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The Acts of the Hajj

The Acts of the Hajj

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At the beginning, in order to make it easier for the reader to follow the opinions of the five schools of fiqh about various aspects of Hajj, we shall briefly outline their sequence as ordained by the Shari'ah.

The Hajj pilgrim coming from a place distant from Mecca assumes ihram [1]from the miqat [2]on his way, or from a point parallel to the closest miqat, and starts reciting the talbiyah. [3] In this there is no difference between one performing `Umrah mufradahor any of the three types of Hajj (i.e. tamattu, ifrad, qiran). However, those who live within the haram [4] of Mecca assume ihramfrom their houses.' [5]

On sighting the Holy Ka'bah, he recites takbir   (i.e. `God is the greatest') and tahlil  (i.e. `There is no god except Allah') which is mustahabb [6](desirable, though not obligatory). On entering Mecca, he takes a bath, which is again mustahabb. After entering al‑Masjid al‑Haram, first he greets the Black Stone (al‑Hajar al‑'Aswad) ‑ if possible kisses it, otherwise makes a gesture with his hand - then makes the tawaf(sevenfold circumambulation of the Ka'bah) of the first entry, which is mustahabbfor one performing Hajj al‑'ifrador Hajj al-qiran. Then he offers the two raka'at of the tawaf, again greets the Black Stone if he can, and leaves al‑Masjid al‑Haram. After this, he remains in the state of ihramin Mecca. On the day of tarwiyah, i.e. the eighth day of the month of Dhu al‑Hijjah, or if he wants a day earlier, he goes forth towards `Arafat.

If the pilgrim has come for `Umrah mufradahor Hajj al-tamattu; he performs the tawafof the entry, which is obligatory (wajib)for him, and prays the two raka'at of the tawaf. Then he performs the sa’y between Safa and Marwah, and, following it, the halq(complete head shave) or taqsir [7](partial shortening of the hair of the head). Then he is relieved of the state of ihramand its related restrictions, and things prohibited in ihrambecome permissible for him, including sexual intercourse. [8] Then he proceeds from Mecca after assuming ihramfor a second time, early enough to be present at the wuquf (halt) at `Arafat (referred to as `mawqif, ; i.e. the place of halting) at noontime on the ninth of Dhu al‑Hijjah. Assumption of ihramon the day of tarwiyah, i.e. eighth Dhu al‑Hijjah, is preferable.

The Hajj pilgrim, irrespective of the type of Hajj he intends to perform, turns towards `Arafat, passing through Mina. The period of the wufuq at `Arafat is, for the Hanafi, Shafi`i, and Maliki schools, from the noon of the ninth until the day break of the tenth; for the Hanbali school, from the daybreak of the ninth until the daybreak of the tenth; and for the Imamiyyah, from non until sunset on the ninth, and in exigency until the daybreak of the tenth. [9] The pilgrim offers invocations (dua')at `Arafat, preferably (istihbaban)in an imploring manner.

Then he turns towards Muzdalifah (also called al‑Mash'ar al‑Haram), where he offers the maghrib and Isha' prayers on the night of the `Id (i.e. the tenth of Dhu al‑Hijjah). Offering the two prayers immediately after one another is considered mustahabbby all the five schools. According to the Hanafi, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools, it is obligatory to spend this night (i.e. the night of the `Id) at Muzdalifah; for the Imamiyyah, it is not obligatory but preferable. After the daybreak, he makes the wuquf at al‑Mash'ar al‑Haram, which is wajibfor the Imamiyyah and mustahabbfor other schools. And at Muzdalifah, preferably, he picks up seven pebbles to be thrown at Mina.

After this, he turns towards Mina before sunrise on the day of `Id. There he performs the ritual throwing of stones, called ramy, at Jamarat al‑`Aqabah, no matter which of the three kinds of Hajj he is performing. The ramy isperformed between sunrise and sunset, preferably (istihbaban)accompanied by takbir and tasbih  (i.e. proclaiming God's glory by saying `How far God is from every imperfection!'). Then if a non‑Meccan on Hajj al-tamattu; he should slaughter the sacrificial animal (a camel, cow or a sheep), by agreement of all the five schools. However, it is not obligatory for one on Hajj al‑'ifrad; again by consensus of all the five schools. For one on Hajj al-qiran, the sacrifice isobligatory from the viewpoint o the four Sunni schools, and for the Imamiyyah it is not obligatory except when the pilgrim brings the sacrificial animal (al‑hady) along with him at the time of assuming ihram.

For a Meccan performing Hajj al-tamattu; the sacrifice is obligatory from the viewpoint of the Imamiyyah school, but not according to the four Sunni schools.

After this, he performs the halqortaqsir, irrespective of the kind of Hajj he is performing. After halqortaqsir, everything except sexual intercourse becomes permissible for him according to the Hanbali, Shafi'i and Hanafi schools, and according to the Maliki and Imamiyyah schools, everything except intercourse and perfume.

