Welcome to Islam, - * The tears of finding the truth through the Internet

Introduction:
The following story occurred on the Internet through one of the chat
programs )Freetel( in January 1999. It is a real dialogue between a
Christian and a Muslim. The story centers on Derek's realization of
today's Christianity and his subsequent conversion to Islam. This
Christian-Muslim dialogue has been edited for readability and for the
clarity of its message.
'Abdullaah: Hello there! How are you man?
Derek: Hello! Well, how are you?
'Abdullaah: I'm fine and you?
Derek: I'm fine, thanks.
'Abdullaah: Where are you from?
Derek: I'm from L.A. )Los Angeles(.
'Abdullaah: The land of Hollywood!
Derek: Well, that's right. Have you ever been to L.A?
'Abdullaah: No, never. Why are you calling yourself 'Black Magic'?
Derek: It's just a nickname, man!
'Abdullaah: I see.
Derek: Where are you from? Are you an Arab?
'Abdullaah: Yes, I am from Saudi Arabia but I'm in Qatar now.
What is your name?
Derek: My name is Derek. What's your name?
'Abdullaah: My name is 'Abdullaah.
Derek: What does 'Abdullaah mean?
'Abdullaah: 'Abdullaah means the servant of Allaah and it is the
function of each individual on the face of the earth to serve Allaah
according to what Allaah wants from us. By the way, Allaah is the
proper name of God.
Derek: How do we know what God or Allaah wants from us?
'Abdullaah: All of this is outlined in the Quran and
theSunnah)traditions and approved actions of Prophet
Muhammad,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)may Allaah exalt his mention(.
These are the two major sources of guidance in Islam. Could you
please tell me more about yourself? How old are you?
Derek: I am 19 years old, black and very much interested in
knowing more about Islam. First of all, what should a person do or
believe in, to become a Muslim?
'Abdullaah: Very easy brother, you just say that there is no one
worthy of worship but Allaah and Muhammad is His Messenger, and you
become Muslim.
Derek: You mean Muhammad is his apostle? But as a Christian
or non-Muslim, this sentence is not enough to make it clear to me.
'Abdullaah: O.K. Allaah sent Muhammad,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam,as His last Prophet and Messenger and revealed the Quran to him
as the final revelation to mankind. Allaah said that He perfected His
religion and called it Islam )see Quran 5:3(. Islam means peaceful
submission to the Will of Allaah.
Derek: I see.
'Abdullaah: Yes, and unfortunately, most Christians don't know or
they deny that the coming of Prophet Muhammad,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam,is foretold in their scriptures )See Deuteronomy 18:18; 21:21;
Psalms 118: 22-23; Isaiah 42:1-13; Habakuk 3:3-4; Matthew 21:42-43;
John 14:12-17, 15:26,27; 16:5-16(. Muslim theologians have stated
that the person who is described by Jesus, may Allaah exalt his
mention, to come after him )in the above verses( is
Muhammad,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
Derek: O.K. Fine, but why was there a need for another
Prophet after Jesus and another revelation after the Bible?
'Abdullaah: All of the Prophets came to teach their peoples the
Oneness of God. In the case of Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention,
he was only sent as Messenger to the lost sheep of the house of Israel
)see Matt. 15:24(. What happened was that all of these Prophets were
not well received by the majority of the people. For instance, they
started tampering with the teachings of Moses and Jesus, may Allaah
exalt their mention )see Quran 2:79(. That is why Allaah sent
Muhammad,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,with the last Message, )i.e.,
the Quran(, to bring all of mankind back to the belief in and worship
of One God, without partners or intermediaries.
Derek: Is the Quran similar to the Bible? I mean, what is
it composed of?
'Abdullaah: The Quran came as the last code emphasizing the same
pure monotheistic teachings of Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention,
defending all the previous pure teachings of monotheistic beliefs and
clarifying who Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention, was and who his
mother was, showing that they were no more than great people.
Derek: O.K then, how can we be sure that the Quran has
remained the same since the time of Prophet Muhammad,sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam?
'Abdullaah: Allaah Himself has guaranteed that He would guard the
Quran and keep it free from corruption )see Quran 15:9(. Hence, the
real and pure words of Allaah are found in the Quran which was
revealed in Arabic, the language of the people of Muhammad,sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam. Since then, not an iota has changed. This is
unlike what has happened in the other religions. For example, if you
look at the Bible you find a lot of versions; the name Bible itself is
indicative of those changes because Bible means a collection of books
from different writers.
Derek: But didn't God call it the Bible?
