How to
Perform the Rituals of Hajj and Umrah
by Shaikh Muhammad As-Salih Al-Uthaimeen
In The Name of Allah,
Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Preface
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.
A
Glossary of terms is provided at the end of
this article.
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
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