Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Allah has made it obligatory on those who are able, as He said in (Aal Imran: 97). The Prophet ﷺ also said that Islam is built on five pillars, including Hajj (al Bukhari, Muslim). The whole ummah agrees that Hajj is fard for anyone who is able to do it once in their lifetime.
The Ruling and Purposes of Hajj
The most important goal of Hajj is to worship Allah alone. Allah told Ibrahim not to associate anything with Him (al Hajj: 26). The talbiyah that the pilgrim repeats affirms this meaning. Hajj also shows respect to the symbols of Allah, as mentioned in (al Hajj: 32), and Muslims must honour the sacred places and not turn them into places for slogans or protests. Sincerity to Allah and unity among Muslims are major aims of Hajj.
The Miqats
The Prophet ﷺ set five places for entering into ihram:
- Dhu al Hulayfah: for the people of Madinah.
- al Juhfah: for the people of al Sham (now people use Rabigh).
- Yalamlam: for the people of Yemen.
- Qarn al Manazil (al Sayl): for the people of Najd.
- Dhat Irq: for the people of Iraq.
These are for the people from those areas and anyone who passes by them, intending Hajj or Umrah (al Bukhari, Muslim).
The Types of Ritual Acts
There are three types:
- Tamattu: doing Umrah during the Hajj months, exiting ihram, then doing Hajj.
- Ifrad: doing Hajj alone.
- Qiran: combining Umrah and Hajj with one ihram.
The Description of Umrah
One enters ihram by removing normal clothes, bathing like for janabah, and applying perfume. Then he wears the ihram, prays two rakʿahs (or the current prayer), and says the talbiyah. Men say it aloud, women say it quietly. The talbiyah is repeated until the start of tawaf. On entering the Masjid al Haram, he steps in with the right foot and says the prescribed duʿa.
He begins tawaf at the Black Stone, touching or pointing to it. He keeps the Kaʿbah on his left. At the Yemeni Corner he touches it if possible. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone he says the well-known duʿa asking for good in this life and the next and protection from Hell.
In tawaf, men do idtibaʿ (uncovering the right shoulder) and ramal (brisk walking) in the first three circuits. After seven circuits, he prays two rakʿahs behind Maqam Ibrahim, then goes to perform saʿy between al Safa and al Marwah. At al Safa and al Marwah he faces the Kaʿbah, raises his hands, and repeats the supplication of the Prophet ﷺ.
He walks between them, running between the green markers. One trip from al Safa to al Marwah is one round, and he continues until he completes seven rounds. After saʿy, a man shaves his head or shortens his hair, and a woman cuts a fingertip’s length. Shaving should cover the whole head and is better than shortening. After this, he exits ihram completely.
The Description of Hajj
On the 8th of Dhul Hijjah (Day of al Tarwiyah), the pilgrim enters ihram from wherever he is, intending Hajj. He does what he did for Umrah and says the talbiyah, replacing Umrah with Hajj. He goes to Mina and prays the five prayers there, shortening the four-unit prayers without joining.
On the 9th (Arafah), he travels to Arafah and stays at Namirah until noon, then prays Dhuhr and Asr together at the earlier time. He then stands in Arafah, facing the qiblah, raising his hands, making lots of duʿa, including the frequent duʿa of the Prophet ﷺ. He must not leave before sunset.
The time for standing at Arafah lasts until dawn on Eid day. Whoever misses it until dawn misses Hajj. At sunset, he goes to Muzdalifah, prays Maghrib and Isha there, sleeps there, and prays Fajr early. Then he stands at the Sacred Monument (or wherever he is in Muzdalifah), faces the qiblah, and makes duʿa.
Before sunrise, he goes to Mina quickly and stones Jamrat al ʿAqabah with seven small stones, saying Allahu akbar with each one. He then slaughters his animal, shaves or shortens his hair (a woman shortens), and performs tawaf and saʿy.
It is safer to delay exiting ihram until after shaving or tawaf. He then returns to Mina for the nights of the 11th and 12th, and stones the three Jamarat each day after noon.
The Prohibitions of Ihram
There are three categories:
- For both men and women: removing hair, clipping nails, applying perfume, sexual contact, killing land animals, contracting marriage, or intercourse.