'Abdullaah: God calls the Scripture revealed to Jesus "Injeel" in
the Quran, for which the closest name in the Bible would be the word
Gospel. The Bible was written many years after the time of Jesus, may
Allaah exalt his mention, in a language that was alien to Jesus -- it
was Latin Vulgate, a language that he never spoke. Isn't this
strange? Interestingly, most of what was written in the New Testament
was authored by Paul, who, according to James, the brother of Jesus in
the Bible, had a polluted mind because he changed and contradicted
most of the teachings of Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention.
Derek: I think you know more about Christianity than the Pope does!
'Abdullaah: You are wrong by saying that I know more than the
Pope. I have simply investigated the Bible with an inquiring mind,
which is something that all Christians should do.
Derek: Is there any English version of the Holy Quran?
'Abdullaah: There are many translations of the meanings of the
Quran. The Quran was revealed in Arabic, which means that the words
of Allaah are in Arabic. The translations are the words of human
beings relating to the meanings of the Quran to the non-Arabic
speaking masses.
Derek: How does the Quran define God to mankind or how does
the Muslim perceive God?
'Abdullaah: God is the One and Only True God, and the Creator of
all. He does not beget nor is He begotten. He is unlike His creation
in every respect. He is the All-Knowing, The Powerful, The Merciful,
The Irresistible, and The King of kings.
Derek: But it is somehow difficult for me to perceive God as
being the same as His creatures.
'Abdullaah: You are absolutely right to have difficulty perceiving
this, because human beings have a limited capacity. This is why
Allaah sent revelations to His Prophets and Messengers to tell us who
He is. So if you want to know who God is, just read the Quran.
Derek: Christians believe that Jesus was sent for the
salvation of all mankind. If this is not true, then the foundation of
Christianity is faulty. Right? What do you think?
'Abdullaah: That's correct. The Christians of today are following
what Paul taught and also tend to follow what the priests tell them to
do instead of following what Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention,
said.
Derek: Kindly explain the concept of salvation through the
crucifixion of Jesus.
'Abdullaah: In Christianity, the Doctrine of Original Sin is the
reason that there is a need for salvation through Jesus' crucifixion.
However, this doctrine was invented by Paul and it is strongly negated
in the Old Testament )see Ezekiel 18:20, Jeremiah 31:30, Deut. 24:16(.
This doctrine is an attempt to escape the responsibility of
righteousness with the belief that punishment is given to someone else
to release us from our burden of sins )see Ephesians 1:7, Romans 4:25,
10:9,Corinthians 15:21(. In the Quran, every soul is responsible for
its own deeds, good or bad )see Quran 74:38, 41:46, 3:25, 6:154(.
Derek: What about the crucifixion itself?
'Abdullaah: The Bible says Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention,
cried out in a loud voice beseeching God for help on the cross: "My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" )Matt. 27:46( Does that sound
like Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention, to you?
Derek: No, then what about Jesus' appearance to his
disciples after the crucifixion?
'Abdullaah: Jesus didn't die on the cross nor was he resurrected.
If he were resurrected, then he would have come to his disciples in a
spiritual body. As shown in Luke 24:36-43, he met them with his
physical body after the event of his alleged crucifixion. In the
Quran, it says that Jesus was not crucified, but it was someone else
who was made to look like him )see Quran 4:15,58(.
Derek: How did the story of the crucifixion of Jesus get
into the Bible then?
'Abdullaah: Once again, Paul was responsible )see Timothy 2:8 and
Romans 5:10(.
Derek: Well, I very deep in my heart, believe that God can
never look like His creation nor does He do what they do. What I
believe is that God is the Perfect One who is very much different from
everything we see or touch. In other words, I think the writer can
never look like his book.
'Abdullaah: You are right. There is nothing comparable to Allaah
)see Quran 112:4(. The Prophets came with a very clear message to
worship God alone, without any partners or intercessors. However,
Paul took pagan beliefs and practices from the Romans and mixed them
with the teachings of Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention.
Consequently, Paul was mostly responsible for elevating Jesus, may
Allaah exalt his mention, to the status of Son of God )see Acts. 9:20(
and god.
Derek: Yes. Now I remember. The first Commandments is:
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord."
'Abdullaah: You're right. That's in Mark 12:29. Moreover, the
Quran confirms that God is One )which means(:"Say He is Allaah, the
One and Only )God(."]Quran 112:1[
Derek: What you are saying makes perfect sense. This is
just incredible! You mean that for almost 2000 years what the
Christians have been following is wrong?
'Abdullaah: Yes, especially their misunderstanding of who Jesus was.
