In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Universe. May peace and blessings be upon
Muhammad, the last of the prophets and messengers, and upon his family and
esteemed companions.
Hajj is one of the best forms of worship and is one of the most sublime deeds
because it is one of the pillars of Islam that Allah sent Muhammad(may the peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him)with. A servant's religion is incomplete
without it.
A form of worship is only acceptable when the following is true.
1. One devotes it to Allah alone, with a desire for the Hereafter. It cannot be
done with the intention of being seen among men or for worldly gain.
2. One follows the Prophet's example, in words deeds. This cannot accomplished
except knowledge of the Sunnah.
Forms of Pilgrimage
There are three forms of Hajj:
Tamattu'-Ifraad-Qiran
Tamattu': A pilgrim wears Ihram for Umrah only during the months of Hajj, which
means when he reaches Makkah, he makes Tawaf and Sa'yi for Umrah. He then shaves
or clips his hair. On the day of Tarwiya, which is the eighth of Dhul-Hijja, he
puts on his Ihram for Hajj only and carries out all of its requirements.
Ifraad: A pilgrim wears Ihram for Hajj only. When he reaches Makkah, he performs
Tawaf for his arrival and Sa'yi for Hajj. He doesn't shave or clip his hair as
he doesn't disengage from Ihram. Instead, he remains in Ihram till after he
stones Jamrah Al-Aqaba on the Eid day. It is permissible for him to postpone his
Sa'yi for Hajj until after his Tawaf for Hajj.
Qiran: A pilgrim wears Ihram for both Umrah and Hajj or he wears Ihram first for
Umrah, then makes intentions for Hajj before his Tawaf for Hajj. The obligations
on one performing Ifraad are the same as those on one performing Qiran, except
that the latter must slaughter whereas the former is not obligated to do so. The
best of the three forms is Tamattu'. It is the form that the prophet (may the
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) encouraged his followers to perform.
Even if a pilgrim makes intentions to perform Qiran or Ifraad he is allowed to
change his intentions to Tamattu'; he can do this even after he has performed
Tawaf and Sa'yi.
When the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed
Tawaf and Sa'yi during the year of the Farewell Hajj with his companions, he
ordered all those who hadn't brought sacrificial animals to change their
intentions for Hajj to intentions for Umrah. cut their hair, and disengage from
Ihram till Hajj. He said, " If I hadn't brought the sacrificial animal, I'd have
done what I've ordered you to do."
The Umrah
If a pilgrim wishes to be ritually pure for Umrah, he should shed his clothing
and bathe as he would after sexual defilement, if convenient. He should perfume
his head and beard with the best oil he can find. There is no harm in what
remains of it after Ihram.
Bathing for Ihram is Sunnah for both men and women, including menstruating women
and those experiencing postnatal bleeding. After bathing and preparing himself,
a. pilgrim, other than those menstruating or experiencing postnatal bleeding,
prays the obligatory prayer, if it is time. Otherwise, he makes his intention by
praying the two Sunnah Rakass which are made each time Wudhu is performed.
When he finishes his prayer he should say: "Here I am for Umrah, here I am, Oh
Allah, here I am. Here I am. You have no partner. Here I am. Surely all praise,
grace and dominion is yours, and you have no partner." [Talbeeyah].
A man raises his voice when saying this and a woman says it so that only one
beside her may hear her.
One in Ihram should say the Talbeeyah as often as possible, especially when times
and places change. For example: when descending or ascending during travel or
when day or night approach. He should also ask Allah for His pleasure, for Heaven
and seek refuge in Allah's mercy from Hellfire.
One should say the Talbeeyah during Umrah, starting from the time he puts on his
Ihram till he starts Tawaf. During Hajj he should say it starting from the time
he puts on his Ihram till he starts to stone Jamrah Al-Aqaba on the Eid day.
