Elderly, sick, weak jamaah haji, women, children, and their caregivers may leave Muzdalifah after midnight — this was Nabi's explicit concession to protect vulnerable jamaah haji from crowd danger.
Yes, Nabi (shallallahu alaihi wa sallam) explicitly granted a concession for weak and vulnerable jamaah haji to leave Muzdalifah after midnight, before the Fajr shalat. He permitted his wife Sawda bint Zam'ah and other members of his family who were weak to leave early and proceed to Mina ahead of the main body of jamaah haji. This was done to protect them from the crush of crowds during the mass departure at dawn.
This concession applies to: elderly jamaah haji, those with illness or physical weakness, women (especially those who may face difficulty in crowds), young children, and the companions or caregivers of any of these groups. The caregiver's concession is important — if an elderly person needs assistance, their helper may also leave early.
Those who depart early should proceed directly to Mina and perform the stoning of Jamarat al-Aqabah (the largest pillar) before the main crowd arrives. This is actually a significant practical advantage, as the stoning area becomes extremely congested later in the day. The minimum time threshold for the concession is after midnight — leaving before midnight without a genuine darurat would mean missing the wajib of the Muzdalifah stay, which requires compensation (fidyah).
Sawda asked the Messenger of Allah (shallallahu alaihi wa sallam) for permission to leave Muzdalifah before him and before the rush of people, as she was a heavy (slow) woman. He gave her permission.
Sawda asked the Messenger of Allah (shallallahu alaihi wa sallam) for permission to leave Muzdalifah before him and before the rush of people, as she was a heavy (slow) woman. He gave her permission.
Source: Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari
Sawda asked the Messenger of Allah (shallallahu alaihi wa sallam) for permission to leave Muzdalifah before him and before the rush of people, as she was a heavy (slow) woman. He gave her permission.
Sahih al-Bukhari #1681 (sahih)