THE MANNERS OF PERFORMING HAJJ AND UMARAH
Pilgrimage (Hajj) is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is a duty of a Muslim to perform pilgrimage to the House of Allah once in a life-time, but it is permissible for him to go on pilgrimage voluntarily more than once.
Pilgrimage has innumerable benefits:
- In fulfilling this service, man expresses his devotion to Allah, not only by performing rites which need physical effort, but he expresses also his deep spiritual devotion to Allah and spends of his money for His sake.
- Pilgrimage is an annual Muslim-Congress, attended by Muslims from all over the world.
They meet in one place, Makkah, all being dressed in one uniform, worshipping Allah The One God. Performing the same rites during the fixed period of Hajj. There is no discrimination between them; all are Allah’s bondsmen; no white man has preference over a black man, neither the rich over the poor. In this way, Muslims are acquainted with one another, cooperate one with the other, and they remember the day when they will be resurrected and gathered before Allah who will account them for their deeds. Thus, they prepare themselves for the Hereafter and do their best to obey Allah, their Lord.
The Kaabah is the Qiblah of all Muslims, they direct their faces towards it when they observe their prayers. But, it should be well-known that all the rites of pilgrimage such as circumambulating round the Kaaba, attending Arafat, Muzdalifa, and staying for several days in Mina……..all these rites have one objective……that is to worship Allah according to the method He commanded and during the time He fixed. Worshipping is neither dedicated to the Kaaba nor to any of these other places which are more than objects created by Allah that can never bring benefit or cause harm to any one. Worshipping is dedicated to Allah alone, the Lord of everything, who alone has the absolute sovereignty and all power.
According to the Muslim’s faith, all forms of worshipping are enjoined by Allah and should never be based on individual judgement or taste. Therefore, had Allah not commanded people to perform pilgrimage to the Sacred House at Makkah, Muslims would have never performed it. Evidence for pilgrimage from the Holy Quran.
“Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men own to Allah; those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures” (Al-Quran,3:97)
Performing “Umara” or lesser pilgrimage once in a life time is also a duty that a Muslim should fulfill either during Hajj time or at any other time. It is not an indispensable duty for every Muslim to visit the mosque of the Holy Prophet in Al-Madinah during Hajj time or at any other time, but this is an advisable deed and whoever performs it will be recompensed by Allah. The tradition which states: “Whoever performs pilgrimage and does not visit me is turning away from me” is untrue and is imputed falsely to the Prophet.
A Muslim leaving for Madinah intends to visit the mosque of the Holy Prophet. When he arrives there, he prays in the mosque and then visits the tomb of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). The visitor salutes the Prophet politely and leaves the place adopting by that the same manner that the companions of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) used to do. He should not ask the Holy Prophet or supplicate for anything from him. In fact those who supplicate the Prophet for help, ask him for what they need, or invocate him to be their intercessor to Allah, are committing idolatry and the Prophet is innocent of their ill-deed. Therefore, every Muslim should be aware to avoid such idolatrous deeds.
After visiting the Prophet’s mosque the visitor visits also the tombs of Baqeih. He should behave during his visit in conformity with Islamic ethics and invocate Allah to bless the deads and martyrs buried in these tombs.
The manners of performing Hajj and Umrah:
A Muslims who intends to perform pilgrimage or Umra should expend in this journey of his pure and lawful property and avoid using illicit gains lest it should ruin his noble pilgrimage. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said:
“Whatever flesh that comes to grow out of illicit gains is rather doomed to hell “fire” It is also advisable for a pilgrim to select a man of good faith to accompany him on pilgrimage.
A pilgrim, whether travelling by car or train, puts on “Ihram” as soon as he arrives at the miqat (the station for Ihram), and a pilgrim, travelling by plane, puts on Ihram when he approaches that miqat.
According to Prophetic traditions, there are five mawaqit (five stations for Ihram):
1.Zul Hulaifa (Abyar Ali): for pilgrims from Madinah.
2.Al-Juha, a place near Rabigh: for people coming from the directions of Syria, Egypt and Maghrib.
3.Qaran al-Manazil: for people coming from Najd, Al-Taif and other regions of that direction.
4.Zat-Irq, for people coming from Iraq.
