The Guide To Hajj Rites

Some of the Issues Concerning Women

  1. If the monthly menstruation bleeding starts before performing the tawaaf prayer or during the tawaaf, if she had done completed four rounds or more she should abort the tawaaf and /or prayer and leave the Mosque immediately.

She could perform the rest of rites in terms of the sa‘y and taqseer if [these rites] were for the Umrah. She should wait until she is taahir in order to perform the rest of the tawaaf and prayer, starting with the tawaaf first. It is not necessary for her to repeat the sa‘y.

  1. If the bleeding started after completing the fourth round, but she continued to perform the rites, if she is not taahir by the time of woquf [in Arafaat] on the 9th day of Dhil-Hejjah, it is recommended that she appoints someone to perform what she has missed in terms of the remainder of the tawaaf and its prayer before she leaves [Makkah] for woquf in Arafaat.

The woman concerned must perform the remainder of the tawaaf and its prayer after she is taahir.

  1. If the bleeding starts after completing the tawaaf and before performing its prayer, she is liable to performing the prayer after she is taahir, and as a precaution, she should appoint someone to perform the prayer on her behalf.

  2. If the bleeding starts before completing the fourth round, i.e. during the first, second, third, or fourth round, she must abort her tawaaf, and leave the House immediately. If she became taahir before the woquf in Arafaat, she must perform the entire tawaaf and its prayer, after being taahir. If she is not taahir by the time of the woquf, she has the choice between:

  1. Revert her Hajj to Ifraad as mentioned previously, and proceed to Arafaat and [from there to] the Mash‘ar al-Haraam and perform all the rites of Mina and the rest of the rites of Makkah.

When she completes all the rites of Hajj, she should perform the Mufradah Umrah.

  1. Alternatively it is also permissible for her to remain on the Tamattu‘ [Umrah] and proceed to perform the sa‘y and taqseer to be released from the state of ihraam, and then perform the tawaaf and its prayer after becoming taahir.

  1. In cases of Istihaadha – undue or lesser menses, if a woman acts according to that that is obligatory for her to do for the obligatory prayers, she would be considered taahir [for the rites of Hajj].

  2. Sa‘y

  3. The fourth rite of the Tamattu‘ Umrah is the sa‘y, which is to walk seven laps between [the mounts of] Safa and Marwah, after performing the tawaaf prayer, and it is considered a rukn or a principal element, such that the Hajj would be void if deliberately abandoned.

  4. It is permitted to delay the sa‘y to have some rest and cool off, but it is not permitted to delay it to the next day, although it is permitted to delay it until the evening.

  5. There is no objection to separate between an obligatory tawaaf and sa‘y with a mostahab tawaaf.

  6. If one failed to perform the sa‘y by forgetting it or due oversight, compulsion, or ignorance of the ruling, he must perform it whenever he remembers. If he had left the city of Makkah, as a precaution he should return to Makkah whenever he remembers the oversight, and perform the sa‘y himself if possible. If this proved too hard and difficult for him, he should appoint someone to perform the sa‘y on his behalf. One would not be released from his ihraam – even if it was breached – until it [the sa‘y] is completely performed by himself or by his agent.

  7. It is not conditional in the sa‘y to attain tahaarah, say from janaabah or faeces/urine, nor from passing wind, and a woman who is experiencing menses may perform the sa‘y.

  8. It is permitted to perform the sa‘y while riding an animal or a vehicle or on a wheelchair, or being carried by someone, although walking is the best [option].

  9. It is recommended that the vehicle is medium in speed, from Safa to the first landmark27 – these days marked by green colour fluorescent light – he should brisk walk from the first landmark to the second– also marked by green colour fluorescent light. Brisk walking is not required for women. If he was riding an animal he should make his animal to brisk walk without annoying anyone, and then walk normally from the second landmark to Marwah. He should do the same on return.

