Hajj

Abu Sarah

Allahu Akbar
Staff member
The history of Hajj

The history of Hajj

One of the things on which there is scholarly consensus among all the Muslims, ancient and modern, past and present, is that Hajj or pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allaah is one of the five pillars of Islam, as proven in al-Saheehayn from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) and others.

It is well known that Hajj, like other acts of worship, involves special actions, and each of these actions must be done in the prescribed manner, such as entering ihraam from the meeqaat, tawaaf, saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah, standing in ‘Arafah, staying overnight in Muzdalifah, stoning the Jamaraat, slaughtering the sacrifice, and the other well-known actions of Hajj. All of these actions should be done in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). There are very many ahaadeeth which describe the Hajj of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); these have been compiled by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim in Zaad al-Ma’aad and by al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer in his book al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah; these scholars have also explained the rulings derived from these ahaadeeth. The Muslim should pay attention to learning these rulings and acting upon them.

Then we should remember that the basic purpose of the actions of Hajj is to establish the remembrance of Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Then when you leave ‘Arafaat, remember Allaah (by glorifying His Praises, i.e. prayers and invocations) at the Mash‘ar-il-Haraam. And remember Him (by invoking Allaah for all good) as He has guided you, and verily, you were, before, of those who were astray.

Then depart from the place whence all the people depart and ask Allaah for His forgiveness. Truly, Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.

So when you have accomplished your Manaasik [rituals of Hajj], remember Allaah as you remember your forefathers or with a far more remembrance. But of mankind there are some who say: ‘Our Lord! Give us (Your Bounties) in this world!’ and for such there will be no portion in the Hereafter…

And remember Allaah during the appointed Days. But whosoever hastens to leave in two days, there is no sin on him and whosoever stays on, there is no sin on him, if his aim is to do good and obey Allaah (fear Him), and know that you will surely be gathered unto Him”

[al-Baqarah 2:198-203]

And it was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “Tawaaf around the House and saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah and the stoning of the jamaraat were only prescribed so that the remembrance of Allaah may be established.” It was classed as mu’allaq by al-Bayhaqi (5/145) and narrated as a marfoo’ report, although there is some weakness in it.

So the Muslim venerates the rituals of Hajj because Allaah has commanded him to venerate them, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Thus it is and whosoever honours the Symbols of Allaah, then it is truly, from the piety of the hearts”

[al-Hajj 22:32]

Al-Bukhaari (1610) narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) kissed the Black Stone and said, “Were it not that I had seen the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.”

Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, whilst discussing and explaining the actions of Hajj:

“The background to these rituals is no longer present but the rulings remain in effect. These rituals may be confusing for some who see them and do not know the reasons for them, so they may say, ‘This does not make sense.’ I have explained the reasons for them as far as narrated reports go, now I will explain to you the meanings behind them.

Note that the basis for acts of worship is something rational and comprehensible, which is the submission of the slave to his Lord and obedience to Him. Prayer involves humility and submission, which is is what is meant by the word ‘ibaadah (worship).

Zakaah involves kindness and helping the poor, so its meaning is clear.

Fasting means suppressing the desires of the self so that it will be obedient to the One Whom it serves.

By honouring the House and going there, and establishing a sanctuary (Haram) around it are acts of veneration. Arriving there unkempt and disheveled is like a slave turning to his Lord in humility and submission, and that is clear. A person feels at ease performing rituals that he understands, and that motivates him to do them, but to achieve full submission there are some rituals that a person may not understand, so he will not be at ease and will not comprehend them. In this case the only motive is to obey the commands of Allaah. This is a greater form of humility and submission.” See Mutheer al-‘Azm al-Saakin (1.285-286).

If this is understood, then much of the history of the actions of Hajj before the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not known to us. In this case it does not matter if we do not know. And there are some things concerning whose history a few indications are narrated in some texts; we will mention some of these here:

1 – When was Hajj enjoined? When did Hajj begin?

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj)”

[al-Hajj 22:27]

Ibn Katheer says in his commentary on this verse (3/221):

This means: Proclaim (O Ibraaheem) the Hajj to the people, calling them to come on pilgrimage to this House which We have commanded you to build. It was mentioned that he said, “O Lord, how can I proclaim it to the people when my voice does not reach them?” He said, “Call and We will convey it.” So he stood in his maqaam (station) – or it was said, on the rock, or on al-Safa, or on Abu Qubays (a mountain) – and said: “O people, your Lord has taken a House, so come to it on pilgrimage.” And it was said that the mountains lowered themselves so that his voice could reach all parts of the earth and those who were still in the wombs or in men’s loins also heard, and everything that heard him, cities, nomad encampments and trees, and everyone whom Allaah has decreed should perform Hajj until the Day of Resurrection responded, (saying) Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk (Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. This is the summary of what was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas, Mujaahid, ‘Ikrimah, Sa’eed ibn Jubayr and others among the salaf. And Allaah knows best.

Ibn al-Jawzi, in his book Mutheer al-‘Azm al-Saakin (1/354) narrated something similar, but more briefly, and he attributed it to the narrators of Seerah.

This has to do with the history of the enjoining of Hajj before the sending of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). With regard to the enjoining of Hajj in Islam, there is some scholarly difference of opinion concerning that. It was said that it was enjoined in 6 AH, or in 7 AH, or in 9 AH, or in 10 AH. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) was certain that it was enjoined in 9 or 10 AH. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Zaad al-Ma’aad:

“There is no dispute that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not perform Hajj after he migrated to Madeenah apart from one Hajj, which was the Farewell Pilgrimage. And there is no dispute that that occurred in 10 AH… When the command to perform Hajj was revealed, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) hastened to perform Hajj with no delay. Because the enjoining of Hajj came at a later stage, in 9 or 10 AH, one might say, How can you prove that the command to perform Hajj was delayed until 9 or 10 AH? We would say that the first part of Soorah Aal ‘Imraan was revealed in the year of delegations (‘aam al-wufood), during which the delegation from Najraan came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he made a treaty with them regarding their paying the jizyah, and the (ruling on) jizyah was revealed in the year of Tabook, 9 AH, when the first part of Soorat Aal ‘Imraan was revealed…”

Al-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer (2/4/92): Hajj was known to the Arabs. When Islam came, they were told about something they already knew and what was enjoined upon them was something they were familiar with…” See also Ahkaam al-Qur’aan by Ibn al-‘Arabi, 1/286. See also question no 32662

2 – Tawaaf around the House

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and We commanded Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ismaa’eel (Ishmael) that they should purify My House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah) for those who are circumambulating it, or staying (I‘tikâf), or bowing or prostrating themselves (there, in prayer)”

[al-Baqarah 2:125]

This verse indicates that tawaaf around the Ka’bah was known at the time of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him).

3 – Raml

Raml means walking quickly with short steps. This is Sunnah for men but not for women during the tawaaf of arrival (tawaaf al-qudoom), which is the first tawaaf performed when one arrives in Makkah.

How did raml begin?

Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (2/469-470, 1602) and Muslim also narrated (2/991-992, 1262) that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came with his companions and the mushrikoon said, “There have come to you people who have been weakened by the fever of Yathrib. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded them to walk quickly (raml) in the first three circuits… According to another report, he said, “Walk quickly so that the mushrikeen will see that you are strong.”

4 – The water of Zamzam and saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah.

Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (6/396-397, 3364) that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:

Ibraaheem brought Haajar and her son Ismaa’eel when she was still breastfeeding him, to a place near the Ka’bah under a tree on the spot of Zamzam, at the highest place in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Makkah, nor was there any water. So he left them there and left with them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. Ismaa’eel’s mother followed him saying, “O Ibraaheem! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?” She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look at her. Then she asked him, “Has Allaah commanded you to do this?” He said, “Yes.” She said, “Then He will not forsake us,” and went back while Abraham proceeded onwards. When he reached al-Thaniyah where they could not see him, he turned to face the Ka’bah, and raising both hands, invoked Allah saying the following prayer:

“O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah) in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah). So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allaah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks”

[Ibraaheem 14:37]

Ismaa’eel’s mother went on breastfeeding Ismaa’eel and drinking from the water (she had). When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at him (i.e. Ismaa’eel) tossing in agony. She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of al-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from al-Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached al-Marwa where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between al-Safa and al-Marwa) seven times.

Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “This is the (origin of) the people’s saa’i (walking) between them between them (i.e. al-Safa and al-Marwa).” When she reached al-Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she said to herself “Shh!” and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said, “O, (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?” Then she saw an angel at the place of Zamzam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing), until water appeared. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it.

Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “May Allah have mercy on the mother of Ismaa’eel! Had she let Zamzam (flow without trying to control it) (or had she not scooped from that water) (to fill her water-skin), Zamzam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.” And he said: “The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people’…”

Ibn al-Jawzi said in his book Mutheer al-‘Azm al-Saakin (2/47): “This hadeeth explains the reason why it is called Zamzam, because when the water flowed, Haajar tried to control it (zammat-ha). The linguist Ibn Faaris said: Zamzam comes from the words zamamtu al-naaqah (I reined in the camel).

5 – The standing at ‘Arafah

Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi (883) narrated that Yazeed ibn Shaybaan said: We were standing in ‘Arafah in a place far from the mawqif [where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood]. Ibn Mirba’ al-Ansaari came to us and said, “I am the messenger of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who says to you: ‘Stay where you are (for it is also the place of standing), for you are standing in the area where your father Ibraaheem stood.’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1688.

Many of the actions of Hajj stem from the time of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him), but the mushrikeen introduced some innovations which were not prescribed. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sent, he opposed them in that and explained what was prescribed for the actions of Hajj.

This is a brief look at the history of Hajj and the history of some of its rituals. For more information you could refer to the book of al-Haafiz ibn al-Jawzi (may Allaah have mercy on him) which is called Mutheer al-‘Azm al-Saakin ila Ashraf al-Amaakin – the whole of the first volume and the beginning of the second volume.
 

Abu Sarah

Allahu Akbar
Staff member
A brief history of al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah

A brief history of al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah


Al-Masjid al-Haraam (the Sacred Mosque) is situated in Makkah, a city in the Arabian Peninsula 330 meters above sea-level. The history of the mosque goes back to its founding at the time of Ibraaheem (Abraham) and his son Ismaa’eel (Ishmael), peace be upon them both. Makkah is the place where the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was born and where the Revelation began, and from which the light of Islam spread. Al-Masjid al-Haraam is located here. This is the first mosque that was built for people on earth, as Allaah says in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for al-‘aalameen (mankind and jinns).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:96].

It was reported in Saheeh Muslim that Abu Dharr said: “I asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the first mosque to be built for people on earth. He said, ‘Al-Masjid al-Haraam.’ I asked, ‘Then which?’ He said, ‘Al-Masjid al-Aqsaa [The Furthest Mosque, in Jerusalem].’ I asked, ‘How long between them?’ He said, ‘Forty years.’”

The Ka’bah – which is the direction of prayer for all Muslims throughout the world – is situated roughly in the middle of al-Masjid al-Haraam. It is a 15-meter high stone structure more or less in the shape of a cube. It was built by Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) on the command of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when We showed Ibraaheem the site of the (Sacred) House (the Ka’bah at Makkah) (saying): ‘Associate not anything (in worship) with Me, and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who bow and make prostration.” [al-Hajj 22:26]

The word “bawwa’naa” [translated here as “We showed”] means “He guided him and gave him permission to build it.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).

Allaah also says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when Ibraaheem and (his son) Ismaa’eel were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka’bah at Makkah)…” [al-Baqarah 2:127]

Wahb ibn Munbih said: “… It was built by Ibraaheem, then [rebuilt] by the Amalekites, then by Jurham, then by Qusayy ibn Kilaab. Its rebuilding by Quraysh is well known… They began to rebuild it with the stones of the valley, which Quraysh carried on their shoulders, and they built it up, 20 cubits high… Between the rebuilding of the Ka’bah and the beginning of the Revelation there were five years, and between the rebuilding and the Hijrah there were fifteen years. ‘Abd al-Razzaaq reported from Mu’ammar from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Uthmaan from Abu’l-Tufayl, and from Mu’ammar from al-Zuhri: ‘They were building it and when they reached al-Rukn, Quraysh argued about which tribe should lift it up. Then they said, “Let us ask the first person who comes from this direction to judge between us.” They agreed on that, then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to them, and he was a young man wearing a spotted sash. They asked him to judge between them, and he told them to place al-Rukn on a piece of cloth, then he told the chief of every tribe to hold the edge of the cloth, then he climbed up and they lifted al-Rukn up to him, and he himself (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put it into its place.” (Taareekh Makkah by al-Azraqi, 1/161-164)

Muslim (2374) reported that ‘Aa’ishah said: “I asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about al-Jadr [the wall] and whether it was part of the House [the Ka’bah]. He said, ‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘So why is it not incorporated into the House?’ He said, ‘Your people ran out of money.’ I asked, ‘What about the door? Why is it high up?’ He said, ‘Your people did that so they could let in whomever they wanted and keep out whomever they wanted. If it were not for the fact that your people are still new [in Islam] and too close to their Jaahiliyyah, and I am afraid that they would resent it, I would think of incorporating al-Jadr into the House and bringing the door down to ground level.’”

Before Islam (in the year in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was born), the Ka’bah was subjected to an attack by the Ethiopian Abrahah, who had built al-Qulays, a church to which he wanted the Arabs to make their pilgrimage. He set out with his army, with whom was the elephant, and when they reached Makkah, Allaah sent flocks of birds against them; each bird was carrying three stones like chickpeas or lentils, one in its beak and two in its claws. Every man who was struck by a stone was killed, so the army was destroyed, by the command of Allaah.

Allaah has mentioned this incident in His Book, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant? Did He not make their plot go astray?

And sent against them birds, in flocks,

Striking them with stones of Sijjeel,

And made them like an empty field of slaks (in which the corn has been eaten up by cattle).” [al-Feel 105:1-5]

(See al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Hishaam, 1/44-58).

There was no fence or wall around the Ka’bah until it became necessary. Yaaqoot al-Hamawi said in Mu’jam al-Buldaan (5/146): “The first one to build a wall around the Ka’bah was ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him); there was no wall around it during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or Abu Bakr. [The wall was built] because people were building their houses too close to the Ka’bah and making the space around it too small for people. ‘Umar said: ‘The Ka’bah is the House of Allaah, and a house needs a courtyard. You have encroached on its space, it has not encroached on yours.’ So he bought those houses, demolished them and added that space to the space around the Ka’bah. He also destroyed the houses of people in the vicinity of the Ka’bah who had refused to sell, and kept the money aside for them until they came and took it later on. He built a wall around the mosque, lower than the height of a man, and lamps were placed on it. When ‘Uthmaan was khaleefah, he bought more houses that were more expensive… It was said that ‘Uthmaan was the first one to build porticos around it … When Ibn al-Zubayr was in power, he improved its appearance, although he did not increase its size, by adding marble pillars, extra doors and other improvements. When ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan was khaleefah, he added to the wall of the mosque, and brought columns from Egypt by sea to Jeddah, which were carried from Jeddah to Makkah on wheels. Al-Hajjaaj ibn Yoosuf commanded that the Ka’bah should be covered in drapes (al-kiswah) and when al-Waleed ibn ‘Abd al-Malik was khaleefah, he added to the adornment of the kiswah and spent money on improvements to the drainage spout and roof… When al-Mansoor and his son al-Mahdi were khaleefahs, they added more adornments to the mosque and improved its appearance.”

There are also other religious monuments in the Mosque, such as Maqaam Ibraaheem (the Station of Ibraaheem), which is the rock on which Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) stood whilst he was building the Ka’bah. There is also the Well of Zamzam, which is a spring of water brought forth by Allaah for Haajar and her child Ismaa’eel (peace be upon him) when he got thirsty. We should not forget either the Black Stone and al-Rukn al-Yamaani, which are two of the precious stones of Paradise. Al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad reported that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying that the Rukn and the Maqaam are two of the precious stones of Paradise, whose light has been extinguished by Allaah. If He had not extinguished their light, it would illuminate everything between the East and the West.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 804).

