What is Required for the Pilgrims

1. To repent sincerely of all sins, and to spend on the Hajj or Umrah out of his lawful earning.

1. To guard one’s tong against lying, backbiting and slandering.

1. To purify the intention to perform Hajj or Umrah solely to seek the pleasure of Allah the Most High.

1. To learn what actions are prescribed by the Shari’ah, and in the event of any difficulty or problem to ask those who know.

1. When the pilgrim arrives at al-miqat (Station of Ihram), he is free to choose one of the three types of Hajj (Ifrad, Tamatt’u or Qiran). Tamatt’u is preferable for a person who has not brought his sacrificial animal with him, while Qiran is preferable for one has his animal with him.

1. If the person entering Ihram is afraid he may be not able to complete all the rites because of sickness or fear, he should make the condition: “I will return to the normal state in case I am obliged to”.

1. The Hajj of children is valid, but it does not fulfil their Islamic obligation of Hajj.

1. During the state of Ihram, one may take bath or wash his head or scratch it if need be. A woman may veil her face with her head covering if she fears that men are looking at her.

1. Many women wear a headband under the veil to keep it away from the face. This action has no basis.

1. It is permissible to wash the Ihram garments and to wear them again, or to change into other Ihram garments. If, during the state of Ihram, one should wear a sewn garment, cover his head, or use scent due to forgetfulness or ignorance, no expiation is required of him.

1. If one is performing Hajj al-tamatt’u or Umrah, he should stop reciting talbiyyah upon arriving at the K’abah before beginning his tawaf.

1. Walking with quick, short steps and baring the right shoulder is not permissible during tawaf except during the first three circuits of the tawaf of arrival (tawaf al-qudum). This applies to men only.

1. If the pilgrim forget how many circuits ha has performed, i.e., whether three or four , he should count them as three (that is the less of the two numbers). The same procedure is to be followed for sa’ye. In case of large crowds, there is no harm in performing the circuits beyond the Station of Ibraheem or even further beyond, as the whole of the Sacred Mosque in a place of tawaf.

1. It is prohibited for a woman to make tawaf showing her adornments, using perfume, or not covering properly what the Shari’ah requires her to be covered.

1. If a women’s menses begins or she gives birth after entering into Ihram, it is not permissible for her to make tawaf until the flow of blood ceases and she is cleansed.

1. A woman may wear any dress for Ihram as long as it does not resemble men’s clothing, show her adornments, or cause temptation to men.

1. To verbalize the intentions for acts of worship other than the Hajj or Umrah is an innovation, and to say it aloud is even more incorrect.

1. If a Muslim has the intention of making Hajj or Umrah, it is forbidden for him to pass by appointed Station of Ihram (al-miqat) without entering into Ihram.

1. If the pilgrim for Hajj or Umrah is arriving by air, he enters into Ihram on the plane when he passes parallel to the Station of Ihram on his route. He is to prepare himself for entering into Ihram during the flight before boarding the plane.

1. If one resides in Makkah, or between Makkah and the Station of Ihram, he does not need to go anywhere to take Ihram. In this case, he is to take his Ihram for either Hajj or Umrah at his place of residence.

1. In order to increase the number of their Umrahs, some people go to al-Tan’im or al-J’iranah after the Hajj and subsequently return for Umrah. No support for this practice exists in the Shari’ah.

1. The pilgrims who are performing Hajj al-Tamatt’u re-enter Ihram on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah at the place in which he is staying in Makkah. It is not necessary for him to take Ihram from any specified place within Makkah (such as al-Mizab), as many people do, nor is there any farewell tawaf for going out of Makkah at this time.

1. It is preferable to go to Arafat from Mina on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah after the sun has risen.

1. It is not permissible to depart from Arafat on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah before the sun has set. When the pilgrim departs after sunset, he should do so with ease and dignity.

1. The Maghrib and ‘Isha prayers are to be performed after arriving at Muzdalifah, whether at the time of Maghrib or during the period of ‘Isha.

1. It is permissible to gather the pebbles for stoning the Pillars from any place within the boundaries of Makkah (al-Haram), not necessarily from Muzdalifah.

