and he reached the age of fifteen on the Day of Arafah. In that case, we say that he attained puberty at Arafah. Alternatively, this may occur through a nocturnal emission: he sleeps on the Day of Arafah and has a nocturnal emission, thereby attaining puberty on the Day of Arafah. If a child reaches puberty at Arafah, his Hajj becomes obligatory, and it suffices for his obligatory Hajj of Islam.

His statement, “And in Umrah, before its circumambulation, it is valid as an obligatory rite,” means that if a child undertakes Umrah and reaches puberty during the Umrah, before beginning the circumambulation, then that Umrah counts as his obligatory Umrah. The same applies to an insane person: if he becomes insane after entering ihram for Umrah, or if we hold that his guardian’s entering him into ihram on his behalf is valid, and he then regains his sanity before the circumambulation of Umrah, it is valid as an obligatory rite. Likewise, if a slave enters ihram for Umrah while enslaved, then his master emancipates him before the circumambulation of Umrah, it is valid as an obligatory rite.

It is understood from his words that if slavery, insanity, or childhood ceases after Arafah, the Hajj does not count as obligatory. However, if this ceases after Arafah while the time for standing there remains, and he returns and stands there again, it is valid as an obligatory Hajj.

For example, a child or slave may depart from Arafah after sunset on the night before Eid, and during that night the child reaches puberty or the slave is emancipated. We then say to him: If you now return to Arafah and stand there, your Hajj will count as obligatory, because the Prophet ﷺ said: “Hajj is Arafah” (1). And you have stood at Arafah