Near the Mosque are the two hills of al-Safa and al-Marwah. One of the unique features of the Mosque is that it is the only mosque in the world to which people come on pilgrimage (Hajj). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily! Al-Safa and al-Marwah are of the Symbols of Allaah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Hajj or ‘Umrah (pilgrimage) of the House to perform the going (tawaaf) between them. And whoever does good voluntarily, then verily, Allaah is All-Recognizer, All-Knower.” [al-Baqarah 2:158]

Another of its unique features is that Allaah has made it safe, and one prayer in it is equal to a hundred thousand prayers elsewhere. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when We made the House a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety. And take you (people) the Maqaam (place) of Ibraaheem as a place of prayer, and We commanded Ibraaheem and Ismaa’eel that they should purify My House for those who are circumabulating it, or staying (I’tikaaf), or bowing or prostrating themselves.” [al-Baqarah 2:125]

“In it are manifest signs (for example); the maqaam (place) of Ibraaheem; whoever enters it, he attains security. And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e., denies Hajj, then he is a disbeliever of Allaah], then Allaah stands not in need of any of the ‘aalameen (mankind and jinns).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]

(See Akhbaar Makkah by al-Azraqi and Akhbaar Makkah by al-Faakihi).
 

Abu Sarah

Allahu Akbar
Staff member
Description of Hajj

Description of Hajj​

Hajj is one of the best acts of worship. It is one of the pillars of Islam with which Allaah sent Muhammad and without which a person’s religious commitment is incomplete.

Worship cannot bring a person closer to Allaah and cannot be accepted unless it meets two conditions:

1 – Sincerity towards Allaah alone, i.e., it is done to seek the Countenance of Allaah and the Hereafter, and is not done to show off, to enhance one’s reputation or for worldly gain.

2 – Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in word and deed. Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) can only be achieving by knowing his Sunnah.

Hence the one who wants to worship Allaah by doing any act of worship – Hajj or anything else – has to learn the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning it, so that his actions will be in accordance with the Sunnah.

We will sum up in these few lines the description of Hajj as narrated in the Sunnah.



Types of Hajj​

There are three types of Hajj: Tamattu’, Ifraad and Qiraan.

Tamattu’ means entering ihraam for ‘Umrah only during the months of Hajj (the months of Hajj are Shawwaal, Dhu’l-Qi’dah and Dhu’l-Hijjah; see al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/62). When the pilgrim reaches Makkah he performs tawaaf and saa’i for ‘Umrah, and shaves his head or cuts his hair, and exits ihraam. Then when the day of al-Tarwiyah, which is the 8th of Dhu’l-Hijjah, comes, he enters ihraam for Hajj only, and does all the actions of Hajj. So Tamattu’ involves a complete ‘Umrah and a complete Hajj.

Ifraad means entering ihraam for Hajj only. When the pilgrim reaches Makkah he performs tawaaf al-qudoom (tawaaf of arrival) and saa’i for Hajj, but he does not shave or cut his hair and does not exit ihraam, rather he remains in ihraam until he exits ihraam after stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day of Eid. If he delays the saa’i of Hajj until after the tawaaf of Hajj, there is nothing wrong with that.

Qiraan means entering ihraam for ‘Umrah and Hajj both together. Or entering ihraam for ‘Umrah first then including Hajj in that before starting the tawaaf of Hajj. That is done by intending that his tawaaf and saa’i will be for both Hajj and ‘Umrah.

The actions done in Qiraan are the same as those done in Ifraad, except that the pilgrim doing Qiraan has to offer a hadiy (sacrifice) whereas the pilgrim doing Ifraad does not.

The best of these three types of Hajj is Tamattu’. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined upon his companions and urged them to do. Even if a person enters ihraam for Qiraan or Ifraad, then it is strongly recommended for him to change his intention to ‘Umrah, then complete ‘Umrah and exit ihraam, so that he will then be doing Tamattu’. He may do that after doing tawaaf al-qudoom and saa’i – because when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did tawaaf and saa’i during his Farewell Pilgrimage, and his companions were with him, he told everyone who did not have a sacrificial animal (hadiy) to change his intention and make his ihraam for ‘Umrah and to cut his hair and exit ihraam, and he said, “Were it not that I have brought the hadiy with me, I would do what I have commanded you to do.”

Ihraam

The pilgrim should observe the Sunnahs of ihraam which are mentioned in the question referred to above, namely doing ghusl, applying perfume and praying. Then he should enter ihraam after he finishes the prayer or after boarding his means of transportation.

Then if he is doing Tamattu’, he should say, “Labbayk Allaahumma bi ‘Umrah (Here I am, O Allaah, for ‘Umrah).”

If he is doing Qiraam, he should say, “Labbayk Allaahumma bi Hijjah wa ‘Umrah (Here I am, O Allaah, for Hajj and ‘Umrah).”

If he is doing Ifraad, he should say, “Labbayk Allaahumma Hajjan (Here I am, O Allaah, for Hajj).”

Then he should say, “Allaahumma haadhihi hijjah laa riyaa’a fiha wa la sum’ah (O Allaah, this is a pilgrimage in which there is no showing off or seeking reputation).”

Then he should recite the Talbiyah as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did: “Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak (Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner).”

The Talbiyah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also included the words, “Labbayka ilaah al-haqq (Here I am, O God of Truth).”

Ibn ‘Umar used to add to the Talbiyah the words, “Labbaayk wa sa’dayka, wa’l-khayr bi yadayka, wa’l-raghba’ ilayka wa’l-‘aml (Here I am and blessed by You, and all good is in Your hands, and desire and action are directed towards You).”

Men should raise their voices when saying this, but a woman should recite in such a manner that those who are beside her can hear it, unless there is a man beside her who is not one of her mahrams, in which case she should recite it silently.

If the person who is entering ihraam fears some obstacle that may prevent him from completing his pilgrimage (such as sickness, an enemy, being stopped from proceeding any further, etc), then he should stipulate a condition when entering ihraam by saying, “If I am prevented then my exiting ihraam is where I am prevented” – i.e., if something prevents me from completing my pilgrimage such as sickness or delay etc, then I will exit my ihraam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded Dubaa’ah bint al-Zubayr, when she wanted to enter ihraam but she was sick, to stipulate such a condition, and he said, “Your condition is valid with your Lord.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5089) and Muslim (1207).

If he stipulates this condition and something happens to prevent him from completing his pilgrimage, then he exits his ihraam and does not have to do anything (i.e., offer a sacrifice in compensation).

But the one who does not fear that some obstacle may prevent him from completing his pilgrimage does not have to stipulate any conditions, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not stipulate conditions nor did he command everyone to do so. Rather he told Dubaa’ah bint al-Zubayr to do that because she was sick.

The muhrim (person who has entered ihraam) should recite the Talbiyah a great deal, especially when circumstances and times change, such as when going up to a high place or going down to a low place, or when night or day begin. After that he should ask Allaah for His good pleasure and for Paradise, and seek refuge in His Mercy from the Fire.

The Talbiyah is prescribed in ‘Umrah from the moment one enters ihraam until one starts Tawaaf. In Hajj it is prescribed from the moment one enters ihraam until one stones Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day of Eid.

Ghusl when entering Makkah

When the pilgrim approaches Makkah, he should do ghusl before entering, if possible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did ghusl before entering Makkah. Narrated by Muslim, 1259.