1. It is not recommended to wash the pebbles. No report exists to the effect that the Prophet (peace be on him) or his Companion ever did this.

1. It is permissible for women, children and weak individuals to proceed to Mina at the end of the night.

1. When the pilgrim arrives in Mina on the Day of ‘Eid (the 10th Dhul-Hijjah), he should stop reciting talbiyyah. The pebbles are to be thrown successfully, one by one, at the Stone Pillar of ‘Aqabah.

1. It is not required that the pebbles remain where they are thrown, it is only necessary that they be thrown at the Pillar.

1. According to the opinion of scholars, the period of sacrifice extends to the sunset of the third day.

1. Tawaf al-ifadah or al-ziarah on the day of ‘Eid (the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah) is an essential part of the Hajj, and Hajj is not complete without it. However, it is permissible to delay it until the end of the stay in Mina.

1. The person performing Hajj al-Qiran offers one sa’ye only. The same is true in case of Hajj al-Ifrad, if the person keeps his Ihram until the day of sacrifice.

1. On the Day of Sacrifice, it is preferable that the pilgrim do things in the following order: begins by throwing pebbles at the Pillar of ‘Aqabah; then offers his sacrifice; then shaves or clips his hair, he then makes tawaf of the K’abah followed by sa’ye. Changing this order is, however permissible.

1. Returning to full normal state is attained after one has done the following: (a) thrown the pebbles at Pillar of ‘Aqabah; (b) shaved his head or clipped some of his hair; (C) done tawaf al-ifadah with sa’ye.

1. If the pilgrim decides to shorten his stay in Mina, it is necessary that he departs from Mina before the sunset.

1. For a child who cannot do the throwing of pebbles, his guardian throws on his behalf after throwing his own pebbles.

1. A person who is not capable of going to the throwing due to old age, illness or pregnancy is permitted to appoint someone else (his proxy) to do the throwing on his or her behalf.

1. The proxy first throw his own pebbles and thereafter, without leaving the place, throws the pebbles on behalf of the person whom he represents at each of the three Pillars.

1. Except for the residents of the Sacred Mosque, It is obligatory on anyone who is doing Hajj al-Tamatt’u or Hajj al-Qiran to sacrifice a sheep or to share in the seventh part of a camel or a cow.

1. If the pilgrim is unable to make this sacrifice, he must fast three days during the Hajj and seven days after returning home.

1. It is preferable that these three days of fasting be completed before the day of Arafat so that he is not fasting on that day, or otherwise that he fast on the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.

1. It is permissible to fast these three days either consecutively or separately, and the same applies to the seven days of fasting at home.

1. The farewell tawaf (tawaf al-wida) is obligatory for every pilgrim excepting menstruation women .

1. To visit the Prophet Mosque in Madinah is a Sunnah, whether it is done before Hajj or after it. When you enter the Prophet’s Mosque, it is Sunnah to pray two rak’as of tahiyyat al-masjid (the salah of greeting the mosque). Although you can perform this salah anywhere in the Mosque, it is preferable to perform it in the Rawdah.

1. Visiting the graves of the Prophet (peace be on him) and others is allowed for males only, and not for females, so that they would not have to travel for such a visit. Rubbing and wiping one’s hands against the walls of the chamber containing the prophet’s tomb, kissing it or doing circuits around it are all innovations which are prohibited. Such things were not done by our upright ancestors. In particular, making tawaf around the chamber is shirk (ascribing partners to Allah).

1. It is also shirk to call upon the Prophet (peace be on him) for the fulfilment of a need or to remove a grief.

1. The Prophet’s Life in his grave in the state of barzakh (the state of existence between death and resurrection on the Day of Judgment) and is in no way similar to his life on earth before his death. The nature and reality of the life of barzakh is known only to Allah the Most High.

People who stand in front of the Prophet’s grave, raising their hands and making supplications, are doing something alien to Islam. This is an innovation in the religion. Visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace be on him) is neither obligatory nor a condition for the completion of the Hajj, as some people believe.