Derek: Oh my God! I've been deceived! Really, I feel
religiously raped. I have been fooled simply because I followed
blindly the religion that I was born with and didn't take care to
investigate it thoroughly. But still inside me there is something
holding me back from accepting Islam, even though Islam is clearly the
True Religion.
'Abdullaah: Your last comment shows that you are a Muslim not a
Christian and if you really love God and His Messenger Jesus, may
Allaah exalt his mention, you will follow Islam and Prophet
Muhammad,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Break this barrier inside you
and come back to the way of your ancestors. You are now free because
you are looking for the Truth and our great Prophet Jesus, may Allaah
exalt his mention, told us that we should look for the Truth and the
Truth will set us free. So you will be a free man as soon as you
accept it. Be strong enough to accept Islam as the Truth, without any
hesitation on your part and you will taste real freedom and real
happiness that you have never tasted before.
Derek: Frankly, I am concerned about the negative way Islam
and Muslims are shown in the media. In the West, there is a stigma
attached to being a Muslim and I'm not sure I'm ready to live with
that stigma.
'Abdullaah: This is why I have chosen to tell people about the
right picture of Islam.
Derek: Then, what is the right picture of Islam?
'Abdullaah: The right picture of Islam is conveyed in the Quran
which is exemplified by Prophet Muhammad,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam. The reality is that it is not fair to judge a religion by the
actions of its followers alone, because there are good and bad
followers in every religion. The correct thing to do is to judge a
religion by its documented revelation from God and the Prophet who
brought that revelation.
Derek: I see. I agree with you, but I'm still concerned
about the reaction of my family and friends if they know that I am a
Muslim.
'Abdullaah: Brother, on Judgment Day, no one will be able to help
you, not even your father, mother or any of your friends )see Quran
31:33(. So if you believe that Islam is the true religion, you should
embrace it and live your life to please the One Who created you. Be
an illuminating torch for them. Do not delay your coming to Islam.
If you die before becoming a Muslim, then it's too late )see Quran
2:132, 3:102, 3:85(. So grab this opportunity now. You can only
remedy this pain inside you by becoming a Muslim and being able in the
future, God willing, to come and perform pilgrimage )Hajj(.
Derek: You are very wise man. I want to say that when I
sometimes see on the satellite, especially in the season of Hajj,
people of different colors and different races sitting side by side
and praying to God, I feel a pain deep inside my heart and I feel
something urging me to talk with someone to know more about that great
religion that can gather all the races in the same place. Thanks to
you, I have found that person. So please help me become a Muslim!
'Abdullaah: Brother, let us take it step by step. First, enter
Islam by saying:I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship
except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and
Messenger.I bear witness that Jesus is His Prophet and Messenger. Let
us say this again:I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship
except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and
Messenger.I bear witness that Jesus is His Prophet and Messenger.
DerekI bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except
Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and
Messenger.I bear witness that Jesus is His Prophet and Messenger
'Abdullaah: By the way, Jesus' name is not Jesus. It is a
Latinized name. His real name is 'Eesaa. Now you will say the same
thing in Arabic, the language of the Quran. I will transliterate for
you:Ash'hadu an laa ilaahaa illallaah, wa ash'hadu anna Muhammadun
rasoolullaah, wa ash'hadu anna 'Eesaa 'abdullaahi wa rasooluhu.
Derek:Ash'hadu an laa ilaahaa illallaah, wa ash'hadu anna muhammadun
rasoolullaah, wa ash'hadu anna 'Eesaa 'abdullaahi wa rasooluhu.
'Abdullaah: Brother, say Allaah is the greatest because you are a
Muslim now. You are not a Christian anymore. You are in the House of
Islam. If I were with you, I would hug you as my brother in Islam.
How do you feel now? A burden has been removed from you and you feel
like you are so light. Isn't this right?
Derek: If you were with me now, you would have seen my
tears reaching my neck. You are a great brother. I feel that I have
just come to life. This is exactly how I feel from now. I don't have
to listen to the words of the priests in the church, who knowingly or
unknowingly lead people astray. I hope to be a good servant of
Allaah.
'Abdullaah: You know what came out of you was disbelief and it was
replaced by belief. You are so clean now, because when someone
embraces Islam sincerely, Allaah forgives all of his past sins. So,
go to an Islamic center that has Muslims from all over the world and
announce your Islam there and continue to learn more about Islam from
them. In addition, find a book on prayer in Islam and practice it.
This is essential. Now after you are through with me, you must take a
shower to purify yourself from previous wrong beliefs. Remember to
stay away from bad company and be with righteous Muslim people. Also,
beware of those so-called Muslims who call to nationalistic ideas or
racial thoughts, which are rejected in Islam. I love you as a brother
in Islam and I hope one day I will see you and hear your voice.
