The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah: stoning Jamrat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, and shaving
The order of rites on Eid day: throwing seven pebbles at Jamrat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, and cutting the hair; and who the sacrifice is obligatory for.
The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah is Eid day. Three things happen in Mina, in this order: stoning a pillar, the sacrifice, and cutting the hair.
The order of Eid day
- Pick up small pebbles, about the size of a chickpea, on the way from Muzdalifah to Mina.
- Stand a little way from Jamrat al-Aqabah, with the Kaʿbah on your left, and throw seven pebbles at it, one at a time, saying the dua each time.
- Stop saying the Talbiyah as soon as you throw the very first pebble.
- Never pick up and reuse pebbles lying around the pillar; bring your own.
- Next, an animal is sacrificed (a goat, sheep, cow or camel, depending on the type of Hajj).
- After the sacrifice, cut your hair: a man shaves his head or trims it, saying the dua for that too.
- Once this is done, everything that ihram made forbidden becomes allowed again, except being intimate with your spouse, which only becomes allowed after the Tawaf of Ziyarah.
| Type of Hajj | The sacrifice |
|---|---|
| Hajj alone (Ifrad) | Mustahabb (recommended), not required |
| Hajj and Umrah combined in one ihram (Qiran) | Wajib (must do) |
| Umrah then Hajj, in two separate ihrams (Tamattu) | Wajib (must do) |
Someone who must sacrifice but cannot afford it fasts ten days instead: three before the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, and seven after the Days of Tashriq.
بِسْمِ اللهِ اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ رَغْمًا لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَ حِزْبِهٖ وَ رِضًى لِلرَّحْمٰنِ وَ لُطْفِهٖ اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ حَجًا مُبْرُورًا وَ سَعَيًا مَّشْكُورًا وَ ذَنْبًا مَّغْفُورًا
Bismillāhi'llāhu akbar raghman li'sh-shayṭāni wa ḥizbih, wa riḍan li'r-raḥmāni wa luṭfih. Allāhumma'jʿalhu ḥajjan mabrūran wa saʿyan mashkūran wa dhanban maghfūrā.
In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest. In humiliation of Shaytan and his allies, and for the pleasure and mercy of Allah. O Allah! Make this a Hajj that is accepted, an effort that is appreciated, and a sin that is forgiven.
اِنِّی وَ جَهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفاً وَّمَآ أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ صَلٰوتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ وَ بِذٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَ أَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اَللّٰهُمَّ تَقَبَّلۡ مِنِّي هذَا النُّسُكَ وَ اجْعَلۡهَا قُرْبَانًا لِوَجْهِكَ وَ عَظِّمۡ أَجْرِى عَلَيْهَا
Innī wajjahtu wajhiya lilladhī faṭara's-samāwāti wa'l-arḍa ḥanīfan wa mā anā mina'l-mushrikīn. Inna ṣalātī wa nusukī wa maḥyāya wa mamātī lillāhi rabbi'l-ʿālamīn, lā sharīka lah, wa bi-dhālika umirtu wa ana awwalu'l-muslimīn. Allāhumma taqabbal minnī hādha'n-nusuka wa'jʿalhā qurbānan li-wajhika wa ʿaẓẓim ajrī ʿalayhā.
Indeed, I have turned my face straight towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, inclining towards the truth, and I am not among those who associate partners with Allah. Verily, my prayers, my rites of sacrifice, my life, and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. He has no partner, and with this I have been commanded, and I am the first of those who submit. O Allah! Accept this sacrifice from me and make it a means of seeking closeness to You and greatly reward me for it.
Eid day, the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, follows a fixed order: the stoning of Jamrat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, and the cutting of the hair.
The rites of the 10th, in order
- Collect pebbles the size of a chickpea or broad bean from Muzdalifah before continuing to Mina.
- Stand at least five yards from Jamrat al-Aqabah, with the mound to the right and the Kaʿbah to the left, and throw seven pebbles one at a time (using the right hand's thumb and forefinger, or holding the pebble between the fingertips), reciting the dua with each throw. Each pebble must land on the Jamrah itself, or within three yards of it; a pebble that misses is replaced with another.
- Raise the throwing hand high enough for the armpit to show, as a matter of sunnah practice.
- Talbiyah is discontinued the moment the first pebble is thrown, whatever kind of ihram (Ifrad, Qiran, or Tamattu) is being observed.
- Never pick up pebbles already lying at the Jamarat to reuse: an accepted pelting is said to have its pebbles carried off by angels, while an unaccepted one leaves them behind, so reusing them is disliked, though not invalid if done.
- Once finished, return to one's place while making dua, rather than lingering and inconveniencing others behind.
- The sacrifice follows. It is recited over before or after slaughtering, and it is recommended that the head and legs of the animal be black against an otherwise white body, with two legs and one foreleg bound, the face held with the left hand, and the slaughter made with the right hand facing the Qiblah.
