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Mina — The Valley of the Sacrifice: Hajj at the Jamarat and the Days of Tashriq

مِنى — وَادِي الأُضحِيَة: الحَجُّ عِندَ الجَمَرَاتِ وَأَيَّامُ التَّشرِيق
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Mina (مِنى — a valley approximately 5 miles east of Mecca, between Muzdalifah and Mecca; the site of the three stone pillars [Jamarat] representing the stations where Ibrahim [Abraham] repelled Shaytan, and where the climactic acts of Hajj take place: the stoning of the Jamarat, the animal sacrifice [Udhiyya/Qurbani], and the shaving/cutting of hair [halq/taqsir]) is the place where Hajj reaches its culminating acts over three or four days (10th-12th or 10th-13th Dhu al-Hijja — the *ayyam al-tashriq*, the Days of Tashriq). On the 10th Dhu al-Hijja (Eid al-Adha), the Hajji performs four acts in order: (1) stone the largest Jamara (Jamarat al-'Aqaba) with seven pebbles; (2) perform the Udhiyya sacrifice; (3) shave or cut the hair; (4) return to Mecca for the tawaf al-ifada and sa'ee. After these four acts, the Hajji exits the major ihram state and may return to normal dress — though relations with spouses remain prohibited until the tawaf al-ifada is completed.

The Geography and the Jamarat

Mina is the valley through which the road from Mecca to ‘Arafah and Muzdalifah passes. Three stone pillars (Jamarat) stand at different points:

These represent the three stations where Ibrahim (AS) encountered Shaytan trying to dissuade him from obeying Allah’s command to sacrifice Ishmael, and where he repelled Shaytan by throwing stones. The ritual stoning (ramy al-jamarat) re-enacts and affirms Ibrahim’s rejection of satanic temptation.

The Ritual Sequence on 10th Dhu al-Hijja (Eid al-Adha)

1. Stoning the Great Jamara (Jamarat al-‘Aqaba): After arriving from Muzdalifah before sunrise, the pilgrim throws seven pebbles at the Great Jamara, saying “Allahu Akbar” with each throw. Only the Great Jamara is stoned on this day; the other two are stoned on subsequent days.

2. Udhiyya (Animal Sacrifice): After stoning, the pilgrim sacrifices an animal — a sheep/goat (sufficient for one person), or a cow/camel shared among seven people. Modern Hajj infrastructure includes organized sacrifice vouchers where pilgrims pay and the animal is sacrificed on their behalf in Mina’s slaughterhouses.

3. Halq or Taqsir (Hair cutting): After sacrifice, men shave their heads (halq — the Sunnah) or cut their hair significantly (taqsir). Women cut a small portion (fingertip length) of their hair.

4. Tawaf al-Ifada: Return to Mecca for the tawaf al-ifada (also called tawaf al-ziyara) — the required tawaf of the Ka’ba that completes Hajj proper, followed by sa’ee.

Ayyam al-Tashriq — 11th, 12th, and 13th Dhu al-Hijja

Pilgrims spend the nights of 11th and 12th (and optionally 13th) in Mina — the mabit (overnight stay) is wajib. Each day, all three Jamarat are stoned in sequence (the First, Middle, then Great), seven pebbles each, after Dhuhr.

Pilgrims who leave after the 12th (nafr awwal — early departure) are in the Sunnah; those who stay through the 13th (nafr thani — late departure) gain additional merit.

The nights in Mina are communal — millions of tents in designated national areas, the sense of a temporary city wholly devoted to worship. The tashriq days also see the continuous recitation of Takbir (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahil hamd) by pilgrims throughout — the same Takbir Muslims worldwide say after every prayer from 9th-13th Dhu al-Hijja.

See also: Masjid Al Haram, Ihram, Arafah, Muzdalifah, Jamarat, Halq Taqsir, Tawaf

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