Islamic Travel

How To Perform Hajj

Hajj is one of the best ways to worship, and it is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is a religious duty for all Muslim men and women who are able to do it physically and financially. Whoever does Hajj is made as clean as a baby who has never done anything wrong. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that Hajj is the Jihad of children, women, the sick, and the old. Allah SWT rewards Hajjis with Janah. Before doing Hajj, you have to make sure you've done certain things. The first thing you need for Hajj is to be sincere. Make up for all the wrongs we've done and ask forgiveness from the people we've hurt. Pay off your debts and make sure the money you use for Hajj comes from Halal sources. Hajj is compulsory but there are lots of rewards of performing Umrah. Umrah can be performed after booking the group Umrah packages. Write your will down before you leave. Pick the group of Mahram. Learn or memorise duas from the Quran and Sunnah, as well as the funeral prayer, Salat as-Safar, and the proper way to visit graves.


How to make the Hajj


Hajj is done every year from the 9th of Zilhajj to the 13th of Zilhajj. Every Muslim wants to go to the house of God more than anything else. Muslims from all over the world gather at Miqat to pray, make amends, and have fun in Allah SWT's glory. To begin Hajj, you must first say Niyyah, which means "I want to do Hajj." Enter the Al Haram with your right foot and say "Talbiyah" over and over. You can also pray in your own language. Hajj al-Tamattu is what most people do when they go to Saudi Arabia. In hajj al-Tamattu, both hajj and umrah are done at the same time. They do Umrah first and then Hajj. But if you haven't done Umrah before, do the Tawaf first and then head straight to Mina. Mina is 5 kilometres from Makkah. In the past, caravans would meet there before heading to Arafat to get water. The government of Saudi Arabia builds thousands of white tents with air conditioning for pilgrims' comfort. Since Mina is a very hot place, these tents protect pilgrims from the sun and heat so they can pray. On the day of TARWIYAH, you should go to the nearby town of Mina and walk in the Prophet's footsteps. At Mina, pilgrims must pray the same prayers that the Prophet SAW did: Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr the next day. After that, they have to pray either four or two Rakas at Mina.


Mina-Tents-Hajj


On the morning of the 9th Zilhajj, pilgrims must walk from Mina to Arafat as the sun comes up. As it is the will of Allah SWT, it is every pilgrim's job to be serious and calm around other pilgrims and to be patient in every situation. When a pilgrim gets to Arafat, they must face the Kiblah and pray Dhuhr, Asr, two Iqamah, and one Adhan. Raise your hands and ask Allah Almighty to forgive you or make any wish you want in your own words or language. Read prayers from the Quran and say as many prayers as you can. Pilgrims have to spend the rest of the day until sunset in Arafat. Pilgrims have to move toward Muzalifah after the sun goes down. Say Talbiyah on your way to Muzalifah. When you get there, combine the Maghrib and Isha prayers, but shorten the Isha prayer to two Rakas. After that, they have to sleep on the ground outside under the stars. After midnight, women, babies, and older people can go back to Mina. On the 10th Zilhajj, pilgrims must leave Muzalifah after the Fajr prayer and go to Mina. Continue to say Talbiyah as you go. As part of Ramay al-Jamarah, pilgrims have to find seven pebbles to throw at the Al-Aqabah. They can also get the rocks from Mina. Stop saying Talbiyah when you reach the middle point between Mina and Muzalifah in the valley of Muhassir. Say "BISMILLAH ALLAHU AKBAR" seven times as you throw each of the seven stones at the pillar. This is an old ritual that tells how the devil will escape all of his temptations. Next, pilgrims have to pray in the middle of the morning with their hands raised and their backs to the Kiblah.


After Ramay, pilgrims must kill an animal to remember how much Prophet Ibrahim A.S. cared about Allah Almighty. Tradition says that the butcher will kill the animals at the designated place. Pilgrims must eat some of the meat they sacrifice, and the rest will be given to people in need around the world. If you can't make a sacrifice, you must fast for three days during Hajj and seven days after you get back.


After making a sacrifice, pilgrims have to do Taqsir, which means cutting their hair short. Men must shave their heads, but women can keep a few inches of hair on their heads. Women are not allowed to shave their heads at all. After the Taqsir ritual, a pilgrim can take off his or her Ihram and put on regular clothes. Women are free to cover their heads. Tawaf is the next requirement for Hajj. To do Tawaf, you must go back to Makkah. Tawaf means to go around something seven times. This is what Muslims do when they go on Hajj or Umrah. Tawaf begins at Hajra e Aswad, a stone from Janah that is also called the Black Stone. It is written on the southeast wall of Kabaah Sharif. When you get to the starting point of Tawaf, say Talbiya and then stand in front of Hajra e Aswad so that the whole thing is on your right. This is how you make the intention to do Tawaf. Do Istilam or kiss the Hajra e Aswad to start your Tawaf. If you can't kiss or touch Hajra e Aswad directly, you can touch it with a stick and kiss it.


If you can't do that either, raise your hands with your palms open and point at it. Start your Tawaf in the direction of the clock after Istilam. You can pray by saying "Bismillah Wa-Allahu Akbar" over and over, or you can make up your own words. After you finish your Tawaf, you should walk around Hatim or Hijra e Ismail (A.S). In Tawaf, you have to go around Hatim. Then, every time you walk by the Kabah Sharif, touch the "Yemeni corner," or the fourth corner. Finish all seven circuits in the same way as Tawaf. Next, Multazam is a very holy place where people can make wishes and pray. Make dua here. If you can't get close enough, just face it and pray from afar. This will be the end of your Tawaf. Next, go to Maqaam e Ibrahimi and pray two rakats of Nafil without covering your head. Then, go to the ZamZam well and drink this holy water.


Visit-Jamarat


The next step for pilgrims is to do Sa'ey between the hills of Safa and Marwah. After Sa'ey, pilgrims must spend two or three nights in Mina to throw Jamarat again. When the Ramay al Jamarah ritual begins in the afternoon on the 11th, 2nd, and 13th Zilhajj, it is called Ayyam Al Tashreeq. Pilgrims have to use the ramps to get to the top of the multi-level Jamarah Bridge, where they can throw the stones. Pilgrims must throw seven pebbles at each pillar, starting with the first Jamarah. When they get to the last pillar, they must stop facing the Kiblah and pray. Then, throw stones at the Middle Jamarah, stop to face Kiblah, and pray again. Next, break down the last Jamarah Al Aqabah and leave without saying any prayers. Before leaving Makah, pilgrims must do Tawaf al Wida, also called "Farewell Tawaf," in which they circle the Kabah seven times.