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The 10th of Dhul Hijjah (Yawm al-Nahr / Eid al-Adha) is the busiest day of Hajj with multiple rites. Pilgrims pray Fajr at Muzdalifah, make dua at al-Mash'ar al-Haram, return to Mina, stone Jamarat al-Aqabah with 7 pebbles, offer their sacrifice, shave or cut their hair (achieving partial release from ihram), then go to Makkah for Tawaf al-Ifadah and Sa'i to complete the pillar rites of Hajj.
Pray Fajr at its earliest time at Muzdalifah. After praying, face the qiblah and make dua at al-Mash'ar al-Haram until the sky brightens considerably (isfar). Allah mentions this site specifically in the Quran: 'Then when you pour forth from Arafat, remember Allah at al-Mash'ar al-Haram' (2:198). This is an often-neglected sunnah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stood making dua here until the light was very bright, then departed before sunrise.
Depart Muzdalifah before sunrise and proceed to Mina. When you reach the valley of Muhassir (between Muzdalifah and Mina), quicken your pace, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did. This is the valley where Allah destroyed the army of Abrahah and his elephant. Continue reciting the Talbiyah 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 Jamarat al-Aqabah (the largest pillar, closest to Makkah) 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 Talbiyah when you throw the first pebble — the Talbiyah ends here. The time for stoning on the 10th begins after sunrise according to the majority, though throwing after midnight is valid for those with excuses.
After stoning, offer the sacrificial animal (hady). This is wajib for the mutamatti' (one performing Hajj al-Tamattu') and the qaarin (Hajj al-Qiran). It is not required for the mufrid (Hajj al-Ifrad). The sacrifice can be a sheep, goat, or one-seventh of a cow or camel. Most pilgrims today purchase a voucher through the Saudi Adahi project or authorized slaughterhouses, which handle the slaughter and distribution on the pilgrim's behalf. The meat is distributed to the poor of the Haram and beyond.
After the sacrifice, men shave their heads completely (halq) or cut their hair short (taqsir). Shaving is strongly preferred — the Prophet (peace be upon him) made dua 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 tahallul (partial release from ihram) is achieved: all ihram restrictions are lifted EXCEPT marital relations. You may now wear normal clothes, apply perfume, and cut your nails.
Travel to Masjid al-Haram in Makkah and perform Tawaf al-Ifadah (also called Tawaf al-Ziyarah). This is a rukn (pillar) of Hajj — without it, Hajj is incomplete. Perform seven circuits around the Ka'bah starting from the Black Stone corner, moving counter-clockwise. There is no raml (jogging) or idtiba' (baring the right shoulder) in this tawaf — those are specific to Tawaf al-Qudum only. After completing seven circuits, pray two rak'at behind Maqam Ibrahim if possible, or anywhere in the mosque.
After Tawaf al-Ifadah, perform Sa'i — walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah (Safa to Marwah is one, Marwah to Safa is two, ending at Marwah on the seventh). Begin at Safa, ascend it, face the Ka'bah, and make dua. Men jog lightly between the green markers. This Sa'i is required for those performing Hajj al-Tamattu'. Those performing Hajj al-Ifrad or Hajj al-Qiran who already performed Sa'i after Tawaf al-Qudum do not need to repeat it according to the majority.
After completing Tawaf al-Ifadah and Sa'i, the second tahallul (complete release from ihram) is achieved — all restrictions are now lifted, including marital relations. Return to Mina to spend the nights of the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul Hijjah (the Days of Tashreeq). The order of rites on the 10th — stoning, sacrifice, shaving, tawaf — is the sunnah order, but performing them in a different order carries no penalty according to the majority of scholars, based on the hadith where the Prophet was asked about changing the order and he said: 'Do it, and there is no harm.'