The Guide To Hajj Rites

The Mufradah Umrah

  1. The Mufradah Umrah falls into two categories: obligatory, and mostahab. The obligatory one is of two classifications: fundamental obligation, and secondary obligation.

  2. The fundamental obligation of the Mufradah Umrah: is to be preformed [at least] once, along with the particular criteria of the Hajj, as specified by the Shar‘.

The obligation of the [Mufradah] Umrah upon the people of Makkah, or those to whom the ruling of people of Makkah apply, is not conditional upon their ability to perform the Hajj as well, for they may be mostatee‘ – able – to perform the Umrah but not the Hajj, or the Hajj but not the Umrah, since the Hajj and the Mufradah Umrah are two different rites, independent of one other.

  1. One who is remote from Makkah is not obliged to perform the Mufradah Umrah, but he is obliged to perform the Tamattu‘ Umrah and the Tamattu‘ Hajj. However, if he was able to perform the [Mufradah] Umrah but not the Hajj, then it is obligatory for him to perform the Mufradah Umrah, as a precaution. If he failed to perform it [The Mufradah Umrah] and died, as a precaution it should be perform as qadha’ by proxy.

  2. The agent who himself is not mostatee’ to perform the Hajj, after finishing his proxy Hajj job, as an obligatory precaution should perform the Mufradah Umrah for himself, if he became mostatee’ only to do the Umrah.

  3. The secondary obligation of the Mufradah Umrah arises through nadhr [vow], promise, oath, hire, as a condition of a contract, or through corruption of the Hajj, or through missing the Hajj, where, in the latter case, he would only be released from the ihraam [of the Hajj] by [performing] the Mufradah Umrah.

  4. The Mufradah Umrah is obligatory for one who wishes to enter the holy city of Makkah, since it is not permitted for one who wishes to enter Makkah to cross any of the miqaat’s except by declaring and assuming ihraam.37 As for the individual who wish to enter the Haram but not the 37 and he can only be released from the state of ihraam by performing the Umrah.

holy city of Makkah, the likelihood is that he is not obliged to the Mufradah Umrah [i.e. he is not obliged to assume ihraam]. 527. Apart from the obligatory grounds, it is mostahab – desirable – to perform the Mufradah Umrah once a month, and its desirability is emphasised during the month of Rajab.

  1. If one performs two consecutive [Mufradah] Umrah – either in person or by proxy – the reward is greater if there is a time gap of ten days, than if there were less. In any case, the reward for them is great. If [one was performing] the two Umrah’s for two different persons, then the issue of time gap [between the two Umrah’s] would not be applicable.

The Rites of the Mufradah Umrah

  1. The rites of the Mufradah Umrah are eight:

I. The niyyah.

II. To declare and assume ihraam from one of the miqaat’s – designated locations – previously mentioned, if the adult passed by one of them. If one did not pass by one of them, he should declare and assume ihraam from his hometown, if it was outside the [borders of] Haram, but closer to the Haram than the miqaat.

If the adult was within the limits of the Haram, he should then declare the ihraam from the borders of the Haram. As for the one who was inside the holy city of Makkah, he should leave Makkah for Masgid al-Tan‘eem – al-Tan‘eem mosque – to declare and assume the ihraam from.

III. tawaaf of seven rounds around the sacred Ka‘bah, as mentioned previously.

IV. Two-rak‘ah prayer of tawaaf by Maqaam Ibrahim or behind it.

V. sa‘y between Safa and Marwah.

VI. halq or taqseer.

VII. Tawaaf al-Nisa’, as previously mentioned in the rites of the Tamattu‘ Hajj.

VIII. Two-rak‘ah prayer of Tawaaf al-Nisa’.

The Rulings of the Masdood (The Barred)

  1. The Masdood is he who is barred [from performing the Hajj or Umrah], after declaring and assuming the ihraam, regardless of whether this barring was at the two woquf’s (Arafaat and the Mash‘ar), if his ihraam was only for the Hajj, or he was barred from entering Makkah to perform the tawaaf and sa‘y when he was in state of ihraam for Umrah, and thus not being able to perform the tawaaf and sa‘y until their time had ran out. In that case he should release himself from the ihraam by Had’y, i.e. by slaughtering the animal, at the place he was barred [from proceeding further on].

  2. It is permissible for the Masdood to slaughter the animal before the day of Eid, and as a precaution, one should also perform the halq – shaving – on the same day too.