- After the sacrifice, the hair is shaved or trimmed exactly as described for Umrah, with the same takbir and dua.
| Type of Hajj | Ruling on the sacrifice |
|---|---|
| Ifrad (Hajj alone) | Mustahabb |
| Qiran (Hajj and Umrah in one ihram) | Wajib |
| Tamattu (Umrah then Hajj, in separate ihrams) | Wajib |
A Qarin or Mutamatti unable to afford the sacrifice fasts ten days instead: three before the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, and seven after the Days of Tashriq, as an act of thankfulness.
The meat of a sacrifice offered as expiation for a violation of ihram belongs to the poor alone. Neither the person offering it nor a wealthy person may eat from it, and it may not be given to one's own direct ascendants or descendants (parents, grandparents, children), one's spouse, or one's own slaves or servants, though it may be given to poor siblings, or to a non-Muslim living under Muslim protection (dhimmi). This restriction does not apply to the recommended Ifrad sacrifice or the wajib sacrifice of Qiran/Tamattu, from which the pilgrim may eat and may feed rich and poor alike.
The sacrifice of Qiran and Tamattu must be slaughtered within the Haram, between the 10th and the 12th of Dhul-Hijjah. Made before this window, or outside the Haram, it is not valid, except a sacrifice offered for a vow, or a purely voluntary one, either of which may be offered before or after the 10th.
بِسْمِ اللهِ اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ رَغْمًا لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَ حِزْبِهٖ وَ رِضًى لِلرَّحْمٰنِ وَ لُطْفِهٖ اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ حَجًا مُبْرُورًا وَ سَعَيًا مَّشْكُورًا وَ ذَنْبًا مَّغْفُورًا
Bismillāhi'llāhu akbar raghman li'sh-shayṭāni wa ḥizbih, wa riḍan li'r-raḥmāni wa luṭfih. Allāhumma'jʿalhu ḥajjan mabrūran wa saʿyan mashkūran wa dhanban maghfūrā.
In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest. In humiliation of Shaytan and his allies, and for the pleasure and mercy of Allah. O Allah! Make this a Hajj that is accepted, an effort that is appreciated, and a sin that is forgiven.
اِنِّی وَ جَهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفاً وَّمَآ أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ صَلٰوتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ وَ بِذٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَ أَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اَللّٰهُمَّ تَقَبَّلۡ مِنِّي هذَا النُّسُكَ وَ اجْعَلۡهَا قُرْبَانًا لِوَجْهِكَ وَ عَظِّمۡ أَجْرِى عَلَيْهَا
Innī wajjahtu wajhiya lilladhī faṭara's-samāwāti wa'l-arḍa ḥanīfan wa mā anā mina'l-mushrikīn. Inna ṣalātī wa nusukī wa maḥyāya wa mamātī lillāhi rabbi'l-ʿālamīn, lā sharīka lah, wa bi-dhālika umirtu wa ana awwalu'l-muslimīn. Allāhumma taqabbal minnī hādha'n-nusuka wa'jʿalhā qurbānan li-wajhika wa ʿaẓẓim ajrī ʿalayhā.
Indeed, I have turned my face straight towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, inclining towards the truth, and I am not among those who associate partners with Allah. Verily, my prayers, my rites of sacrifice, my life, and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. He has no partner, and with this I have been commanded, and I am the first of those who submit. O Allah! Accept this sacrifice from me and make it a means of seeking closeness to You and greatly reward me for it.
Yawm al-Naḥr, the 10th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, carries three rites in a fixed sequence: Ramy al-Jamrat al-ʿAqabah, the sacrifice, and ḥalq or taqṣīr.
The rites of Yawm al-Naḥr, in order
- Pebbles the size of a chickpea or broad bean are gathered at Muzdalifah before proceeding to Minā.
- Standing at least five yards from Jamrat al-ʿAqabah, the earthen mound to the right and the Kaʿbah to the left, seven pebbles are cast one at a time (the pebble set on the thumbnail and struck off with the forefinger, or held at the fingertips and thrown, whichever is easiest), reciting the duʿā at each throw. Each pebble must reach the Jamrah or land within three yards of it; a pebble falling short is replaced.
- The throwing hand is raised high enough to expose the armpit, per the sunnah method.
- Talbiyah ceases at the first pebble, regardless of the ihram type (Mufrid, Qārin, or Mutamattiʿ alike).
- Pebbles already at the Jamarāt are not reused: an accepted Ramy is said to have its pebbles removed by the angels, an unaccepted one leaving them in place, making reuse makrūh though not invalidating if done. A pebble that slips from the hand may be retrieved and thrown without issue.
- The pilgrim withdraws promptly after the throw, making duʿā en route, rather than lingering to the inconvenience of those behind.