Derek: I will for sure do what you have asked. And tomorrow
I will go to the Islamic center. Thank you for showing me the Truth.
I will do my best to meet people who know about Islam for sure. May
God help you guide more and more people to the true word of God.
There is no God but Allaah and Muhammad is his Apostle ... Well it is as
difficult for me as it is for you to leave you.
'Abdullaah: Well brother, you will not leave me for a long time.
I will soon be with you through my supplications, God willing. Pray
for me, brother.
Derek: Well, I thank you, I love you although I do not know
you yet. But it is enough for me to remember that one day, a very dear
man has picked me up from the mud of life. Please teach me another
Islamic word in Arabic so as to make use of it in the Islamic center.
'Abdullaah:As-Salaamu 'Alaykum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh
and Astaghfirullaah.
Derek: What do they mean?
'Abdullaah: May the Peace, Mercy and Blessing of Allaah be upon
you. This is used as a greeting to all Muslims. The last word means,
Allaah forgive me. Well, I have to leave you now but be sure it will
not be for long.
Derek: Assalaamu 'Alaykum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh and
Astaghfirullaah for being astray from the Truth all those years. May
God bless you. You have occupied a great place in my heart and I will
never forget you. Bye and talk to you later. Your brother in Islam,
Derek, but I will call myself 'Eesaa from now on.
'Abdullaah: O.K. 'Eesaa. I will leave you some final words of
inspiration. Certainly, the ultimate goal of every individual is to
be in Paradise forever. This reward of Paradise is too great to not
have a price. That price is true faith, which is proven obedience to
Allaah and following theSunnahof Prophet Muhammad,sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam. This is the road to Paradise. Let's stay in touch!
Assalamu Alaykum!
Derek: O.K. Assalaamu Alaykum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.

Welcome to Islam, - * I had not gone shopping for a new religion

After twenty-five years a writer in America, I wanted something to
soften my cynicism. I was searching for new terms by which to see. The
way one is raised establishes certain needs in this department. From a
pluralist background, I naturally placed great stress on the matters
of racism and freedom.
Then, in my early twenties, I had gone to live in Africa for three
years. During this time, which was formative for me, I did rubbed
shoulders with blacks of many different tribes, with Arabs, Berbers,
and even Europeans, who were Muslims. By and large these people did
not share the Western obsession with race as a social category. In our
encounters being oddly coloured rarely mattered. I was welcomed first
and judged on merit later. By contrast, Europeans and Americans,
including many who are free of racist notions, automatically class
people racially. Muslims classified people by their faith and their
actions. I found this transcendent and refreshing. Malcolm X saw his
nation's salvation in it. "America needs to understand Islam," he
wrote, "because this is the one religion that erases from its society
the race problem".
I was looking for an escape route, too, from the isolating terms of a
materialistic culture. I wanted access to a spiritual dimension, but
the conventional paths I had known as a boy were closed. My father had
been a Jew; my mother Christian. Because of my mongrel background, I
had a foot in two religious camps. Both faiths were undoubtedly
profound. Yet the one that emphasizes a chosen people I found
insupportable; while the other, based in a mystery, repelled me. A
century before, my maternal great--grandmother's name had been set in
stained glass at the high street Church of Christ in Hamilton, Ohio.
By the time I was twenty, this meant nothing to me.
These were the terms my early life provided. The more I thought about
it now, the more I returned to my experiences in Muslim Africa. After
two return trips to Morocco, in 1981 and 1985, I came to feel that
Africa, the continent, had little to do with the balanced life I found
there. It was not, that is, a continent I was after, nor an
institution, either. I was looking for a framework I could live with,
a vocabulary of spiritual concepts applicable to the life I was living
now. I did not want to "trade in" my culture. I wanted access to new
meanings.
After a mid-Atlantic dinner I went to wash up in the bathroom. During
my absence a quorum of Hasidim lined up to pray outside the door. By
the time I had finished, they were too immersed to notice me. Emerging
from the bathroom, I could barely work the handle. Stepping into the
aisle was out of the question.
I could only stand with my head thrust into the hallway, staring at
the congregation's backs. Holding palm-size prayer books, they cut an
impressive figure, tapping the texts on their breastbones as they
divined. Little by little the movements grew erratic, like a mild,
bobbing form of rock and roll. I watched from the bathroom door until
they were finished, then slipped back down the aisle to my seat.We
landed together later that night in Brussels. Reboarding, I found a
discarded Yiddish newspaper on a food tray. When the plane took off
for Morocco, they were gone.