  3. It is permitted for the Masdood to remain in his ihraam, and release himself from it by performing the Mufradah Umrah, which is by performing the tawaaf around the Ka‘bah, then the prayer of the tawaaf by the Maqaam or behind it, then the sa‘y between Safa and Marwah, then the taqseer, then Tawaaf al-Nisa’, and then its prayer by the Maqaam or behind it.

  4. The Masdood has discharged his duty to the Hajj if he acted accordingly, as mentioned above, unless he had become mostatee‘ – liable to performing the Hajj in the previous year or before it [by meeting all the criteria required for the Hajj], or if he continued to meet those criteria in the next year(s).

  5. If he managed to observe the two woquf’s (Arafaat and Mash‘ar) but from there he was barred from performing the rites of Mina – the Ram’y [stoning], the Had’y (slaughtering), and the Shaving/Trimming – if he was barred from entering Makkah and performing its rites too throughout the month of Dhil-Hejjah, the previous ruling applies to him.

  6. If the barring covered the rites of Mina only, and it was possible for him to perform them by proxy, it is obligatory for him to do so, i.e. to arrange for someone to perform those rites – stoning, slaughtering, shaving – on his behalf.

On the completion of those acts, he is released from his ihraam, and he then should perform the rest of the rites. If he could not do them by proxy, and he was not able to find an agent to do them for him on his behalf, as a precaution he should slaughter his animal, and remain in his ihraam until he can be released [from it] by the Mufradah Umrah.

  1. If he completed the rites of Makkah, which are the tawaaf and its prayer, the sa‘y, Tawaaf al-Nisa’ and its prayer, but was then barred from returning to Mina for the mabeet there for the Nights of Tashreeq, and for the Ram’y of the Jamaraat during their days, he is obliged to perform the Ram’y by proxy, and he could engage in acts of worship in Makkah during the nights of the mabeet in Mina, if possible. Otherwise, as a precaution, he should give a kaffaarah for not observing the mabeet in Mina. If it was not possible to perform the Ram’y by proxy in that year, he should do so in the following year, and his Hajj is correct.

The Rulings of the Mahsoor (The Sick)

  1. The Mahsoor is the pilgrim who declares and assumes the ihraam for either Hajj or Umrah, and then falls ill such that he is not able to perform the rites, in a similar way to the case of the Masdood. If during the declaration of the ihraam he had made it conditional that Allah Almighty releases him [from his ihraam] if he were to be confined, he would then be released from his ihraam without the need to send his Had’y to the site [for slaughtering].

  2. The pilgrim who had declared and assumed ihraam for the Tamattu‘ or Ifraad Hajj, the ruling above applies to him. However, if the pilgrim declared and assumed ihraam for the Qiraan Hajj, and had his Had’y accompanying him, he is released from his ihraam as soon as he sends his Had’y away [for slaughter] and he does not need to wait for the Had’y to reach the [slaughtering] site.

  3. If during the declaration of the ihraam he had not made it conditional that Allah Almighty releases him [from his ihraam] if he were to be confined, he would remain in his [state of] ihraam, and as a precaution, he should send his Had’y for slaughtering, and when it reaches the [slaughtering] site, and the time of its slaughter had passed he could trim and release himself from ihraam. It is permissible to slaughter the animal in the locality [of the ill pilgrim].

  4. It is obligatory for the Mahsoor to perform the Hajj again if he had previously met all the criteria for the Hajj requirements – become mostatee‘ – but did not perform the Hajj on that year. If, however, in the future years he did not manage to perform the Hajj himself, [he remains liable to the Hajj] and must do so by proxy.

  5. If the pilgrim became Mahsoor in the ihraam of the Hajj, regardless of whether the Hajj was Tamattu‘, Ifraad, or Qiraan, the [slaughtering] site of the Had’y is in Mina. If the pilgrim became Mahsoor in the ihraam of the Umrah, regardless of whether the Umrah is Tamattu‘ or Mufradah, the spot of the Had’y is in the holy city of Makkah.

  6. If the cause [i.e. illness] disappeared, the pilgrim should join his group to perform the rites. If he managed to observe the two sites of woquf (Arafaat and Mash‘ar), or one of them, as mentioned previously – about the obligation of performing [the rites of] these two sites38 – he has complied with the Hajj, and he has not missed anything. If he does not manage to reach two or one of those sites, he has missed the Hajj, and thus he should perform the Mufradah Umrah and release himself from his ihraam.

