Common Mistakes in Hajj

By Muhammad Alshareef
In Aqidah (the Muslim's Belief)
Many Pilgrims when they travel to Medina they pray to the graves. They make Du'a to the
prophet of Allah (peace be upon him). This could not only ruin their Hajj, it could nullify their
Islam.
Do not rub graves for Barakah (blessings),
Do not make Du'a to anyone except Allah.
When going to Medina, your initial intention should be to visit Masjid An-Nabawi, the
Prophet's Masjid.
In Ihram
Do not pass the Miqat without being in the state of Ihram. If you are landing in Jeddah and
going to Mecca to perform Umrah directly, you must be in a state of Ihram before you land,
as the plane shall enter the Miqat. Jeddah is inside the Miqat.
If you are landing in Jeddah, you need your Ihram towels with you on the airplane in your
carry-on bag.
Women may wear anything Islamically permissible for Ihram.
Do not take pictures of yourself in Ihram. You came to worship Allah and taking pictures for
showing others later may contradict your sincerity of doing this for the sake of Allah.
Women in their menses must be in a state of Ihram when they pass the Miqat. They should
shower and do Talbiyah like everyone else.
Do not uncover your right shoulder until you reach the Ka'bah and begin Tawaf. This is the
time that the Messenger uncovered his shoulder and it is an act of Hajj, so we must follow
when the Prophet did it.
You may change your Ihram towels if they get dirty
You do not enter into Ihram by just wearing the towels. You must make the intention to
begin.
Do not shave your beard, whether before, during or after Ihram.
You should wear sandals, but if you do not have sandals, you do not have to walk barefoot.
Wear what you have until you find a place to get sandals.
When beginning your Ihram for Hajj, do it from where you are: in your hotel, on the street,
etc. You do not have to go to the Ka'bah to start your Ihram for Hajj.
Do pay attention to what you are saying when you are making the Talbiyah: Labbayk
Allahumma Labbayk
When you hear that you are not allowed to wear stitches in Ihram, know that what is meant
is that you cannot wear pieces of cloth that are sewn together to wrap your body, such as a
T-Shirt or underwear.
Both men and women may shower with unscented soap. Yes, for women and men, you may
comb your hair, as the Prophet's wives used to do when they were in Ihram.
In Tawaf:
You do not have to say your intention out loud to begin Tawaf. Saying intentions out loud is
something the Prophet (peace be upon him) never did except after Ihram when he said,
(Labbayk Allahumma Umrah wa Hajj).
You do not have to touch the black stone for your Tawaf to be accepted. If it is crowded you
may face your hand toward the stone and say Allahu Akbar.
Do not kiss the Yemeni corner. You may only touch it.
Do not worship the black stone. You are glorifying Allah by coming to this house and
worshiping Him, following the Sunnah of the prophet of Allah (peace be upon him).
Do not follow those Du'a books that make up Du'a for each time you go around the Ka'bah.
Read Quran and make Du'a from your heart and glorify Allah.
Make Du'a by yourself, do not do it in a shouting group around the Ka'bah.
Do not wipe the walls of the Ka'bah during Tawaf. The prophet of Allah did not touch
anything other than the black stone and the Yemeni corner.
Do not hurt anyone to kiss the black stone.
Do not face your hand to the Yemeni corner and say Allahu Akbar. This is only for the black
stone.
Do not push or hurt anyone during Tawaf.

The Ka'bah should be to your left. Do not do Tawaf with your back to the Ka'bah.
Do not stand at the black stone line for a long time. Move on.
Do not lengthen your 2 Rak'ah of Tawaf.
There is nothing in the sunnah about: Du'a Maqam Ibrahim. After you pray the 2 Rak'ah of
Tawaf move on.

In

Sa'i (going between Safa and Marwah)

Although preferable, you do not have to have Wudu during Sa'i.
You do not have to climb to the top of Safa or Marwah.
You can take breaks in Sa'i to drink water or rest.
You can take a break after Tawaf, before Sa'i.
You do not have to jog the whole way, from Safa to Marwah. Only within the green lights,
the valley of Safa and Marwah.
Women do not have to run between the green lights.
There is no specific Du'a to say between Safa and Marwah.
Do not miss the Du'a that the prophet of Allah said when he stood on Safa. Then raise your
hands and pray as he did (peace be upon him).
Do not say your intention out loud before making Sa'i.

