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 3422. |
| ↑35 | Al-Azraqi, Akhbar Makka. |
| ↑36 | Muslim, Hadith No. 1308; Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 1998. |
| ↑37 | Muslim, Hadith No. 1218. |
| ↑38 | Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 83, 1721, 1722, 1736 & 1738; Muslim, Hadith No. 1306 & 1307; Ahmad, Hadith No. 1857. |