  7. If, due to his illness, he could not perform the rites of the day of Eid, and those after, he must perform the Ram’y and slaughter by proxy, and then perform the shaving himself, [i.e. not by proxy].

If he could, he should perform the tawaaf and the sa‘y himself or with the help of others, otherwise he should do them by proxy too. He should say the prayer of the tawaaf if he was present in the [Grand] Mosque, otherwise, as a precaution, he should perform the prayer himself and also do so by proxy in its place [by Maqaam Ibrahim or behind it]. He should observe the mabeet in the Mina if he could, or engage in acts of worship in Makkah instead, and his Hajj is correct, otherwise he should give a kaffaarah for not observing the mabeet, as a precaution.

  1. If due to sickness he was prevented from performing all the rites of Mina and Makkah, it is obligatory for him to send his Had’y [for slaughter], and release himself from his ihraam, and repeat his Hajj again if he still was mostatee’ next year, unless he was liable to Hajj previously [and had not performed it, in which case, he must perform the Hajj next year regardless of him being mostatee’ or not].

Prayers in Makkah and Medina

  1. It is permissible for the traveller to the holy cities of Makkah and medina to perform his prayers ‘complete’39 in those cities, whether inside the Mosque or outside it, in the old city or in the new.

This is the last of what we wished to state concerning the rites of the Hajj and Umrah, for Allah is All-Knowing.

The Holy City of Qum Sadiq al-Shirazi 38 See case # 425. 39 i.e. four rak‘ah instead if two, where applicable.

PART 3 – Glossary

Bismillah al-Rahmaan al-Raheem Aba The usually black cloak worn by women in Arab countries as the means of hijaab or part of.

Arafaat An area outside the holy city of Makkah and beyond Mina and Mash‘ar al-Haraam. Arafah Day of Arafah is the ninth day of Dhil-Hejjah, when woquf is observed in Arafaat from midday until sunset in solitude supplication and intimate discourse with the Almighty.

This day is considered to be of supreme significance to the extent that the hadith states, “the Hajj is Arafah”.

Adhaan The call to the daily obligatory prayers. Adnal-hill The nearest point to the Haram where one can be without ihraam, or the nearest point to the Haram where one can declare and assume ihraam.

al-Tan‘eem Reference to Masgid al-Tan‘eem, or the al- Tan‘eem mosque, which also serves as a miqaat for Umrah al-Mufradah.

al-Tashreeq Reference to al-Tashreeq days / nights, which are the 10th, 11th, 12th of Dhil-Hejjah. Anbar A substance that releases scent when burnt. Arafaat A district outside the holy city of Makkah, where the pilgrim must observe woquf there between noontime and sunset.

awrah Areas of the body that are obligatory to be covered. In the case of a male, it is area from the abdomen, around the navel level, to the knees. In the case of a female, it is the entire body.

Dhil-Hejjah The twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Also written as Dhul-Hejjah.

Dhil-Qa‘dah The eleventh month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Also written as Dhul-Qa‘dah.

Dirham A unit of currency used during the Islamic era, which is still used as a currency unit in Fiqh discussions. Ten Dirhams is equivalent to one Dinaar, which is equal to one mithqaal, which is equal to 3.153 grams of gold. Thus one Dirham is equal to 0.3153 grams of gold, or one-hundredth of an ounce of gold.

Du‘a Supplication.

Eid Festival / Celebration. Fajr The start time when the sky begins to lighten up. It is normally one-and-a-half to two hours before sunrise, depending on the geographical coordinates of the locality.

Farsakh Unit of length measurement, which is about 5.5 km, or 3.4 miles.

Ghusl The complete head-to-toe wash. Some ghusl are obligatory and some are optional.

A ghusl becomes mandatory for both husband and wife every time they engage in penetrative sexual intercourse. It is also obligatory for a man if semen discharge occurs outside sexual intercourse. A ghusl is also obligatory for a woman after the end the menses period, before she can resume her various acts of worship.

Ha’edh A woman who is experiencing the monthly menstruation. Had’y The Sacrifice that is offered on the day of Eid in Mina.

Hadath Any discharge of urine, faeces, semen, or wind is referred to as hadath. Hadith Narration of the saying of the prophet or the imams alayhum-as-slaam.

