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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear brother in Islam, thanks for your question, which emanates from an Allah-fearing heart, since it shows your commitment to Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Islam is built upon five pillars: testifying that there is no true god except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing Prayer, paying the Zakah, making the pilgrimage to the Sacred House (Hajj), and fasting the month of Ramadan.” (Al-Bukhari) Also, we would like to thank you for your encouraging words.
In response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
You are to be commended for your keen desire to perform Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, which constitutes the peak and culmination of Islamic religious experience. I pray to Allah to make it easy for you; may you return home like a new born, fully cleansed and purified of your sins. Ameen.
As regards your question concerning change of ihram-attire, it seems to me that you are under the impression that one ought to wear the same piece of ihram all throughout the course of Hajj. This is not true; you are free to change one pair of ihram for another as you wish any number of times while in ihram. You should, therefore, keep an extra pair of ihram and you may wash them and reuse them; once washed, they will dry fast because of the hot weather.
Another important thing to remember: The exact number of days you are required to stay in the ihram-attire varies according to the type of Hajj you have chosen to perform before entering ihram. If you have chosen the tamattu` form of Hajj (which is the ideal form preferred by those who are traveling from overseas, especially if they are arriving in Makkah a number of days prior to the Day of `Arafah), you will perform the `Umrah rituals as soon as you arrive in Makkah and then change out of the ihram-attire. From then onwards you will be wearing ordinary clothes until the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah, when you are required to put on the ihram-attire before proceeding to Mina. You will then remain in ihram-attire until the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah. Once you have thrown the pebbles, sacrificed (even if you had only purchased the coupon) and shaved your head, you are free, once again, to change your ihram-attire for ordinary clothes. In this case, you will only be in your ihram-attire for not more than three days. Add to this also the extra convenience of the permission to change one pair of ihram for another. If you keep the above points in mind, you will find yourself more relieved.
Furthermore, if you find yourself still burdened or inconvenienced because of your specific health condition, as you think you will be in need of wearing some kind of a pad or underwear, then, you are allowed to do so, without incurring any penalty for doing so. This is a further relaxation due to your specific circumstance. However, I must add here an important note: You are allowed to resort to the last mentioned option only if what we said above does not suit you.
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah stated that whenever we find ourselves unable to fulfill a certain condition or integral relating to a specific act of worship, we are exempted from fulfilling the same, and our act of worship will be fine without it. This inference of the great Imam is based on an important principle of the Shari`ah which states, “Where there is hardship the rigor of the law is relaxed.”
So make the intention for Hajj, put your trust in Allah, and do your best to perform it as best as you can, as indicated above. Allah says, (Whoever remains conscious of Allah, Allah will make things easy for him/her) (At-Talaq 65:4). If you are still in need of more information, don't hesitate to contact us. Do keep in touch. May Allah guide us all to the straight path!
Read also:
Can a Person with Bladder Problems Wear Diapers during Hajj?
Can the Pilgrim Cover His Head?
Wearing a Stitched Money Belt During Ihram
Why Must a Woman Uncover Her Face in Ihram?
Can a Man Suffering from Dermatitis Cover His Shoulder While in Ihram?
Allah Almighty knows best.
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