Islamic Article |- (Here I am, O God, at Thy command. Here I am! Thou art without associates, Thine are praise and grace and dominion. Thou art without associates, here Iam!)

Of the three types of Hajj,we outline the procedurefor Hajj
at­Tamattu', for it is the most recommended. In this type, one is to
perform Umrah during the Hajj months (i.e., Shawwal, Thul Qa'dah and
the first thirteen nights of Thul Hijjah) and to perform the Hajj in
the same year with a sacrifice slaughtered in Mina on one of the days
of Eid al-Adhha. One may remove his Ihram garments and resume
hisnormal activities between Umrah and Hajj.But one makes the Tawafand
the Sa'i twice, the first time for Umrah and the second time for Hajj.
This booklet is designed to be used as a handy reference, but it
cannot be a substitute for thoroughly studying Hajj and sincerely
preparing oneself for this great Ibadah. Please refer to the map in
this booklet to follow the sequence ofthe rites. Allah is the giver of
success. May His blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all of his
family and companions.
"The first Sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Mecca, a
blessed place, a guidanceto the peoples; Wherein are plain memorials
of God's guidance; the placewhere Abraham stood upto pray, and
whosoever entereth it is safe. And Pilgrimage to the House is a duty
unto God for mankind, for him who can find a way thither. Asfor him
who disbelieveth, let him know that lo! God is Independent of all
creatures.' [3:96-97]
ONE – IHRAM
Ihram is the intention of the person willing to perform all rites of
Umrah, Hajj or both when he arrives at the Miqat. Each direction
coming into Makkah has its own Miqat. It is recommended that one makes
Ghusl, wear perfumes if he chooses on his body, but not the garments,
and puts on a two piece garment with no headgear. The garments should
be of seamless pieces of cloth. One piece to cover the upper part of
the body, and another to cover the lower part. For a woman Ihram is
similar except that she should not use perfumes at all and her dress
should cover the whole body decently, leaving the hands and the face
uncovered. Thenone should utter intention according to the type of
Hajj. For Tamatt'u one may say, "Labbayka Allahumma Umrah" which means
"O Allah I answered Your callto perform Umrah." It is recommended to
repeat the Hajj supplication, called Talbiyah, as frequently as
possible from the time of Ihram till the time of the first stoning of
Jamrat al-Aqabah in Mina (10th of Thul Hijjah). Men are recommended to
utter the Talbiyah aloud while women are to say it quietly
TWO – UMRAH
Tawaf: Upon arrival to Makkah, make Tawaf around the Ka'bah. Circle
the Ka'bah seven times inthe counterclock­wise direction, starting
from the black stone with Takbeer and ending eachcircle at the Black
Stone with Takbeer. The Ka'bahwill be to your left. Get toMaqam
Ibrahim (Ibrahim's Station) as close as possible and make two rak'at.
Be sure to face the Ka'bah while praying.
Sa'i: Next make Sa'i between Safa and Marwah. Start by ascending the
Safa hill. Facing the Ka'bah praise Allah, raise his hands andmake
Takbeer three times, then you may supplicate to Allah whatever you
want. Descend and head towards the Marwah. Increase your pace between
the clearly marked green posts (called ar-Ram]), but should walk at a
normal pace before and after them. At the Marwah, ascend, praise Allah
and do as he did at the Safa. This is one complete round and so is the
otherway from Marwah to Safa. A total of seven rounds are required.
Hair: Once done, end Umrah by shaving your head or trimming your hair
(women should cut afinger tip's length from their hair). At this
stage, the prohibitions pertaining to the state ofIhram are lifted and
you can resume your normal life.
THREE – GOING TO MINA
A Muslim performing Hajjut Tamattu' should intend to go into the state
of Ihram, from the place where he is stayingin Makkah, on the eighth
day of Thul-Hijjah, which is called the Tarwiyah Day, and leave to
Mina in the morning. In Mina, perform Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha
salah of the eighth day and Fajr salah of the ninth day of Thul
Hijjah. Dhuhr,Asr and Isha salah are each shortened to two rak'at
only, but are not combined. Remain in Mina until sunrise of the ninth
day then leave to Arafat. Make sure you usethe time wisely because
many people will go instead for long walks trying to see things around
in Mina. This is the main reason behind many Muslims getting lost in
their way back and ending up wasting most of their time.