Hajj Pilgrimage.

Hajjar al-Aswad The Black Stone, placed in a corner of the sacred Ka‘bah. Hajjat-al-Islam The Pilgrimage of Islam. Halaal Permitted.

Halq Shaving. Haraam Illegal, prohibited, forbidden. Haram The Sacred, or the Sanctuary. This is in reference to the area that encompasses the holy city of Makkah.

Haydh The monthly menstruation period. Hemyaan A belt that is permitted for men to wear during ihraam. Hijamah Bloodletting or cupping that is performed in order to extract ‘bad’ blood from the body. Hijr Isma’el The stonewall of Isma‘el, a few meters from the Ka’bah.

Ihraam The state of consecration that the pilgrim assumes in which s/he refrains from a number of particular acts seeking forbearance, pleasure and adornment in humility before Allah Almighty.

InSha’Allah By the will of Allah. Istighfaar Seeking forgiveness from Allah Almighty. Jabirah Wound dressing. Jamaa’ah Congregation.

Jamaraat Plural for Jamara, the three obelisks representing the three appearances Satan made to Prophet Ibrahim alayhis-salaam, in an attempt to discourage him from executing the orders of Allah Almighty.

Jamarat-al-‘Aqabah Also known as the Jamarat-al-Kubra, it is the third obelisk – representing the temptation of Satan – that is stoned on the days of Eid and the following two days.

Janaabah One is in the state of Janaabah whenever engages in sexual intercourse with one’s spouse. A man is in a state of Janaabah whenever seminal discharge occurs. Ka‘bah The cubic building that is the symbolic House of Allah Almighty. Also referred to as Baytal- Haraam.

kaffaarah Compensation, atonement for breaching prohibited acts, or failure to do something obligatory. Plural kaffaaraat. Khatam Traditional ring. Khums Meaning one-fifth, Khums is the contribution of 20 % of the annual superfluous un-Khumsed income.

Ma‘soomeen Meaning the infallible or impeccable individuals, this is a reference to the Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatima, and the twelve imams, the first of whom is Imam Ali, and the twelfth, Imam Mahdi alayhum-as-salaam 126 Mabeet Literally meaning to remain, this is one of the rites of the Hajj, which is required to observe in Mina.

Madhhab Sect.

Maghrib The time for maghrib prayer. Maghrib is the time when the redness of the central part of the sky, which is visible during the time of sunset, vanishes. Maghrib is some ten to twenty minutes after sunset, depending on the geographical location.

Mahram Two people are said to be mahram if there is no hijaab restriction between them, like husband and wife, or mother and son, or father and daughter, brother and sister, etc. Makruh Discouraged, undesirable, etc. Manaasik Rites.

Masgid al-Haraam The Grand Mosque, which houses the Ka‘bah. Masgid al-Shajarah A mosque outside the holy city of Medina, which serves as the miqaat for the pilgrim heading to Makkah from the city of Medina.

Mash‘ar al-Haraam Also known as Muzdalafah, it is an area between Arafaat and the holy city of Makkah. Meetah Meat of an animal that has not been slaughtered in an Islamic way, or that has died or been killed in other ways.

Mina An area in the vicinity of the holy city of Makkah where mabeet is observed. Miqaat A designated place that pilgrims must declare and assume ihraam from.

modd A unit of weight equivalent to 750 grams approximately.

moqassir Moqassir means one who does not know the ruling regarding certain aspect (of a religious duty) and he is aware of this ignorance or shortcoming and where to find the answer for, e.g. through certain books, references, or individuals with the appropriate expertise, but does not make the effort to seek the answer. In this way he has failed to discharge his duty. For comparison also see Qaasir.

mostatee‘ Literally means able, and when used in reference to the Hajj program, one is considered as mostatee‘ if s/he is physically and financially able to perform the Hajj as well as meeting other prerequisites. Mu’min The faithful, the believer.

muhrim An individual who is in the state of ihraam. mostahab Encouraged, desirable. Muzdalafah Another name for Mash‘ar al-Haraam nadhr Vow. nafilah Literally meaning extra, or optional, it refers to acts of worship that are not mandatory for the individual to perform, but one is encouraged to do so, such as the nafilah associated with each of the daily obligatory prayers, or the Night nafilah, etc.

nagis The definition of something being “filthy” or “impure” by coming into contact with a source of impurity, such as urine, faeces, semen, blood, wine, dog, pig, etc. Antonym of taahir.

niyyah Literally meaning the intention, it refers to having or making the right intention for an act of worship and it is obligatory for any act of worship. Normally it is not necessary to verbally state the intention and it is sufficient that one make a mental note of act that one intends to do, unless otherwise stated.

qaasir Qaasir means one who does not know the ruling of a certain aspect of a religious duty, but in fact he is not aware of this ignorance and naturally does not seek the answer to the case concerned since he believes that what he is doing is correct.

