The Third Day: Heading to Mina – The Day of Sacrifice

• After offering Fajr prayer and before sunrise, the pilgrim heads for Mina, saying Talbiyah as often as he can. It is desirable for him to say while marching: “O Allah! To You I come, from Your punishment I fear, to You I head feeling awe from Your wrath. O Allah accept my act of worship, increase my reward, have mercy on my supplication and with Your grace grant me my quest”. He also says salutations upon the Prophet peace be upon him.

• When he reaches Wadi Muhassar, he fastens his march in that area and says when he comes to Mina:
“Praise be to Allah who enabled me to get here safe and healthy sound. O Allah! I came to Mina as Your slave and within your control, so I pray to You to favour me with whatever You’ve favoured Your obedient pious men. O Allah! Save me from deprivation and calamity in my faith, You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.

The tasks in Mina on the day of sacrifice (Nahr) are many, they are: Throwing of Jamarat al–Aqaba, offering of sacrifice, Halq (clipping or shaving the hair of the head), Tawaf al–Ifadah, al–Sa‘y (if he didn’t go for Sa‘y before).

1- Ramy (throwing) of Jamrat al-Aqaba:

• The pilgrim throws seven pebbles and says at each casting: “(In the name of Allah), (Allah is the Greatest), in defiance and condemnation of satan and his party and for Allah’s satisfaction”.

• The pilgrim interrupts Talbiyah when he starts al–Ramy.
• The Time of Ramy is from the dawn of yawm al – Nahr (Day of sacrifice) till the dawn of the next day but in the prophetic tradition (Al sunnah) Ramy is due between sunrise till zawal, and Ramy is allowed after sunset and until dawn but it is Makrouh (disliked) except for an acceptable excuse.
• Throwing of el-Jamra (pebble) so as to hit the stone pillar of al–Jamra or to fall within the circle surrounding it. The pilgrim stands facing al–Jamra so as to put Mina on his right and Makkah Road on his left while al–Ramy from over the bridge can be performed from any direction (as in the picture).

TIP
zawal: noon-time.

2- Shaving or shortening of hair:

• It is a must to shave or shorten the hair by at least the amount of a fingertip (2 c.m) but shaving the head completely with a razor is preferred according to the saying of The messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): Ibn Omar narrated that The messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

“May Allah have mercy upon shavers” (who shave the hair of the head) They asked: and shortners (those who shorten the hair) Messenger of Allah? He said: “ May Allah have mercy upon shavers”. They asked: ‘and shortners Messenger of Allah?’ He answerd: “May Allah have mercy upon shavers”. They asked: and shortners Messenger of Allah? He said: “ and shortners”.

As for a woman she shortens her hair just a little (the amount of a fingertip - a woman does not shave at all).

Dear brother pilgrim you should know that having your hair cut is a successful trade with Allah; for every sigle hair you cut you get a good deed, remove a bad deed and gets you a higher degree.

• It is advised when shaving to say: “ Praise be to Allah for his right guidance, praise be to Allah for the favors He bestowed upon us. O Allah! This is my forehead (means I am totally obedient), so accept from me and forgive my wrong deeds”. “ O Allah! Forgive me and the shavers and the shortners. My Lord, You are ample in forgiveness – Ameen”. After he finishes shaving or clipping his hair, he says: (praise be to Allah who helped us to perform this act of worship).

When the pilgrim does that, he releases himself for the smallest release (al-Tahalul al-asghar) from Ihram. He is allowed to do whatever was not allowed during Ihram except for sexual intercourse and its causes, which are not allowed till he goes to cicumambulate round the Ka‘bah for Tawaf – al-Ifadah.

>> Tawaf Al-Ifadah