Hajj, Umrah & Ziyarah At a Glance
To gain love and forgiveness from Allah Almighty the best way to perform Hajj
is the way the Prophet (pbuh) performed. Allah Almighty says: Say if you love
Allah, follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. (3:31) The
best type of Hajj is the Tamattu' type. In Tamattu' Hajj the Pilgrim does not
bring sacrificial animals with him. The Messenger of Allah has commanded his
companions to do that. Tamattu' Hajj is to perform Umrah in the months of Hajj
and to disengage from Umrah and then again enter into the state of Ihram for
Hajj in the same year.
UMRAH
1- If you want to perform Umrah, first perform ghusl (total wash), if possible,
as you do for Janabah. Next put on the Ihram cloths (Izar & Rida). A female
Muslim can wear any decent clothes that does not expose her body and beauty.
Then Pronounce the Talbiyah (i.e Labbaiyk which means: I am ready to obey and
respond to your call).
2- When you reach Makkah, do Tawaf of the Ka`bah seven times for Umrah starting
from ??Al-Hajar Al-Aswad (Black stone) and finishing by it. Then perform two
raka'hs behind Muqam Ibraheem, if it is possible, or any place (behind it).
3- After the performance of two raka'hs, go to Safa to perform Sa'i between
Safa and Marwah seven times commencing from Safa and ending at Marwah.
4- After completion of Sa'i you may shorten your hair. By this, your Umrah is
complete and you may disengage from Ihram clothes and put on normal clothes.
HAJJ
1- On the pre-noon of the eighth Dhul-Hijjah enter into Ihram from your place
and perform ghusl (total washing) if it is possible and put on the Ihram cloths
and repeat the Talbiyah.
2- Set out and stay at Mina to pray Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr Salahs.
Every Salah comprising of four raka'hs is to be shortened to two raka'hs only.
3- At Arafah perform Zuhr & Asr Salahs in combination, each Salah is to
be shortened to two Raka'hs. Stay there until sunset and implore Allah frequently
Facing the Qiblah.
4- When the sun sets, march from Arafah to Muzdalifah. Once at Muzdalifah you
should pray Maghrib, Isha and Fajr prayers. Stay there to implore Allah until
sunrise. If you are weak and are not able to walk and mingle with the crowd,
you may go to Mina at late night.
5- When the sun is about to rise, walk from Muzdalifah to Mina; when you arrive
at Mina, do the following:
A: Stone Jamarah Al Aqabah which is located nearest to Makkah. You have to throw
seven pebbles, one by one, pronouncing Takbeer at every throw.
B: Slaughter a sacrificial animal, eat from its meat and distribute the rest
to the indigents. The slaughtering of a sacrificial animal is obligatory on
Mutamatti' (who benefits from Umrah to Hajj) and Qarin (who combines Umrah and
Hajj).
C: Shave or shorten the hair of your head. Shaving is recommended (women should
shorten their hair equal to a finger tip length). The order of the three above-mentioned
acts is: first, throwing the pebbles, second, slaughtering the sacrificial animal
and third to shave or shorten the hair of the head. There is no harm if the
order is interchanged. After completion of the above mentioned three acts, you
can put on your normal clothes and do all the acts prohibited during the Hajj
with the exception of sexual intercourse.
6- Then go to Makkah with the intention to perform Tawaf Al-Ifadhah. (Tawaf
Al-Hajj) and to perform Sa'i between Safa and Marwah (Sa'i Al-Hajj). By completion
of Tawaf Al-Ifadhah, every act prohibited for the pilgrim during the Hajj time
now becomes lawful including sexual intercourse.
7- After completion of Tawaf and Sa'i, go back to Mina in order to spend the
two nights of 11th and 12th of Dhul-Hijjah.
8- On the days of 11th and 12th of Dhul-Hijjah, after the sun declines, throw
the pebbles at the three Jamarahs. Start with the furthest from Makkah and then
the middle one and finally Jamarh Al-Aqabah. Throw seven pebbles at each Jamarah
and pronounce the Takbeer every time a stone is thrown. After throwing at the
first and the middle Jamarah, implore Allah facing the Qiblah; it is a must
that throwing of the stones in these two days (i.e. 11th & 12th) be after
Zawal (noon).
9- When you complete throwing the pebbles on 12th Dhul-Hijjah, you may go out
of Mina before sunset. If you want to delay going out it is better to spend
the night of 13th Dhul Al-Hijjah at Mina and repeat throwing pebbles at the
three Jamarahs after Zawal as before.
10- If you want to go back home, you have to perform a Tawaf Al-Wida' (seven
rounds around the Ka`bah). As for a woman in post birth state and menstruating
women, there is no Tawaf Al-Wida' enjoined on them.