- For men only: wearing sewn clothes and covering the head.
- For women only: wearing niqab and gloves.
The Penalty for Violating the Prohibitions of Ihram
Some violations require a choice between fasting three days, feeding six poor people, or sacrificing a sheep, such as covering the head or using perfume. Killing game requires paying its value. Sexual intercourse spoils the Hajj itself.
Summary of the Actions of Hajj
- Tamattu starts with Umrah, then Hajj.
- On the 8th, he goes to Mina.
- On the 9th, he stands at Arafah.
- He sleeps in Muzdalifah until dawn.
- On the 10th, he stones Jamrat al ʿAqabah, slaughters, shaves, and performs tawaf and saʿy.
- He stays in Mina on the 11th and 12th and stones the three Jamarat each day.
- He performs the farewell tawaf at the end.
The Actions of the Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah for Those Not Performing Hajj
Allah swore by these ten days in (al Fajr: 1–2). The Prophet ﷺ encouraged good deeds in them. Ibn Hajar said their excellence comes from combining major acts of worship not found at any other time.
- Fasting the ten days is recommended.
- Fasting the Day of Arafah wipes away the past and coming year’s sins (Muslim).
- Saying the Takbir should increase, as narrated by Ibn Umar (Musnad Ahmad, Sunan Ibn Majah). It starts from Fajr on Arafah until Asr on the last day of Tashriq.
- Supplication, especially on the Day of Arafah, is highly encouraged.
- The Sacrifice (Udhiyah) is a confirmed sunnah, and if one intends to sacrifice, they should not cut hair or nails.
Muslims should also make duʿa for the leaders who care for the pilgrims and serve the Sacred House of Allah. May Allah reward them on behalf of all Muslims.
Translation:
Hajj is one of the five pillars upon which Islam is built. Allah said: “Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Allah by all people who are able to find a way to it” (Al Imran: 97).
The Messenger of Allah said: “Islam is built upon five: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, establishing the prayer, giving the zakah, performing Hajj to the House, and fasting in Ramadan” (al Bukhari 8, Muslim 16).
The entire ummah agrees on the obligation of Hajj and that it is fard upon anyone who is able to do it once in their lifetime.
The Ruling and Purposes of Hajj
Tawhid is the most important aim of Hajj. Allah said: “And when We showed Ibrahim the place of the House, commanding him: do not associate anything with Me” (al Hajj: 26). The pilgrim says: Labbayka Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk, inna al hamda wa al ni‘mata laka wa al mulk, la sharika lak.
Among the greatest purposes of Hajj is to show honour to the symbols and laws of Allah. “That, and whoever honours the symbols of Allah, it is truly from the piety of the hearts” (al Hajj: 32). It is a duty upon Muslims to respect the sanctity of the two sacred places, and it is never allowed to turn these safe places into locations for gatherings, protests, banners, slogans, or pictures of leaders or groups.
One of the greatest goals and rulings of Hajj is sincerity in turning to Allah and seeking Him alone, as well as the unity of the Muslims and their coming together.
The Miqats
These are the places the Prophet appointed for those who want to begin their Hajj or Umrah.
The miqats are five:
First: Dhu al Hulayfah (Abyar Ali), which is the miqat for the people of Madinah and for anyone who passes by it.
Second: al Juhfah, which is the miqat for the people of al Sham and anyone who passes by it. Nowadays, people enter into ihram from Rabigh instead.
Third: Yalamlam, which is a mountain in Tihamah, and it is the miqat for the people of Yemen and for anyone who passes by it.
Fourth: Qarn al Manazil, which is also called al Sayl, and it is the miqat for the people of Najd and for anyone who passes by it.
Fifth: Dhat Irq, which is the miqat for the people of Iraq and for anyone who passes by it.
The Prophet appointed these miqats and then said: “These are for them and for anyone who comes by them from other than their people, intending Hajj or Umrah” (al Bukhari 1526, Muslim 1181).
The Types of Religious Acts
There are three types of rites: tamattu, ifrad, and qiran.
