The day of Al-Tarwiyah

The day of Tarwiyah is the eighth day of Dhul-Hijja. That name ( the Day of Tarwiyah) is traced back to the fact that pilgrims used to drink water to fill their thirst in Mecca and then they proceed to Mina for at that time there was no water in Mina. Dr. Salih ben Ghanim Assadlan, the professor of higher Islamic studies at the Imam Muhammad bin. Saud Islamic University states that we should attach importance to the Day of Tarwiyah even if it is a Sunnah.

The Day of Tarwiyah is one of the greatest days of Hajj, it is the day during which the pilgrims redo what our beloved prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did. The rules of Hajj are traced back to that day when the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  reached Mina where he prayed Dhuhr, Asr , Isha, Maghrib and Fajr prayers and then proceeded to Arafat before the sunrise. It marks the very beginning of the rites of Hajj.  

Narrated 'Abdul 'Aziz bin Rufai: I asked Anas bin Malik, "Tell me what you remember from Allah's Apostle (regarding these questions): Where did he offer the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers on the day of tarwiya (8th day of Dhul-Hajja)?" He replied, "(He offered these prayers) at Mina." I asked, "Where did he offer the 'Asr prayer on the day of Nafr (i.e. departure from Mina on the 12th or 13th of Dhul-Hijja)?" He replied, "At Al-Abtah," and then added, "You should do as your chiefs do."  (Bukhari)

Among the rules of this day is that Hajj pilgrims increase Talbiyah and perform the prayers at their exact times. It is worth mentioning that there are no specific supplications or remembrances to be recited during the Day of Tarwiyah or specific rites to be performed. Pilgrims should only increase their Du'a and supplications and ask the Almighty for forgiveness.

Further, Pilgrims should proceed to Arafat only after the sunrise and they must assume Ihram from Mina. The pilgrim who enters into a state of Ihram only when he/she arrives in Mina is considered to have missed a mandatory Sunnah for the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions had already assumed Ihram before they proceeded to Mina.

Pilgrims must avoid falling in the following mistakes when entering into a state of Ihram for Hajj on the day of Tarwiyah and Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen explains more about these mistakes:

**Some people think that they have to enter Ihram from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, so you see them putting themselves through hardship to go to the mosque and enter Ihram from there. This is a mistaken notion, because it is not obligatory to enter Ihram from Al-Masjid Al-Haram. Rather the Sunnah is for the pilgrim to enter Ihram from the place where he/she is staying, because the companions (Sahaabah) who had exited Ihram for ‘Umrah by the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then entered Ihram for Hajj on the day of Al-Tarwiyah, did not go to Al-Masjid Al-Haram to enter Ihram from there, rather each one of them entered Ihram from the place where he was staying. This was at the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), so this is the Sunnah. So the Sunnah for the one who wants to enter Ihram for Hajj is to enter Ihram from the place where he is staying, whether he is in Mecca or in Mina, as some people do nowadays, when they go to Mina so that they can keep their places there. Additionally, Some of the pilgrims think that it is not proper to enter Ihram in the garments that they wore when they entered ihram for Umrah, unless they wash them first. This is also a mistaken notion, because the ihram garments do not have to be new or clean. It is true that the cleaner they are, the better, but to say that they are not valid for Ihram because one has worn them for Ihram when performing Umrah is not correct. This is what springs to mind now about the mistakes made by some pilgrims with regard to entering Ihram for Hajj.

(**): Fatwas by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen