Arafat
1. Submission to Allah s.w.t. in Arafat does not have a prescribed outward act. You have to be there from noon of the 9th of Dhul-Hijja to sunset, that's all!

2. Some pilgrims miss out from reaping the full benefit of wuquf (standing/staying) in Arafat during those prescribed hours (approximately 5 1/2 hours).

Most pilgrims pray, recite The Holy Qur'an, zikr, and dua in Arafat during those hours but some also chat, smoke or take a nap. There is a fair amount of such wasteful activities caused by a lack of understanding of wuquf. The quotes on the right side of this page should be sufficient inducement to pilgrims to regard their presence in Arafat as among the most precious times in their lives.

4. Pilgrims should not fast on Arafat Day. It is not Sunnah.

5. Some Hajj groups skip Mina and proceed straight to Arafat to escape the traffic nightmare. You'll have to pack accordingly to meet your needs for a night and a day's stay in Arafat.

6. Bring along the following when you depart for Arafat: an extra pair of Ihram clothes; extra pair of glasses, mosquito repellent; foldable hand fan; foldable mat; plastic sheet (2 1/2' square); foldable umbrella; 2 bottles of 1 1/2 liter mineral water; torch and snacks.

7. The toilet facilities in the tent area that I stayed were adequate. It is still advisable to carry a mini pail with you to fetch water from other sources just in case the tap runs dry in your place. (This happened in Mina in our tent area).

You may want to consider a diet of water, dates and fruits in Arafat as this will reduce the need to go to the toilet frequently. This diet may also help to keep you more alert and not make you feel 'sleepy'. You will thus have more time to worship.

8. After Arafat, the next Hajj rite is at Mudzalifah. Prepare yourself psychologically for the possibility that you may not be able to perform this part of the Hajj rite. Instead of leaving Arafat after sunset, you may find yourself stranded in Arafat until the next morning because the bus to pick up your group may not turn up as planned.

Mina

1. Talk to others about their Mina experience before you leave for The Holy Land. It is better to be forewarned and prepared for the conditions that you may encounter.

2. "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Keep this principle in mind when you leave for Mina from Arafat. Staying in a tent that is next to the toilets, sleeping in a part of the tent which is besides the area where foul smelling garbage is piled up, half of the toilets without water supply in your tent area (happened to my group), pilgrims from countries with low civic consciousness messing up the toilets, overcrowded tents - these are some of the conditions that you may have to put up with during your 3-day stay in Mina. Some survival tips are listed below:

a. plan your diet so that you don't have to go to the toilet frequently;

b. avoid idle talk which consists mostly of a tirade against the authorities for various shortcomings;

c. immerse yourself in various types of worship - reading The Qur'an, zikr, and duah. While these are not only the right things to do in Hajj, they will also help to keep your mind from being distracted by the shortcomings there;

d. you'll be able to spot individuals in your tent who are knowledgeable about Islam. Get close to them and seek clarifications about matters that are not clear to you. In the long run, you'll remember these meetings more than the difficulties your encountered in Mina.

e. remember to bring along a little pail. In the event of water supply failure to the toilets, you can use the pail to fetch water from other sources. (We relied on water from a fire hydrant hose).