Dear Brothers and sisters,
Assalamu Alaikkum Wa
Rahmathullahi Wa Barakkathuhu.
The Hajj is on our door steps,
still many of us do not really know the rites of the Hajj. I just compiled from
different sources the step-by-step rites of performing Hajj.
Trust, this is useful for atleast
some of you. Kindly confirm each step with learned people too. Anything which I
have left out or deviated is purely unintentional and may Allah forgive me for
the same; He who knows my intentions.
O Allah! I intend to perform
Hajj. Make it easy for me and accept it from me. I make the niyyah for Hajj and
enter into the state of Ihram
for the sake of Allah alone, the Most High.
The pilgrim has to decide among
the 3 types of Hajj:
1)
Tamattu'. This is the most
common form of pilgrimage and the one recommended by the prophet Muhammad
himself. Tamattu' involves the pilgrim performing the rites of the minor
pilgrimage ritual known as Umrah, then performing the rites of the Hajj.
Pilgrims performing Tamattu' are called Mutamatti. As this is the most common
type of pilgrimage, especially for foreigners to Saudi Arabia, the rest of this
guide assumes you will be performing this type of pilgrimage.
2)
Qiran. In this option, the
pilgrim performs the rites of both the Umrah and Hajj in one continuous act
with no "break" in the middle. Pilgrims performing Qiran are called
Qaarin.
3)
Ifraad. Finally, this form
of pilgrimage involves performing only the rites of the Hajj - not of the Umrah
as well. This form of pilgrimage is also notable for being the only one that
does not require animal sacrifice. Pilgrims performing Ifraad are called
Mufrid.
Miqat is a virtual boundary
around Makkah.
The pilgrim changes into Ihram at Miqat and pronounces the intention to perform
Hajj
or Umrah.
Ihram - two pieces of white,
un-sewn and plain cloth. One of the pieces is wrapped around the abdomen to
cover his body from just above his navel to his ankles, and the other is worn
around his shoulders to cover the upper body. For ladies, their ordinary, clean
clothes of everyday wear is their Ihram.
During Ihram, the following acts
are forbidden: Cutting hair, shaving any parts of the body, clipping nails,
putting perfumes or colognes, killing or hunting animals, sexual intercourse,
making marriage proposals, or marriage contracts.
Going to Makkah Reciting “Talbiya”:
Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik.
Labbaik La Sharika Laka Labbaik. Innal-Hamda, Wan-Ni'mata Laka wal-Mulk. La
Sharika Lak.
Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am, Here I am at Thy service and Thou hast no partner. Thine alone is all Praise and All Bounty, and Thine alone is the Sovereignty. Thou hast no partner.
Male pilgrims recite the Talbiyah
loudly; female pilgrims recite it in low voice.
The devotional act of circumambulating
(i.e. walking around) the Ka'bah while reciting prayers and supplications. One
complete circuit around the Ka'bah constitutes a shawt
(pl. ashwat), and seven ashwat complete one
Tawaf.
Performing Sa'ee:
Walking seven times between the mounts
of Safa
and Marwah.
This act retraces the footsteps of Hajar,
wife of Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh), during her desperate search for water for her
infant son Ismail (pbuh) after they were left in the desert by Prophet Ibrahim
in response to a Divine vision.
The Pilgrim goes to Mina on the
8th of Thul-Hijjah anytime after Fajr
prayer but before Zuhr. Mina is a desert location approx. 4.5 km from Makkah.
The pilgrim must perform the
daily prayers in Mina starting with Zuhur
Prayer. The 4 Rak'ahs prayers must be shortened to 2 Rak'ahs but must not be
combined together.
The pilgrim must stay overnight
in Mina, perform the Fajr
prayer and leave after sunrise on the 9th of Thul-Hijjah.
Prayer when Departing from Mina:
O Allah! To You I turn, praying
to approach Your Bounteous Countenance. Let my sins be forgiven and Hajj be
acceptable, and have Mercy on me. Allow me not to be disappointed, for You have
power over all things.
DAY-2
Going to Arafah
After leaving Mina, the pilgrim heads
toward Arafah, a desert location approx. 13.5 km from Makkah.
Pilgrims don't have to get crowded on the Mount of Rahmah (Mountain of Mercy);
can stay in any place “WITHIN” the boundaries of Arafah.
Prayer when Entering Arafah
O Allah! Forgive my sins, help me
repent to you, and grant me all that I beseech of You. Whenever I turn, let me
see goodness. Allah be praised! All Praise is due to Allah! There is no deity
except Allah! And Allah is The Most Great.