FOUR – DEPART TO ARAFAAT
At Arafat, stay until sunset. Make salah of Dhuhr and Asr shortened
and combined during thetime of Dhuhr to save therest of the day for
remembering and glorifying Allah and for supplication for forgiveness,
etc. Make certain that you stay within the boundaries of Arafat, not
necessarily standing on the mountain of Arafat. Keep reciting
Talbiyah, glorifying Allah the Greatest and repeating supplication. It
is also reported that the Prophet sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, used to
say the following supplication: "There is nodeity worthy of worship
except Allah, the One without a partner. The dominion and the praise
are His and He is powerful over everything." Anas ibn Malik was asked
once how he and his friends used to spend their time while walking
from Mina to Arafat in the company of Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi
wasallam. Anas said, 'Some of us used to cry out Talbiyah. others used
to glorify Allah the Greatest and the rest used to repeat prayers.
Each one of us was free to worship Allah in the way he likes without
prejudice or renunciation of his right." (Bukhari)
FIVE – A NIGHT IN MUZDALIFAH
Soon after sunset at Arafat, leave for Muzdalifah quietly and
reverently The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wasallam, said when he
noticed people walking hurriedly, "O people! Be quiet, hastening is
not a sign of righteousness." (Bukhari) Keep reciting the Talbiyah,
glorifying and remembering. In Muzdalifah perform Maghrib and Isha
combined, shortening the Isha to two rak'at. Stay overnight in
Muzdalifah to perform the salatul Fajr and keep busy supplicating
waiting for the brightness of the morning becomes widespread then
leave toMina passing through thesacred Mash'ar valley. Women and weak
individuals are allowed to proceed to proceed to Mina at any time
after midnight to avoid the crowd. Start collecting pebbles for
stoning the Jamaarat.
SIX – RETURN TO MINA (day of Eid)
Stoning Jamrat Al-Aqabah: At Mina, go to Jamrat al-Aqabah to stone it
with seven pebbles making Takbeer,"Allahu Akbar" at each throw and
calling on Allah to accept your Hajj. The time of stoning Jamrat
al-Aqabah starts after sun­rise. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi
wasallam, threw the pebbles late in the morning and permitted weak
people to stone after leaving Muzdalifah after midnight. The size of
the pebbles should notbe more than that of a chick pea.
Slaughter of Sacrifice: Next, slaughter your sacrifice either
personally or, through the appointment of someone who will do it on
your behalf.
Shaving the head or trimming the hair: Shave your head or trim some
hair. Shaving, however, is preferable. Women cancut a finger tip
length of their hair. Finishing theserites ends the first phase of the
state of Ihram and lifts its restrictions exceptfor resuming conjugal
relationship.
SEVEN – DAYS OF TASHREEQ
10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul Hijjah
Tawaf al-Ifadhah: Tawaf al-Ifadhah is a fundamental rite of Hajj. Go
to Makkah, circle the Ka'bah seven times, perform two rak'at behind
Maqam Ibrahim and finish with Sa'i between the Safa and the Marwah. On
completion, the state of Ihram is completely lifted. Tawaf al-Ifadhah
can be done anytime during the Tashreeq daysor delayed until the days
spent at Mina are over.
EIGHT – STAYING IN MINA
Spend there the days of Tashreeq in Mina. During each day, and after
Dhuhr stone the three stone the Jamarat (the small, the medium and
Jamrat al-Aqabah). You may leave Mina to Makkah on the 12th or on the
12th. If you choose the later, leave before sunset.
NINE – FAREWELL TAWAF
The Tawaf of Farewell is the final rite of Hajj. Ibn Abbaas
(Radhiallaahu Anhu) said, 'The people were ordered to performthe Tawaf
around the Ka'bah as the last thing (to do) before leaving Makkah,
except for the menstruating women who were excused.' (Bukhari)
A REMINDER
1. Commit all of your timeto Ibaadah. Remember the goal of Hajj. Make
a lot of Du'aa
2. Stick to righteous deeds. Avoid prohibitions.
3. All of the rites must be done correctly. If you do not know how to
perform an act, ask.
4. Never harm any Muslimwith words or actions within the Mashaa-ir or elsewhere.
5. Know the restrictions of Ihram, avoid them. A) No hair or nails
trimming, b) No perfume.Avoid scented soap, c) Noconjugal relation
with spouse, d) No wedding or proposing a woman for yourself or
others, e) No gloves. If necessary wrap your hands in cloth,f) No
cover on head that touches it, umbrellas are OK, g) No shoes, shirts,
turban, hooded cloaks, trousers, or the like, h) Sandals, rings,
glasses, hearing aids, watch, or speech aid are OK, i) Bathing,
washing and scratching the body and head, even if some of his hair
falls unintentionally are OK, j) Women cannot wear a Niqab or Burqa.
Labbaik Allaahumma labbaik. Labbaika laa shareeka laka labbaika. Innal
hamda, wanni'matalaka wal mulk laka. Laa shareeka laka
(Here I am, O God, at Thy command. Here I am! Thou art without
associates, Thine are praise and grace and dominion. Thou art without
associates, here Iam!)