Friday, December 24, 2004

Umrah with Hajj Pilgrimage

Hajj is wajib for the one who meets the following criteria

  • He is free (not a slave).
  • He has reached puberty.
  • He is sound minded (not crazy).
  • He is healthy enough to perform the hajj.
  • He has enough money for food, necessities and transportation for the trip beyond his financial obligations to his dependents as well as his house and other basic necessities.
  • The road to hajj is safe.

The prerequisite of Hajj

  • Proscription (Ihraam)

The Requisites of Hajj

  • Being at Arafah between the sun's zenith on the day of ^Ararah, and the start of Fajr on the day of Eid.
  • Most of Tawaaf-uz- Ziyaarah (with intention) after Fajr on Eid.

The duties of Hajj

  • Proscription (Ihraam) before or at the mawaaqiit
  • Starting Tawaaf from the Black Stone
  • Going counter-clockwise around the Kaabah
  • Ritual purity in Tawaaf
  • Covering the ^awrah in Tawaaf
  • Walking in Sa^y if able
  • Making Sa^y after Tawaaf (it is invalid alone)
  • Being at Muzdalifah after Fajr time enters
  • Sa^y between Safa and Marwah
  • Throwing the pebbles
  • The farewell tawaaf for strangers
  • Shaving (men only) or cutting (about 1 inch of) one's hair (at least 1/4 of all the head, but preferrably all)
  • Remaining in ^Arafah until Maghrib enters
  • Slaughtering for tamattu^ and Qiraan
  • Order between throwing and shaving for regular single Hajj
  • Order between throwing, slaughtering and shaving for tamattu^ and Qiraan
  • Tawaaf-uz- Ziyaarah between Fajr on Eid until the entry of Maghrib on the 12th (the 3rd day of Eid.)
  • Shaving or cutting one's hair in the Haram area.

Leaving any waajib requires atonement, but ones Hajj is valid without it.

Sunnahs of Hajj

  • The Tawaaf of entering Mekkah for the stranger
  • If a man (not a woman) has the intention of sa^y after Tawaaf: to walk fast with a strutt in 3 rounds; to uncover the right shoulder and cover the left
  • Going to Mina on the 8th and staying until having prayed Fajr on the 9th
  • Exiting from Mina after sunrise
  • Staying at Muzdalifah the night of Eid
  • Taking ghusl in ^Arafah
  • Spending the nights of Eid in Mina

Tamattu^ Pilgrimage - Umrah then Hajj

1. One must proscribe before or at the miiqaat. When one wants to make proscription, one takes a full shower and ablution, puts one's (preferrably white) pilgrimage clothes (sandals, ridaa' and izaar for men), prays two subsets and then intends to make Umrah, saying " O Allaah, I have hereby intended to make Umrah, so make it easy for me!" then one immediately says the talbiyah: "labbaykAllaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shariika laka labbayk, innal-Hamda wanni^mata laka wal-mulk, laa shariika lak!" (Loudly for the man, quietly for the woman (she is like that in all sayings). One continues to say this until one reaches the doors of the masjid of the haram.)

2. When one first sees the ka^bah one should say "Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha illa-Allaah" and supplicate.

3. Head towards the black stone and proscribe for Tawaaf by saying "Allaahu-akbar" lifting your hands as in prayer. Stretch your right hand towards the black stone saying "bismillahi Allaahu akbar" then kiss the inside of your hand. Every time you pass by the stone do the same. Don't try to touch or kiss the stone unless you can do it without harming anybody.

4. Complete 3 rounds walking fast and struttingly, then 4 at normal pace. Uncover the right shoulder during all rounds, and cover the left shoulder.

5. After completing 7 rounds, pray the two subsets of tawaaf. This is a duty anytime one makes Tawaaf. The best place to do it is behind "maqaam Ibraahiim".

6. Drink some zamzam water.

7. Go to al-Safa intending al-sa^y, face the Ka^bah when you reach and say "Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha illa-Allaah" and "Allaahumma Salli ^alaa MuHammad" and supplicate as you wish while lifting your hands.

8. Go from al-Safa to al-marwah. Walk fast with a strut between the green pillars. When you reach al-marwah, say "Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha illa-Allaah" and "Allaahumma Salli ^alaa MuHammad" and supplicate as you wish while lifting your hands.You have now completed one round.

9. Go from al-marwah to al-Safa . Walk fast with a strut between the green pillars. When you reach al-Safa, say "Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha illa-Allaah" and "Allaahumma Salli ^alaa MuHammad" and supplicate as you wish while lifting your hands. You have now completed two rounds.

10. Complete 7 rounds, ending finally in al-marwah.

11. Cut your hair (women and men) or shave your head (men only). You have now completed the Umrah.

12. Proscribe for Hajj on the day before Arafah in Makkah.

13. Go to Mina during the day before the standing on Arafah and stay there at night.

14. Go to Arafah after Fajr prayer in Mina and stay until after Maghrib. Pray Thuhr and Asr together in Thuhr time if you like and keep busy with worship.

15. Go to Muzdalifah. Pray Maghrib and Eisha together there in the time of Eisha as a duty. Stay there until after midnight. It is better to stay until after Fajr prayer.

16. Go to Mina and throw the 7 stones of ^Aqabah, lifting the hand and throwing 7 pebbles saying "bismillahi Allaahu akbar". Avoid harming others by pushing and the like.

17. Slaughter a sheep in Mina or Makkah. You may ask a trustworthy person to do it for you, but you cannot cut your hair until you are sure it has been done.

18. After the slaughter has happened, cut or shave you hair. You can now wear normal clothes, wear perfume - anything normally allowed, except what pertains to sex.

19. Make the obligatory Tawaaf (of ziyaarah) and sa^y as in steps 2 to 10. This can be done any time after sunrise the first day of Eid until Maghrib enters the 3rd day of Eid (3 days.)

20. After Tawaaf you are now allowed everything a normal person can do.

21. Stay in Mina at night until after Fajr the second day of Eid, and likewise the next night. There is no sin if you stay until midnight only, or don't stay at all.

22. Throw the 7 pebbles of the smaller, medium and larger stoning places both on the second and third days of Eid. It must be done after Thuhr time enters until Fajr time enters to be valid. After finishing the smaller and medium stonings it is good to stop and supplicate, but not after the larger (i.e. you do not stop, but keep moving).

23. If one stays until Maghrib enters in Mina on the 3rd day of Eid, then one should stay and throw on the 13th as well. If one stays until Fajr enters on the 13th, then it is a duty to throw on this day also.

24. Before leaving Makkah one should make the tawaaf of farewell (as a duty). This Tawaaf is with regular clothing and at a regular pace. There is no sa^y after it.