Tamattu is to enter ihram for Umrah during the months of Hajj. When the pilgrim reaches Makkah, he performs tawaf and sa‘y for Umrah, then shaves or shortens his hair. On the day of al Tarwiyah, which is the eighth of Dhul Hijjah, he enters ihram again for Hajj alone and performs all its actions.
Ifrad is to enter into ihram for Hajj only.
Qiran is to enter into ihram for both Umrah and Hajj together.
The Description of Umrah
If someone wants to enter into ihram for Umrah, he should remove his clothes, wash just as he washes from janabah, and put perfume on his head and beard.
This washing is sunnah for both men and women. After washing and perfuming, he puts on the clothes of ihram, then prays two rak‘ahs with the intention of the sunnah of wudu. If the time of an obligatory prayer has come, he prays it. When he finishes the prayer, he enters into ihram saying: Labbayka ‘umrah, labbayka Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk, inna al hamda wa al ni‘mata laka wa al mulk, la sharika lak. The man raises his voice with it, and the woman says it in a way that those beside her can hear.
The person in ihram should often say the talbiyah during Umrah, from the time he enters ihram until he begins the tawaf, and during Hajj from the time he enters ihram until he begins to throw the Jamrat al ‘Aqabah on the Day of Eid.
When he enters the Masjid al Haram, he should step in with his right foot and say: Bismillah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, forgive me my sins and open for me the doors of Your mercy. I seek refuge in Allah the Almighty, in His noble Face, and in His eternal power from the accursed Shaytan.
Then he goes to the Black Stone to begin the tawaf, touches it with his right hand and kisses it. If he cannot touch it, he faces it and gestures towards it with his hand, but does not kiss it.
When he touches the Black Stone he says: Bismillah wa Allahu akbar. O Allah, with faith in You, belief in Your Book, loyalty to Your covenant, and following the sunnah of Your Prophet Muhammad.
Then he turns to his right, keeping the Ka‘bah on his left. When he reaches the Yemeni Corner, he touches it without kissing. If he cannot touch it, he does not crowd for it. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone he says: Our Lord, give us in this life good, and in the hereafter good, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. O Allah, I ask You for forgiveness and well-being in this life and the next. When he passes the Black Stone each time, he says takbir. During the rest of the tawaf he says whatever remembrance, supplication, or Quran recitation he likes. Tawaf around the House, sa‘y between al Safa and al Marwah, and stoning the Jamarat were only prescribed to establish the remembrance of Allah.
In this tawaf, the man should do two things:
First: idtiba‘, from the beginning of tawaf until the end. The way to do idtiba‘ is to place the middle of the upper cloth under his right armpit and the two ends over his left shoulder. When he finishes the tawaf, he returns the cloth to its normal position.
Second: ramal in the first three circuits only, which means to walk briskly with short steps.
When he finishes seven circuits of tawaf, he goes to the Maqam Ibrahim and recites: “Take the place of Ibrahim as a place of prayer”. Then he prays two rak‘ahs behind it, reciting in the first after al Fatihah: “Say, O disbelievers”, and in the second after al Fatihah: “Say, He is Allah, the One.”
Then he heads to the area of sa‘y. When he nears al Safa, he recites: “Indeed, al Safa and al Marwah are from the symbols of Allah.” Then he ascends al Safa until he can see the Ka‘bah. He faces it, raises his hands, praises Allah, and supplicates as he likes. One of the supplications of the Prophet here was: There is no god but Allah alone. He has no partner. His is the kingdom and His is the praise. He is able over all things. There is no god but Allah alone. He fulfilled His promise, supported His servant, and defeated the parties alone. He repeats this three times and supplicates between them.
Then he descends from al Safa heading to al Marwah, walking. When he reaches the green marker, he runs strongly as much as he is able. When he reaches the second green marker, he walks normally until he arrives at al Marwah. He ascends it, faces the qiblah, raises his hands, and says what he said on al Safa. Then he descends from al Marwah to al Safa, walking where walking is done and running where running is done. When he reaches al Safa, he does what he did the first time. He continues like this until he finishes seven rounds. Going from al Safa to al Marwah is one round, and returning from al Marwah to al Safa is another.
When he finishes the seven rounds of sa‘y, if he is a man he shaves his head. If it is a woman, she cuts a fingertip’s length from all her hair.