I do not mean to imply here that my life during this period conformed
to any grand design. In the beginning, around 1981, I was driven by
curiosity and an appetite for travel. My favourite place to go, when I
had the money, was Morocco. When I could not travel, there were books.
This fascination brought me into contact with a handful of writers
driven to the exotic, authors capable of sentences like this, by Freya
Stark:
The perpetual charm of Arabia is that the traveler finds his level
there simply as a human being; the people's directness, deadly to the
sentimental or the pedantic, like the less complicated virtues; and
the pleasantness of being liked for oneself might, I think, be added
to the five reasons for travel given me by Sayyid Abdulla, the
watchmaker; "to leave one's troubles behind one; to earn a living; to
acquire learning; to practise good manners; and to meet honourable
men".
I could not have drawn up a list of demands, but I had a fair idea of
what I was after. The religion I wanted should be to metaphysics as
metaphysics is to science. It would not be confined by a narrow
rationalism or traffic in mystery to please its priests. There would
be no priests, no separation between nature and things sacred. There
would be no war with the flesh, if I could help it. Sex would be
natural, not the seat of a curse upon the species. Finally, I did want
a ritual component, daily routine to sharpen the senses and discipline
my mind. Above all, I wanted clarity and freedom. I did not want to
trade away reason simply to be saddled with a dogma.
The more I learned about Islam, the more it appeared to conform to
what I was after. Most of the educated Westerners I knew around this
time regarded any strong religious climate with suspicion. They
classified religion as political manipulation, or they dismissed it as
a medieval concept, projecting upon it notions from their European
past.
It was not hard to find a source for their opinions. A thousand years
of Western history had left us plenty of fine reasons to regret a path
that led through so much ignorance and slaughter. From the Children's
Crusade and the Inquisition to the transmogrified faiths of nazism and
communism during our century, whole countries have been exhausted by
belief. Nietzsche's fear, that the modern nation-state would become a
substitute religion, have proved tragically accurate. Our century, it
seemed to me, was ending in an age beyond belief, which believers
inhabited as much as agnostics.
Regardless of church affiliation, secular humanism is the air
westerners breathe, the lens we gaze through. Like any world view,
this outlook is pervasive and transparent. It forms the basis of our
broad identification with democracy and with the pursuit of freedom in
all its countless and beguiling forms. Immersed in our shared
preoccupations, one may easily forget that other ways of life exist on
the same planet.
At the time of my trip, for instance, 650 million Muslims with a
majority representation in forty-four countries adhered to the formal
teachings of Islam. In addition, about 400 million more were living as
minorities in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Assisted by postcolonial
economics, Islam has become in a matter of thirty years a major faith
in Western Europe. Of the world's great religions, Islam alone was
adding to its fold.
My politicized friends were dismayed by my new interest. They all but
universally confused Islam with the machinations of half a dozen
middle eastern tyrants. The books they read, the new broadcasts they
viewed depicted the faith as a set of political functions. Almost
nothing was said of its spiritual practice. I liked to quote Mae West
to them: "Anytime you take religion for a joke, the laugh's on you".
Historically a Muslim sees Islam as the final, matured expression of
an original religion reaching back to Adam. It is as resolutely
monotheistic as Judaism, whose major Prophets Islam reveres as links
in a progressive chain, culminating in Jesus and Muhammad. Essentially
a message of renewal, Islam has done its part on the world stage to
return the forgotten taste of life's lost sweetness to millions of
people. Its book, the Qur'an, caused Goethe to remark, "You see, this
teaching never fails; with all our systems, we cannot go, and
generally speaking no man can go, further".
Traditional Islam is expressed through the practice of five pillars.
Declaring one's faith, prayer, charity, and fasting are activities
pursued repeatedly throughout one's life. Conditions permitting, each
Muslim is additionally charged with undertaking a pilgrimage to Mecca
once in a lifetime. The Arabic term for this fifth rite is Hadj.
Scholars relate the wto the concept of kasd, "aspiration," and to the
notion of men and women as travelers on earth. In Western religions
pilgrimage is a vestigial tradition, a quaint, folkloric concept
commonly reduced to metaphor. Among Muslims, on the other hand, the
hadj embodies a vital experience for millions of new pilgrims every
year. In spite of the modern content of their lives, it remains an act
of obedience, a profession of belief, and the visible expression of a
spiritual community. For a majority of Muslims the hadj is an ultimate
goal, the trip of a lifetime.