- The sacrifice follows, its duʿā recited before or after slaughter; an animal black at the head and legs against an otherwise white body is preferred, two legs and one foreleg bound, the face held with the left hand, and the throat cut with the right, facing the qiblah.
- Ḥalq or taqṣīr then follows exactly as described for ʿUmrah, with the same takbīr and duʿā.
| Type of iḥrām | Ruling on the sacrifice |
|---|---|
| Ifrād (Ḥajj alone) | Mustaḥabb; some hold it wājib for a Makkī |
| Qirān (Ḥajj and ʿUmrah in one iḥrām) | Wājib |
| Tamattuʿ (ʿUmrah, then Ḥajj in a separate iḥrām) | Wājib |
Where a Qārin or Mutamattiʿ cannot afford it, ten fasts substitute: three before the 10th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, and seven after the Days of Tashrīq, offered as fasts of thankfulness (shukr), during which eating from, and feeding both rich and poor from, this particular sacrifice remains permitted.
A sacrifice offered as kaffārah for a violation (jināyah) is the exclusive right of the poor: it may not be eaten by the offerer or by a wealthy person, nor given to one's own ascendants or descendants (parents, grandparents, children and their line), one's spouse, or one's own slaves or servants, though poor siblings and a dhimmī may receive it. This restriction is peculiar to kaffārah sacrifices; it does not extend to the mustaḥabb sacrifice of Ifrād or the wājib sacrifice of Qirān/Tamattuʿ.
The sacrifice of Qirān and Tamattuʿ must be offered within the Ḥaram, between the 10th and the 12th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah; offered before this window or outside the Ḥaram, it does not discharge the obligation, excepting a sacrifice for a vow (nadhr) or a purely voluntary one, each of which may be offered before or after the 10th without this restriction.
بِسْمِ اللهِ اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ رَغْمًا لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَ حِزْبِهٖ وَ رِضًى لِلرَّحْمٰنِ وَ لُطْفِهٖ اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ حَجًا مُبْرُورًا وَ سَعَيًا مَّشْكُورًا وَ ذَنْبًا مَّغْفُورًا
Bismillāhi'llāhu akbar raghman li'sh-shayṭāni wa ḥizbih, wa riḍan li'r-raḥmāni wa luṭfih. Allāhumma'jʿalhu ḥajjan mabrūran wa saʿyan mashkūran wa dhanban maghfūrā.
In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest. In humiliation of Shaytan and his allies, and for the pleasure and mercy of Allah. O Allah! Make this a Hajj that is accepted, an effort that is appreciated, and a sin that is forgiven.
اِنِّی وَ جَهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفاً وَّمَآ أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ صَلٰوتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ وَ بِذٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَ أَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اَللّٰهُمَّ تَقَبَّلۡ مِنِّي هذَا النُّسُكَ وَ اجْعَلۡهَا قُرْبَانًا لِوَجْهِكَ وَ عَظِّمۡ أَجْرِى عَلَيْهَا
Innī wajjahtu wajhiya lilladhī faṭara's-samāwāti wa'l-arḍa ḥanīfan wa mā anā mina'l-mushrikīn. Inna ṣalātī wa nusukī wa maḥyāya wa mamātī lillāhi rabbi'l-ʿālamīn, lā sharīka lah, wa bi-dhālika umirtu wa ana awwalu'l-muslimīn. Allāhumma taqabbal minnī hādha'n-nusuka wa'jʿalhā qurbānan li-wajhika wa ʿaẓẓim ajrī ʿalayhā.
Indeed, I have turned my face straight towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, inclining towards the truth, and I am not among those who associate partners with Allah. Verily, my prayers, my rites of sacrifice, my life, and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. He has no partner, and with this I have been commanded, and I am the first of those who submit. O Allah! Accept this sacrifice from me and make it a means of seeking closeness to You and greatly reward me for it.
Following ḥalq or taqṣīr, every prohibition of iḥrām lapses save one: intimacy with one's spouse remains forbidden until Tawaf al-Ziyārah has also been performed.
Terms on this page
Related
- The fard, wajib and sunnah acts of Hajj and Umrah, at a glance The five acts Hajj cannot be valid without, the thirty-one wajib acts, the emphasised sunnahs, and what invalidates Hajj or Umrah outright.
- The days of Hajj, from the 8th to the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, at a glance A day-by-day timetable of Hajj's rites, from the Day of Tarwiyah to leaving Mina, together with the three sermons and the exemption from Eid prayer.
- The Days of Tashriq: stoning all three Jamarat, and leaving Mina Stoning the three Jamarat on the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, the choice of leaving early or staying, and the stop at Muhassab.
- Hajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining them How Hajj and Umrah differ, and the three recognised ways of performing them together: Ifrad, Tamattu' and Qiran.