When a pilgrim enters the Holy Mosque he puts forth his right foot first and
says: "In the name of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of
Allah. Oh Allah, forgive me my sins and open to me the doors of Your mercy. I
seek refuge in Allah the Almighty and in His Eminent Face and in His Eternal
Dominion from the accursed Satan."
He approaches the Black Stone, touches it with his right hand and kisses it. If
this isn't possible, he should face the Black Stone and point to it.
It is best not to push and shove, causing harm and being harmed by other people.
When touching the Stone, a pilgrim should say the following: "In the name of
Allah, Allah is the greatest. Oh, Allah, with faith in you, belief in Your book,
loyalty to you, compliance to the way of your Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him)."
A pilgrim must walk, keeping the Ka'bah on his left. When he reaches the Rukn Al
Yamani he should touch, but not kiss it, and say: " Our Lord, grant us good in
this life and good in the hereafter and save us from the punishment of the
Hell fire. Oh Allah, I beg of You for forgiveness and health in this life and in
the Hereafter."
Each time he passes the Black Stone he should say: "Allah is the Greatest."
During the remainder of his Tawaf he may say what he pleases of supplications,
mentioning Allah, and recitation of Quran. This is because Tawaf, Sa'yi, and
Stoning the Jamrah have been devised for the purpose of mentioning Allah.
During this Tawaf it is necessary for a man to do two things:
1. Al-ldhtebaa' from the beginning of Tawaf until the end. Al-ldhtebaa' means
placing the middle of one's Reda' under his right arm and the ends of it over his
left shoulder.
When he is finished performing Tawaf, he may return his Reda' to its original
state because the time for Idhtebaa' is only during Tawaf.
2. Al-Raml during the first three circuits. Al-Raml means speeding up one's pace
with small steps. A pilgrim should walk at a normal pace during his last four
circuits.
When he completes seven circuits of Tawaf, he approaches Maqam Ibrahim and
recites: "And take ye the station of Abraham as a place of Prayer" Chapter 2,
Verse 125 [2:125].
He prays two short Rakaas, as close as conveniently possible, behind Maqam
Ibrahim. During the first Rakaa he recites Surah Al-Kafirun [Chapter 109] and
during the second one Surah Al-lkhlas[Chapter 112].
When he completes the two Rakaas he should return to the Black Stone and touch
it, if convenient. He goes out to the Mesa'a and when he nears As-Safaa he
recites: " Verily As-Safaa and Al-Marwah are among the shrines of Allah "
[2:158].
He ascends As-Safaa until he is able to see the Ka'bah. Facing the Ka'bah and
raising his hands, he praises Allah and makes any supplications he chooses. The
Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed thus: "There is
no Deity but Allah alone," three times, supplicating in between.
He descends As-Safaa and heads for Al-Marwah at a normal pace until he reaches
the green marker. He should then run fast until the next green marker. He
continues toward Al-Marwah at a normal pace. When he reaches it, he ascends it,
faces the Qibla, raises his hands and repeats what he said on As-Safaa. He
descends Al-Marwah heading towards As-Safaa, taking care to walk where walking is
designated, and run where running is designated.
He continues this procedure until he completes seven laps. Going from As-Safaa to
Al-Marwah is a lap and returning is another lap.
During his Sa'yi he may recite what he wills of supplications, recitation of
Qur'an, and mentioning Allah.
In completion of Sa'yi he shaves his head. A woman clips her hair the length of a
finger tip.
Shaving is preferable, except when Hajj is near and there isn't sufficient time
for hair to grow back. In this case it's best to clip so that hair will remain
for shaving during Hajj.
With that, Umrah is completed. and a pilgrim is free to dress in other clothing,
wear perfume and engage in marital relations, etc.
The Hajj
In the forenoon of the eighth day of Dhul-Hijja, a pilgrim purifies himself once
again by bathing as he did before Umrah in the place in which he is staying, if
convenient. He puts on his Ihram and says: " Here I am for Hajj. Here I am, oh
Allah, here I am. Here I am. You have no partner. Here I am. Surely all praise,
grace and dominion is yours, and you have no partners."
