The Farewell Pilgrimage is rich in Sharee‘ah rulings, especially those related to pilgrimage, commandments, and rulings that were mentioned in the Khutbah (sermon) of ‘Arafaat. Hence, scholars have paid great attention to it and have derived from it many rulings of rites and other matters that are explained in the books of Fiqh (jurisprudence) and Hadeeth. Some scholars even dedicated independent volumes to the Farewell Pilgrimage.
Some of these rulings, in brief, are:
a- No fasting for the pilgrim on the Day of ‘Arafah:
Maymoonah bint Al-Haarith, may Allah be pleased with her, the wife of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), said that people were not certain whether the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), was fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah or not, so she sent him a pot of milk while he was standing in the site. He drank from it while the people were looking at him. [Al-Bukhari]
b- How to handle a person who died in the state of Ihraam (ritual consecration). Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “While a man was standing at ‘Arafah [for Hajj] with the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) he fell down from his mount and broke his neck [and died]. So the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: ‘Wash him with water and Sidr, and shroud him in his two pieces of cloth, and neither perfume him nor cover his head, for Allah will resurrect him on the Day of Resurrection while [he will be] saying Talbiyah.’” [Al-Bukhari]
c- Is it permissible to perform Hajj on behalf of someone else?
Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
Al-Fadhl was riding behind the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) when a woman from the tribe of the Khath‘am came and Al-Fadhl started looking at her and she started looking at him. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) turned Al-Fadhl’s face to the other side. The woman said, “O Messenger of Allah, the obligation of Hajj that was enjoined by Allah on His slaves has become due on my father and he is old and weak, and cannot sit firm on the mount; may I perform Hajj on his behalf?” The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) replied: “Yes, you may.” This happened during the Farewell Pilgrimage. [Al-Bukhari]
d- The facilitation approach: no harm, no harm
‘Abdullaah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) stopped on his camel and people asked him questions. A man came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I was unaware that throwing pebbles was to be done before the slaughtering, so I slaughtered before I threw the pebbles.” The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Throw [the pebbles], and there is no harm.” Another man said, “I was unaware that the slaughtering was to be done before the shaving, so I shaved before I slaughtered.” The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Do the slaughtering, and there is no harm.” When the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) was asked about anything that was done out of forgetfulness or ignorance and other rites to be done before others, and so on, I heard him give the same answer,“Do it, and there is no harm.”[Al-Bukhari]
These were some of the brief rulings and the interested reader may seek further information about the rulings in the book written by Shaykh Al-Albaani may Allaah have mercy upon him about the Farewell Pilgrimage, which he summed up in seventy-two points, and also another book called Al-Wasiyyah An-Nabawiyyah lil Ummah Al-Islamiyyah by Dr. Faarooq Hamaadah, who collected thirty-eight items from literary and Hadeeth resources, analyzed them, narrated them and verified their texts based on the rules of Hadeeth criticism that were adopted by the leading early Muslim scholars as the matter is related to religion and Sharee‘ah. He did very well indeed.
Some points regarding naming the days of Hajj:
- The seventh day of Thul-Hijjah is called the Day of Zeenah (adornment), as it is the day when the sacrificial animals were decorated with the pack–saddles and so on.
- The eighth day of Thul-Hijjah is called the Day of Tarwiyah (watering), because this was the day when people would water their camels and carry the water that they needed while standing at ‘Arafah and after that. At that time, there were no springs or wells at these places, but now, water is abundantly available, praise be to Allah The Almighty.
- The ninth day of Thul-Hijjah is called the Day of ‘Arafah, as it is the day when the pilgrims stand on the plain of ‘Arafah.
- The Tenth day of Thul-Hijjah is called the Day of An-Nahr (slaughter) or the Day of Al-Adh’ha and the Day of the Greater Hajj.
- The eleventh day of Thul-Hijjah is called the Day of Qarr (staying) because the pilgrims stay on it. This day is also called the Day of Heads, as they eat the heads of the slaughtered animals on that day. In addition, this day is the first day of the Days of Tashreeq.
- The Second Day of the Days of Tashreeq: it is called the Day of Nafr (departure) on which leaving Makkah is permissible for whoever wants to hasten and depart from Makkah.
- The third Day of Tashreeq: It is called the Second Day of Nafr. Allah The Almighty Says (what means):{And remember Allah during [specific] numbered days. Then whoever hastens [his departure] in two days - there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays [until the third] - there is no sin upon him - for him who fears Allah. And fear Allah and know that unto Him you will be gathered.} [Quran 2:203]
