found in any other days; hence the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “The Days of Tashrīq are days of eating, drinking, and remembering Allah.” (1)

Included in this remembrance are: the stoning of the pillars (ramy al-jamarāt); pronouncing the takbīr when each stone is cast; supplicating between the two sets of pillars; slaughtering the sacrificial animals while invoking Allah’s name; the prayers performed on those days, both obligatory and voluntary; the specific remembrances that follow the obligatory prayers; and—according to many scholars—the unrestricted takbīr, which is likewise recommended during these days just as it is during the first ten days. In short, every deed that draws a servant nearer to Allah is encompassed by the phrase “remembering Him.”

• “Whoever hastens in two days” (Al-Baqarah 2:203) means the pilgrim who leaves Minā before sunset on the second Day of Tashrīq; for him “there is no sin.” Likewise, “whoever delays” by spending the night there for a third night so that he may stone the pillars the next day—“there is no sin upon him” either. This is a concession from Allah to His servants, permitting both options, although delaying is preferable because it accords with the practice of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—and increases one’s acts of worship.

• His words “for the one who is God-fearing” serve as a careful restriction, for simply negating sin might suggest an unqualified ruling; Allah therefore limited it (2) with this condition, which is in fact the prerequisite for the removal of blame in every circumstance.

• “And fear Allah”—by complying with His commands and avoiding His prohibitions—“and know that to Him you will be gathered.” He will recompense you for your deeds: whoever fears Him will find with Him the reward reserved for the God-fearing, whereas whoever does not will face the punishment decreed for those who abandon piety. Indeed, piety is the scale by which reward and punishment are measured for those who uphold it and those who neglect it. Knowledge of the final reckoning, and faith in it, is therefore the greatest motivation for embracing piety.