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.