A reminder from the Shaykh before the pilgrims depart for 'Arafah.

The Shaykh : ... And today we have reached the Day of 'Arafah, and in a little while we will depart, chanting the talbiyah and glorifying Allah, to 'Arafah. This is following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). After the dawn of this day, we will depart, if Allah wills, to 'Arafah. Before ascending to it, we will pray the midday and afternoon prayers combined, advancing the time, at the Musjid Namirah. This is for those who are able to pray with the imam in this mosque or in its vicinity, because the pilgrims, and praise be to Allah, are a very large crowd, so they may not all be able to pray one prayer with one imam. The principle is that they pray with him, but if they miss that, they should pray in groups in their dwellings, in their tents. After that, meaning after the time for the midday prayer enters and it is prayed combined, advancing the time, with the afternoon prayer, the recommended practice is for people to begin ascending to 'Arafah and standing there. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood at the rocks during the Farewell Pilgrimage, but he clarified to people that his standing there is not binding on all people, and that they should seek to stand in his position. This is by his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . Therefore, it is not befitting for pilgrims to strain themselves to stand there, for the religion is ease, and whoever contends with this religion will be overcome by it. Rather, the pilgrim should stand in any place in 'Arafah that is convenient for him, but he must ensure that his standing place is within 'Arafah and that it does not fall outside of it, as we are sometimes informed about some pilgrims. There are signs written on them "The Boundaries of 'Arafah," so every pilgrim should observe them if he is a reader, or otherwise the matter is as He (the Exalted) said: . Some people may not be able to read, and especially some women; so all of these people must fulfill the duty of asking so that they do not end up standing outside 'Arafah. If they do that, their pilgrimage will be lost; for his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): .
And I also remind you that in that standing place, we should not waste our time there with worldly talk, or discussions of some scholarly issues, or joking and laughing, for it is an hour that is rarely compensated for. We must face the qiblah, and whoever is able should remain standing facing the qiblah, remembering Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) and supplicating, humbly and submissive to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), like this until he sees the sun has set to his north. Among the wisdom, or among the wisdom of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combining the midday and afternoon prayers, is to free this pilgrim so that he may turn to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) with his requests, desires, and supplications, seizing the opportunity to turn to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with his hearts. The talbiyah there is mentioned or continues: . It is authentic that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in this talbiyah sometimes: , . It is also authentic that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So the pilgrim should increase there in the remembrance of Allah, the talbiyah, supplication, and glorification, humbly and submissive as we mentioned, until the sun sets. At that time, people depart to Muzdalifah. In Muzdalifah, it is prescribed, indeed obligatory, to delay the two prayers and combine them after the time for the night prayer enters, combining them by delaying. The sunset prayer is prayed, as you know, in three units, and the night prayer in two units. Then there is no staying up late, no socializing, no scholarly sessions, or anything else, but rather sleeping early, following the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so that they all wake up early in the morning to pray the dawn prayer in the darkness. It was the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Madinah, in his place of migration, to pray the dawn prayer in the darkness; until the Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The believing women used to depart from the dawn prayer while they were not recognized from the darkness." This was his guidance (peace and blessings be upon him) in the dawn prayer while he was in Madinah. As for in Muzdalifah, he hastened more than before with the dawn prayer; until Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He did not see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) pray a prayer in the darkness except the dawn prayer in Muzdalifah." He means by that, or by the darkness, the deep darkness, which is an indication that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) hastened greatly with the dawn prayer in the darkness. This was so that he (peace and blessings be upon him) and his noble companions with him could depart to al-Mash'ar al-Haram, to stand there, also, facing the qiblah, with the remembrance of Allah and supplication to Him. Then he departs from there to Mina to stone the Pillar of Aqabah.
This departure is obligatory for men to be after the dawn prayer, and their stoning of the large pillar to be after the sun rises, due to the authenticity of the hadith of Ibn Abbas, who was with the weak ones whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted to depart from Muzdalifah after the middle of the night, unlike the general public. And yet, he said to Ibn Abbas and those who were with him of the weak ones: . As for women, as for old and weak men, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted them to depart from Muzdalifah after the middle of the night, so that they may avoid and shun the crowd of people, and not be harmed by such a crowd. But there is not—and this is a matter I see it obligatory upon me to point out—there is no authentic hadith traced to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he permitted the weak ones and the women whom he (peace and blessings be upon him) allowed to depart from Muzdalifah after the middle of the night; there is no authentic, explicit hadith that he (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted them to stone the pillar before the sun rises. Rather, the hadith of Ibn Abbas is explicit to the contrary: .
Yes, some incidents have occurred where some individuals stoned before the sun rose, stoned at night, and departed to the Ka'bah, to the House of Allah the Sacred. But this may be, first, for an excuse, and may be, second, without an excuse; but with a specific understanding. And we do not find in the Sunnah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew of such a reality and approved it. If any of that were the case, it would be obligatory to exclude such a reality from the general rule: .
This is what I saw appropriate to point out now, and then we will hear what questions some of you may have.