We were accompanied by one of my roommates, a university professor, on this journey. Later in the morning, as we were about to set out, an elderly lady requested us to take her husband along. He turned out to be a renowned doctor from Dhaka.
We hired a taxi, but most of the roads were closed, forcing the driver to take numerous detours to reach Jamarat. Eventually, we had to get off a bit far from the destination and walked quite a long distance. Fortunately, we had a white umbrella that provided some much-needed shade in the intense heat.
Jamarat, as expected, was very crowded, but the arrangements were well-organized. There were three levels of bridges, ensuring a steady flow of people with no significant congestion. Despite the heat, we stayed hydrated by carrying water bottles. Upon reaching Jamarat, we threw stones at the three pillars, symbolizing the ritual, and exited from the opposite side.
We had collected our stones earlier at Arafah, so we had plenty with us. After completing the ritual, we began our journey back to Mina to spend the night. The return also involved a lot of walking. By the time we were heading back, the sun was setting. I had marked our tent on Google Maps and saved it as a favorite, which helped us locate it quickly. Otherwise, it would have been very challenging to find our tent amidst rows of similar-looking ones for Asian pilgrims.
We started walking mid-morning and returned to Mina shortly before sunset. After praying in Mina, we found our stuff in the same condition as we had left it. We had bought some food from shops outside Mina, but due to a delay in arranging a proper meal, we couldn’t wait and decided to rest. Later, during Tahajjud time, we were woken up as the food finally arrived. I had some and also fed my wife. After praying Fajr, we went back to sleep.
The next morning, we woke up early and were informed that there was severe congestion at Jamarat on the second day. To avoid this, my wife, the professor, and I decided to set out early. However, the ritual of throwing stones at Jamarat is only valid after midday. This presented a challenge, as the police were not allowing anyone to wait near Jamarat. We found ourselves constantly being moved along, walking in a zigzag pattern, back and forth, unable to stay in one spot.
It was a difficult situation as returning to Mina was not an option, and going forward would mean completing the ritual prematurely, which was not acceptable. We decided to adapt to the situation, maneuvering as best as we could. Alhamdulillah we managed to stay near Jamarat and reached the pillars just few minutes before midday. After the midday mark, we completed the ritual of throwing stones for the second day (12th day of Dhul-Hijjah).
Pilgrims have the option of staying in Mina for one more day, but leaving on the second day is also permissible, provided it’s done before sunset. We chose to leave Mina on the second day, completing our journey within the allowed time.
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