Thus one should not assume that what he is doing is always correct, and ensure to check with reference books or expert individuals. As a matter of fact it is imperative and obligatory for the individual to learn and know all aspects that s/he may come across in the course of one’s life concerning the relevant issues.

qadha’ If an obligatory act of worship was not performed when it was due, it must still be performed past its time as qadha or ‘missed’. rak‘ah A cycle or round of prayer in any of the daily prayers.

ram’y Literally, it means to throw, and in the Hajj rites, this refers to stoning of the obelisks. rukn A principal element.

Sa‘y The Hajj rite relating to requirement of covering the distance between the mounts of Safa and Marwah, by walking or otherwise, seven times.

Safa One of the two mounts – now almost vanished – in the vicinity of the Ka‘bah.

sahar The second part of the night, from midnight to fajr.

salaat Arabic for prayers. Salaat al-Tawaaf Tawaaf prayer. sawm Fasting.

Shaam, The area including Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Shawwal 10th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Shi‘a Literally meaning follower, it is traditionally used to refer to the Muslims who follow Imam Ali alayhis-salaam as the leader of the Muslims after Rasulollah salla-llahu-alayhiwa- aalih, in compliance with the order of the prophet. Rasulollah salla-llahu-alayhi-waaalih specifically appointed Imam Ali alayhissalaam as his caliph and successor on specific instructions from Allah Almighty.

Sughra The Lesser.

Sunnah Tradition or teaching (of the prophet). Tahaarah The state of purity or being in a state of wudhu. Taahir ‘Pure’ – as opposed to nagis. Talbiyah Means compliance, fulfilment, or carrying out the orders of Allah Almighty. Taqseer Trimming.

tawaaf One of the Hajj rites, which is to walk around Ka‘bah seven rounds. Tawaaf al-Widaa‘ The Farewell Tawaaf Tawaaf al-Ziyaarah Also known as the Hajj Tawaaf, which is the first rite of Makkah after Mina. Tawaaf al-Nisa The Women Tawaaf. It is obligatory to both male and female pilgrims, regardless of their age, status, etc. A husband would not be halaal to his wife unless he performs this tawaaf, and vice versa. Tayammum The means of attaining the state of wudhu by using earth or dust as opposed to water, where water is either not available or it is harmful to use.

wali Guardian, heir Warce A kind of perfume Wilaayah authority and governorship Wudhu Ablution or the ritual washing required prerequisite for the performing of the obligatory daily prayers. Woquf The mandatory rite of ‘being’ in the two sites of Arafaat and Mash‘ar al-Haraam as part of the Hajj program.

Wusta Middle.

Zakat Literally means purification, it is the religious duty of contribution of a rate of 1 – 2.5% due to nine items when over certain threshold. The nine items are Wheat, Barley, Dates, Raisins, Camel, Cow, Sheep, Gold, and Silver.

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In this book the author addresses such issues as the fundamental nature of freedom, the rights of prisoner, and the harmful effects of imprisonment on the individual concerned as well as on society, and the kind of offences that would lead to imprisonment under an Islamic system. The author also cites a few cases to demonstrate the attitude the Islamic ruler should take towards offence; to try to find reasons to waive the punishments in any particular case. The author also addresses the issue of torture in general, and mental and physical ill treatment that is carried out under the guise of interrogation and extracting confession from a detainee or a suspect.

  1. Aspects of the political theory of Imam Shirazi

Muhammad G. Ayub is a well-known Islamist political activist within the Iraqi circle who has established a long history of political struggle over the past three decades. He was attracted by the views of the Imam Muhammad Shirazi in the fields of social and political sciences. This prompted the author to write this book to introduce the reader to these views that have remained relatively unknown amongst Muslim activists and reformists. It covers such aspects on politics as freedom of expression, party-political pluralism and organisation, social justice, peace and non-violence, human rights, consultation system of government, etc.