A man performed Hajj and was unable to stand at 'Arafah until nine o'clock at night, and he left at one-thirty and sat in a place he thought was Muzdalifah until dawn, then

The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and benefit us with your knowledge. He says:The questioner : A man performed Hajj and was unable to stand at 'Arafah until nine o'clock at night, and he left at one-thirty and sat in a place he thought was Muzdalifah until dawn appeared, then he saw a Muzdalifah sign in front of them and realized that they had not spent the night there. What is the ruling on that? Please give us a ruling, and may you be rewarded.

The Shaykh : It is obligatory for those who spent the night before reaching Muzdalifah to pay a fidyah, that is, a sacrificial animal to be slaughtered in Makkah and distributed to the poor, because they left an obligatory act of Hajj without a valid excuse. In reality, they were negligent. It is obligatory for the one who comes from 'Arafah to Muzdalifah not to stop until he sees the signs, because the government, may Allah guide them, has placed large, clear, and distinct signs at the entrances of Muzdalifah. However, some people come on foot, get tired, and their fatigue leads them to sleep before reaching Muzdalifah, making them the negligent ones. The conclusion is that this person must slaughter a fidyah and distribute it to the poor in Makkah, because he left an obligatory act of Hajj.