Then when he enters al-Masjid al-Haraam he should do so with his right foot first, and say, “Bismillaah wa’l-salaatu wa’l-salaam ‘ala Rasool-Allaah. Allaahumma ighfir li dhunoobi waftah li abwaab rahmatika. A’oodhu Billaah il-‘Azeem wa bi wajhih il-kareem wa bi sultaanih il-‘qadeem min al-Shaytaan il-rajeem (In the name of Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah. O Allaah, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates of Your mercy. I seek refuge with Allaah the Almighty and in His noble Countenance and His eternal power from the accursed Satan).” Then he should go to the Black Stone in order to start tawaaf…

The description of Tawaaf

Then when he enters al-Masjid al-Haraam he should do so with his right foot first, and say, “Bismillaah wa’l-salaatu wa’l-salaam ‘ala Rasool-Allaah. Allaahumma ighfir li dhunoobi waftah li abwaab rahmatika. A’oodhu Billaah il-‘Azeem wa bi wajhih il-kareem wa bi sultaanih il-‘qadeem min al-Shaytaan il-rajeem (In the name of Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah. O Allaah, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates of Your mercy. I seek refuge with Allaah the Almighty and in His noble Countenance and His eternal power from the accursed Satan).” Then he should go to the Black Stone in order to start tawaaf. He should touch the Stone with his right hand and kiss it; if he cannot kiss it then he should touch it with his hand and kiss his hand. If he cannot touch it with his hand then he should face the Stone and point to it with his hand and say “Allaahu akbar”, but he should not kiss his hand.

There is a great deal of virtue in touching the Black Stone, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will raise up the Black Stone on the Day of Resurrection and it will have two eyes with which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak, and it will bear witness for those who touched it in sincerity.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1144.

It is better not to crowd around and cause annoyance to people or be annoyed by them, because of the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to ‘Umar: “O ‘Umar, you are a strong man, do not crowd around the Stone and disturb the weak. If you find space, then touch it, otherwise just face it and say ‘Allaahu akbar.’” Narrated by Ahmad, 191; classed as qawiy by al-Albaani in Risaalat Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah, p. 21.

Then he should move towards the right, with the Ka’bah on his left, and when he reaches the Yemeni Corner (al-Rukn al-Yamaani, which is the third corner after the Black Stone) he should touch it, without kissing his hand or saying “Allaahu akbar”. If he cannot touch it then he should move on, and not crowd around it. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone he should say, “Rabbanaa aatina fi’l-dunya hasanah wa fi’l-aakhirah hasanah wa qinna ‘adhaab al-Naar (Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire).” Narrated by Abu Dawood and classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1666.

Every time he passes the Black Stone he should face it and say ‘Allaahu akbar’, and in the rest of his tawaaf he should recite whatever he likes of dhikr, du’aa’ and Qur’aan, because tawaaf around the Ka’bah has been established for the remembrance of Allaah.

In Tawaaf men should do two things:

1 – Uncovering the right shoulder (idtibaa’) from the beginning of tawaaf until the end. This is done by placing the middle of the rida’ (upper garment) beneath the right armpit and the ends of the rida’ over the left shoulder. When the pilgrim finishes tawaaf, he should put his rida’ back as it was before tawaaf, because the time for wearing it with one shoulder uncovered is only in tawaaf.

2 – Raml in the first three circuits only. Raml means walking quickly with short steps. In the last four circuits there is no raml, rather the pilgrim should walk normally.

When the pilgrim has completed seven circuits of tawaaf, he should cover his right shoulder and then go to the Station of Ibraaheem (Maqaam Ibraaheem) and recite the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“And take you (people) the Maqaam (place) of Ibraaheem (Abraham) [or the stone on which Ibraaheem (Abraham) stood while he was building the Ka‘bah] as a place of prayer (for some of your prayers, e.g. two Rak‘at after the Tawaaf of the Ka‘bah at Makkah),”

[al-Baqarah 2:125]

Then he should pray two rak’ahs behind the Station; in the first rak’ah after reciting al-Faatihah he should recite Yaa ayyaha’l-kaafiroon (Soorat al-Kaafiroon 109) and in the second Qul Huwa Allaahu ahad (Soorat al-Ikhlaas 112). Then when he has finished this prayer he should go to the Black Stone and touch it if he can. It is prescribed at this point to touch it only; if he cannot do that then he should go away and not point to it.





Then after he has done tawaaf and prayed two rak’ahs, he should go to the Mas’a (place for doing saa’i) and perform saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah.

The description of saa’i​



Then he should go out to the Mas’aa (place for saa’i) and when he comes near to al-Safa’ he should recite (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah (two mountains in Makkah) are of the Symbols of Allaah”

[al-Baqarah 2:158]

And he should say: “Nabda’u bima bada’a Allaah bihi (We start with that with which Allaah started).”

Then he should climb al-Safa until he can see the Ka’bah, then he should face it and raise his hands and praise Allaah, and make du’aa’ as he wishes. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say: “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk, wa lahu’l-hamd, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer. Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdah, anjaza wa’dah, wa nasara ‘abdah, wa hazamaa al-ahzaaba wahdah (There is no god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate; His is the Dominion, all praise is due to Him, and He is able to do all things. There is no god but Allaah alone; he fulfilled His promise, granted victory to His slave, and defeated the confederates alone).” Narrated by Muslim, 1218.

He should repeat that three times, and make du’aa’ in between. He should recite this dhikr then make du’aa’, then recite it again and make du’aa’, and recite it a third time, then come down to al-Marwah, and not make du’aa’ after the third time.

When he reaches the green marker he should run as quickly as he can without disturbing anyone, because it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and he said, “The river bed is not crossed except with vigour.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 2419. The river bed [it was a dried river bed in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] is the area between the two green markers that stand there now.

When he reaches the second green marker, he should walk normally until he reaches al-Marwah. He should climb up it and turn to face the qiblah, and raise his hands and say what he said at al-Safa. Then he should come down from al-Marwah and head for al-Safa, walking in the place of walking and running in the place of running. When he reaches al-Safa he should do what he did the first time, and the same when he goes back to al-Marwah, until he has completed seven circuits; going from al-Safa’ to al-Marwah is one circuit, and coming back from al-Marwah to al-Safa is another circuit. During his saa’i he can say whatever he likes or dhikr and du’aa’, and recite Qur’aan.

Note:

The verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah (two mountains in Makkah) are of the Symbols of Allaah”

[al-Baqarah 2:158]

should be recited by the pilgrim who wants to perform saa’i when he approaches al-Safa at the beginning of saa’i only. It is not mustahabb to repeat it every time he approaches al-Safa and al-Marwah, as some people do


The pilgrim who is doing Tamattu’ should do saa’i for ‘Umrah; those who are doing Ifraad and Qiraan should do saa’i for Hajj, and they may delay it until after Tawaaf al-Ifaadah.

Shaving the head or cutting the hair

When the pilgrim who is doing Tamattu’ has completed seven circuits of saa’i, he should shave his head if he is a man, or cut his hair. If he shaves his head he must shave his entire head, and if he cuts his hair he must cut from all over his head. Shaving is better than cutting because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made du’aa’ three times for those who shaved their heads and once for those who cut their hair. Narrated by Muslim, 1303.

But if the time of Hajj is so close that there will be no time for the hair to grow back, then it is better to cut one’s hair at this point, so that there will be some hair left to shave during Hajj. The evidence for that is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded his companions, during the Farewell Pilgrimage, to cut their hair during ‘Umrah, because they arrived on the morning of the 4th of Dhu’l-Hijjah.

Women should cut the length of a fingertip from their hair.

With these actions, the ‘Umrah of the one who is doing Tamattu’ is concluded, after which he should exit ihraam completely and do everything that those who are not in ihraam do, such as wearing regular clothes, wearing perfume, having intercourse with their wives, etc.

Those who are doing Ifraad or Qiraan should not shave their heads or cut their hair, or exit ihraam, rather they should remain in ihraam until they exit ihraam on the day of Eid, after stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah and shaving their heads or cutting their hair.

Then when the day of al-Tarwiyah comes, which is the 8th day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, the one who is doing Tamattu’ should enter ihraam for Hajj in the morning from the place where he is in Makkah. It is mustahabb for him to do the same when entering ihraam for Hajj as he did when entering ihraam for ‘Umrah, namely doing ghusl, putting on perfume and praying. He should form the intention of entering ihraam for Hajj and recite the Talbiyah, and say, “Labbayk Allaahumma Hajjan (Here I am, O Allaah, for Hajj).”