As a convert I felt obliged to go to Makkah. As an addict to travel I
could not imagine a more compelling goal.The annual, month-long fast
of Ramadan precedes the hadj by about one hundred days. These two
rites form a period of intensified awareness in Muslim society. I
wanted to put this period to use. I had read about Islam; I had joined
a Mosque near my home in California; I had started a practice. Now I
hoped to deepen what I was learning by submerging myself in a religion
where Islam infuses every aspect of existence.
I planned to begin in Morocco, because I knew that country well and
because it followed traditional Islam and was fairly stable. The last
place I wanted to start was in a backwater full of uproarious
sectarians. I wanted to paddle the mainstream, the broad, calm water.

Pilgrimage, - Dought & clear, - * He is going to form the intention to do a second ‘umrah when he is in Jeddah;where should he enter ihramfrom?

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I am going to go from al-Jawf to perform ‘umrah, then go to Jeddah to meet my mother on the same day; she is coming from Egypt. Then I will form the intention to enter ihram again to perform ‘umrah with my mother. Where should I enter ihram for the second time – in Jeddah or in at-Tan‘eem?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
What is required of the one who sets out for Makkah to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah is to enter ihram from the miqaat that he passes through or comes in line with. It is not permissible for him to go beyond that point without entering ihram. If he is closer [to Makkah] than that, then his miqaat is the place from which he sets out, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, when he defined the miqaats: “They are for them and besides them for those who come through those places with the intention of performing Hajj and 'Umrah; and whoever is living within these boundaries can enter ihraam from the place he sets out, and the people of Makkah can start from Makkah”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1524) from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him).
Based on that, what you must do is enter ihram from the miqaat through which you pass or with which you come in line on your way from al-Jawf to Makkah.
The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
Whoever passes through one of the miqaats that are proven from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or comes in line with it by air or land or sea, intending to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah, it is obligatory for him to enter ihram. If he is not intending to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah, then he does not have to enter ihram. If he passes it without intending to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah, then he sets out for Hajj or ‘Umrah from Makkah or Jeddah, then he should enter ihram from wherever he sets out from in Makkah or Jeddah, for example. In the case of ‘umrah, if he sets out for it from outside the Haram zone, he should enter ihram for it from where he sets out, but if he sets out for it from within the Haram zone, he has to go out to the nearest point outside the Haram zone and enter ihram from there for ‘Umrah. This is the basic principle with regard to this matter. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah(11/122)
Secondly:
With regard to the second ‘umrah that you are intending to do from Jeddah, you can enter ihram for it from Jeddah, and you do not have to go to at-Tan‘eem, because at-Tan‘eem is not specified as a place to enter ihram. Rather it is a place outside the Haram zone to which a resident of Makkah goes to in order to enter ihram for ‘umrah, but if he goes out in a different direction beyond the Haram zone and enters ihram for ‘umrah from there, that is valid.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If a person wants to perform ‘umrah from Makkah, he should go out of the Haram zone and enter ihram from there, such as at-Tan‘eem, al-Ji‘raanah and so on, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed ‘Aa’ishah, when she was in Makkah and wanted to perform ‘umrah, to go out to at-Tan‘eem and enter ihram from there. End quote.
Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz(17/41)
If a person goes out to Jeddah, and wants to perform ‘umrah, he may enter ihram from Jeddah.
The scholars of the Standing Committee also said:
If you set out for ‘umrah from Jeddah, then enter ihram from Jeddah.
End quote fromFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah(11/136)
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Jeddah is not a miqaat for those coming from further afield; rather it is a miqaat for those who live there and for those who come there not intending to do Hajj or ‘Umrah, then they set out for Hajj and ‘Umrah from there.
End quote fromMajmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz(17/34)
Thirdly:
Doing a second ‘umrah on the same day or soon after doing your first ‘umrah is not in accordance with the Sunnah and it was not the practice of the early generations; rather your first ‘umrah that you did from al-Jawf is sufficient for you.
If you want to do your ‘umrah with your mother, then you can delay your ‘umrah; you can come from al-Jawf and enter ihram at the miqaat at which the people of al-Jawf enter ihram, then go to Jeddah and meet your mother, and you can delay your ‘umrah so that you can accompany her.
Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said inMajmoo‘ al-Fataawa(26/45):
Hence the more correct view according to our companions is that which was narrated from Ahmad, that he did not regard it as mustahabb to do ‘umrah repeatedly, either from Makkah or elsewhere. Rather there should be a period of time between each two ‘umrahs, even if it is only enough time for his hair to regrow so that he will be able to shave it.
And Allah knows best.

