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The 10th of ذو الحجة (يوم النحر / Eid al-Adha) is the busiest day of الحج with multiple rites. Pilgrims pray Fajr at مزدلفة, make دعاء at al-Mash'ar al-Haram, return to منى, stone الجمرات al-Aqabah with 7 pebbles, offer their sacrifice, shave or cut their hair (achieving partial release from الإحرام), then go to مكة for الطواف al-Ifadah and السعي to complete the pillar rites of الحج.
Pray Fajr at its earliest time at مزدلفة. After praying, face the القبلةh and make دعاء at al-Mash'ar al-Haram until the sky brightens considerably (isfar). Allah mentions this site specifically in القرآن: 'Then when you pour forth from عرفة, remember Allah at al-Mash'ar al-Haram' (2:198). This is an often-neglected سنة. النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) stood making دعاء here until the light was very bright, then departed before sunrise.
Depart مزدلفة before sunrise and proceed to منى. When you reach the valley of Muhassir (between مزدلفة and منى), quicken your pace, as النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did. This is the valley where Allah destroyed the army of Abrahah and his elephant. Continue reciting the التلبية until you begin the stoning.
These are the most frequent errors pilgrims make during this stage of Hajj.
Scholarly references supporting this guidance from established Islamic sources.
On the 10th, ONLY الجمرات al-Aqabah (the largest pillar, closest to مكة) is stoned. Throw 7 pebbles, one at a time, saying 'Bismillah, Allahu Akbar' with each throw. The pebbles should be slightly larger than a chickpea. Throw them at the concrete wall/pillar (not the basin). Stop reciting the التلبية when you throw the first pebble — the التلبية ends here. The time for stoning on the 10th begins after sunrise عند the majority, though throwing after midnight is valid for those with excuses.
After stoning, offer the sacrificial animal (هدي). This is واجب for the mutamatti' (one performing الحج al-Tamattu') and the qaarin (الحج al-Qiran). It is not required for the mufrid (الحج al-Ifrad). The sacrifice can be a sheep, goat, or one-seventh of a cow or camel. Most الحجاج today purchase a voucher through the Saudi Adahi project or authorized slaughterhouses, which handle the slaughter and distribution on the الحاج's behalf. The meat is distributed to the poor of the Haram and beyond.
After the sacrifice, men shave their heads completely (الحلق) or cut their hair short (التقصير). Shaving is strongly preferred — النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) made دعاء three times for those who shave and only once for those who cut. Women cut approximately a fingertip's length from the ends of their hair. After this, the first التحلل (partial release from الإحرام) is achieved: all الإحرام restrictions are lifted EXCEPT marital relations. You may now wear normal clothes, apply perfume, and cut your nails.
Travel to المسجد الحرام in مكة and perform الطواف al-Ifadah (also called الطواف al-Ziyarah). This is a ركن (pillar) of الحج — without it, الحج is incomplete. Perform seven circuits around the الكعبة starting from the الحجر الأسود corner, moving counter-clockwise. There is no raml (jogging) or idtiba' (baring the right shoulder) in this الطواف — those are specific to الطواف al-Qudum only. After completing seven circuits, pray two ركعة behind مقام إبراهيم if possible, or anywhere in the مسجد.
After الطواف al-Ifadah, perform السعي — walking seven times between the hills of الصفا and المروةh (الصفا to المروةh is one, المروةh to الصفا is two, ending at المروةh on the seventh). Begin at الصفا, ascend it, face the الكعبة, and make دعاء. Men jog lightly between the green markers. This السعي is required for those performing الحج al-Tamattu'. Those performing الحج al-Ifrad or الحج al-Qiran who already performed السعي after الطواف al-Qudum do not need to repeat it عند the majority.
After completing الطواف al-Ifadah and السعي, the second التحلل (complete release from الإحرام) is achieved — all restrictions are now lifted, including marital relations. Return to منى to spend the nights of the 11th, 12th, and 13th of ذو الحجة (the Days of التشريق). The order of rites on the 10th — stoning, sacrifice, shaving, الطواف — is the سنة order, but performing them in a different order carries no penalty عند جمهور العلماء, based on the hadith where النبي was asked about changing the order and he said: 'Do it, and there is no harm.'