Short answer
In the Hanafi school Hajj has two fard acts after ihram: standing at Arafah and tawaf al-ziyarah. Missing Arafah means no Hajj that year. The wajib acts include the stay at Muzdalifah, sa'i, stoning, shaving or trimming, the sacrifice for tamattu and qiran, and the farewell tawaf; missing one without a valid excuse requires a dam.
Ihram is a condition. The pillars are wuquf at Arafah (any moment from midday on the 9th to dawn on the 10th) and most of tawaf al-ziyarah. The wajibs are made up by a dam if left; the sunnahs bring no penalty.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- The pillars are ihram, Arafah, tawaf al-ifadah, sa'i, shaving or trimming, and keeping their order. Staying the nights at Mina in the days of tashreeq is wajib in the relied-upon view.
- Maliki and Hanbali
- The pillars are ihram, Arafah, tawaf al-ifadah and sa'i. Staying overnight at Mina in the days of tashreeq is wajib, where the Hanafis make it sunnah.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Hajj is Arafah." Whoever reaches Arafah before dawn on the day of sacrifice has caught the Hajj. Hanafi jurists sort the rites into three levels.
Fard (pillars):
- Ihram (a condition, made at the start).
- Standing at Arafah, even for a moment, between midday on the 9th and dawn on the 10th.
- Tawaf al-ziyarah, at least four of its seven rounds.
Wajib (a dam if left):
- Entering ihram at or before the miqat, not crossing it without ihram.
- Staying at Arafah until sunset if you were there in the day.
- Being at Muzdalifah between dawn and sunrise on the 10th.
- Stoning the jamarat (see stoning rules).
- The sacrifice for tamattu and qiran (see types of Hajj).
- Shaving or trimming, in the Haram and in the days of sacrifice.
- The order on the 10th: stoning, then sacrifice, then shaving.
- Tawaf al-ziyarah within the days of sacrifice (see delaying it).
- Sa'i between Safa and Marwah.
- The farewell tawaf for those from outside the miqats.
- The wajibs within tawaf, such as wudu (see wudu for tawaf).
Sunnah: the arrival tawaf, the night of the 8th at Mina, the nights at Mina in the days of tashreeq, and the khutbahs. Missing Arafah loses the Hajj; you leave ihram with an umrah and make it up later. Missing a wajib needs a dam, unless a recognised excuse such as illness, weakness in the crowd at Muzdalifah or menses for the farewell tawaf applies (see dam).
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:198
لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُوا۟ فَضْلًۭا مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَآ أَفَضْتُم مِّنْ عَرَفَٰتٍۢ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عِندَ ٱلْمَشْعَرِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۖ وَٱذْكُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَإِن كُنتُم مِّن قَبْلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ﴿١٩٨﴾
There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord [during Hajj]. But when you depart from 'Arafat, remember Allah at al- Mash'ar al-Haram. And remember Him, as He has guided you, for indeed, you were before that among those astray.
Arafah and Muzdalifah are rites of Hajj.
Quran, Surah Al-Hajj 22:29
ثُمَّ لْيَقْضُوا۟ تَفَثَهُمْ وَلْيُوفُوا۟ نُذُورَهُمْ وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا۟ بِٱلْبَيْتِ ٱلْعَتِيقِ ﴿٢٩﴾
Then let them end their untidiness and fulfill their vows and perform Tawaf around the ancient House."
The tawaf of Hajj after the sacrifice.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 889
Grading to be checked... الحج عرفة من جاء ليلة جمع قبل طلوع الفجر فقد أدرك الحج ...
"Hajj is Arafah. Whoever comes on the night of Muzdalifah before dawn has caught the Hajj."
Arafah is the central pillar of Hajj.
Sahih Muslim 1297
Sahih... لتأخذوا مناسككم فإني لا أدري لعلي لا أحج بعد حجتي هذه ...
"Take your rites from me, for I do not know whether I will perform Hajj after this Hajj of mine."
The rites are taken from the Prophet's Hajj.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Kitab al-Hajj, on the fard, wajib and sunnah acts. Lists the pillars and wajibs of Hajj.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hajj, wajibs of Hajj. Detailed list of the wajibs and their penalties.
- Minhaj al-Talibin, Kitab al-Hajj, on the pillars. The Shafi'i pillars.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.