An Analytical Evaluation of The Sectarian Perspectives of The Ruling on Staying Over-night at Minā

Abstract

An examination of the history would reveal that almost every religion or belief system possesses a form of pilgrimage with its own unique rituals and requirements. The hajj in Islam, on the other hand, is an act of fard worship that Muslims with the necessary conditions and qualifications are obliged to perform. The hajj is a form of worship that offers both individuals and Islamic societies wisdom and many beauties. It is an annual Muslim/Islamic gathering that includes religious, social, cultural, political and economic activities. On the other hand, as the hajj is performed at certain times and in limited locations, it stands out as a form of worship that naturally contains all kinds of challenges, particularly due to temporally and spatially oriented tasks and restrictions. This is because it requires a journey, a certain time frame and being in a limited place and involves its own difficulties, no matter how much the conditions have been improved over time and no matter what the opportunities are. The time of spending the night at Minā coincides with the Tarwiyah day before Arafat and the nights of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th days of the Eid after the Muzdalifa. The fukaha agree that it is sunnah to stay overnight at Minā on the day of Tarwiyah (8th day of Dhu al-Hijjah). On the other hand, the fuqaha have different views on the ruling of staying overnight at Minā, during the nights of Tashriq days. It should be noted that although the famous Islamic law schools’ rulings on pilgrimage differ, they commonly think that it is sunnah, mustahabb or wādjib to spend the night at Minā on the days of tashriq. Globally considered, worship is taabbudi in its nature, yet this does not imply that one should ignore the quest for achieving its purposeful gains. To confine worship to only certain norms and places, far from its intended goals, is in sharp contrast with the rationale for Islam’s ordering worship and the objectives it wants to achieve. Identifying and eliminating the issues that cannot be considered within the scope of the hajj, which includes many symbolic pilgrimage rituals, not only could contribute to the establishment of a healthy basis for worship but also could help eliminate the possible challenges, risks and dangers. Therefore, the Qur’anic verses related to the hajj and the normative practices and words of the Prophet (PBUH) play a major role in the performance of the pilgrimage. A belief or action that is not based on this does not qualify as worship. However, not every word and action of the Prophet can be considered as an authoritative religious order. It is hardly appropriate to infer a religious provision out of what the Prophet did, where he went or rested or the route he took during his expedition, unless he clearly stated or defined a particular action of his as a component of worship. Thus, we can evaluate the Prophet's (PBUH) overnight stay at Minā on the night of the Tarwiyah day before the day of Arafat and on the days of tashriq after Arafat from a religious perspective.