The Obligations of Sa‘y

  1. The following are mandatory in sa‘y

  2. niyyah

  3. starting the sa‘y from Safa,

  4. finishing the sa‘y at Marwah

  5. the number of rounds

  6. the normal accepted route

  7. facing the destination during each lap

  8. legality of the animal used

  9. the order of the sa‘y

  10. Niyyah

  11. [To declare] the niyyah for sa‘y is mandatory, and it must be [declared] at the start of the sa‘y with the intention of seeking nearness to Allah Almighty. It is preferable to verbally utter the niyyah as follows: “I 27 There are two landmarks en route between Safa and Marwah, some 50 yards apart, they are closer to Marwah mount than Safa.

perform the sa‘y between the Safa and the Marwah seven rounds for the Tamattu‘ Umrah seeking nearness to Allah Almighty”.

  1. Starting the sa‘y from the Safa

  2. It is mandatory to start the sa‘y from the Safa, and for this it is not mandatory to step on the rocks of the mount.

  3. Finishing the sa‘y at the Marwah

  4. It is mandatory to finish the sa‘y at Marwah, and for this it is not mandatory to touch one’s toes to the rocks of the mount of Marwah.

  5. If he contradicted this and began [the sa‘y] at Marwah, even by oversight, his sa‘y is invalidated and as a precaution he should perform a new sa‘y.

  6. The number of rounds

  7. It is obligatory to cover the distance between the mounts of Safa and Marwah seven times with nothing more or less. Thus there will be four journeys from Safa to Marwah and three journeys from Marwah to Safa, all together seven rounds.

  8. The normally accepted route

  9. It is mandatory to go through the route that is normally accepted, thus if he deviated from the route by entering the Mosque and leaving it to re-enter the route of the sa‘y again, or if he left the route of the sa‘y to go to the shops and come back to the route of the sa‘y again, that [excursion] would not be accepted [as part of the sa‘y]. However, it is permissible to drink water from the designated areas en route.

  10. There is no objection to performing the sa‘y on the first floor or the roof – the second floor – if one opted to do so.

  11. Facing the destination

  12. In the course of performing the sa‘y, it is mandatory to be facing the destination, and therefore if he was heading for the mount of Marwah he should be facing Marwah, and if he departed Marwah, heading for Safa, he should be facing Safa. It is not permitted to walk backwards or sideways. There is no objection, however, to turn the head to the left or right, or even to the back, so long as the body is in the direction of the journey of the sa‘y.

While standing, there is no objection to turning the whole body even if that constitute turning one’s back to the destination direction, similarly there is no objection if one deviated to the right when coming down from the Safa.

  1. Animals or other things used must be legal

  2. It is not permitted to perform the sa‘y on an animal that is usurped and such like. In fact this is applicable to clothing or slippers [worn by the person]. Furthermore, as a precaution, it is also not permitted to even carry anything that is usurped.

  3. Order

  4. The sa‘y must be performed after the tawaaf and its prayer. It is not permitted to wilfully bring forward the sa‘y before the tawaaf, neither in the Hajj nor in the Umrah. If one deliberately performed the sa‘y before the tawaaf for no reason, he must repeat it. However, if this was for a compelling concern, that should be sufficient.

This is also applicable if this was done due to an oversight, although it is recommended to repeat it. The same applies to one who is not conversant with ruling of the case. 380. Continuity is not a requirement for the rounds of sa‘y, in fact it is permitted for him to engage in prayers, or even eating and drinking for example, or stopping for a rest on either mountain, or in between, and then resuming the sa‘y.

  1. If one started his sa‘y, and during the sa‘y he realized that his tawaaf was incomplete, if the incompleteness concerned the second half of the tawaaf, he should abort the sa‘y and go back to complete the tawaaf, and then return to complete the sa‘y from the point he stopped, if he had finished four laps [of the sa‘y].

The same applies if he had not finished four rounds of the sa‘y, although it is recommended to renew the sa‘y altogether. On the other hand, if the incompleteness of his tawaaf was more than half, he should also complete the tawaaf and then the sa‘y, even though it is recommended,

as a mostahab precaution, to renew the tawaaf from the beginning and then renew the sa‘y too. In the case of repeating the tawaaf and the sa‘y without completing them, he may do so with the intention of discharging his duty; whether by completing the remaining ones, or repeating them altogether.