When Shaving or Trimming:

Shave your complete head, do not leave parts unshaved.
If you shall trim, take from all sides of your head.
Do not take off your Ihram until you have shaved or trimmed. You are still in Ihram until you
do so.
Do not shave your beard.
In Mina, Arafah, and Muzdalifah:
Many people do not confirm if where they are located is inside or outside the borders of the
holy sites. Confirm.
Do not reserve a place that is more than your need. Many people are looking for places to
sit down and sleep.
Only in Arafah and Muzdalifah do you shorten and combine prayers. In Mina only shorten
your prayers, but pray them at the correct time.
Do not waste your Hajj time in vain chatting.
Spending the 8th day in Mina is the Sunnah of the prophet of Allah. Many people skip this
and go to Arafah.
Do not push anyone when you are in a crowd.
You do not have to go to the Mt. of Mercy in Arafah. Many people hurt themselves and
others to be there even though it is not a Wajib thing to do.
Mt. Rahmah is not a holy mountain. Do not wipe its sand and rocks for Barakah (blessings).
You do not have to pray Dhuhr and Asr on Arafah day in the Masjid of Arafah (Masjid
Namira). You may pray in your tent with your group.
Do not leave Arafah before Maghrib time.
Women should avoid getting into a crushing crowd, like in Masjid Namira.
Do not face Mt. Rahmah on Arafah day when you make Du'a. You should face the Qiblah.
You should not treat your time in Arafah like any other day. You should realize the
significance and pray to Allah in humility.
At Maghrib time in Arafah, do not pray Maghrib and Isha until you reach Muzdalifah, even if
you reach there at 11:00 at night. However, if you see half the night approaching, pray
where you are on the road.
Make sure you are in Muzdalifah before you stop and rest. Many people think they are in
Muzdalifah but they are not. Look for the border signs. If you have not seen one, chances
are you are still not in Muzdalifah even if you see others sleeping on the road.
After praying Maghrib and Isha in Muzdalifah, go to sleep immediately, this is what the
prophet of Allah did.
Through all of this, continue doing your Talbiyah.
In stoning the Jamarat:

The Jamarat are not Devils, and Shaytan is not tied up for the stoning of himself. Hajjis that
hold this misconception end up cursing, swearing, throwing sandals, etc. It is a
commandment from Allah to glorify Allah by saying (Allahu Akbar) with each pebble.
You do not have to wash your stones.
Do not throw sandals or wood or big rocks. This is all against the Sunnah.
Do not hurt/shove when at the Jamarat.
Say Allahu Akbar with each pebble. Do not say Bismillah.
Throw the pebbles separately.
Make Du'a after the first and second Jamarat.
Do not throw the Jamarat before it is time.
Throw the Jamarat from small to medium to large. Not the other way.
If someone is throwing on your behalf, you must be unable to throw yourself.
If someone is throwing on your behalf, you do not have to collect the stones yourself and
hand the stones to that thrower.
Throw seven pebbles, not more or less.

In

Tawaf Al-Wada' (Farewell Tawaf):

You cannot do your final Jamarat after Tawaf Al-Wada, as some people attempt.
Do not walk in massive groups during Tawaf. This hurts many people.
You MUST spend the night in Mina on the 10th night and 11th night. The two days of Hajj,
the days of Mina, are the 11th and 12th, not the 10th and 11th.
After Tawaf Al-Wada' you must leave Mecca, or else another Tawaf should be made.
After Tawaf Al-Wada' you may have lunch or wait at a bus, etc., as long as you are on your
way out of Mecca.

In

Medina:
Visiting Medina has nothing to do with your Hajj. It is something different and separate.
Do not wipe or kiss any walls for Barakah (blessings). It is only rock and marble.
Do not raise your voice near the Prophet's grave.
Do not do Tawaf around the Prophet's grave.
You do not need Ihram to enter Medina.
Do not make Du'a to the Prophet. Du'a is to be made to Allah and Allah alone.
If you want to pray for the Prophet to intercede for you on the day of Judgment (Shifa'ah),
pray to Allah for that. "O Allah, allow Your Prophet to intercede for me.."
Do not raise your voice in Du'a near the grave. Face Qiblah and leave the grave area when
you want to make Du'a.

Miscellaneous:
Do not add the term Hajji to your name after returning home.
Hadith such as: "whoever visits my grave, I shall intercede for them." Hadith to this effect
are lies against the prophet of Allah (peace be upon him).
A final note:
The Muslims in these mistakes are three:
One group is sincerely ignorant of these things and they have little clue that what they are
doing is Haram or incorrect. For these people - insha'Allah - there is nothing upon them.
A second group is ignorant, but they have the ability to learn and find out. All that stops
them from doing so is their laziness in studying and asking. For these people, it is feared
that they may be sinful for their laziness in learning.
A third group is aware of these mistakes. They perform it however to either follow their
culture or to misguide people. This person is sinful and they shall assume the sin of those
that they misguide.
Our Lord, do not take us to account if we forget or make a mistake. [Noble Quran
2:286]