If he fears some obstacle that may prevent him from completing his Hajj, he should stipulate a condition by saying, “If I am prevented then my exiting ihraam is where I am prevented.” If he does not fear any such obstacle then he should not make any such condition. It is mustahabb to recite the Talbiyah out loud until he starts to stone Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day of Eid.

Going to Mina

Then the pilgrim should go out to Mina and pray Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Isha’ and Fajr there, shortening the prayers but not joining them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to shorten his prayers in Mina but he did not join them. Shortening the prayers means making the four-rak’ah prayers two raka’ahs. The people of Makkah and others should shorten their prayers in Mina, ‘Arafah and Muzdalifah because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to lead the people in prayer during the Farewell Pilgrimage and there were people from Makkah with him, but he did not tell them to offer their prayers in full. If it had been obligatory for them to do so, he would have told them to do so as he did on the day of the Conquest of Makkah. But since the city has spread and incorporated Mina so that it is like one of the quarters of Makkah, then the people of Makkah should not shorten their prayers there.

Going to ‘Arafah

When the sun rises on the day of ‘Arafah, the pilgrim travels from Mina to ‘Arafah and stops in Namirah until the time of Zuhr (Namirah is a place just before ‘Arafah), if he can do so. If he cannot do it, it does not matter because staying in Namirah is Sunnah but it is not obligatory. When the sun passes its zenith (i.e., when the time for Zuhr prayer begins), he should pray Zuhr and ‘Asr, two rak’ahs each, and join them together at the time of Zuhr, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, so as to leave a lot of time for standing and making du’aa’.

Then after the prayer he should devote his time to making dhikr and du’aa’ and beseeching Allaah, and praying as he likes, raising his hands and facing the qiblah even if the mountain of ‘Arafah is behind him, because the Sunnah is to face the qiblah, not the mountain. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood by the mountain and said, “I am standing here, but all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.”

Most of the Prophet’s du’aa’ in that great place of standing was: “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk, wa lahu’l-hamd, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate; His is the Dominion, all praise is due to Him, and He is able to do all things).”

If the pilgrim gets tired and wants to have a break by talking to his companions about useful things or by reading from some useful books, especially things that have to do with the generosity and great bounty of Allaah, in order to increase his hopes on that day, this is good. Then he can go back to beseeching Allaah and praying to Him. He should strive to make the most of the end of the day by making du’aa’. The best of du’aa’ is du’aa’ made on the day of ‘Arafah.

Going to Muzdalifah

When the sun sets, the pilgrim should go to Muzdalifah. When he reaches there, he should pray Maghrib and ‘Isha’ with one adhaan and two iqaamahs. If he fears that he will not reach Muzdalifah before midnight, he should pray on the way, because it is not permissible to delay ‘Isha’ prayer until after midnight.

He should stay overnight in Muzdalifah, then when dawn comes he should pray Fajr early, with the adhaan and iqaamah, and then head for al-Mash’ar al-Haraam (which is the site of the mosque in Muzdalifah) and proclaim the oneness and greatness of Allaah (by saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah and Allaahu akbar), and making du’aa’ as he likes, until it has become very light (i.e., when the light of day appears before the sun has actually risen). If it is not easy for him to go to al-Mash’ar al-Haraam, he should make du’aa’ where he is, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood there and all of Muzdalifah is the place of standing. When he is reciting dhikr and making du’aa’ he should face the qiblah and raise his hands.

Going to Mina

When it has become very light, before the sun rises, he should go to Mina and hasten through Wadi Mahsar (which is a valley between Muzdalifah and Mina). When he reaches Mina he should stone Jamarat al-‘Aqabah, which is the last one that is closest to Makkah, throwing seven pebbles one after another, each of which should be approximately the size of a fava bean, saying “Allaahu akbar” with each throw. (The Sunnah when stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah is to face the Jamarah with Makkah to one's left and Mina to one one’s right). When he has finished this stoning, he should slaughter his sacrificial animal, then shave his head or cut his hair if he is male; women should cut the length of a fingertip from their hair. This is the first stage of exiting ihraam, in which it becomes permissible to do everything except have intercourse with one's wife. Then the pilgrim should go back to Makkah and do tawaaf and saa’i for Hajj. Then comes the second stage of exiting ihraam, after which everything becomes permissible which was forbidden whilst in ihraam.

The Sunnah is to put on perfume when one wants to go to Makkah to do tawaaf after stoning the jamarat and shaving one’s head, because ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “I used to apply perfume to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before he entered ihraam and when he exited ihraam, before he circumambulated the House.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1539; Muslim, 1189.

Then after tawaaf and saa’i, he should go back to Mina and stay there for two night, the 11th and 12th of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and stone the three jamarats during those two days, when the sun has passed its zenith. It is better for him to go to the jamarats walking, but if he rides that is acceptable. He should stone the first jamarah, which is the one that is furthest away from Makkah and next to Masjid al-Kheef, with seven pebbles, one after another, and say “Allaahu akbar” after each throw. Then he should go forward a little and say a lengthy du’aa’, saying whatever he likes. If it is too difficult for him to stand for a long time and make du’aa’, he should say whatever is easy for him, even if it is only a little, so that he will have done the Sunnah.

Then he should stone the middle jamarah with seven pebbles, one after another, saying “Allaahu akbar” with every throw. Then he should move to his left and stand facing the qiblah, raising his hands, and offer a lengthy du’aa’ if he can. Otherwise he should stand for as long as he can. He should not omit to stand and make du’aa’ because it is Sunnah. Many people neglect that because of ignorance or because they take the matter lightly. The more the Sunnah is neglected the more important it becomes to do it and spread it among the people, lest it be abandoned and die out.

Then he should stone Jamarat al-‘Aqabah with seven pebbles, one after another, saying “Allaahu akbar” with each throw, then he should go away and not offer a du’aa’ after that.

When he has completed the stoning of the Jamaraat on the 12th day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, if he wants he may hasten and leave Mina, and if he wants he may delay his departure and stay there for another night, the night of the 13th, and stone the three Jamaraat after noon as he did before. It is better to delay, but it is not obligatory unless the sun has set on the 12th and he is still in Mina, in which case it is obligatory to stay until one has stoned the three Jamaraat after noon on the following day. But if the sun sets on the 12th and he is still in Mina but not by choice, such as if he had already started out and boarded his means of transportation, but got delayed because of crowded conditions and traffic jams etc., then he is not obliged to stay there, because the delay until sunset was not by his choice.

When the pilgrim wants to leave Makkah and go back to his country, he should not leave until he has performed the farewell tawaaf (tawaaf al-wadaa’), because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one should leave until the last thing that he does is (tawaaf) around the House.” Narrated by Muslim, 1327). According to another version, he told the people that the last thing they should do was (tawaaf) around the house, but he made an exception for women who were menstruating. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1755; Muslim, 1328.

Women who are menstruating or bleeding following childbirth do not have to do the farewell tawaaf; neither should they stand by the door of al-Masjid al-Haraam to bid farewell, because that was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

The last thing the pilgrim should do when he wants to leave is to circumambulate the House. If after the farewell tawaaf he stays and waits for his companions or to load his luggage or to buy something he needs on the way, there is nothing wrong with that, and he does not have to repeat the tawaaf, unless he intends to delay his journey, such as if he intended to travel at the beginning of the day and he did the farewell tawaaf, then he delays his travelling until the end of the day, for example; in this case he has to repeat the tawaaf so that it will be the last thing he does in Makkah.

Note:

The pilgrim who enters ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah has to do the following:

1- He has to adhere to that which Allaah has enjoined of religious laws, such as praying on time in congregation.

2- He has to avoid all that Allaah has forbidden of obscene and immoral speech and sin, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein (by assuming Ihraam), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj”

[al-Baqarah 2:197]

3- He should avoid annoying the Muslims with his words or actions, at the holy sites and elsewhere.