  1. If after finishing the sa‘y he had a doubt about the number of sa‘y laps [he had done] or its requirements, he should ignore his doubt.
  2. If one doubted the number of laps he had done in the course of the sa‘y, then if he was at Safa and was sure that he had done an even number of rounds but not sure as to whether he had done say four or six rounds,

or if he was at Marwah and was sure that he had done an odd number of rounds but not sure as to whether he had done say three or five rounds, he should assume the minimum [number of rounds], and [go on to] complete his sa‘y, and it is valid.

  1. If one doubted the number of rounds he had done in the course of the sa‘y, but contrary to the case above, in that he was at Safa and was sure that he had done an odd number of rounds, but not sure whether they were three or five, or he was at Marwah and was sure he had done an even number of rounds, but not sure whether they were four or six, his sa‘y is invalid and he must renew his sa‘y.

  2. If he had a doubt either in Safa or Marwah as to whether he had done an odd or even number of rounds, or if in the middle of sa‘y route could not tell which direction he should go to – like when stopped for a rest for a while and he wanted to resume his sa‘y he forgot the direction of his journey – his sa‘y is invalidated and he must restart the sa‘y anew.

  3. If after completing the sa‘y he was sure that he had missed one or more laps, it is sufficient for him to perform the lacking ones, and if he could not do so he should assign someone to do it for him by proxy.

  4. Taqseer or Trimming

  5. The fifth rite of the Tamattu‘ Umrah, which is its final obligation, is the taqseer or Trimming. The Trimming must be performed after completing the sa‘y, and by doing so one is released from the state and therefore restrictions of the ihraam, [this release is known in Arabic as Ihlaal].

  6. The taqseer is accomplished by trimming some hair from the head or the beard (if applicable), or some of the finger or toenails. This may be performed anywhere and it is not necessary to be performed immediately. [Until the Haajj performs this rite, he would not be released from ihraam, and therefore the sooner he performs this rite the better.] 389.

It is not permitted to shave the head in the Tamattu‘ Umrah, and if he does he must give a kaffaarah of a sheep. This is applicable, as a precaution, even if he did so due to an oversight or ignorance of the ruling. If one shaved part of his head he is not liable to the kaffaarah. 390. At the time of performing the taqseer one must state the niyyah which is, “I perform the taqseer for ihlaal from the ihraam of the Tamattu‘ Umrah seeking nearness to Allah Almighty”.

  1. When one has performed the taqseer, everything that was prohibited for him as a result of the ihraam becomes permissible, even sexual intercourse with one’s spouse. It is not mandatory, nor is it a legal requirement, to perform Tawaaf al-Nisa’ in the Tamattu‘ Umrah, and thus [after taqseer] a wife becomes halaal for her husband and a husband becomes halaal for his wife, without the need for Tawaaf al-Nisa’28.

  2. One who fails to perform the taqseer until he declares and assumes ihraam for the Hajj, and headed for Arafaat, if this [failure] was due to an oversight or ignorance, his Tamattu‘ Umrah is correct, but he must give a kaffaarah of a sheep, as a precaution.

If his failure was deliberate, his Tamattu‘ Umrah is invalidated and his Hajj is reverted to Ifraad, he thus must perform the rest of the rites in the order [required], and he should perform his Hajj in the following year.

  1. If one deliberately engages in sexual intercourse before performing the taqseer, s/he is liable to kaffaarah.

  2. If a pilgrim releases himself [from the ihraam] after performing the tawaaf prayer of his Tamattu‘ Umrah and before performing the taqseer, he is still not discharged from his ihraam, and his case is that of a muhrim who has committed some of the prohibited acts while in the state of ihraam.

Miscellaneous issues

  1. After completing the rites of Tamattu‘ Umrah, the pilgrim must wait until the time for declaring and assuming the ihraam for the Hajj. It is recommended that he declares and assumes ihraam on the eighth day of Dhil-Hejjah, otherwise it would be obligatory to do so on the ninth in preparation for performing the rites of the Hajj.

  2. It is permitted to leave the holy city of Makkah – after completing the Tamattu‘ Umrah and before the Hajj – for a long or short distance without ihraam, although it is makruh – discouraged – to do so. However, it is permitted for one to leave [Makkah] for the suburbs of Makkah and Mina, without it being makruh.

28 Tawaaf al-Nisa’ is only applicable for the Tamattu‘ Hajj, and husband and wife only become halaal to each other after performing this tawaaf and its prayer.