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The first steps in Hajj are to put on the
clothing of ihram and then to make the intention
of ihram at the miqat. The intention of
ihram varies according to the mode of Hajj you
choose. For detailed information on ihram, its
etiquettes, its exact location, time limits, and
its restrictions, refer to the article "All
About Ihram."
What to do after that depends too on the mode
of Hajj as follows:
Tamattu`
Having made the intention of `Umrah, you should
make a full `Umrah. After finishing it,
you automatically go out of the state of ihram.
The restrictions of ihram no longer apply to you
until you go into the state of ihram once again on
Dhul-Hijjah 8, this time for making Hajj.
Ifrad
Having arrived at Makkah, you make the Tawaf of
arrival, which is recommended, not obligatory. It
is performed in the same way the Tawaf of `Umrah
is performed. (For more details on how to perform
Tawaf, you can review the article "How
to Make `Umrah.")
After performing the Tawaf of arrival, you can
make the Sa`i of your Hajj. This Sa`i is
obligatory and is one of the pillars of Hajj. You
can do it either after the Tawaf of arrival or
after the second Tawaf of Hajj — Tawaf
Al-Ifadah.
You remain in the state of ihram until you are
done with the major rituals of the `Eid day,
Dhul-Hijjah 10. It is recommended to repeat
Talbiyah from time to time until you cast the
pebbles of Al-`Aqabah on the day of `Eid.
Qiran
Generally speaking, pilgrims who perform Qiran
perform the same rituals of ifrad with one
exception, they have to offer hadi (animal
slaughtered in Makkah as a gift for its poor
people.)
Rituals of Dhul-Hijjah 8
If you are performing tamattu` Hajj, put
on your ihram clothing again and make the
intention of Hajj saying "Labbayka
Allahuma Hajjan" (O Allah, I answer Your
call by performing Hajj.) Now you are ready to
undertake the rituals of Hajj. Pilgrims who
perform ifrad or qiran Hajj are
already in the state of ihram so they skip this
step.
On the morning of Dhul-Hijjah 8, it is
recommended for all pilgrims to go to Mina where
they spend the rest of the day and the night,
performing five prayers there, namely Zhuhr, `Asr,
Maghrib, `Isha' and the Fajr of Dhul-Hijjah 9,
shortening the prayers of Zhuhr,`Asr, and`Isha' to
two rak`ahs.
Rituals of Dhul-hijjah 9
After the sun rises on Dhul-Hijjah 9, pilgrims
leave Mina to `Arafah. Staying in `Arafah is a
major pillar of Hajj. The Prophet said, "Hajj
is (staying in) `Arafah."
The time for staying in `Arafah starts from the
Zhuhr Prayer of Dhul-Hijjah 9 and ends at the
Fajr Prayer on Dhul-Hijjah 10. Staying for any
portion of time within this range is acceptable.
The Prophet stayed in `Arafah until the sun set,
and therefore some scholars hold that pilgrims
should not leave `Arafah before sunset. The
preponderant opinion, however, is that this is not
necessary, especially if there is a need for
leaving `Arafah earlier. In `Arafah you pray Zhuhr
and `Asr, joining them at the time of Zhuhr if
possible, and shortening each of them to two rak`ahs.
While being in `Arafah, you should busy
yourself with dhikr, du`aa', and asking for
Allah's forgiveness. The Day of `Arafah is a very
blessed day. `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with
her) narrated that the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) said,
There is no day in which Allah frees a
greater number of His slaves from the Hellfire
than the Day of `Arafah. Allah comes close to
His slaves and boasts about them to the
angels, then asks (a rhetorical question):
"What do these slaves seek?"
(Muslim)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
also said,
The best supplication is that of the Day of
`Arafah, and the best thing that I and other
Prophets before me said, is:
La ilaha illa allahu wahdahu la sharika
lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu wa huwa
`ala kulli shai'in qadeer.
There is no god but Allah alone. He has no
partners. To Him belong the sovereignty and
all praise. He has power over all things.
Mistakes to Be Avoided at `Arafah
Some pilgrims do not recite the Talbiyah aloud
on their way from Mina to `Arafah. It was proven
that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
continued to recite the Talbiyah until he threw
the pebbles of Al-`Aqabah on the day of `Eid.
One of the most serious mistakes that some
pilgrims make is to stop outside `Arafah and then
stay there until the sun sets, after which they
leave for Muzdalifah. Those who stand in these
places have not performed Hajj. There are big and
clear signs showing the boundaries of `Arafah.
Some people think that they have to go to the
place where the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings be upon him) stood beside the mountain
and to stand there. They put themselves through a
great deal of trouble in order to reach that
place. This is wrong. It was proven that the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
"I am standing here but all of `Arafah is the
place of standing."
Some pilgrims think that the mountain by which
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
stood is holy, so they go and climb it seeking
blessings from the stones and soil around it.
These are unacceptable bid`ahs (innovations in
religion).
Some people think that it is essential to pray
Zhuhr and `Asr Prayers with the imam in the
mosque, seeking that place from far away. This
causes them a great deal of difficulty and many of
them go astray, which makes Hajj extremely hard
for them, and they crowd one another and upset one
another.
The Night of Dhul-Hijjah 9
After spending some time in `Arafah, preferably
from Zhuhr till Maghrib Prayers, you leave to
Muzdalifah. On your way from `Arafah, keep
remembering Allah and seeking His forgiveness.
On reaching Muzdalifah, join Maghrib and `Isha'
Prayers at the time of the latter; three rak`ahs
for Maghrib and two for `Isha'.
If you fear that you may miss these prayers due
to the throng of people at Muzdalifah, then you
may perform prayers on your way to it. Then when
you reach Muzdalifah, you can sleep till dawn.
This is the Sunnah of the Prophet. However,
according to some scholars you can leave after
midnight. The Maliki school even holds that it is
adequate to pray Maghrib and `Isha' in Muzdalifah,
have a meal, and then leave for Mina. This opinion
is preferred by the prominent scholar Dr. Yusuf
Al-Qaradawi because of the huge number of pilgrims
these years.
Take note of this: Muzdalifah is an open area;
you will find no tents there. So remember to ask
your journey's organizers if they will provide you
with blankets or sleeping bags; these will prove
very useful, especially if it is cold that night.
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