Muzdalifah, the open plain between Mina and Arafat

What Muzdalifah is

Muzdalifah is the third of the main Hajj sites in the order of the rites: Mina, then Arafat, then Muzdalifah, then back to Mina. Saudipedia gives its area as about 9.63 square kilometres. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah says it is also called Al-Mash’ar al-Haram, a name used in the Quran, and that pilgrims gather there, rest, and combine the Maghrib and Isha prayers after Arafat. The Ministry adds that pilgrims prepare there for the stoning that follows. Some guides say the name comes from pilgrims coming closer to Makkah, and others from the early part of the night.

Saudipedia notes a mosque there, Masjid al-Mash’ar al-Haram, with room for about 12,000 worshippers.

We describe the place and its history. We do not give rulings on what pilgrims must do there. For that, ask a scholar or your group leader.

Where it is and how far from the Haram

Muzdalifah lies between Arafat and Mina, about 6 km from Arafat according to Saudipedia. Mina is closest to the Haram, and Arafat is the farthest.

What visitors see outside Hajj

On most days Muzdalifah is wide, flat ground with mountains in the distance and very few people. This is why the place surprises visitors who have only seen pictures from Hajj night, when the plain is full.

A visit is short and usually looks like this:

1. The vehicle drives through, and you see the size of the plain.
2. The driver explains where Mina is behind you and where Arafat lies ahead.

Because there is little to walk to, Muzdalifah takes less time than Arafat or Jabal al-Nour on the tour.

What the landscape tells you

Muzdalifah is wide and open, and this is the point. Looking at it you can see why it works as a gathering place: flat ground, space on every side, and the mountains of Arafat in view on one side. The road through it is straight and the drive is easy. If you have read about Hajj, this is the stop that helps you picture the scale. If you have not, it still gives you a clear sense of how the three sites are arranged east of Makkah.

Practical notes

• Heat. Open ground and strong sun. Carry water.
• Facilities. There are few places to buy things on the plain. Bring what you need from the hotel.
• Order of the tour. We run the tour in the order Jabal al-Nour, Jabal Thawr, Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat. That is the road order too, so it avoids driving back and forth.

How Muzdalifah fits with Mina and Arafat

It helps to see the three sites as one line east of Makkah. Mina is the nearest to the Haram, Muzdalifah is the middle, and Arafat is the farthest. Pilgrims move along that line during Hajj, so a drive along the same road outside Hajj shows how the sites relate to each other. Many visitors say this is the part of the tour that makes the Hajj story easier to picture. Your driver can point out where each site begins and ends, as far as the signs allow.

Masjid al-Mashar al-Haram

Discover Makkah places Masjid al-Mash’ar al-Haram in the heart of Muzdalifah, between the plains of Arafat and Mina. It says pilgrims pause there after sunset on the Day of Arafah to spend the night, and that the mosque is one of the places the Quran mentions. The mosque has been expanded over the centuries and has a simple Islamic design that holds thousands of worshippers, especially in the Hajj season.

Outside Hajj, the plain is quiet. The same source lists the mosque as open during prayer times. On our four hour full ziyarat the driver stops here so that you can look at the mosque and the open plain around it. We do not say what pilgrims must do at Muzdalifah.

Which of our tours includes Muzdalifah

The Makkah ziyarat has two tiers on one page, the Makkah ziyarat taxi. The two hour ziyarat covers Jabal al-Nour, Jabal Thawr, Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat and Masjid Namirah, mostly viewed from the road.

Fares are for the whole vehicle, in Saudi Riyal, with the return to your hotel included.

Time beyond the tour is charged at the hourly rate, from SAR 80 an hour, and the driver tells you before that starts. You pay the driver at the end, in cash in SAR or by bank transfer, with no deposit and no booking fee. See every place in the ziyarat hub and every fare on Routes and prices.

The four hour full ziyarat adds Jannat al-Mualla, Masjid al-Jinn, a stop at Masjid Namirah, Masjid al-Khayf and the Jamarat at Mina, Masjid al-Mashar al-Haram, a stop at the Hira Cultural District, and optional Masjid Aisha for a second Umrah, with longer stops. Muzdalifah is in both tiers. Masjid al-Mashar al-Haram is a stop on the four hour full ziyarat.

Nearby: Jabal al-Nour, Jabal Thawr, Arafat and Mina.