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Pilgrimage, - Dought & clear, - * Various issues concerning Hajj and ‘Umrah

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Allah has blessed me and I have been chosen to be among the doctors who will be sent with the Egyptian group to care for pilgrims to the House of Allah, and by Allah’s leave I will perform Hajj this year. I have been allocated to the clinic in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. The journey from Egypt will be directly to Madinah, and I will stay there until the eighth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah. I am going to do ‘Umrah before Hajj, then do Hajj, then return to Madinah until it is time to go home.
My questions are as follows:
1. What is the wording of the niyyah (intention) and Talbiyah for Hajj and ‘Umrah?
2. What is the miqaat for entering ihram, seeing that I do not know when I will be doing ‘Umrah?
3. If I am doing tamattu‘ [doing ‘umrah followed by Hajj, exiting ihram in between], what is the latest time I can perform ‘Umrah in Dhu’l-Hijjah before the 8th or 9th?
4. Is it permissible to do ‘Umrah after Hajj in the case of qiraan [doing ‘umrah and Hajj together, without exiting ihram in between] or tamattu‘, if I cannot do it before Hajj?
5. Is it permissible to do more than one ‘Umrah, either before or after Hajj? Please note that I will stay for a while after Hajj is over.
6. Someone asked me to convey his salaam to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); is that permissible?
7. One of my acquaintances asked me to do ‘Umrah for her and give the reward thereof to her as a gift. Please note that she is physically in good shape, and I do not know whether she would be able to afford the expenses of ‘Umrah or not, but she cannot ask her husband to do ‘Umrah.
8. I am not going to pay for the expenses of this Hajj out of my own pocket; rather on the contrary I will receive some payment. Will I have performed my (obligatory) Hajj, or should it be from my own money?
Praise be to Allah.
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There is a difference between the niyyah (intention) and the Talbiyah with regard to the pilgrimage. The place for the niyyah is in the heart and it should not be uttered out loud. It is obligatory in the case of Hajj and other acts of worship. As for the Talbiyah, it is mustahabb according to some scholars and is obligatory according to others. It is prescribed for the pilgrim in ihram to say it out loud. The purpose of the Talbiyah is to define the type of pilgrimage. The one who wants to do ‘Umrah says in his Talbiyah: “Labbayk Allahumma ‘umratan(Here I am, O Allah, for ‘umrah)” and the one who wants to do Hajj says in his Talbiyah: “Labbayk Allahummah Hajjan(Here I am, O Allah, for Hajj”). The one who wants to do Hajj and ‘umrah together says “Labbayk Allahumma ‘umratan wa hajjan(Here I am, O Allah, for ‘umrah and Hajj).”
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It should be noted that the place for the intention is the heart. It is not Sunnah for a person to say “O Allah, I have intended to do ‘Umrah” or “I have intended to do Hajj”, because there is no report to that effect from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Rather he should say Talbiyah based on what he intends. The Talbiyah is not regarded as expressing the intention, because the Talbiyah signifies responding to Allah, so in and of itself it is dhikr which is not expressing the intention in the heart.
End quote fromash-Sharh al-Mumti‘(2/291)
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 31821
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So long as you are going to travel from your country, Egypt, directly to al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, then you should enter ihram from the miqaat of Madinah, which is Dhu’l-Hulayfah. You do not have to enter ihram for Hajj or ‘Umrah from Egypt, or from the time you arrive in Madinah. Rather when you decide to travel to Makkah, you should enter ihram from the miqat of the people of Madinah.
For more information, please see the answers to questions no. 135298and 96758
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It is preferable to do the ‘umrah of Tamattu‘ before Duha (mid-morning) on the 8thof Dhu’l-Hijjah (Yawm at-Tarwiyah), because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“…whosoever performs the Umrah in the months of Hajj, before (performing) the Hajj, (i.e. Hajj-at-Tamattu‘ and Al-Qiran)…” [al-Baqarah 2:196]. So tamattu‘ ends with Hajj, and the deeds of Hajj begin on the eighth day (of Dhu’l-Hijjah).
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it valid to do tamattu‘ after the time for Hajj begins, i.e., after Zuhr on the eighth?
He (may Allah have mercy on him) replied: Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“…whosoever performs the Umrah in the months of Hajj, before (performing) the Hajj, (i.e. Hajj-at-Tamattu‘ and Al-Qiran)…” [al-Baqarah 2:196]. This indicates that ‘umrah should be done before the time for Hajj comes. So if you come to Makkah on the eighth, then you have only two choices: ifraad (doing Hajj only) or qiraan.