4- He should avoid all things that are forbidden when in ihraam:

a. So he should not cut anything from his hair or nails, but removing thorns and the like is fine, even if that results in some bleeding.

b. He should not apply perfume after entering ihraam, either to his body, his clothes, his food or his drink. He should not wash with perfumed soap either. But if any traces of perfume remain from that which he put on before entering ihraam, that does not matter.

c. He should not hunt.

d. He should not have intercourse with his wife.

e. He should not touch her with desire or kiss her etc.

f. He should not enter into a marriage contract for himself or arrange a marriage for anyone else, or propose marriage to a woman for himself or on behalf of another.

g. He should not wear gloves, but wrapping one’s hands with a piece of cloth does not matter.

These seven prohibitions apply equally to men and women.

The following apply only to men:

- Men should not cover their heads with something that stays on the head. Shading their heads with umbrellas, car roofs and tents, and carrying mats etc. (on one’s head, when moving them from one place to another), is acceptable.

- They should not wear shirts, turbans, burnouses, pants or leather slippers, unless someone cannot find an izar (waist wrapper), in which case he may wear pants; and if he cannot find sandals he may wear shoes.

- They should not wear anything that is akin to the above, such as abayas, cloaks, hats, t-shirts and the like.

- It is permissible for men to wear sandals, rings, eyeglasses and hearing aids, and to wear wristwatches, or to put watches on strings around their necks, and to wear money belts.

- It is permissible for them to wash with unperfumed soaps, and to scratch their heads and bodies, and if any hairs fall unintentionally as a result, there is no sin on them.

Women should not wear niqaab, which is what they use to cover their faces, with holes cut for the eyes. They should not wear the burqa’ either.

The Sunnah is for them to uncover their faces unless non-mahram men can see them, in which case they should cover their faces whilst in ihraam and at other times.

See Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah by al-Albaani [available in English as The Rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah, published by International Islamic Publishing House, Riyadh]; Sifat al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah and al-Manhaj li Mureed al-‘Umrah wa’l-Hajj by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on them all).
 

Abu Sarah

Allahu Akbar
Staff member
Rulings that apply only to women during Hajj

Rulings that apply only to women during Hajj

Congratulations on your decision to go to Makkah to perform the obligatory duty of Hajj, this obligation which many Muslim women do not pay enough attention to. Some women are ignorant of the fact that Hajj is obligatory for them; some know that but they procrastinate until death takes them unawares and they have failed to go for Hajj; and some of them do not understand any of the rituals so they do things that are haraam and may even invalidate their Hajj without realizing. Allaah is the One Whose help we seek.

Hajj is a duty that Allaah has enjoined upon His slaves, it is the fifth pillar of Islam and it is the jihad of women, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her): “Your jihad is Hajj.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari.

There follows some advice and the rulings that apply specifically to women who want to do Hajj. These are things that will help to make your Hajj acceptable, and an accepted Hajj, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “brings no less a reward than Paradise.” Agreed upon.

1 – Sincerity towards Allaah is a condition of any act of worship, including Hajj, being valid and acceptable. So be sincere towards Allaah in your Hajj and beware of showing off, for showing off invalidates good deeds and brings punishment.

2 – Following the Sunnah and doing actions in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the second condition of actions being valid and acceptable, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours, will have it rejected.” Narrated by Muslim.

This means that you should learn the rulings of Hajj according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), with the help of useful books which are based on saheeh evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah.

3 – Beware of major and minor shirk (association of others with Allaah), and of sin in all its forms. Major shirk means that a person goes beyond the pale of Islam, his good deeds are rendered invalid and that he is exposed to punishment. Minor shirk means that a person’s good deeds are rendered invalid and he is exposed to punishment. Sin means that he is exposed to punishment.

4 – It is not permissible for a woman to travel for Hajj or for any other purpose without a mahram, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No woman should travel without a mahram.” Agreed upon.

The mahram is the husband or any man whom a woman is forever forbidden to marry because of blood ties or radaa’ah (ties that result from breastfeeding) or ties through marriage. This is one of the conditions of Hajj being obligatory for women. If a woman does not have a mahram to travel with her, then she does not have to do Hajj.

5 – A woman may enter ihraam in whatever clothes she likes, black or any other colour, so long as she avoids wanton display (tabarruj) or clothes of fame and vanity such as tight, see-through, short, thin or decorated clothes. Women must also be careful to avoid clothes that resemble the clothes of men or the kuffaar.

Hence we know that there is no evidence for the practice of some of the common folk of choosing a specific colour for women to wear in ihraam, such as green or white; rather this is a kind of bid’ah (innovation).

6 – After forming the intention for ihraam, it is haraam for the muhrimah (woman in ihraam) to put on any kind of perfume, whether on the body or clothes.

7 – It is haraam for the muhrimah to remove any hair from her head or body by any means, and to clip the nails.

8 – It is haraam for the muhrimah to wear the burqa’ or niqaab (kinds of face-veils), and to wear gloves, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Women (during Hajj) should not wear niqaab or gloves.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari.

9 – The muhrimah should not uncover her face or hands in front of non-mahram men using the excuse that the niqaab and gloves are among the things that are forbidden in ihraam, because they can cover their faces and hands with anything such as their clothes, scarves, etc. Umm al-Mu’mineen ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The riders used to pass by us when we were with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in ihraam. When they came alongside us we would lower our jilbaabs from our heads over our faces, and when they had passed by we would uncover them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Hijaab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah.

10 – Some women, when they enter ihraam, put something like a turban or clips on their heads, so that no part of the khimaar or jilbaab will cover their faces. This is going to trouble for which there is no need, because there is nothing wrong with the cover touching the face of the muhrimah.

11 – It is permissible for the muhrimah to wear a shirt, pants, socks on the feet, gold bangles and rings, watches, etc, but she should cover her adornments in front of non-mahram men during Hajj and at other times.

12 – Some women, if they pass the meeqaat with the intention of doing Hajj or ‘Umrah and happen to be menstruating, do not enter ihraam, thinking that it is a condition of ihraam to be free of menstruation. So they pass the meeqaat without entering ihraam. This is an obvious mistake, because menstruation does not mean that a woman cannot enter ihraam. So a menstruating woman should enter ihraam and do everything that other pilgrims do, apart from tawaaf around the Ka’bah. She should delay tawaaf until she becomes pure (i.e., until her period ends). If she delays ihraam and passes the meeqaat without entering ihraam, then she has to go back and enter ihraam from the meeqaat; if she does not go back then she has to offer a sacrifice because she failed to do something that was obligatory upon her.

13 – If a woman fears that she may not be able to complete the rituals of Hajj, she may stipulate a condition when entering ihraam by saying, “If I am prevented (from completing Hajj), then I will exit ihraam at the point at which I am prevented.” Then if something happens to prevent her from completing Hajj, she will exit ihraam and there will be no blame on her.

14 – Remember the actions of Hajj:

(i) When the day of al-Tarwiyah comes, which is the eighth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, do ghusl and enter ihraam, and recite the Talbiyah, saying, “Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak (Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner).”

(ii) Go out to Mina, and pray there Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Isha and Fajr, shortening the four-rak’ah prayers to two rak’ahs without joining them.

(iii) When the sun rises on the ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, go to ‘Arafah, and pray Zuhr and ‘Asr there, shortened and joined at the time of Zuhr. Stay in ‘Arafah making du’aa’, remembering Allaah, beseeching Allaah and repenting, until sunset.

(iv) When the sun sets on the ninth day, go from ‘Arafah to Muzdalifah, and pray there Maghrib and ‘Isha’ shortened and joined. Stay there until Fajr prayer, and strive hard after Fajr in dhikr, du’aa’ and conversing with Allaah, until it has become very light.

(v) Set out from Muzdalifah to Mina before the sun rises on the day of Eid. When you reach Mina, do the following:

a. Stone Jamrat al-‘Aqabah with seven pebbles, and say Takbeer (“Allaahu akbar”) with each throw.

b. Slaughter the hadiy (sacrifice) after the sun has risen.

c. Cut a fingertip’s length from each side of your hair (approximately two centimeters).

d. Go back to Makkah and do tawaaf al-ifaadah, and do the saa’i of Hajj between al-Safa and al-Marwah, if you are doing tamattu’, or if you are doing ifraad or qiraan but you did not do saa’i after the tawaaf of arrival.

