for Maghrib had already begun—indicates that one must remain until that time, and that he, peace and blessings be upon him, was not permitted to depart until the sun had set. That is why he hastened to leave. Had departing before sunset been permissible, he would have departed before sunset, arrived at Muzdalifah during the time for Maghrib, and performed the Maghrib prayer there at ease.

Accordingly, if it is asked: “What is the answer to the hadith of Urwah?”

We say: The answer to the hadith of Urwah, may Allah be pleased with him, is what we have previously mentioned: the completion of an act may constitute the completion of an obligation, an integral pillar, or a sunnah.

Moreover, the hadith of Urwah is unrestricted: “having stood at Arafah before that, by night or by day.” It is qualified by the Prophet’s practice, namely, that he remained standing there until sunset; and the qualified text governs the unrestricted text.

His statement: “And spending the night at Mina and Muzdalifah, until after midnight, is required of those other than the people responsible for providing water and tending the livestock”—this is the third and fourth of the obligations of ihram.

His statement, “And spending the night at Mina, for those other than the people responsible for providing water and tending the livestock …,” refers to spending the nights of the Days of Tashriq at Mina, not to spending the night of the ninth at Mina. Spending the night at Mina on the ninth is not obligatory; rather, it is a sunnah. As for spending the nights of the Days of Tashriq at Mina, it is obligatory. The evidence is as follows:

First: It is established in the two Sahihs that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “granted his uncle al-Abbas permission to spend the nights of Tashriq in Mecca because of the duty of providing water.” (1)