ARAFAT

A] "Pedal" (Walking) Hujjaajj

Distance between Mina and Arafat is 14km, (walking time about 2-2.5 hrs).

Lots of people selling fresh food, fruit, drinks, juices, yogurt, ice cream, tea etc. on the way.

Ample toilet/Wudhu facilities at regular intervals (every 50 metres). 

Ample cold drinking water taps at regular intervals (every 12 metres).

Benches between water spouts for resting.

Clinic facilities every 300 metres.

Distance marked to indicate how far from Arafat.

The most difficult walk is from Masjid-e-Namerah to the Africa tents which is about 3 km on roads which have all types of vehicles.  Lately the government is devising a system where vehicular traffic will halt on an outer ring road, leaving the inner roads free from vehicles.  Some success has been achieved towards this goal.

Can be quite difficult to locate your tent area in Arafat, thus advisable again to link up with a person who has already done "pedal" Hajj before.

The police are also quite helpful - just show them your wristband.

As soon as you are settled in your tent at Arafat, locate the ablution block(s).  These will be even more congested than those in Mina; thus ensure you make, (and keep), your Wudhu much earlier than in Mina.

You are normally in a large, canopy-type tent.  The position between the air-conditioning units is a good place to book your spot as this provides a back-rest.  If there are no such units then the back of the tent is more secluded.  Again, determine the Qiblah and opt for the rear section.

Send your reps. to purchase refreshments, (only fruits, juices, soft drinks, yogurt, ice-cream, cucumber, dry foodstuff etc.), as in Mina.  Cold, (ice-cold!), drinking water is supplied constantly in large water coolers in all tents.  Some Hujjaajj have a tendency of packing these coolers with fruit and drink cans, so be careful,

Do not become a hero by starting your Wuqoof outside in the sun immediately after Zuhr or else you will end up in hospital with heat stroke.

At Wuqoof time do not even attempt to go to the “Mount of Mercy”, (Jabal-e-Rahmat), as this place is quite far from your tent area and you could easily get lost!

The same will also apply in going to Masjid-e-Namerah.

If you do happen to move around in Arafat, ensure that you are within its boundary for your Wuqoof to be valid as again the area is not geometrically symmetrical.

Note that a large portion of Masjid-e-Namerah is not within the boundary of Arafat.

Make as much Ibaadat as possible in the shade of your tent.  Sleep if you have to!

The best time for making Wuqoof is after Asr.

A little before Maghrib, leave your tents and proceed towards Muzdalifah, but stay WITHIN Arafat boundary.  This boundary is clearly demarcated by huge colour-coded billboards yellow in colour.

Just before preparing to depart, visit the toilet and make Wudhu as the ablution blocks en-route to Muzdalifah and in Muzdalifah are usually over-crowded.

At Maghrib time listen attentively and you will probably hear canons being fired symbolizing onset of Maghrib and your departure for Muzdalifah.

Experience from other groups has shown that leaving Arafat well past Esha time will be encountered with minimal congestion as regards human traffic enroute as most will have left for Muzdalifah immediately after Maghrib.  On reaching Muzdalifah, this late group will find ample space here as other sects will have already started leaving for Mina as they are allowed to do so by their respective Imams.

B] Non-Pedal Hujjaajj

The transfer from Mina camps to Arafat will again depend on when the coaches are released by the authorities, the frequency of the coach's circulation and the traffic situation.

You may have to board well before Maghrib because of the above reasons; hence ensure that you have completed a major portion of your Wuqoof well before this.

Traffic flow is at snail pace - can be as long as 3-4 hours in the stifling heat inside the bus.  Thus ensure you have ample cold drinking water and some foodstuff on hand.

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