(vi) Stone the Jamaraat on the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhu’l-Hijjah, after the sun has passed its zenith, if you want to delay departure; or on the 11th and 12th only if you want to leave sooner. You must also stay in Mina on those nights.

(vii) If you want to go back to your country, then do the farewell tawaaf; this will conclude the actions of Hajj.

15 – Women should not recite the Talbiyah out loud, rather they should say it quietly so that only they and the women next to them can hear it and so that non-mahram men cannot hear it, lest that cause fitnah (temptation) and attract attention. The time for reciting the Talbiyah starts from after entering ihraam for Hajj and lasts until one stones the Jamrat al-‘Aqabah on the Day of Sacrifice.

16 – If a woman’s period begins after she has done tawaaf and before she does saa’i, she should complete the rest of the rituals and do saa’i even if she is menstruating, because tahaarah (purity) is not essential for saa’i.

17 – It is permissible for a woman to use pills to delay menstruation to enable her to perform the rituals of Hajj, subject to the condition that this will not cause her harm.

18 – Beware of crowding with men in all the rituals of Hajj, especially during tawaaf and at the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner, during saa’i and when stoning the Jamaraat. Choose times when there is less crowding. Umm al-Mu’mineen ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) used to do tawaaf in an area away from the men, and she did not touch the Black Stone or the Yemeni Corner if there was crowding.

19 – Women do not have to walk quickly (raml) during tawaaf or jog (rakd) during saa’i. Raml means walking quickly in the first three circuits of tawaaf, and rakd means jogging between the two green markers in every circuit of saa’i. These actions are Sunnah for men only.

20 – Beware of this small book which contains innovated du’aa’s, such as a specific du’aa’ for each circuit of tawaaf and saa’i for which there is no evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah. It is prescribed to recite du’aa’ during tawaaf and saa’i however one wishes, for the best in this world and in the Hereafter. If the du’aa’ is one that is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that is even better.

21 –A woman who is menstruating can read books of du’aa’ and dhikr that are prescribed in sharee’ah, even if they contain verses of Qur’aan. It is also permissible for her to recite Qur’aan without touching the Mus-haf.

22 – Beware of uncovering any part of your body, especially in places where men could see you, such as public wudoo’ areas. Some women do not care about men being close to such areas and they uncover during wudoo’ things that it is not permissible to uncover, such as the face, forearms and calves. They may even take off their headcovers, thus uncovering their heads and necks. All of that is haraam and is not permissible, because it causes a great deal of fitnah (temptation) to them and to men.

23 – It is permissible for women to leave Muzdalifah before dawn, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) allowed some women, especially those who were weak, to leave Muzdalifah after the moon had set at the end of the night. That was so that they could stone Jamarat al-‘Aqabah before it became crowded. In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that Sawdah (may Allaah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the night of Muzdalifah for permission to leave before it became too crowded, because she was a heavy woman, and he gave her permission.

24 – It is permissible to delay stoning the Jamrah until the night, if the woman’s guardian thinks that the crowding is too great around Jamrat al-‘Aqabah and that this may pose a danger to the women who are with him. So it is permissible to delay their stoning of the Jamrah until the crowding is less or has stopped, and there is nothing wrong with them doing that.

The same applies with regard to stoning of the Jamaraat during the three days of Tashreeq, when women can stone them after ‘Asr, which is the time when the crowding is a lot less, as is well known. If that is not possible then there is nothing wrong with them delaying it until the night.

25 – Beware of the following point: it is not permissible for a woman to allow her husband to have intercourse with her or to be intimate with her so long as she has not yet exited ihraam completely. This exiting ihraam is achieved when three things take place:

(i) Stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah with seven pebbles.

(ii) Cutting the length of a fingertip from all ends of the hair, which is approximately 2 centimeters.

(iii) Doing the tawaaf of Hajj (tawaaf al-ifaadah).

· Once a woman has done these three things it is permissible to do all the things that were forbidden to her during ihraam, including intercourse. If she has only done two of them then it is permissible for her to do anything apart from intercourse.

26 – It is not permissible for a woman to show her hair to non-mahram men whilst she is cutting the ends of her hair, as many women do at the Mas’aa (place of saa’i), because the hair is ‘awrah and it is not permissible to show it to any non-mahram men.

27 – Beware of sleeping in front of men. This is what we see many women doing who do Hajj with their families without a tent or anything to conceal them from the eyes of men, so they sleep in the streets or on the sidewalks, and under elevated bridges, and in Masjid al-Kheef, amongst men or close to men. This is one of the greatest evils which must be put a stop to.

28 – Women who are menstruating or bleeding following childbirth do not have to do the farewell tawaaf. This is one of the allowances that sharee’ah makes to women. Women who are menstruating can go back to their families even if they have not done the farewell tawaaf, so give thanks to Allaah for this allowance and blessing.
 

Abu Sarah

Allahu Akbar
Staff member
Etiquette of Hajj and ‘Umrah

Etiquette of Hajj and ‘Umrah

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well-known (lunar year) months (i.e. the 10th month, the 11th month and the first ten days of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, i.e. two months and ten days). So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein (by assuming Ihraam), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj. And whatever good you do, (be sure) Allaah knows it. And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness). So fear Me, O men of understanding!”

[al-Baqarah 2:197]

People should perform the rituals of Hajj with respect, veneration, love and submission to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds, in a tranquil and dignified manner, following the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

These great rituals should be filled with dhikr (remembering Allaah), takbeer (proclaiming Allaah’s greatness by saying Allaahu akbar), tasbeeh (glorifying Allaah by saying Subhaan-Allaah), tahmeed (praising Allaah by saying al-hamdu Lillaah) and istighfaar (seeking Allaah’s forgiveness by saying Astaghfir-Allaah), because he is in a state of worship from the moment he enters ihraam until he exits it; Hajj is not a time for idle talk and play or doing whatever you want with no restrictions, as we see some people do, so we see them playing and laughing and making fun of people and other reprehensible actions, as if Hajj were prescribed for joking and playing.

The pilgrim and others should regularly observe the things that Allaah has enjoined such as praying in congregation on time, and enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.

The pilgrim should strive to benefit the Muslims and treat them kindly by guiding them, helping them when needed, and being compassionate towards the weak, especially in places where such compassion is appropriate, such as in crowded places. Showing compassion to people brings mercy from the Creator, for Allaah shows mercy to those of His slaves who are merciful.

He should avoid obscenity, immorality, sin and arguing that does not support the truth. With regard to debating in support of the truth, this is obligatory when it is appropriate. He should avoid being aggressive towards people or annoying them, so he should avoid backbiting, malicious gossip, cursing, swearing, hitting, and looking at non-mahram women, for these things are haraam whether one is in ihraam or not, but they are even more haraam when one is in ihraam.

He should avoid things that many people do, such as saying words that do not befit the rituals. For example, when stoning the jamaraat, some of them say, “We are stoning the Shaytaan” and they may curse the site or hit it with shoes etc., which is contrary to the idea of humility and worship, and defeats the purpose of stoning the jamaraat, which is to carry out the commands of Allaah.

Reference: al-Manhaj li Mureed al-‘Umrah wa’l-Hajj by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen.
 

Abu Sarah

Allahu Akbar
Staff member
Conditions of Hajj being obligatory

Conditions of Hajj being obligatory

The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) have stated the conditions of Hajj being obligatory, which, if they are met, make it obligatory for a person to perform Hajj, and without them Hajj is not obligatory. There are five such conditions: being Muslim, being of sound mind, being an adult, being free and being able to do it.

