Muzdalifah: Located between Arafat and Mina, within the boundaries of the Haram area.
Muzdalifah is the sacred place where the second “wukuf” (standing) is performed after the wukuf at Arafat. Covering a total area of 963 hectares, Muzdalifah, whose boundaries are marked with signs, is located 13 km away from Mecca. After the Arafat wukuf, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) arrived at Muzdalifah during the Farewell Pilgrimage. Near the Kuzah Hill, he combined the Maghrib (evening) and Isha (night) prayers and led them in congregation. Muzdalifah derives its name from “Izdilaf,” which means closeness and gathering. This name was given due to the practice of people gathering and coming together for remembrance, supplication, and wukuf (standing before Allah).
Furthermore, Muzdalifah is the place where Hz. Adam and Hz. Eve are believed to have met after leaving Arafat. It is referred to as “Cem” due to the collective performance of the Maghrib and Isha prayers together after the entrance of the Isha time.
Some scholars have suggested that the Quranic verse, “So when you have completed your rites, remember Allah like your [previous] remembrance of your fathers or with [much] greater remembrance. And among the people is he who says, ‘Our Lord, give us in this world,’ and he will have in the Hereafter no share.” (Quran, 2:200), refers to Muzdalifah. Others argue that it refers to the Kuzah Hill, where Prophet Muhammad performed the wukuf. At Muzdalifah, next to Kuzah Mountain, there is a blessed mosque called Masjid al-Mash’ar al-Haram (Masjid al-Adam).
The Muzdalifah Wukuf: Performing the wukuf (standing) at Muzdalifah is obligatory. After the Arafat wukuf, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) arrived at Muzdalifah during the Farewell Pilgrimage. Near the Kuzah Hill, he combined the Maghrib and Isha prayers and led them in congregation. After resting until dawn, he woke up early and performed the Fajr (dawn) prayer. He then mounted his camel and arrived at the Kuzah Hill, where he faced the Qibla (direction of prayer), recited takbir (Allahu Akbar) and tahleel (La ilaha illallah), and made supplications as per the command of Allah in the verse “So when you have completed your rites, remember Allah like your [previous] remembrance of your fathers or with [much] greater remembrance.” He continued the wukuf until the morning light. Before sunrise, he set off for Mina. Muzdalifah is the place where a glad tiding was given to Prophet Muhammad about the forgiveness of those who had rights over him and where the devils were humiliated.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) repeated the prayer he made for the forgiveness of his ummah (community) that he had made in Arafat and smiled. When asked about the reason for his smile, he stated that he smiled because he had learned that his prayer had been accepted by Allah and the devils had been humiliated. According to the Hanafi and Shafi’i schools of thought, spending the night from after sunset to the time of the Fajr prayer at Muzdalifah, bridging the day of Arafat and the day of Eid, is recommended; according to the Maliki school, it is commendable (mandub); according to the Hanbali school, it is desirable (mustahabb). Staying for a specific period and performing wukuf is obligatory according to these schools.
The Timing of Muzdalifah Wukuf: According to the Hanafi school, the time for the wukuf starts with the true dawn (Fajr al-Sadiq) of the Eid al-Adha day (the Feast of Sacrifice) and ends with the sunrise. Even a brief stay at Muzdalifah during this period is sufficient to fulfill the obligation. According to the Hanafi school, performing the wukuf before the true dawn or after the sunrise is not valid.