If he fears that something will prevent him from completing his Hajj he should
make a condition when he makes his intentions, saying: " If I am prevented by any
obstacle my place is wherever I am held up." If he has no such fear, he doesn't
make this condition.
A pilgrim goes to Mina and there prays Dhuhr, Asr, Magrib, Isha and Fajr,
shortening his four unit prayers so as to make them two units each, without
combining them.
When the sun rises, he goes to Arafah and there prays Dhuhr and Asr combined at
the time of Dhuhr, making each one two units. He remains in Namira Mosque until
sunset if possible. He remembers Allah and makes as many supplications as
possible while facing the Qibla.
The Prophet (may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) prayed thus: "There
is no Deity but Allah alone. He has no partner. All dominion and praise are His
and He is powerful over all things.
If he grows weary it is permissible for him to engage in beneficial conversation
with his companions or reading what he can find of beneficial books, especially
those concerning Allah's grace and abundant gifts. This will strengthen his hope
in Allah.
He should then return to his supplications and be sure to spend the end of the
day deep in supplication because the best of supplication is the supplication of
the day of Arafah.
At sunset he goes from Arafah to Muzdalifah and there prays Magrib, Isha, and
Fajr. If he is tired or has little water, it is permissible for him to combine
Magrib and Isha. If he fears that he will not reach Muzdalifah until after
midnight, he should pray before he reaches it for it is not permissible to delay
prayer until after midnight. He remains there, in Muzdalifah, making
supplications and remembering Allah till just before sunrise.
If he is weak and cannot handle the crowd during Ar-Ramy, it is permissible for
him to go to Mina at the end of the night to stone the Jamrah before the arrival
of the crowd.
Near sunrise, a pilgrim goes from Muzdalifah to Mina. Upon reaching it he does
the following:
a) He throws seven consecutive pebbles at Jamrah Al-Aqaba which is the closest
monument to Makkah, saying Greatest," as he
: "Allah is the throws each pebble.
b) He slaughters the sacrificial animal, eats some of it, and gives some to the
poor. Slaughter is obligatory on the Mutamati and Qiran.
c) He shaves or clips his hair; shaving is preferable. A woman clips her hair the
length of a finger tip.
These three should be done in the above order if convenient, but there is no
restriction if one precedes another.
With that, one is allowed to come out of Ihram. He can wear other clothing and do
everything that was lawful before Ihram except engaging in marital relations.
He goes to Makkah to perform Tawaf Al-lfadha and Sa'yi, also for Hajj. It is
Sunnah to put perfume on before going to Makkah.
With the completion of this Tawaf and Sa'yi, a pilgrim is allowed to do
everything that was lawful before Ihram, including engaging in marital relations.
After performing Tawaf and Sa'yi, he returns to Mina to spend the nights of the
eleventh and twelfth days there.
He stones the three Jamrah in the afternoon of both the eleventh and twelfth
days. He starts with the first Jamrah, which is furthest from Makkah, then the
middle one, and lastly Jamrah Al-Aqaba. Each one should be stoned with seven
consecutive pebbles accompanied by Takbeer. He stops after the first and middle
Jamrah to make supplications facing the Qibla. It is not permissible to stone
before noon on these two days. It is best to walk to the Jamrah, but riding is
permissible.
If he is in a hurry after stoning on the twelfth day, he leaves Mina before
sunset. But if he wishes to prolong his stay, which is best, he spends the night
of the thirteenth in Mina and stones that afternoon in the same manner as on the
twelfth day.
When he is ready to return to his country, he makes Tawaf Al-Wadaa, which is
seven circuits around the Ka'bah. Menstruating women and women experiencing
postnatal discharge are not obligated to perform Tawaf Al-Wadaa.