1 – Being Muslim


This applies to all acts of worship, because worship done by a kaafir is not valid. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And nothing prevents their contributions from being accepted from them except that they disbelieved in Allaah and in His Messenger”

[al-Tawbah 9:54]

According to the hadeeth of Mu’aadh, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent him to Yemen, he said: “You are going to people from among the people of the Book. Call them to bear witness that there is no god but Allaah and that I am the Messenger of Allaah. If they obey you in that, then tell them that Allaah has enjoined on them five prayers each day and night. If they obey you in that, then tell them that Allaah has enjoined on them charity (zakaah) to be taken from their rich and given to their poor.” Agreed upon.

So the kaafir is commanded first of all to enter Islam. If he becomes Muslim, then we tell him to pray, give zakaah, fast, perform Hajj and all the other duties of Islam.

2 and 3 – being of sound mind and being an adult
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The pen is lifted from three [and does not record their deeds]: from one who is sleeping, until he wakes up; from a child until he reaches puberty, and from one who is insane until he comes to his senses.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4403; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

So a child is not obliged to perform Hajj, but if his parents take him for Hajj, his Hajj is valid; the child will have the reward of Hajj and his parents will also have a reward, because when a woman lifted up a child and asked, “Is there Hajj for this one?” the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Yes, and you will have the reward.” Narrated by Muslim.

4 – Being free

Hajj is not obligatory for a slave, because he is distracted by his duties towards his master.

5 – Being able to do it

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]

This includes being able both physically and financially.

What is meant by being physically able is that one is sound in body and can bear the hardship of travelling to the sacred House of Allaah.

Being financially able means that one has enough funds to get to the sacred House of Allaah and back again.

The Standing Committee said (11/30):

Being able to do Hajj means that one is sound in body and has means of transportation to reach the sacred House of Allaah whether by plane, car or riding animal, or by renting such means, according to his situation, and that he has sufficient provisions to get there and back. That should be surplus to what he needs to spend on those on whom he is obliged to spend, until he returns from Hajj. A woman should also have a husband or mahram with whom to travel to Hajj or ‘Umrah. End quote.

The money that he uses to reach the sacred House should be surplus to his basic needs, the spending enjoined on him by sharee’ah, and what he needs to pay off his debts.

What is meant by debts here is things that he owes to Allaah, such as expiations, and what he owes to other people.

If a person has a debt, and he does not have enough money to both do Hajj and pay off the debt, then he should pay off the debt first and he does not have to go for Hajj.

Some people think that the reason is that he did not ask permission from the one who whom he owes the money, and that if he gives him permission, then there is nothing wrong with it.

There is no basis for this thinking, rather the reason is being in debt. It is known that if the lender gives the debtor permission to go for Hajj, that does not mean the debt is waived, and he will not have discharged his duty because of this permission. Hence it should be said to the debtor: Pay off your debt first, then if you have enough left, go for Hajj; otherwise Hajj is not obligatory in your case.

If the debtor who did not go for Hajj because of his debt dies, then he will meet Allaah with his Islam complete and not lacking, because Hajj was not obligatory for him, just as zakaah and also Hajj are not obligatory for one who is poor.

But if he does Hajj before paying off his debt and then dies before paying it off, then he is in danger, because even the martyr is forgiven for everything except debt, so what about anyone else?

What is meant by the spending enjoined on him by sharee’ah is what he is obliged by sharee’ah to spend on himself and his family, without being either extravagant or stingy. If he is of average means and wants to show signs of richness such as buying an expensive car so that he will look rich, and he does not have enough money to perform Hajj, then he has to sell the car and use that money to perform Hajj, and he should buy a car that suits his situation. His spending on this car is not a kind of spending that is approved of in sharee’ah, rather it is extravagance, which is forbidden in Islam.

What is meant by financially able is that he should have enough for his family until he returns, and he should have an income after he returns to take care of himself and those on whom he spends, such as rent from property, a salary and business earnings, etc.

Hence he does not have to use the capital of his business, the profit of which he spends on himself and his family, to do Hajj, if that loss of capital will result in a loss of profits which in turn will mean that his family does not have enough.

The Standing Committee (11/36) was asked about a man who has a sum of money in an Islamic bank and his income came from the profits on that money which gave him enough to live a moderate lifestyle. Is he obliged to do Hajj using that capital, knowing that this would affect his monthly income and stretch his finances unbearably?

They replied:

If your situation is as you describe, you are not obliged to perform Hajj because you are not able to in the manner required by sharee’ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]

And He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and [Allaah] has not laid upon you in religion any hardship”

[al-Hajj 22:78]

End quote.

What is meant by basic needs is what a person needs a great deal of in his life, and which it is too hard for him to do without, such as books for the seeker of knowledge. So we do not tell him: Sell your books and use the money to go for Hajj, because these are basic needs for him. Similarly if a person needs his car, we do not tell him, Sell it and use the money to go to Hajj. But if he has two cars and he does not need one of them, then he has to sell one of them and use the money to go to Hajj.

Similarly, a craftsman does not need to sell his tools, because he needs them. And if a man has a car which he uses for work and spends on himself and his family from the money he earns for hiring it out, he does not have to sell it in order to go for Hajj.

Another basic need is the need to get married.

If a person needs to get married, that takes precedence over Hajj, otherwise Hajj takes precedence.

See the answer to question no. 27120.

What is meant by being financially able is that a person should have surplus funds that are sufficient for doing Hajj after paying off debts and taking care of shar’i obligations and basic needs.

If a person is physically and financially able to do Hajj, then he is obliged to hasten to do Hajj.

If he is not physically and financially able, or if he is physically able but he is poor and has no wealth, then he is not obliged to do Hajj.

If a person is financially able but he is not physically able, then we look at the matter further.

If his problem is something that he hopes will disappear, such as a sickness from which he hopes to recover, then he should wait until Allaah heals him, then do Hajj.

If his problem is one for which there is no hope that it will disappear, such as a person with cancer or an old person who cannot do Hajj, then he has to appoint someone to do Hajj on his behalf, and the duty to perform Hajj is not waived because of his physical inability if he is financially able.

The evidence for that is the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (1513) according to which a woman said: “O Messenger of Allaah, Allaah’s command to the people to perform Hajj has come when my father is an old man and cannot sit firmly in the saddle. Can I perform Hajj on his behalf?” He said: “Yes.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) agreed with her comment that Hajj was obligatory for her father even though he was physically unable to perform Hajj. In order for Hajj to be obligatory for a woman, it is essential for her to have a mahram with her, and it is not permissible for her to travel for Hajj, whether that is obligatory or naafil Hajj, without a mahram, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No woman should travel except with a mahram.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1862; Muslim 1341.

The mahram is her husband or one whom it is permanently forbidden for her to marry because of blood ties, breastfeeding or ties through marriage. The husband of a sister, maternal aunt or paternal aunt is not a mahram. Some women take this matter lightly and travel with their sister and sister’s husband, or with a maternal aunt and the aunt’s husband, but this is haraam, because the sister’s husband or the maternal aunt’s husband is not a mahram, so it is not permissible for her to travel with him. So there is the fear that her Hajj is not proper, for the proper Hajj (Hajj mabroor) is that which is not mixed with any sin, but this woman is sinning throughout her journey until she returns home.

It is also essential that the mahram be an adult of sound mind, because the aim of the mahram is to protect the woman, and a child or one who is insane cannot do that.

If a woman does not have a mahram, or she has one but he is unable to travel with her, then she is not obliged to do Hajj.

The husband’s permission is not an essential condition of it being obligatory for a woman to do Hajj, rather she is obliged to do Hajj when the conditions of it being obligatory are met, even if her husband does not give permission.

The Standing Committee said (11/20):

The obligatory Hajj is obligatory when the conditions of being able to do it are met, and the husband’s permission is not one of them. It is not permissible for him to forbid her, rather it is prescribed for him to cooperate with her in fulfilling this duty. End quote.

This has to do with the obligatory Hajj. As for naafil Hajj, Ibn al-Mundhir narrated that the scholars were unanimously agreed that a husband has the right to forbid his wife from doing a naafil Hajj, because the husband’s rights are binding upon her and are not superceded by something that is not obligatory for her. Al-Mughni, 5/35.

See al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/5-27
 
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