His words—“Then, when you pour forth from ‘Arafat, remember Allah at the Sacred Monument” (Q 2:198)—contain several indications:
-
Standing at ‘Arafat is one of the great ritual sites and a pillar of the pilgrimage; the descent from ‘Arafat can occur only after that standing, which is the greatest pillar of Hajj after the circumambulation.
-
The verse enjoins the remembrance of Allah at the Sacred Monument, that is, Muzdalifah. This is well known: on the eve of the Day of Sacrifice the pilgrim spends the night there, and after the dawn prayer he stands in Muzdalifah supplicating until the light of day spreads fully. Included in remembering Allah at the Sacred Monument are all the prayers performed there, obligatory and voluntary alike.
-
The standing at Muzdalifah comes after the standing at ‘Arafat, as signaled by the particle fa’, which conveys sequential order.
4–5. Both ‘Arafat and Muzdalifah are among the rites of Hajj that are meant to be performed and openly manifested.
-
Muzdalifah lies within the Sacred Precinct, as indicated by describing it as “the Sacred Monument.”
-
‘Arafat, by contrast, lies outside the Sacred Precinct, which is inferred from limiting the adjective “sacred” to Muzdalifah.
“And remember Him as He has guided you, for before that you were surely among the astray” (Q 2:198) means: remember Allah in proportion to the favor He has shown you by guiding you after your misguidance and by teaching you what you did not know. This is one of the greatest blessings, and it must be met with abundant gratitude and frequent remembrance of the Benefactor, both in heart and on tongue.