BACK TO MAKKAH FOR HAJJ
May 17, 1994 (Tuesday), 6th Zul-Hijjah:
After my Fajr prayer at the local Masjid, I slept till noon.
The hardship of the trip was getting to my health. I had [a] running nose and sore throat. It was perhaps due to [the] A/C, hot climate and [the] people.
The lunch was rice, lentils and beans. Some went to visit [the] Cave Hira and Hajj sites including Arafat and Mina.
Those who went for Umra told us that the Kaba was less crowded around 10:00 p.m. after Isha, while there was a bigger crowd after Fajr. The place also gets crowded late at night.
The Imam of the local Masjid gave a lecture after Isha on Bida. I don't know what prompted him to do so. The lecture was in Arabic but one of us volunteered to translate it after the speech.
The Imam in his speech mentioned to refrain from sayings like, "ya Rasool Allah", "ya Ali", "ya Hussain", etc. Say your prayers to Allah alone.
Hajj schedule appears to be as follows:
May 19: (8th Zul-Hijjah) (Thursday) Put on Ihram, go to Mina and offer Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and the next day Fajr prayers there. Stay at Mina in tents.
May 20: (9th Zul-Hijjah) (Friday) (The HAJJ day): Go to Arafat. Do Zuhr/Asr combined with the Imam with one Adhan, but two Iqamahs. Leave for Muzdalifa after sunset. Do Maghrib/Isha there with one Adhan and one Iqamah. Stay the night at Muzdalifa head uncovered.
May 21: (10th Zul-Hijjah) (Saturday): (Eid-ul-Adha day) A heavy day. Do Fajr at Muzdalifa, go to Mina, throw seven pebbles at Jumratul Ooqbah, do Zabiha (animal sacrifice), hair cut, and LEAVE IHRAM. Go to Makkah, do the Tawaf Ziyara, offer two Rakas, do Sai and then go back to Mina for the night.
May 22: (11th Zul-Hijjah) (Sunday): Rummy after Zuhr; spend the night at Mina. (Rummy is the act of symbolically stoning the devil [Shaytan] in Mina on the 10th through the 13th of Zul -Hijjah. This commemorates the tradition that Prophet Ibrahim was tempted three times by the devil, and rejected all three of his overtures by stoning him, and driving him away. These three locations are symbolized by three stone pillars in Mina).
May 23: (12th Zul-Hijjah) (Monday): Rummy after the Zuhr prayer; then go to Makkah residence.
Do farewell Tawaf before leaving.