Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (7/312)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

The answer is that the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, did not do that so that those who had departed early could enjoy the happiness of Eid and enter the state of release from ihram at the beginning of the day. For if we were to say, “Go to Mina and wait until the crowds lessen,” the crowds might not lessen until noon, so their release from ihram would be delayed and their joy in Eid would not be complete. This, then, is the wisdom behind it.

Once he has prayed Fajr, he goes to al-Mash‘ar al-Haram, ascends it, or stands beside it, praises Allah and magnifies Him, recites, “When you depart from Arafat...” [the two verses], and supplicates until it becomes very bright, ...........

His statement, “Once he has prayed Fajr”: he did not specify when this prayer is to be performed. However, it is established in the sunnah that the Messenger, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, prayed it as soon as dawn became clear and did not delay it; rather, he prayed it in the early darkness of dawn. (1)

His statement, “He goes to al-Mash‘ar al-Haram”: al-Mash‘ar al-Haram is a well-known small mountain in Muzdalifah, upon which the mosque now stands. The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, rode his she-camel and stood mounted at al-Mash‘ar al-Haram. Yet he said: “I stood here, but all of Jam‘ is a place of standing.” (2) Jam‘ means Muzdalifah. It was called Jam‘ because, in the pre-Islamic period, all the people would gather there, whereas at Arafat Quraysh would not gather with the rest of the people. They would stand at Muzdalifah and would not proceed to Arafat, because Arafat lies outside the Sacred Precinct. For this reason it was called Jam‘, because it gathers all the people together.

The expression al-Mash‘ar al-Haram is described as “sacred” because there is also an unrestricted ritual site, namely Arafat. Thus, during Hajj there are two ritual sites: one outside the Sacred Precinct and one within it.

Al-Mash‘ar al-Haram is Muzdalifah, while the unrestricted ritual site is Arafat.

It is described as sacred because it lies within the boundaries of the Sacred Precinct.

(1) As mentioned previously in the hadith of Jabir, p. 76. (2) Its source has previously been cited, p. 306.

فالجواب: أن النبي ﷺ لم يفعل ذلك لأجل أن ينال هؤلاء الذين انصرفوا من قبل فرحهم بالعيد والتحلل من أول النهار؛ لأننا إذا قلنا اذهبوا إلى منى وانتظروا حتى يخف الزحام ربما لا يخف حتى الظهر فيتأخر حلهم، ولا يتم فرحهم بالعيد، فهذه هي الحكمة. فَإِذَا صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ أَتَى المَشْعَر الحَرام فَيَرْقَاه، أَوْ يَقِفُ عَنْدَه، وَيَحْمَدُ اللهَ، وَيُكَبِّرهُ، وَيَقْرَأُ: ﴿فَإِذَا أَفَضْتُمْ مِنْ عَرَفَاتٍ﴾ الآيَتَيْنِ ويَدْعُو حَتَّى يُسْفِرَ، ........... قوله: «فإذا صلى الصبح»، لم يبين متى تكون هذه الصلاة، لكن قد ثبت في السنة أن الرسول ﷺ صلاها حين تبين له الصبح، ولم يتأخر، فصلاها بغلس (١). قوله: «أتى المشعر الحرام»، والمشعر الحرام جبل صغير معروف في مزدلفة، وعليه المسجد المبني الآن، لأن النبي ﷺ ركب ناقته، ووقف عند المشعر الحرام راكباً، لكنه قال: «وقفت هاهنا وجمع كلها موقف» (٢)، جمع أي: مزدلفة، وسميت جمعاً؛ لأن الناس في الجاهلية يجتمعون فيها كلهم، وفي عرفات لا تجتمع قريش مع غيرهم؛ لأنهم يقفون في مزدلفة لا يخرجون إلى عرفة؛ لأن عرفة من الحل، فمن أجل هذا سميت جمعاً؛ لأنها تجمع الناس كلهم. وقوله: «المشعر الحرام» وصف بالحرام؛ لأن هناك مشعراً حلالاً وهو عرفات، ففي الحج مشعران: حلال، وحرام. فالمشعر الحرام مزدلفة، والمشعر الحلال عرفة. ووصف بالحرام؛ لأنه داخل حدود الحرم.

(١) كما سبق في حديث جابر، ص (٧٦). (٢) سبق تخريجه ص (٣٠٦).