Ramy al-Jamarat

Ramy (stoning, الرمي) is the fourth obligation of hajj and the first rite performed in the land of Mina. On the 10th of Dhu l-Hijja, ramy (stoning) at Jamara al-Aqaba should be performed.

In ramy (stoning), some conditions to be followed are mentioned below:

1. Intention;
2. Ramy (stoning) should be performed with pebbles and not with something smaller (like sand) nor bigger (like stone);
3. The time of ramy (stoning), for those who are capable, is from sunrise to sunset on the day of Eid al-Adha;
4. The pebble must hit the jamara. If these stones do not hit it or a person doubts about the stones' hitting jamara, he/she should throw another pebble instead. It is insufficient to throw pebbles just at the area around the jamara without hitting it;
5. Seven pebbles should be thrown at it;
6. Pebbles should be thrown consecutively .i.e. if a person throws all these pebbles at once it will be considered only once, even if all the pebbles strike the jamara.

They have lengthened the three jamaras towards Mecca and al-Mash'ar al-Haram (apparently the old jamaras are located in the middle of the new ones). If it is possible to identify the place of old jamaras, one should strike pebbles at it. However, if it is hard to find the place of old jamaras, one should throw pebbles at any part of the new ones.

It is permissible to perform ramy (stoning) from the upper floor (the bridge of Jamarat). However, on the basis of caution, it is better to perform it from the ground floor. The chosen pebbles for stoning should have the following characteristics:

1. It should be from the boundary of the Holy Haram. Therefore, if it is brought from outside of the Holy Haram, it is not sufficient.
2. They should be untouched meaning nobody may have used them for ramy (stoning) previously.
3. Pebbles should not be usurped. So, stoning with pebbles that were collected by another person without his permission, is not valid. However, purity of pebbles is not required.
4. The women and the weak —who are allowed to go from al-Mash'ar al-Haram to Mina during the night before the Eid al-Adha— may perform ramy (stoning) at Jamara al-'Aqaba at night in case they are unable to perform it on the day of Eid al-Adha. Rather, all women can perform ramy at night, provided that the ramy is for the hajj they are doing, whether they are performing their own hajj or [the whole hajj] on behalf of another person. But, on the basis of obligatory caution, if a woman is doing [only] ramy on behalf of another person, her act of performing ramy is incorrect at night even if she is unable to do it during the day. Those who accompany the women or the weak may perform ramy (stoning) at Jamara al-'Aqaba during the night only if they are themselves excused. Otherwise, it is obligatory that ramy (stoning) should occur during the day.

Besides women —who can perform ramy during the night before Eid even in normal cases— those who are excused from performing ramy (stoning) on the day of Eid al-Adha may perform this deed at the night before/after Eid al-Adha. Likewise, those who are excused from performing ramy (stoning) on the day of 11th or the 12th Dhu l-Hijja, they may perform it at the next/previous night.