Islamic Fiqh > Hajj and umra > Muzdalifa and the stoning of the jamrat
Standing at Muzdalifa, collecting the pebbles, stoning the jamrat on the day of sacrifice and the following days.
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Updated on 31 August 2026 at 3:55 AM
The Malikis require setting camp at Muzdalifa during the night of sacrifice; spending the night there is a sunna: whoever passes without alighting owes an animal (al-Qarafi adds: departing with the imam, he is quit). The Shafi'is and Hanbalis require presence after midnight, even a brief instant: leaving before it without returning, he abandoned the night; returning before dawn, his stay counts. Ibn Abbas reports: "I was among those the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent ahead, for the weakness of their families, from Muzdalifa to Mina"; and Asma, on the departure night, twice asked whether the moon had disappeared, then said: "Depart", and they threw the pebble before returning to pray dawn: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had permitted the women to leave (al-Bukhari 1595, Muslim 1291). Malik: whoever passes without alighting owes an animal; whoever alights departs when he wills. Al-Tahawi: leaving overnight without an excuse engages an animal; with an excuse, nothing.
Four days of throwing: the tenth of Dhul-Hijja, then the three days called of tashriq. The day of sacrifice: only jamrat al-'Aqaba, with seven pebbles. The preferred time: after sunrise: Ibn Abd al-Barr reports the scholars' agreement that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) threw in the morning; Jabir said: "He threw in the morning, then threw after midday". Thrown before midnight of the tenth's night: never counts, by agreement. The catch-up window divides into three: the Shafi'is, the Hanbalis, Ata, Ibn Abi Mulayka, al-Awza'i and al-Sha'bi open it at midnight, on the permission given to Asma and to Umm Salama who threw before dawn; Abu Hanifa holds night and day equivalent, citing the word reported from Ibn Abbas: "The shepherd keeps by day and throws by night". Ibn al-Qayyim reconciles: children are ordered to throw only after sunrise (no excuse for them); women were granted the anticipation by excuse, the feared crowd; the able and healthy man has no such right.
Three jamras in order, seven pebbles each: the small one near the mosque al-Khayf, then the middle one, then al-'Aqaba. The order is a duty for the majority; Ahmad states it plainly: inverted, only the first throwing counts and one repeats; Abu Hanifa does not require the order. Their time: after midday, according to the majority (Malikis, Shafi'is, Hanbalis and Abu Hanifa's famous narration), companions (Umar, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar) and successors; Ibn Umar said: "We watched for the zenith's passing to throw". Malik, in al-Muwatta, and al-Shafi'i: throwing before the zenith must be redone; Abu Hanifa and a narration of Ahmad allow advancing the third day's throwing after dawn.
The throwing's last term: sunset of the thirteenth (the fourth day's end); Ibn Abd al-Barr reports the agreement: whoever has not thrown by that sunset will never throw again and repairs by an animal or food according to the schools. School detail: Abu Hanifa fixes al-'Aqaba's end at the next dawn (delay beyond: an animal with him, nothing with Abu Yusuf and Muhammad); Malikis: after sunset, an animal; Shafi'is and Hanbalis: end at the thirteenth's sunset. For whoever missed everything: Malik imposes an animal; Abu Hanifa: an animal for the whole, and for each missed jamra half a sa' of wheat to a poor person, up to an animal's worth, except al-'Aqaba which requires the animal alone.
After the second tashriq day's throwing, leaving for Mecca is allowed, upon "...no sin upon him who hastens on two days" (al-Baqara 203): the third day's throwing falls away by agreement (first nafar). The three imams (Malik, al-Shafi'i, Ahmad) require departure before sunset; Abu Hanifa allows it until the fourth's dawn. In total the pilgrim throws seventy pebbles: seven on the day of sacrifice after sunrise, the rest on the three days after midday.
Throwing from upper floors: a recent question without a specific text from the ancients, but their indications allow it: Malik said, asked about throwing al-'Aqaba from above: "throwing from below is dearer to me, yet from above counts"; al-Qari and al-Hattab explain: the jamra is the throwing place, not only the pillar's foot. The sick man may be represented: Ahmad prefers him to attend if he can, else his delegate throws from his camp, a pebble in his hand if possible, and his fainting does not cut the delegation; al-Shafi'i and Malik teach the same, the sick man saying seven takbirs at the throwing moment.
Seventy pebbles gathered at Muzdalifa, the throwings after midday the three days, and no departure before the second day's throwing without giving up the third. The crowd is managed by floors and delegation, not by leaving the jamras' bounds.