As for tamattu‘, the time for it has ended. The individual should not let himself be distracted from going out to Mina, because when the time of Duha comes on the eighth, what he is required to do is be in Mina, but if he does ‘Umrah that will take time away from the time of Hajj. That is because the time of Hajj begins at Duha (mid-morning) on the eighth, as the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) entered ihram at that time. If a person comes late, then what I prefer in his case is that he should do Hajj on its own (ifraad), or Hajj and ‘umrah together (qiraan). As for tamattu‘, it is not an option in this case.
End quote fromMajmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen(22/52)
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Doing ‘umrah after Hajj with the intention of tamattu‘ or qiraan is not valid, because ‘umrah of tamattu‘, according to the Qur’anic text, can only come before Hajj; Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“…whosoever performs the Umrah in the months of Hajj, before (performing) the Hajj, (i.e. Hajj-at-Tamattu‘ and Al-Qiran)…” [al-Baqarah 2:196]. When the time for Hajj begins, if the pilgrim has not done ‘umrah before that, then he has missed out on tamattu‘. Moreover he cannot do ‘umrah after Hajj with the intention of Hajj qiraan. If he does that, his Hajj and ‘umrah cannot be regarded as having been done together; rather he has done Hajj separately and ‘umrah separately. But he can do Hajj qiraan and combine the two rituals in his intention and in his Talbiyah, by saying “Labbayk Allahumma Hajjan wa ‘umratan(Here I am, O Allah, for Hajj and ‘umrah)”, and also in his actions.
This is the best option for him if he has missed tamattu‘. Rather some of the scholars regarded it as the best way of combining the two. Whatever the case, it is preferable to Hajj ifraad, and there is no difference of scholarly opinion on that point.
Moreover, when he does his Hajj, he will be able to combine Hajj and ‘umrah (qiraan), because he will do the actions once and not distinguish between them. In that case he should not think that he has missed out on ‘umrah if he is doing qiraan.
He also has the option of doing the third type of pilgrimage, which is to do Hajj on its own (ifraad). This is the least favoured option, because it involves the least actions. Those who do tamattu‘ and qiraan do two pilgrimages, whereas the one who does ifraad does only one.
With regard to the issue of doing ‘umrah before or after Hajj, please see the answers to questions no. 174622and 126752
-5-
Requesting the one who is travelling to the Prophet’s Mosque to convey salaam to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is something that is not prescribed in Islam; it was not part of the practice of the righteous early generations, namely the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een. Moreover, our blessings (salawaat) upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reach him no matter where we are. Abu Dawood (2042) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not make your houses graves and do not make my grave a place of regular visitation. Send blessings (salaah) upon me, for your blessing will reach me no matter where you are.” If our blessings upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reach him no matter where we are, there is no point in sending salaams to him with someone else.
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 69807
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Doing ‘umrah on behalf of someone else is permissible if that other person is unable to do it because of old age or sickness from which there is no hope of recovery, or if he is deceased.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked: I want to go on ‘umrah to the Sacred House of Allah, then when I have finished my ‘umrah, I want to do ‘umrah on behalf of my parents – who are both still alive, praise be to Allah, and on behalf of their fathers – who have both died, may Allah have mercy on them. Is this valid on my part, or not?
They replied:
When you have done ‘umrah on your own behalf, it is permissible for you to do ‘umrah on behalf of your mother and father, if they are unable to do it because of old age or sickness from which there is no hope of recovery. It is also permissible for you to do ‘umrah on behalf of your parents’ fathers who have died.
End quote fromFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah(11/80-81)
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 10318and 65641.
-7-
It is not essential in the case of Hajj for it to be done only with the pilgrim’s own money. If he does Hajj at the expense of someone else, his Hajj is valid and the obligation has been fulfilled.
The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked: What is the ruling on one who does Hajj at the expense of the ruler? That is if one of the rulers wants to give his subjects some money and he says to them: Do Hajj with this money. Is it permissible for them to do Hajj with it, or not? If they do Hajj with it, have they fulfilled the Islamic obligation to do Hajj? Please provide evidence for what you say.
They replied: It is permissible for them to do that, and their Hajj is valid, because of the general meaning of the evidence.
End quote fromFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah(11/36).
Similar to that, and in fact more appropriately so, is the case of one who works during Hajj in order to earn money, and also does Hajj. There is nothing wrong with him doing that, so long as he is not distracted from the actions of Hajj.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Trade is not haraam, but a person should not do any work that distracts him from Hajj.
End quote fromal-Ikhtiyaaraat al-Fiqhiyyahby al-Ba‘li (115)
And Allah knows best.

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