The pebbles for stoning the pillars: where they are taken from, their description, and the ruling on washing them

Question:
May Allah reward you and make your knowledge beneficial. A woman from al-Qaryat, Misha' al-'Anazi, asks: From where are the pebbles for stoning the pillars taken? What is their description? And what is the ruling on washing them? Perhaps she meant washing the pebbles.

Answer:
The pebbles for stoning the pillars are taken from any place in the Haram; there is no specific location. Any pebble from the Haram is permissible for stoning, whether taken from Muzdalifah, from the road between Muzdalifah and Mina, or from Mina. All of this achieves the objective, and praise be to Allah. Their description is that they should be medium-sized, between large and small, like the pebbles that fit between the fingers. The jurists have determined that they should be slightly larger than chickpeas. This is the description of the pebbles for stoning the pillars. It is not prescribed to wash them; it is not prescribed to wash the pebbles for stoning the pillars because they are originally pure, and there is no evidence that they are to be washed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had pebbles for stoning the pillars picked up for him, and he took them in his noble hand, and it is not mentioned that he washed them.