The shaving must cover the whole head, and the same applies to shortening, which should be done from all parts of the head. Shaving is better than shortening, because the Prophet made dua three times for those who shave and once for those who shorten. After this, the person exits from ihram completely and can do what others can do, like wearing normal clothes, applying perfume, and being intimate with his wife.
The Description of Hajj
On the Day of al Tarwiyah, which is the eighth day of Dhul Hijjah, the pilgrim enters into ihram for Hajj in the forenoon from wherever he is staying, intending to perform Hajj. He does the same actions he did when entering into ihram for Umrah, such as bathing, perfuming himself, and praying. He makes the intention for Hajj and recites the talbiyah. The wording of the talbiyah for Hajj is like that for Umrah, except that he says: Labbayka Hajj instead of Labbayka Umrah.
Then he travels to Mina and prays there Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr, shortening the four-unit prayers without joining them, because the Prophet shortened his prayers in Mina but did not combine them.
When the sun rises on the Day of Arafah, he proceeds from Mina to Arafah and stays at Namirah until noon, which is a sunnah. When the sun has passed its zenith, he prays Dhuhr and Asr as two units each, joining them at the earlier time, just as the Prophet did, to allow more time for standing and making supplication.
After praying, he devotes himself to remembrance, supplication, and humbling himself to Allah, raising his hands and facing the qiblah, even if the mountain is behind him, because the sunnah is to face the qiblah, not the mountain. The Prophet stood near the mountain and said: “I have stood here, but all of Arafah is a place of standing. Avoid the valley of ‘Uranah” (Muslim 1218).
The Prophet’s most frequent supplication at this great standing was: “There is no god but Allah alone, He has no partner, His is the kingdom and His is the praise, and He is over all things capable.”
It is not allowed for the one standing at Arafah to leave its boundaries before the sun sets on the Day of Arafah, because the Prophet remained until sunset and said: “Take your religious acts from me.”
The time for standing at Arafah extends until the appearance of dawn on the Day of Eid. Whoever did not stand at Arafah until dawn breaks on the Day of Eid has missed Hajj.
When the sun sets, he departs to Muzdalifah. Upon arrival, he prays Maghrib and Isha together. If he reaches Muzdalifah before the time of Isha, he prays Maghrib at its time and waits until Isha enters, then prays it at its time. In Sahih al Bukhari (1675), Abd al Rahman ibn Yazid said: “Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud performed Hajj. We came to Muzdalifah at the time of the Isha adhan or close to it. He told someone to give the adhan and iqamah, then he prayed Maghrib, then prayed two rak‘ahs afterward. Then he called for his dinner and ate, then told someone to give the adhan and iqamah again, and he prayed Isha as two rak‘ahs.”
He spends the night in Muzdalifah. When dawn becomes clear, he prays Fajr early with adhan and iqamah, then heads to the Sacred Monument and glorifies Allah, declares His oneness, and makes supplication until the light becomes very bright. If he cannot reach the Sacred Monument, he may supplicate from where he is, because the Prophet said: “I have stood here, and all of Jam‘ is a place of standing” (Muslim 1218). During this remembrance and supplication, he should face the qiblah and raise his hands.
When the light of morning becomes bright, before the sun rises, he departs for Mina and hastens through the Valley of Muhassir. When he reaches Mina, he stones Jamrat al Aqabah, which is the last one closest to Makkah, with seven small stones, one after the other. Each stone should be about the size of a date seed, and he says Allahu akbar with each stone. After finishing the stoning, he slaughters his sacrificial animal.
Then, if he is a man, he shaves his head. As for the woman, she shortens her hair and does not shave. Then he descends to Makkah and performs tawaf and sa‘y for Hajj. It is safer to delay the first stage of exiting ihram until he shaves or shortens his hair or performs the tawaf of ifadah.
After the tawaf and sa‘y, he returns to Mina and spends the nights of the eleventh and twelfth of Dhul Hijjah there, and he stones the three Jamarat after the sun passes its zenith on both days.
The Prohibitions of Ihram
The prohibitions of ihram are the things forbidden for the person in ihram for Hajj or Umrah due to his state of ihram. They fall into three categories:
One category is forbidden to both men and women, one is specific to men, and one is specific to women.
