Departure from Mina the First and the Last

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about departure and it was the night of departure. We like to be quick. What time should we depart? He (the Imam) said, ’You must not depart on the second day before Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime), it was the night of departure. On the third day when the sun is bright white, you can depart with the blessing of Allah. Allah, most glorious is whose praise says, “Those who depart quicker in two days have not sinned and those who depart later have not sinned.” (2:203) If He had remained quiet everyone would depart quickly but He has said, “Those who delay have not sinned.”’”

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), if a man can send his luggage and traveling materials ahead before his departure. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, is he, who sends his luggage and so on ahead, not afraid that Allah, most High, can hold him back. However, he may keep back whatever he wants from entering Makkah.’ I then asked, ‘Can one, for fear of forgetfulness, perform the acts of his Hajj quicker, in commencing (Talbiyah) and ending (coming out of the state of Ihram)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you like to depart in the first two days, you cannot depart before Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime). If you delay until the last days of tashriq, which is the day of departure, then it does not matter in whatever hour you depart or throw pebbles, before or after Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime). When you depart and arrive in al-Hasabah which is Batha’, you may disembark there for a little while.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘My father (a.s.), would disembark there; then depart and enter Makkah without staying there for the night.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever departs earlier in the second day he cannot do so before Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime), and if it becomes evening he must stay for the night, instead of departing.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The Imam must perform Salat (prayer) of al-Zuhr on the day of departure.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful to depart in the first chance for departure, then stay in Makkah.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you like to depart during the first chance for departure to stay in Makkah it is not harmful.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When night falls after the first chance for departure then you must stay in Mina’; you cannot go out until morning.”’

“I once wrote to him (the Imam) (a.s.), saying, ‘Our people disagree on the issue of departure. Certain ones among them say that on the last day of departure, it is better to depart after Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime), and others say that it is before Zawal.’ He (the Imam) wrote in answer, ‘Did you not know that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, performed Salat (prayer) of al-Zuhr and al-‘Asr in Makkah? This could not have happened without his departing before Zawal.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘My father (a.s.), would say, “Had there been a road to my home from Mina’ I would not enter Makkah.’””

“Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), has said that a man once asked my father after returning from al- Mawqaf, ‘Do you think Allah will leave all these creatures in hopeless condition?’ My father said, ‘Whoever stays in this station, Allah forgives them, regardless of their being believers or unbelievers. However, forgiveness for them is of three kinds. There is forgiveness in favor of a believer of his past and future sins and his freedom from fire as is mentioned in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic and Most Glorious, “Lord, grant us goodness in this word, grant us goodness in the next life and protect us against the torment of the fire. These will have a share of what they have done and Allah is quick in accounting.” (2:200-201) There are those of them whose past sins Allah forgives. He has said, “Do good in the rest of your life.” Allah, the Most Majestic and Most Glorious, has said, “Those of them who leave earlier during the two days have not committed any sins. Those who leave after the two days also have not committed any sins,” (2:203) meaning those who die before leaving have not committed any sins and those who leave later have not committed any sins if they maintain piety in the matters of major sins.
Muslims in general (non-Shias) say, “Those who leave during the two days have not committed any sins, meaning leaving Mina’ with the first departing people, and those who leave later have not committed any sins, meaning they have not committed any sins if they maintain piety in the matter of hunting.” Do you think Allah prohibits hunting after making it lawful as is mentioned in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, “When you are free of the restrictions of Ihram you may hunt.” (5:3) It is in the interpretations of non-Shia Muslims that when you are free of the restrictions of Ihram you must not hunt. “There is the unbeliever who has attended al-Mawqaf (station of the pilgrims) for worldly reasons. Allah forgives his past sins, if he repents from the sin of paganism for his future. He will receive his reward and he will not be left hopeless of the reward of his staying at this station if he does not commit any sins. This is said in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, “Those who want the worldly life and its ornaments We recompense them for their deeds in this world and will not suffer any loss therein. They will not have anything in the next life except fire. Their deeds will become void and their deeds will turn into falsehood.’”” (11:15-16)

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever, engages women in the state of Ihram cannot depart during the first chance for departure.’ According to another Hadith it applies to hunting also.”

“During one of the nights we were with abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) in Mina’. He (the Imam) asked, ‘What do these people say about, “Those who depart in the second day for departure, there is no sin on them and those who delay, there is no sin on them?”’ (2:203) We replied, ‘We do not know.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Indeed, they say that those of the people of wilderness who depart in a hurry have not committed a sin, and those of the people of the cities who delay have not committed a sin. It is not as they say it is. Allah, may His Glory be praised, has said, “On those who depart earlier in the second day for departure, there is no sin.” You must take notice; no sin remains on those who leave early as well as on those who delay. You must take notice that no sin remains on them. They are only those ones who maintain piety before Allah. This applies to you only. People are the crowd and you are the ones who have performed al-Hajj.’” (Fatwa best explains Hadith 11 of this Chapter and all of the following Chapter)