Visiting The Prophet's Mosque
1. A pilgrim goes to Madina before or after Hajj with the intention of visiting
the Prophet's mosque and praying in it. Prayer there is better than a thousand
prayers elsewhere except in the Holy Mosque in Makkah.
2. Upon reaching the mosque he prays two Rakaas of salutation or performs any
obligatory prayer that is due.
3. He goes to the grave of the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) and he stands before it. He greets him saying the " May the peace,
mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, oh Prophet. May Allah grant you a good
reward on behalf of your people. "
He takes a step or two to his right to position himself before Abu-Bakr and
greets him saying : "May the peace, mercy, and blessing of Allah be upon you. oh
Abu-Bakr, Caliph of the Messenger of Allah. May Allah be pleased with you and
grant you a good reward on behalf of Muhammad's people."
Then he takes a step or two to his right to position himself before Umar and
greets him saying: " May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you, oh
Umar, Prince of the believers. May Allah be pleased with you and grant you a good
reward on behalf of Muhammad's people."
4. In a state of purity, he goes to pray in Qubaa Mosque.
5. He goes to Al-Baqee to visit Uthman's grave (may Allah be pleased with him).
He stands before it and greets him saying: "May the peace, mercy and blessing of
Allah be upon you,
oh Uthman Prince of the believers. May Allah be pleased with you and grant you a
good reward on behalf of Muhammad's people." He greets any other Muslims in
Al-Baqee.
6. He goes to Uhud and visits the grave of Hamza (may Allah be pleased with
him) and the other martyrs there with him. He greets them and preys to Allah to
grant them forgiveness, mercy, and pleasure.
Notification
The following is incumbent upon the Muhrim for Hajj or Umrah:
1. That he be committed to Allah's religious obligations upon him such as prayer
in its time (in congregation for men).
2. That he avoids what Allah has prohibited such as obscenity, inequity, and
disobedience. if anyone undertakes Hajj therein. Let there be no obscenity, nor
wickedness, nor wrangling during Hajj ~ [2:197].
3. That he avoids harming the Muslims with words or actions within the Masha'ir
or elsewhere.
4. That he avoids all of the restrictions of Ihram:
a. He shouldn't cause the loss of any of his hair or nails. A prick by a thorn
and the like is unobjectionable, even if there is bleeding.
b. He shouldn't perfume himself, his clothing, his food or his drink after
entering Ihram. He should also abstain from cleansing himself with scented soap.
There is no harm in what remains of the effect of perfume used prior to Ihram.
c. He shouldn't touch, kiss, etc. his spouse out of passion and, even worse,
shouldn't have sexual intercourse.
e. He shouldn't be wed or propose to a woman for himself or others. f. He
shouldn't wear gloves, although there is no harm in wrapping the hands in cloth.
This ruling goes for both men and women.
The following pertains specifically to men:
a) He cannot cover his head with something that touches it, although there is no
harm in the use of an umbrella, the roof of a car or tent for shade. There is
also no harm in carrying his baggage atop his head. b) He cannot wear a shirt,
turban, hooded cloak trousers, or shoes. Only if he is unable to obtain an Ezar
or sandals can he wear trousers or shoes.
c) He cannot wear anything with the same qualities of the above mentioned such as
an Abea', Qubaa, hat, undershirt, etc.
It is permissible for him to wear sandals, rings, glasses, a hearing aid. a
watch, worn on his wrist or hung from his neck, or a speech aid. It is
permissible for him to cleanse himself with unscented cleansers and to wash and
scratch his head and body, even if some of his hair falls unintentionally. In
such a case there is no obligation on him because of it.
A woman cannot wear a Niqab or Burqa'. The Sunnah is for her to uncover her face
except if men not related to her might see her, in which case it is obligatory
for her to cover her face during Ihram and otherwise.
Allah is the giver of success. May His blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and
all of his family and companions.
By the needy before Allah, Muhammad As-Salih Al-Uthaimeen
Glossary
