Standing at 'Arafa

A pillar by consensus

Ibn al-Mundhir reports: they agreed that the standing at Arafa is a duty without which there is no hajj, and Ibn Rushd adds: they agreed on its rank as pillar, and that whoever misses it owes the hajj the following year. Ibn Qudama says he knows of no divergence on the last moment being the dawn of the day of sacrifice.

The hours of the standing

The last moment is unanimous: the dawn of the tenth day, on the hadith of Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya'mur: people of Najd asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "How is the hajj?" He said: "The hajj is Arafa: whoever comes before the dawn prayer of the Friday night (the tenth) has completed his hajj" (reported by at-Tirmidhi 889). And the hadith of Urwa ibn Mudarris: "Whoever attended our prayer and stood with us until we departed, having stood at Arafa by night or day before, has completed his hajj" (reported by at-Tirmidhi). The beginning: the Hanafis, Malikis and Shafi'is fix it at midday (the zenith) of Arafa's day: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) only stood after the zenith and said: "Take from me your rites". Ibn Abd al-Barr reports the agreement: standing before the zenith does not count, and whoever leaves Arafa before sunset without returning has missed the hajj. The Hanbalis run the standing from the ninth's dawn to the tenth's, on Urwa's hadith: the day counts like the night.

Leaving before sunset

Whoever stands after the zenith then leaves Arafa before sunset without returning: the Hanafis, the Hanbalis in the madhhab, al-Shafi'i in one view and some Malikis (al-Lakhmi, Ibn al-Arabi, and the view towards which Ibn Abd al-Barr inclines) judge his standing counted but an animal due, for he left the duty of remaining till sunset. The Shafi'is in the soundest view impose nothing, combining night and day being a sunna with them, with a fidya merely preferable.

The crowd: may one stand at Namira or Arana?

No, according to the majority (Hanafis, Shafi'is, Hanbalis, and some Malikis), with a consensus reported by Ibn Abd al-Barr: "All of Arafa is a standing place, but keep away from the belly of Arana" (reported by Ibn Abd al-Barr in al-Istidhkar). Ibn Qudama: the valley of Arana is not part of the standing. Malik has a narration: whoever stands there owes an animal and his hajj is complete; Abu al-Mus'ab judges him like one who did not stand, and al-Shafi'i says: no hajj for him.

The unconscious pilgrim and one who does not reach Arafa

The scholars agree: a single minute of conscious presence, by night or day, at Arafa completes the hajj, even if one faints afterwards. If he is unconscious the whole duration: Hanafis, Malikis and Ata judge his standing valid: al-Sarakhsi compares it to fasting performed by the unconscious; al-Shafi'i requires him to regain consciousness aiming at Arafa, and Ahmad hesitated, before Ahmad, Ishaq and Abu Thawr followed the latter view in a version. Whoever cannot enter Arafa before dawn: the agreement judges his hajj missed, whatever the reason, and Ibn Abd al-Barr notes this agreement holds even for one who missed Arafa until the day of sacrifice after entering ihram: his hajj is made up with a recognised excuse.

The day's sunnas

Leaving Mecca for Mina on the day of Tarwiya after sunrise, praying the five prayers there and spending the night there is a sunna by consensus, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did. The walk from Mina to Arafa in the morning after dawn is a sunna by the fuqaha's agreement. And during the standing: multiplying invocation and talbiya, at Arafa more than anywhere else.

Practical note

From midday to the next dawn, being anywhere within Arafa suffices for validity; leaving early before sunset engages an animal according to most. In a crowd, stay within Arafa's bounds rather than seeking Namira or Arana.