Spending the nights of the Days of Tashriq in Mina

Q 3: In the first of the nights of Mina, my father and brothers slept after performing `Isha' (Night) Prayer in our home in Makkah. I tried to wake them up, but it took some time. After they woke up we had dinner and went to perform Tawaf-ul-Ifadah (final obligatory circumambulation of the Ka`bah in Hajj) at 11 P.M. That night. We completed the Tawaf at 1 A.M. In the morning and left the Al-Haram (all areas within the Sacred Sanctuary of Makkah). Our brother stayed behind under the pretext of bringing Zamzam water, but actually he went to smoke. We along with his wife waited for him in the courtyard of the Al-Haram till 2 A.M. In the morning. We searched for him and found him at our doorstep at 2.30 A.M. We all then went to Mina but the road was overcrowded with cars, consequently, we could not enter Mina until 4.20 A.M. That morning. We remained there and did not sleep until 4.50. (Part No. 10; Page No. 201

A: Spending the night in Mina during the Days of Tashriq (11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah) is among the obligations of Hajj. It is not permissible to neglect it except for pilgrims with valid excuses. The least time for discharging the obligation is to remain until midnight. A pilgrim who leaves without an excuse will be charged with a sacrifice. If a pilgrim arrives there at midnight and remains there till dawn, it counts as sufficient.