Muzdalifah: The Night Under the Open Sky

Muzdalifah is a broad, open plain between Arafat and Mina. On the night after the Day of Arafah, millions of Hajj pilgrims sleep here on mats under the sky, pray Maghrib and ‘Isha together, and remember Allah before moving on to Mina at dawn.

For Umrah travellers it is a place to pass through and imagine. Understanding it now makes the Hajj far easier to follow later.

Muzdalifah in the Qur’an and Sunnah

Allah says, “When you depart from ‘Arafat, remember Allah at al-Mash‘ar al-Haram” (Qur’an 2:198). Al-Mash‘ar al-Haram is the name of a place in the plain, and sometimes of the whole area.

In the long hadith of Jabir in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ reached the plain after sunset, prayed Maghrib and ‘Isha with one adhan and two iqamahs, then lay down until dawn. After Fajr he went to al-Mash‘ar al-Haram, faced the qiblah and made dua, takbir and tahlil until the sky was very bright, then left for Mina before sunrise.

He allowed the weak, including women such as Sawdah, to leave earlier in the night (al-Bukhari and Muslim). That mercy is still the basis for the rules for elderly and frail pilgrims today.

What you will see in Muzdalifah

Outside Hajj the plain is quiet: wide stretches of ground, rows of lamp posts, toilet blocks and the Mash‘ar al-Haram Mosque. The Al Mashaaer metro line, which runs only in the Hajj season, crosses the plain.

Between Muzdalifah and Mina lies Wadi Muhassir, which many scholars link with the destruction of Abrahah’s army, though others place that event elsewhere. The Prophet ﷺ quickened his pace when passing through it (Muslim). Signboards mark its edges.

How to visit Muzdalifah

The plain is about 10 km east of Masjid al-Haram, roughly 20 minutes by car. It sits on the road between Mina and Arafat, so tours normally pass through rather than stopping long. Fifteen to thirty minutes is enough to see it. Go in the morning for cooler air and clear views.

As you drive, look out for the large boundary boards, the wide pedestrian routes used by pilgrims walking from Arafat, and the Mash‘ar al-Haram Mosque with its two minarets. Picturing the same ground filled with sleeping pilgrims under the night sky is the best preparation a future Hajj traveller can have.

Muzdalifah etiquette: what is and is not from the Sunnah

Practical tips

Muzdalifah quick facts

Muzdalifah fits naturally between our Mina and Arafat pages. Plan the whole morning in the ziyarat route planner, read the Hajj step-by-step guide, or go back to the ziyarat hub.

Muzdalifah: frequently asked questions

Planning your days in Makkah? Our Makkah city guide has live prayer times, the weather, the local time and every ziyarah in and around the city, including Taif.