Ramy: throwing (the stoning of the jamarat, the rulings of archery and hunting by throwing, and throwing the accusation of adultery)

الرمي

Ramy in the lexicon means throwing or casting. The jurists use it for the stoning of the jamarat, for shooting arrows in hunting and in war, and for throwing an accusation. ¹ There are three jamarat: the first (the lesser, also called the nearest) beside the Mosque of al-Khayf, then the middle one, then the Jamrat al-Aqaba (the greater), at the far end of Mina. ¹ Stoning them is a required act of the pilgrimage, established by the sunna and by consensus. ^{1 2} Its validity requires the prior assumption of the pilgrim's ihram and the standing at Arafat; most jurists require the missile to be a stone, while the Hanafis allow any earth-like material such as clay, dust or lime but not metals, gold or silver. ^{2 3} The valid stoning is seven pebbles for each jamra, thrown one at a time, which must land within the gathering of pebbles, and must be aimed; placing them down or tossing them by hand does not count. ^{4 5} The jurists also differ on the order: the majority require the jamarat to be stoned in order during the days of tashriq, and in order on the day of sacrifice the stoning comes before the sacrifice, the shaving and the tawaf of ifada. ^{6 7} The time begins on the day of sacrifice after the dawn (for the Hanafis and Malikis) or after midnight (for the Shafi'is and Hanbalis); on the days of tashriq it begins after midday, and the jurists differ about the end of each day and about making up a missed stoning with a sacrifice. ^{8 9 10 11 12} Recommended acts include the chickpea-to-hazelnut sized pebbles, the takbir with each pebble, a pause for supplication between the first two jamarat, and throwing after sunrise; the disliked acts include throwing a large stone and throwing with pebbles from the mosque. ^{13 14 15} Leaving out a pebble incurs a sacrifice according to the Malikis, and for missing a whole day a sheep is due; the sick or the incapable may appoint a deputy, and the child's guardian throws on his behalf. ^{16 7 17} Hunting by throwing is lawful with a pointed implement that wounds the game; a blunt missile that kills by its weight makes the game carrion, and it is forbidden to set a living creature as a target. ^{17 18 19} In war, learning archery is strongly recommended and abandoning it after learning is condemned; a contest in archery (munadhala) is permitted and can be obligatory when it is the only way to fight the unbelievers. ^{19 20 21} Accusing a chaste person of adultery outside testimony brings the penalty for slander (eighty lashes); if testimony falls short of four witnesses the witnesses too are liable to that penalty according to most jurists. ²¹