Then he returns to Mecca on the same day, i.e. the day of the `Id, performs the tawaf al‑ziyarayh, prays its related two raka'at, regardless of which kind of Hajj he is performing. After this, according to the four Sunni schools, he is free from all restrictions including that of sexual intercourse. Then he performs the sa’y between Safa and Marwah if on Hajj al-tamattu; by agreement of all the five schools. For the Imamiyyah school, the sa’y after tawaf al‑ziyarah is also obligatory for one performing Hajj al-qiranandHajj al‑'ifrad. But for other schools, it is not obligatory if the pilgrim had performed the sa’y after the tawaf of first entry, otherwise it is.

For the Imamiyyah, it is obligatory for all the types of Hajj to perform another tawaf after this sa’y. Without this tawaf, called tawaf al-nisa; one is not relieved of the interdiction of abstinence from intercourse.

Then the pilgrim returns to Mina on the same day, i.e. the tenth, where he sleeps on the night of the eleventh, performs the threefold throwing of stones (ramy al jamarat) during the interval from the noon until the sunset of the eleventh‑‑by consensus of all the five schools. For the Imamiyyah, the ramy is permissible after sunrise and before noon. After this, on the day of the twelfth, he does what he had done the day before. All the legal schools agree that he may now depart from Mina before sunset. And if he stays there until sunset, he is obliged to spend the night of the thirteenth there and to perform the threefold ramy on the day of thirteenth.

After the ramy, he returns to Mecca, before or after noon. On entefing Mecca, he performs another tawaf, tawaf al‑wada` (the tawaf of farewell), which is mustahabb for the Imamiyyah and Maliki schools and obligatory for the non‑Meccans from the viewpoint of the remaining three. Here the acts of the Hajj come to conclusion.


Notes:

[1]. `Ihram' is the state of pilgrim sanctity, which a pilgrim of Hajj or `Umrah assumes on reaching miqat (see note No. 2). A pilgrim in the state of ihram is called muhrim. (Tr.)

 [2]. Miqat (pl. mawaqit) refers to a number of stations outside Mecca from where the pilgrims intending Hajj or `Umrah assume ihram. They are: (1) Dhu al‑Hulayfah (specifically, Masjid al‑Shajarah); (2) Yalamlam; (3) Qarn al‑Manazil; (4) al‑Juhfah; (5) three points situated in the valley of al‑`Aqiq: al‑Maslakh, al‑Ghamrah, and Dhat al‑`Irq. Those pilgrims whose houses are nearer to Mecca than to any of the above mawaqit, assume ihram from their houses. (Tr.)

 [3]. The talbiyah is wajib according to the Imamiyyah, Hanafi, and Maliki schools, and mustahabb according to the Hanbalis. Its time is the moment of beginning of ihram.

 [4]. The area roughly within a radius of six miles, with the Holy Ka'bah at the centre, is called ‘haram’,  the sacred and inviolable territory of the sanctuary of the Holy Ka'bah. See the brief discussion under the subheading; "The Limits of the Harams of Mecca and al‑Madinah" in the present article. (Tr.)

 [5] According to the Imamiyyah school, Hajj al-tamattu` is obligatory for non‑Meccans, and Meccans may choose between Hajj al-qiran and Hajj al‑'ifrad. According to the four Sunni schools, there is no difference between a Meccan and a non‑Meccan with regard to choice of any particular kind of Hajj, except that according to the Hanafi school Hajj al-tamattu` and Hajj al-qiran are makruh for the Meccan.

 [6]. The tawaf of the first entry or the arrival (called tawaf al‑qudum) is mustahabb from the viewpoint of all except the Maliki school, which regards it as obligatory.

 [7]. According to the Imamiyyah school, one is free to choose between halq and taqsir if on `Umrah mufradah. But a pilgrim on Hajj al-tamattu` is required to perform taqsir. Also according to the Imamiyyah, it is obligatory for one on `Umrah mufradah to perform, after the halq or taqsir, a second tawaf, the tawaf al-nisa', before which sexual intimacy is not permissible to the pilgrim. According to the four Sunni schools, one is free to choose between halq and taqsir in both. They do not require the pilgrim of Hajj or ‘Umrah to perform tawaf al-nisa; and according to the Maliki school halq or taqsir is not obligatory on one performing `Umrah mufradah.

 [8]. According to the Imamiyyah school, the mutamatti` (pilgrim on Hajj al-tamattu' and its conjugate `Umrah) acquires tahlil (i.e. relief from ihram) after taqsir, even when he brings along with him the sacrificial animal (hady). But according to the other schools, the mutamatti` who assumes ihram for `Umrah from the miqat obtains tahlil on halq or taqsir when not accompanied by hady, but if he has brought along with him the hady, he remains in the state of ihram. However, according to them, the pilgrim of `Umrah mufradah obtains tahlil regardless of whether the hady accompanies him or not. The author of al‑Mughni, after making the above statement, says, "I have not come across a contrary opinion on this matter."

 [9]. According to the Imamiyyah school, the halt in Arafat is obligatory for the entire period of time. But according to the other schools, a moment of halt is sufficient. All the legal schools are in agreement that offering the zuhr (noon) and `asr (afternoon) prayers immediately after one another is mustahabb, because the Prophet (s) had done so.

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