The things forbidden to both men and women include:
- Removing hair from the head, whether by shaving or any other method.
- Clipping the nails of the hands or feet.
- Applying perfume after entering ihram, whether on the clothes, the body, or anywhere else.
- Looking or touching with desire.
- Killing land game such as deer, rabbits, pigeons, or locusts. Sea game, however, is permitted.
- Contracting a marriage.
- Sexual intercourse.
The things forbidden to men alone are two:
- Wearing sewn clothing.
- Covering the head with something that touches it, like a turban or the like.
The things forbidden to women alone are two:
- Wearing the niqab.
- Wearing gloves.
The Penalty for Violating the Prohibitions of Ihram
Some of the prohibitions carry a penalty of either fasting three days, feeding six needy people, or sacrificing a sheep. These apply to actions like covering the head, applying perfume, cutting the nails, and similar matters.
Some violations require paying the equivalent value, such as for killing game, by paying its value in compensation.
Some violations spoil the Hajj itself, such as sexual intercourse and what resembles it.
As for wearing sewn clothes, covering the head, shaving the hair, or applying perfume, the pilgrim is given the choice of either fasting three days, feeding six poor people, or sacrificing a sheep.
In the case of hunting, the penalty is to pay the value of what was hunted.
Summary of the Actions of Hajj
First: If a person came performing tamattu, he performs tawaf and sa‘y. If he came performing ifrad and wants to perform sa‘y early, he performs it with the tawaf of arrival.
Second: He travels to spend the night in Mina on the eighth day, which is a sunnah.
Third: From Mina, he proceeds to stand at Arafah, which is a pillar.
Fourth: He spends the night in Muzdalifah, which is obligatory, until dawn. Then he travels to Mina to stone Jamrat al Aqabah and perform the other actions mentioned, including slaughtering, stoning, then performing the tawaf of ifadah and sa‘y of Hajj.
Fifth: He stones the Jamarat during the days of Tashriq.
Sixth: He performs the farewell tawaf, which is one of the obligations of Hajj, as the Prophet said: “Let the last thing people do be a visit to the House.”
The Actions of the Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah for Those Not Performing Hajj
Among the blessed times in the year are these ten days. Allah said: “By the dawn, and by the ten nights” (al Fajr: 1–2).
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, guided us to many actions that the Muslim should perform during these days, and they include:
Increasing in Righteous Deeds
Al Hafidh Ibn Hajar said: “What appears to be the reason for the excellence of the ten days of Dhul Hijjah is the combination of the major acts of worship during them, which are: prayer, fasting, charity, and Hajj, and this does not happen in any other time.”
Maintaining Fasting During the Ten Days
Fasting the ten days is strongly recommended, as Imam al Nawawi said, because it is among the righteous actions.
Fasting the Day of Arafah for Those Not Performing Hajj
Abu Qatadah reported that the Prophet said: “Fasting on the Day of Arafah, I hope from Allah that it will expiate the previous year and the following year” (Muslim).
Increasing in Saying the Takbir
Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, narrated from the Prophet: “There are no days greater in the sight of Allah or in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so increase in them the saying of la ilaha illa Allah, Allahu akbar, and alhamdulillah” (Musnad Ahmad, and Sunan Ibn Majah).
The takbir begins from the Fajr of the Day of Arafah until the Asr of the last day of the days of Tashriq, according to the majority of the jurists.
It is recommended after every prayer, especially when going out for Eid, and at all times.
Supplication
One should take advantage of these ten days by making a lot of supplication, especially on the Day of Arafah.
The Sacrifice (Udhiyah)
It is a confirmed sunnah.
Ibn Qudamah said in al Mughni: “The Muslims have unanimously agreed on the legislated status of the udhiyah, following the example of our father Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and following the sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.” If you want to offer a sacrifice, then refrain from cutting any hair or nails.
Do not forget to make supplication for the leaders who have made serving the pilgrims of the Sacred House of Allah among their highest priorities and greatest concerns. May Allah reward them with the best reward on behalf of us and all the Muslims.
Manāsik al-Ḥajj wa al-ʿUmrah By Al-Shaykh ʿAbd al-Laṭīf Pg 5-16
