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HAJJ PRACTICALITIES
A] "Pedal" (Walking) Hujjaajj
From Masjid-e-Namerah to Masjid-e-Mashar al Haram is 6.4 km but walking time could be as much as two hours, as everybody is going together to one place at the same time, hence the pace is slower. Note that this is the same route you had used earlier on when going from Mina to Arafat.
All roads are brightly lit up.
On reaching Muzdalifah the colour of the street light changes indicating its boundary.
Toilet/Wudhu blocks, drinking water taps, food etc., found on the way.
In Muzdalifah, everybody is sleeping in the open, either on tarmac or sand, wherever one has laid his bedding. Your two bed sheets brought from your hometown can come in quite handy here.
Locate some identifiable landmarks, as it is extremely easy to get disorientated here.
Do not camp near Masjid-e-Muzdalifah but carry on until where Muzdalifah boundary ends and then camp near a toilet/Wudhu/drinking water facility. The boundary is again marked by colour-coded billboards purple in colour. From experience it has been seen that an area around any government office, (e.g. police station, etc.), is much cleaner than other public areas. In addition, ablution facilities here are better too.
Refreshments are being sold by vendors near these facilities.
Do not forget to pray your Maghrib and Esha together!
Collect about 80 pebbles each and wash them.
You will be too tired for any form of Ibaadat, thus go to sleep, (you will be surprised how well you will sleep on a hard surface, with lights shining in your face and all sorts of noise around you!).
Men and women “camp” next to one another in gender-separated groups. Work out a method of communicating with your spouse without inconveniencing or embarrassing others.
Ensure you wake up early as there is a lot of congestion, (albeit orderly queues), at the toilets. Of late, many new ablution blocks constructed to alleviate congestion.
Pray Fajr at its earliest time and thereafter perform your Wuqoof.
Now proceed towards the Muzdalifah boundary but only leave for Mina about two minutes BEFORE sunrise.
B] Non-Pedal Hujjaajj
Bus journey can take long as all the buses are headed in the same direction at the same time.
Generally, the buses have difficulty in reaching Muzdalifah, dropping you on the outskirts. Ensure that you are dropped in Muzdalifah by looking out for the boundary billboards and change in colour of the street lights.
Buses will drop you at a designated place and will return to pick you up from the same place but do not rely on this.
Some times the buses may leave you at the correct place in Muzdalifah but may either not come or come very late to collect you for your onward journey to Mina. Hence be prepared to walk. This is a better option.
You may have to perform your Wuqoof in the bus as the drivers are always in a hurry and you may have no say.
Invariably you will leave Muzdalifah AFTER sunrise, not before, because of the queues.
May reach Mina 5 - 6 hours later because of extreme traffic congestion. Thus ensure you have ample drinking water and foodstuff with you.
The recently-built train system transports Hujjaajj within 10 minutes to Muzdalifah! As yet, most South African tour operators are studying this option before offering it to their clients in the future.
MUZDALIFAH (NIGHT OF THE 9TH OF ZIL HAJJ)
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