How to Perform the Rituals of Hajj and Umrah...

In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

How to Perform the Rituals of Hajj and Umrah

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.

. One devotes it to Allah alone, with a desire for the Hereafter. It cannot
be done with the intention of being seen among people or for worldly gain.

. One follows the Prophet's example, in words and deeds. This cannot be
accomplished except by gaining knowledge of the Sunnah.

Forms of Pilgrimage

There are three forms of Hajj: Tamattu'- Ifraad - Qiran

Tamattu': A pilgrim wears Ihram for Umrah only during the months of Hajj,
which means when a pilgrim reaches Makkah, he/she makes Tawaf and Sa'yi for
Umrah. Then shaves or clips the hair. On the day of Tarwiya, which is the
eighth of Dhul-Hijja, a pilgrim 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 post-
natal 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:

. 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.

. 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:

. 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.

. He slaughters the sacrificial animal, eats some of it, and gives some to
the poor. Slaughter is obligatory on the Mutamati and Qiran.

. 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 - Not related to Hajj & Umrah :

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.

Note: "Ziyaarath" to grave of Prophet Muhammed (sal) is not a mandatory one.
Hajj & Umrah both are do not have any connection with "Ziyaarath". Due to
ignorance & misbelieve, many pilgrims thinks that this is a part of hajj
pilgrimage

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.

d. He shouldn't be wed or propose to a woman for himself or others.

e. 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.

Allah is the giver of success. May His blessings be upon our Prophet
Muhammad and all of his family and companions.

Allah Almighty knows best

Courtesy:Shaikh Muhammad As-Salih Al-Uthaimeen.