Hajj Facilities

This article will cover and discuss the facilities available in Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat.

Mosques

In Mina there are a few mosques. One important mosque is Masjid-al-Khaif which is located near the jamr'at area, and it is reported that at least 70 prophets performed salah here.

“Masjid Namira” is the only mosque in Arafat. Part of this mosque is outside the boundaries of Arafat.

The location of the only mosque in Muzdalifah, known as “Mash'ar-il-Haram”, used to be a small mountain.

Hospitals

There are medical facilities (including mobile clinics) available in Mina and Arafat.             

Wudhu and Toilets

There are plenty wudhu and public toilet facilities in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. The wudhu places are normally located right next to the toilets.

All the camps in Mina have toilet facilities. Individual camps in Arafat also provide toilets apart from the public ones. Most of the toilets do not have a flush facility. (The holes are deep enough.) Be careful in the toilets in Mina as the handle you may think is the toilet flush, is actually the handle to turn on the water for the shower. Yes the shower is on top of the toilet.

The toilets in all the places are extremely crowded, so try to be patient. In most cases there is at least one upright toilet in each row of toilets. Even though there are plenty toilet facilities in Muzdalifah, there are definitely not enough. The queues are very long and it sometimes takes hours to get your turn.

Minimise your food intake in Arafat, to avoid the need for the toilet in Muzdalifah. If you only wish to urinate, then sometimes you are forced to do so in the bushes or somewhere on the mountain.

This is one more reason why you should use the toilets in Arafat before you leave, no matter how “bad” they are.

Other

There is a mortuary next to the mosque in Mina. (If you “lose” somebody for a long period of time, one of the places to look is here.)

The SAPTCO bus service (to go to Makkah and back) is located in Mina about 200 metres (218 yards) from the jamr'at bridge, at the big jamrah side.

There are also LOST pilgrim offices in all the locations.

The Jamr'at in Mina

The three stone structures in Mina, known as the jamr'at, are the symbols of the three places where Shaytaan tried to make Prophet Ibraheem (may Allah's peace be upon him) change his mind about sacrificing his son, Ismail (may Allah's peace be upon him).

The stone structures are not the actual Shaytaan. You are not casting stones at Shaytaan per se. It is only a symbolic act and you should not get over excited as many pilgrims do. Some pilgrims throw shoes and umbrellas at the jamr'at. This is wrong and should be avoided.

The jamr'at are located at the end (nearest to Makkah) of Mina. There are three of them: the big jamrah (Aqaba); the middle or medium jamrah (Wusta); and the small jamrah (Sughrah).

There is now a 4 level bridge structure that has made the stoning process much easier and safer. The location from where come from in Mina, will determine on which level of the bridge you will enter from. 

Do not sit under the bridges or in the walkways in Mina. These are crowded enough as it is, and people sitting in these places cause a great deal of problems for the efficient flow of people.

Many pilgrims get lost at the jamr'at area. Try and assist pilgrims who are lost. Remember you do not have to know where they need to go, just comfort them and take them to the police who can assist them further. Keep your identification card with you at all times, and fasten it tightly to your clothes as it may get lost in the pushing and shoving at the jamr'at.