Al-Hajj Al-Mabroor

We have aforesaid that the Hajj rituals moves us outside the
sphere of general free choice to that of special assignments, so
none should pass beyond the Mîqat [The place where pilgrims
declare their intentions to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah and assume the state
of Ihrâm] at the bordering limits of the Sanctuary without being in
a state of Ihrâm, nor enters the Ka‘bah without performing the rites
enjoined on him from Tawâf and Sa‘y and when the time of
Standing at ‘Arafât is due he must set out from Mecca towards
Mount ‘Arafât.
By embracing Islam man commits himself to duties and when he
wants to perform Hajj he commits himself to another enjoined
duties peculiar to Hajj. If he wants to complete the Hajj – and Hajj
is ‘Arafah – he should move out of the Meccan Sanctuary to an area
lying outside its borders.
If we want to specify the sacred precincts of Hajj we will find them
four places: Al-Masjid-al-Harâm (the Sacred Meccan Masjid), Al-
Baitul-Harâm (the Sacred House, i.e., the Ka‘bah), Al-Baladul-Harâm
(the Sacred City), Al-Mash‘ar Al-Haram (the Sacred Monument)
[The hill in Muzdalifah where pilgrims should supplicate Allah after
they have spent the night at Muzdalifah, and after which they should
go to Mecca to throw Jamarat Al-‘Aqabah (the closest stone pillar to
Mecca) on the morning of the tenth of Dhu’l–Hijjah] – Al-Muzdalifah –
the place between ‘Arafât and Minâ where pilgrims stop on their
return from ‘Arafât to collect the pebbles with which they will
stone the devil. There they offer the Maghrib (Sunset) and ‘Ishâ’
(Evening) prayers together in the time of the latter (‘Ishâ’ Prayer),
before proceeding towards Minâ for spending the night and
preparing themselves for throwing the pebbles. Then they go to
Mecca to perform Ifadah Tawâf [Pilgrims’ circumambulation of the
Ka‘bah upon their return from Muzdalifah].
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