Q: My husband and I headed to Makkah and the Holy Places to perform the obligatory Hajj and left my son and daughter with an Egyptian family. I stayed with my full brother in Makkah who was performing Hajj along with a group which consisted of more than 80 people from Egypt. In charge of this group was a young man and two assistants. This man has been leading groups during Hajj for eight years, sharing everything with them such as residence, transport, and the like. We performed the rites of Hajj and everything went well. However, I have (Part No. 10; Page No. 183

A: First: It is Wajib (obligatory) on pilgrims to spend the night at Al-Muzdalifah on the night before the day of Nahr (Sacrifice, 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, when pilgrims slaughter their sacrificial animals) and the weak from among them, such as women, can leave after midnight. The optimal thing to do is to leave after Fajr (Dawn) Prayer for whoever is capable and if you had left before midnight then you must offer a Dam (atonement required of a pilgrim for a willful violation of a prohibition or obligation while in the ritual state for Hajj and `Umrah) for neglecting the rituals. You are to slaughter in Makkah and distribute its meat among the poor of Al-Haram (all areas within the Sacred Sanctuary of Makkah). Your wife must do the same. Second: Commissioning a man to throw the pebbles on your behalf as well as on behalf of your wife on Monday due to your travelling to your country does not suffice for obligation and each one of you must offer Dam that fulfills the same conditions for Ud-hiyah (sacrificial animal offered by non-pilgrims) in Makkah and distribute its meat among the poor of Al-Haram. Each one of you must pay a Fidyah (ransom) for abandoning Tawaf-ul-Wada` (circumambulation of the Ka`bah on leaving Makkah) and if you had performed it, it does not suffice since you performed it before its time.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.