Praying in Arafah
After settling down in the tents
at Arafah, the pilgrim offers the Zuhur
and Asr
prayers in qasr (shortened) and Jam' (combined) modes, that is, 2 rak'ats each
prayer instead of 4 rak'ats, and the two prayers are offered at the same time,
with one adhan and two separate Iqamahs, one each for Zuhur and Asr.
Once in Arafah, the pilgrim
should spend as much time in prayer and remembrance of Allah as possible. This
is a very special day and the pilgrim may never see it again. Everyone must
make the most of out it.
Staying in Arafah
The pilgrim stays in Arafah until
sunset. It is recommended to spend the entire time reading the Quran, reciting
the Talbiyah, offering
supplications, and repenting to Allah.
Standing in Arafah
In the late afternoon just before
sunset, the pilgrims may stand outside the tent facing the Qiblah, and raise
their hands supplicating to Allah. There are no prescribed prayers for Wuquf
(standing) Arafah. During these sacred moments, the pilgrim is alone with
Allah, praying to have his/her sins and lifelong shortcomings get forgiven.
Communication with Allah in any language is acceptable.
After sunset, always reciting the
Talbiyah and other prayers
the pilgrim departs for Muzdalifah, a desert location approx. midway between Mina and Arafah. The
pilgrim spends the night of the 10th of Thul-Hijjah here.
The pilgrim offers Maghrib
and Isha
prayers combining them and shortening the Isha. One adhan, Iqama of Maghrib, 3
rak'ahs of Maghrib followed immediately by another iqamah (but not adhan) for
Isha then 2 rak'ahs of Isha are offered.
The pilgrim stays under the sky
at Muzdalifah.
Collecting Pebbles (stones):
The pilgrim then walks to the
foot of nearby hills, and collects about 70 pea-size pebbles for throwing. It
is a good idea to collect additional pebbles to make up for accidental losses.
The pebbles lying around the bathrooms facilities should not be collected. No
one should leave Muzdalifah
before Fajr
without a legitimate excuse: only women, elderly, and weak people can leave
after midnight.
Completion of Second Day
DAY-3
After Fajr prayer, the pilgrim
goes through the al-Mash'ar al-Haram and makes du'a until brightness
of the sun is widespread. The pilgrim must speed up the walk when passing by
the Muhasir valley.
Throwing Pebbles at Jamrat (at
Mina)
The pilgrim stones the Jamrat
al-Kubra (Jamrat al-Aqabah) only, preferably before midday. Stoning the pillar
symbolizes stoning the devil. The pebbles must touch the inside of the Jamrat's
fence.
The Jamrat al-Kubra is the
closest to Makkah.
While throwing the stones, the pilgrim recites Bismillah, Allah-u-Akbar with
each pebble. The size of the pebbles should not be big: anywhere between 1-1.5
cm. The pilgrim may throw either from under the bridge or from over it.
Sacrificing an Animal
A sacrifice is now required for
the pilgrim performing Hajj
al-Tamattu
or Hajj al-Qiran.
The choice of the animal is either a sheep, or 1/7th of a cow or a camel shared
with other people.
For the pilgrim performing Hajj
al-Ifrad, sacrificing the animal is recommended but not required.
The pilgrim should always choose
the best animal and avoid animals which don't look healthy or have defects. The
pilgrim can slaughter him/herself or appoint someone to do it on his/her
behalf.
One third of the meat can be consumed,
one third offered as a gift and one third distributed to the poor people. The
sacrifice can be performed between the 10th and the 13th of Thul-Hijjah but not after
the 13th.
Cutting Hair
The pilgrim may now shave/trim
the hair, shower, and change into everyday clothes. The hair may be shaved or
trimmed for men. It is recommended to start from the right side. For women,
trimming only a finger tip's length is required.
Sacrificing an animal, cutting
hair, and performing Tawaf
al-Ifadah
are alternate rituals. There is no specific order to perform them. All ritual
places must be kept clean.
At this point in time, the
regulations for Ihram
no longer apply except that the pilgrim can not have conjugal relations with
his/her spouse until after Tawaf al-Ifadah and Sa'ee. This is known as
at-Tahalul al-Asghar, or a partial ending of the state of Ihram.
Celebrating Eid Al Adha
Starting from the 10th of Thul-Hijjah and on, Muslims
around the world celebrate this special occasions.
EID-AL-ADHA is celebrated on the
tenth day of Zul-hijjah, the 12th and the last month of the Islamic calendar.
It is a very joyous day; it is a feast of self-sacrifice, commitment and
obedience to Allah. It commemorates the great act of obedience to Allah by the
Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) in showing his willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael
(pbuh). Allah accepted his sacrifice and replaced Prophet Ismael (as) with a
lamb.