5.Yalamlam: for people coming from Yemen. These mawaqit are not only for people coming from the above mentioned regions, but also for those who chance to travel by these routs.
As for the inhabitants of Makkah and those who live within the area bounded by these mawaqit, they assume their Ihrams from their homes.
MANNER OF IHRAM
It is advisable for a pilgrim to take a bath, to clean and perfume himself before assuming Ihram at the miqat. The Ihram dress for males consists of two simple white seamless sheets, one to be wrapped round the lions and the other to cover the upper part of the body. The head should not be covered. Women have no special dress for Ihram, but they should be dressed in wide veiling and unalluring clothes. After assuming the Ihram, a woman should neither veil her face with a seamed veil, nor use any seamed gloves to cover her hands. It is permissible for her to cover her face with a part of her head-veil if she finds herself surrounded by men. The same manner was adopted before by the wives of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) and the wives of his companions.
The pilgrim, after assuming Ihram, intends by heart to perform ‘Umra and says:
“Allahumma Labbaik ‘Umratan” which means. “O Allah! here I am at your service intending to perform Umra. In this way the pilgrim performs Hajj-Tamattu” which is really excellent because the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) recommended his companions to perform this kind of Hajj. He even obliged them to abandon, their Ihram and make their visit to Kabaah an Umrah, giving exception only to those who brought with them their “Hady” “Sacrifices”, and carried on their Hajj by Qiran, the same manner which the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) himself adopted. The Qarin (who performs Hajj by Qiran) intends when he starts his pilgrimage rites by saying: “Allahumma Labbaik Umratan wa Hajjan” (Here I am, O Allah! I intend to perform ‘Umra and Hajj).
Therefore he should not abandon his Ihram and all Ihram restrictions till he offers his sacrifice on the feast day (Day of Immolation, 10th of Zul-Hijjah called Idul-Adhha).
After assuming the Ihram:
1.It is forbidden for a Muslim to cohabit with his wife, kiss, or touch her lustfully. During the Ihram period a pilgrim is also not allowed to marry or propose to a lady.
2.It is also forbidden for a Muslim to remove or trim his hair from any part of the body.
3.Similarly, paring the nails of hands and toes is also forbidden.
4.A man in Ihram should not cover his head, but it is permissible for him to be shaded by an umbrella or sit in the shadow of a tent.
5.During the Ihram one is not allowed to apply perfume to his body or garments or even to smell it.
6.It is forbidden during the Ihram to kill animals of game or to help others to do so.
7.A male pilgrim is not allowed to wear tailored clothes during the period of Ihram; instead of shoes he can use sandals. Women should not wear seamed veils on their faces.
As soon as the pilgrim arrives at the Kaaba, the Holy House of Allah, he circumambulates it seven times for the Tawaf-Al-Qudoom, (circumambulation of arrival). That is his Umra Tawaf; the pilgrim can invoke Allah by whatever prayers he likes. After terminating the seven rounds of Tawaf he moves to the station of Ibrahim, where or somewhere in the vicinity, he performs a two rakaat prayer of the Tawaf.
A pilgrim proceeds after that for “Sa’ee”. He starts by mounting the eminence Al-Safa and faces the Qibla saying: Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illa Allah, and invokes Allah by whatever prayers he likes. Then, he walks to the eminence of Al-Marwa, mounts it, faces the Qibla, saying Allahu Akbar, invokes Allah, then returns to the eminence of Al-Safa, then repeats this walking from Safa to Marwa and vice versa, till he completes seven rounds at Al-Marwa.
A pilgrim who performs pilgrimage by Tamattu; gets his hair shaven or timmed after completing his “Sa’ee”. For women, it is enough to trim a small part of their hair as long as finger-tip. In this way the pilgrim completes his Umra, discards his Ihram and is free to lead a normal life in all respects.
