and the names are no longer in use today. Dhu al-Hulayfah is called Abyar Ali; al-Juhfah has been replaced by Rabigh; Yalamlam is called al-Sa'diyyah; Qarn al-Manazil is called al-Sayl al-Kabir; and Dhat 'Irq is called al-Daribah. Yet the locations themselves—praise be to Allah—remain known and well recognized by the Muslims; they have not changed.

If someone were to ask, “What is the wisdom behind the differing miqats, some being near and others far?”

The answer is that this question should not be raised, for its counterpart would be to ask: Why is the Zuhr prayer four rak'ahs, the Asr prayer four, the Maghrib prayer three, the Isha prayer four, and the Fajr prayer two? Why are Zuhr, Asr, and Isha not eight rak'ahs each, Maghrib five, and Fajr four? Such prescribed acts of worship are not to be questioned. Rather, the servant's duty is to say, “We hear and obey.” Nevertheless, there is no harm in seeking the wisdom behind them, for recognizing that wisdom increases a person's reassurance.

The wisdom—Allah knows best—behind the remoteness of the miqat for the people of Madinah may be that the distinctive sanctities of the two sacred precincts should be brought close together. Madinah is a sanctuary, and Makkah is a sanctuary; yet entering into ihram for the rites is among the distinctive features of the sanctuary of Makkah. Thus, it is fitting that one should travel only a short distance beyond the boundaries of the sanctuary of Madinah before entering into the distinctive features of the sanctuary of Makkah. As for the rest, perhaps—Allah knows best—al-Juhfah was the most populous settlement at that time along the route of the people of Syria, while the remaining three are close to one another.

His statement, “And they”: the pronoun refers to the miqats.

His statement, “for their people,” meaning, the inhabitants of these places mentioned: Madinah,