The pilgrim has the option to
postpone Tawaf al-Ifadah to a later time. Menstruating women should not make
tawaf until their period stops. If the pilgrim selected Hajj Ifrad or Qiran
and has already made Sa'ee with the first Tawaf (the visiting Tawaf), there is
no need to make Sa'ee again.
The pilgrim performs the Tawaf
al-Ifadah after taking off the Ihram
and changing into everyday clothes and before returning to Mina for pebble throwing.
Ihram, Idtiba and Ramal are not
required in this Tawaf. However, Sa'ee is required of a Mutamatti, but is not
required for Qarin or a Mufrid.
The step-stone used by the
Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) during the original construction of the Ka'bah.
The stone carries the imprints of
his feet, and is housed in a glass enclosure on the North side of the Ka'bah.
Prayer at Maqam Ibrahim
O Allah! You know that which I
keep secret and that which I disclose. Grant me Your pardon. You know my needs;
grant me my wishes. You know that which is in my breast; forgive me my sins. O
Allah! I seek from You a Faith that will saturate my heart, and a true
conviction that will make me realize that naught can befall me except what You
have decreed for me, and that I may find contentment in whatever You have given
me. You are my patron in this world and the Hereafter. Allow me to die in a
state of Islam and to be counted among the righteous. O Allah! On this occasion
of our presence in this place, let not any of our sins go unforgiven, nor any
of our worries undispelled, nor any of our needs unfulfilled or unfacilitated
by You. And let all our tasks be made easy, and our minds relieved, and our
hearts illuminated and our actions
judged as pious. O Allah! Allow us to die as Muslims and to join the ranks of
the virtuous without any distress. Amen, O Lord of the Universe.
After completing the prayer at Maqam Ibrahim,
the pilgrim may visit the Zamzam area and drink from the water.
Prayer at ZamZam
O Allah! I seek from You
profitable knowledge and bounteous sustenance and a cure from all ailments
through Your Mercy, O Most Merciful of the mercifuls!
The pilgrim returns to Mina and
stays there until the 12th or 13th of Thul-Hijjah for throwing
the pebbles.
End of Day 3
DAY-4
Back in Mina, the pilgrim
performs all of the daily prayers, shortening the 4 Rak'ats prayers to 2
Rak'ats, but without combining them.
The minimum stay in Mina should
exceed most of the night. Otherwise, the pilgrim is required to make a
sacrifice. This is one of the best opportunities to acquire knowledge from the
scholars on duty.
The pilgrim stones the the first
Jamrah, then the Middle, and finally the Big one in the same consecutive order,
after midday on all three days.
Throwing on the 13th of Thul-Hijjah is optional.
The pilgrim may return to Makkah
after throwing pebbles on the 12th of Thul-Hijjah to perform Tawaf
al-Wada (farewell circumambulation).
Seen from the first stone pillar
in the line, also known as the small one.
Seen from the second stone pillar
in the line, also known as the middle one.
Seen from the third stone pillar
in the line, also known as the big one and the al-Aqaba.
Extending the Stay
For those intending to stay more,
they can collect more pebbles.
End of 4th Day.
DAY-5
On the 12th of Thul-Hijjah, the same
procedures as the 11th take place. The pilgrim stones the The first Jamrah,
then the Middle, and finally the Big one in the same consecutive order, after
midday on all three days.
Throwing on the 13th of
Thul-Hijjah (DAY-6) is optional. The pilgrim may return to Makkah
after throwing pebbles on the 12th of Thul-Hijjah to perform Tawaf
al-Wada (farewell circumambulation).
Pilgrims return to Makkah before Maghrib
time after completing the stoning to perform Tawaf
al-Wada.
Tawaf
al-Wada
This is the farewell Tawaf that a
pilgrim performs just before leaving Makkah
for other destinations. It is the same as other Tawaf, going in 7 circuits,
starting from the black stone
line. After completing the Tawaf, it is good but not required to pray 2 Rak'ahs
behind Maqam Ibrahim,
or, if not possible, to pray any other 2 Rak'ahs facing the Kaabah.
This completes the Hajj
journey. It is recommended to leave Makkah as soon as the pilgrim completes the
pilgrimage.
The pilgrim also asks Allah to accept the rituals and promises to abide by the
divine commands.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
"Whoever goes to Hajj without obscenity he or she will be forgiven as a
new-born."
Another Hadith states:
"A Sound Hajj has no reward
except Paradise".
Though it is neither obligatory
nor related to Hajj, it is recommended for a pilgrim to visit Prophet
Muhammad's mosque in Madinah.
This could be done before or after performing Hajj.
May Allah bless us with the chance to perform Hajj
Wassalam
Your loving brother,
Subuhan Sultan
Comments
Post a Comment