Liaison office of Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Al Sistani (L.M.H.L) in London, Europe, North and South America.
Mawāqīt: the Places Where The State of Consecration is Assumed
There are nine different places which are designated by Islamic law for entering the state of consecration. They are called mīqāt (plural mawāqīt).
1. Dhul-Hulaifah is located near the city of Medina and is the mīqāt for the residents of Medina and for all those who arrive via Medina. As a precautionary measure, it is preferable to assume the state of consecration in the mosque which is known as Masğidu-sh-Shağarah. It is not sufficient to enter the state of ihrām outside of the mosque, except for menstruating women.
#162: It is not permitted to delay entering into the state of consecration until having passed by Dhul-Hulaifah and to assume it in Juhfa unless there are legitimate reasons for doing so, like illness, weakness etc.
2. Wadil-Aqeeq is the mīqāt for pilgrims from Iraq and Najd and for those arriving via this location. The site consists of three parts: Maslakh, Ghamrah and Dhāt-i-'Irq.
It is ahwaṯ-ul-awlā for the pilgrim to assume the state of consecration before reaching Dhāt-i-'Irq unless they either have to hide their school of thought (madhhab) due to fear (taqīyah) or they are ill.
#163: It has been said that, in case of taqīyah, it is permitted to enter the state of consecration secretly before arriving in
Dhāt-i-'Irq without putting on the consecration clothes. The consecration clothes may be put on once one reaches this place without incurring an expiation. However, this opinion is contested (ishkāl).
3. Juhfa is the mīqāt for all pilgrims from Syria, Egypt and all the countries which are located further west, for all those who arrive via these regions and for those coming from
Dhul-Hulaifah, who did not enter the state of consecration there, whether justified or not.
4. Yalamlam is the mīqāt for the pilgrim from Yemen and for those who come through there. It is the name of a mountain.
5. Qarnu'l-Manāzil is the mīqāt for the pilgrims from Ta'if and for all those who arrive via that route.
Not only are the local mosques of the last four places mentioned regarded as mawāqīt but the places themselves. If the pilgrim is not able to identify the area properly, they may assume the state of consecration by means of a vow before arriving at the mīqāt.
6. Every site, which is located parallel to the places mentioned above, may serve as a mīqāt for those who take a route, which does not pass through one of the above-mentioned places. They should enter the state of consecration at any location, which is parallel to a mīqāt. This means that standing in this place – facing the Holy Ka´aba – there is a mīqāt on either the left or the right side which is being left behind as one proceeds to Mecca. It is sufficient to rely on normal perception in order to decide whether such a place has been reached, and it is not required that one take accurate measurements.
If someone takes a route on which there are two of these parallel-lying Mawaqit, it is ahwaṯ-ul-awlā to assume the state of consecration on arriving at the first parallel mīqāt.
7. Mecca is the mīqāt of Hağğu-t-Tamattu´ for non-residents of Mecca, of Hağğu-l-Qirān and of Hağğu-l-Ifrād for residents of Mecca and so also for those people temporarily living in Mecca.
8. The pilgrim's own home is also their mīqāt for all those whose place of residence is located nearer to Mecca than the next mīqāt. They enter the state of consecration at home and are not obligated to visit a mīqāt.
9. Every nearest place (Adna-l-hil) outside the Holy Area (Haram) like Hudaybiyyah, Ja´ranah, or Tan´eem is the mīqāt for the ´Umratu-l-Mufradah after Hağğu-l-Qirān or for Hağğu-l-Ifrād and for every ´Umratu-l-Mufradah of every pilgrim who is situated in Mecca. There is only one exception, which was explained in #140.