may Allah bless him and grant him peace, travel by either distance or duration. No one resided at Minā in his time, which is why he said:

“Minā is a camping ground for whoever arrives first.”

However, it has been said that people settled there during the caliphate of ‘Uthmān, and that this was why ‘Uthmān performed the prayers in full: he considered a traveller to be someone who carries provisions and waterskins.

After that, the pilgrim proceeds to ‘Arafāt. This is the Sunnah. Nowadays, however, hardly anyone goes to Namirah or to the place where the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed. Instead, they enter ‘Arafāt by the al-Ma’zimayn route before the sun passes its zenith. Some enter at night and spend the night there before the standing at ‘Arafah. All these practices leave their Hajj valid, but fall short of the Sunnah. The pilgrim should therefore observe as much of the Sunnah as possible, such as combining the two prayers, giving one adhān and a separate iqāmah for each prayer.

Lighting fires at ‘Arafah is a reprehensible innovation. Likewise, lighting fires at Minā is an innovation by scholarly consensus. Fires are to be lit only at Muzdalifah on the return journey.

They remain at ‘Arafāt until sunset and do not leave before the sun sets. Once it has set, they may leave either between the two markers or on either side of them. The first two markers mark the boundary of ‘Arafah, so they must not pass beyond them until sunset. The two posts farther on mark the boundary of Muzdalifah, and the area between them is the valley of ‘Uranah.

The pilgrim should strive earnestly in remembrance of Allah and supplication that afternoon, for Iblīs has never been seen on