If a woman menstruates or gives birth before or after her Ihram, she becomes Qarinah and performs Hajj by Qiran. Therefore, she should intend to perform Hajj and Umra combined in one Ihram. Menstruation and confinement do not forbid a woman from doing any of the acts of Hajj except the circumambulation of the Holy House which she should postpone until she becomes clean. If she gets clean before people assume their Ihram, she takes a cleaning bath, joins them when they assume their Ihram, and performs with them the rituals of Hajj. But if her cleansing from menses occurs at a later time, following her assuming Ihram, she combines Hajj and Umra in one Ihram, performs all the rituals of Hajj, including staying in Mina, Standing in Arafat, going to Muzdalifah, pelting, offering the sacrifice and trimming her hair on feast-day, but she cannot circumambulation the Holy House till she is clean. When she gets clean, she takes a cleansing bath and performs circumambulation round the Kaaba and “Saee”, hence, fulfilling both Hajj and Umra. This was the method adopted by the mother of believers, Aisha according to the directions of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). The Holy Prophet affirmed by his deeds and sayings that the Qarin combines Hajj and Umra and fulfills them both by performing one circumambulation and one “Sa’ee”. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) himself performed Hajj in accordance with this manner and said that “Umra is included in Hajj till Doomsday”.
On the 8th day of Dhul Hajj, the pilgrims assume Ihram from their settlements in Makkah in the same manner they had done before at the miqat. A pilgrim, whether a man or a woman, intends to perform Hajj by saying “Here I am my Lord, I intend to perform Hajj” “Allahumma Labbaika Hajjan”
A pilgrim refrains himself from practicing any of the actions forbidden during the Ihram period in the same way as explained before. Then he proceeds with other pilgrims to Mina to pass the night there. A pilgrim should perform his prayers there in time. He is permitted to shorten his prayers but not to combine one of them with the other. On the morning of Arafat (the 9th of Zul Hijja), the pilgrims go to Namira mosque to perform in congregation the Zuhr (noon) and Asr (after noon) prayers combined together. By noon, they proceed to Arafat to stay there till sunset praying, supplicating Allah and asking Him for forgiveness. The pilgrim can stand at any place in the valley of Arafat because the whole of Arafat is reserved for wuquf (standing). He should turn his face while praying and supplicating towards the Qibla, and not towards the mount of Arafat. The pilgrim should be aware that climbing the mount is not a ritual service, and that wiping oneself with its stones is a heretical deed.
After sunset, the pilgrim proceed to Muzdalifa where they perform Maghrib (evening) and Isha prayers combined together, and shortening only Isha prayer. They spend the night there, and next day they observe the Fajar prayer at dawn and leave to Mina before sunrise. When they arrive there, they pelt Jamarat Al-Aqaba by seven pebbles, each one of which should not be larger than a chickpea. One should observe strictly the guidance and orders of the Holy Prophet to overcome the allurement of the satan and avoid such devious actions as pelting the “Jamra” by shoes and any other action which is not in accordance with the commandments of Allah or the traditions of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)
After pelting Jamrat Al-Aqaba, the pilgrim offers his sacrifice, then shaves or shortens his hair (but it is better to have it shaven rather than having it shortened). Women slightly trim off parts of their hair.
After that, the pilgrim can discard Ihram and perform all the acts which were forbidden during the Ihram period except sexual intercourse. Then the pilgrim heads for Makkah, performs Tawaf Al-Ifadah, and the Sa’ee, hence, discarding Ihram completely and he is then allowed to perform all the acts that were forbidden during the Ihram period with no exception.
The pilgrim returns to Mina, to stay there for three successive days (the feast day and the following two days). He spends the nights of these days at Mina and every noon or mid-day he pelts the three Jamarat (on the 11th and 12th of Zul-Hijja). He starts by pelting Al-Jamarat-al-Sughra (the small Jamara), then Al-Jamarat-al-Wusta (the medium Jamarah) and finally jamarat Al-Aqbah, which he had pelted before on the morning of the Feast Day. Each one of these jamarat is pelted by seven pebbles. The pilgrim has the choice after that, either to leave Mina on the 12th of Zul-Hijja or stay there next day. It is better to stay till next day and perform a pelting at noon. The final thing that a pilgrim should do before leaving Makkah, is to perform Tawaf-Al-Wadaa’ (Tawaf of Departure). However, a woman in a state of menstruation or childbed is allowed to leave Makkah without performing Tawaf Al-Wadaa. Offering the sacrifice can be done also on 11th , 12th and 13th of Zul-Hijja, and Tawaf-al-Ifada can also be postponed till the pilgrim leaves Mina, but it is better to perform the rituals in accordance with the order and times which are mentioned above.