How to Perform the Rituals of Hajj and Umrah

Sheikh Muhammad As-Salih Al-Uthaymin
Preface
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Universe. May peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, the last
of the Prophets and messengers, and upon his family and esteemed companions.
Hajj is one of the best forms of worship and is one of the most sublime deeds because it is one
of the pillars of Islam that Allah sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) with. A servant's religion
is incomplete without it.
A form of worship is only acceptable when the following is true.
One devotes it to Allah alone, with a desire for the Hereafter. It cannot be done with the
intention of being seen among men or for worldly gain.
One follows the Prophet's example, in words deeds. This cannot accomplished except
knowledge of the Sunnah.
Forms of Pilgrimage
There are three forms of Hajj:
Tamattu'- Ifrad - Qiran
Tamattu': A pilgrim wears Ihram for Umrah only during the months of Hajj, which means when
he reaches Mecca, he makes Tawaf and Sa'i for Umrah. He then shaves or clips his hair. On the
day of Tarwiyah, which is the eighth of Dhul-Hijjah, he puts on his Ihram for Hajj only and carries
out all of its requirements.
Ifrad: A pilgrim wears Ihram for Hajj only. When he reaches Mecca, he performs Tawaf for his
arrival and Sa'i for Hajj. He doesn't shave or clip his hair as he doesn't disengage from Ihram.
Instead, he remains in Ihram till after he stones Jamrat Al-'Aqabah on the Eid day. It is
permissible for him to postpone his Sa'i for Hajj until after his Tawaf for Hajj.
Qiran: A pilgrim wears Ihram for both Umrah and Hajj or he wears Ihram first for Umrah, then
makes intentions for Hajj before his Tawaf for Hajj. The obligations on one performing Ifrad are
the same as those on one performing Qiran, except that the latter must slaughter whereas the
former is not obligated to do so. The best of the three forms is Tamattu'. It is the form that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged his followers to perform. Even if a pilgrim makes
intentions to perform Qiran or Ifrad he is allowed to change his intentions to Tamattu'; he can
do this even after he has performed Tawaf and Sa'i.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Tawaf and Sa'i during the year of the
Farewell Hajj with his companions, he ordered all those who hadn't brought sacrificial animals to
change their intentions for Hajj to intentions for Umrah, cut their hair, and disengage from
Ihram till Hajj. He said, "If I hadn't brought the sacrificial animal, I'd have done what I've
ordered you to do."
The Umrah
If a pilgrim wishes to be ritually pure for Umrah, he should shed his clothing and bathe as he
would after sexual defilement, if convenient. He should perfume his head and beard with the
best oil he can find. There is no harm in what remains of it after Ihram.
Bathing for Ihram is Sunnah for both men and women, including menstruating women and
those experiencing postnatal bleeding. After bathing and preparing himself, a. pilgrim, other
than those menstruating or experiencing postnatal bleeding, prays the obligatory prayer, if it is
time. Otherwise, he makes his intention by praying the two Sunnah Rak'ah which are made
each time Wudu' is performed.

When he finishes his prayer he should say: "Here I am for Umrah, here I am, Oh Allah, here I
am. Here I am. You have no partner. Here I am. Surely all praise, grace and dominion is yours,
and you have no partner." [Talbiyah].
A man raises his voice when saying this and a woman says it so that only one beside her may
hear her.
One in Ihram should say the Talbiyah as often as possible, especially when times and places
change. For example: when descending or ascending during travel or when day or night
approach. He should also ask Allah for His pleasure, for Heaven and seek refuge in Allah's
mercy from Hellfire.
One should say the Talbiyah during Umrah, starting from the time he puts on his Ihram till he
starts Tawaf. During Hajj he should say it starting from the time he puts on his Ihram till he
starts to stone Jamrat Al-Aqabah on the Eid day.
When a pilgrim enters the Holy Mosque he puts forth his right foot first and says: "In the name
of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. Oh Allah, forgive me my
sins and open to me the doors of Your mercy. I seek refuge in Allah the Almighty and in His
Eminent Face and in His Eternal Dominion from the accursed Satan."
He approaches the Black Stone, touches it with his right hand and kisses it. If this isn't possible,
he should face the Black Stone and point to it.
It is best not to push and shove, causing harm and being harmed by other people.
When touching the Stone, a pilgrim should say the following: "In the name of Allah, Allah is the
greatest. Oh, Allah, with faith in you, belief in Your book, loyalty to you, compliance to the way
of your Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)."
A pilgrim must walk, keeping the Ka'bah on his left. When he reaches the Ar-Rukn Al-Yamani he
should touch, but not kiss it, and say: "Our Lord, grant us good in this life and good in the
hereafter and save us from the punishment of the Hell fire. Oh Allah, I beg of You for
forgiveness and health in this life and in the Hereafter."
Each time he passes the Black Stone he should say: "Allah is the Greatest."
During the remainder of his Tawaf he may say what he pleases of supplications, mentioning
Allah, and recitation of Quran. This is because Tawaf, Sa'i, and Stoning the Jamrah have been
devised for the purpose of mentioning Allah.
During this Tawaf it is necessary for a man to do two things:

Al-ldhteba' from the beginning of Tawaf until the end. Al-ldhteba' means placing the middle
of one's Rida' under his right arm and the ends of it over his left shoulder.

When he is finished performing Tawaf, he may return his Rida' to its original state because
the time for Idhteba' is only during Tawaf.

Al-Ramal during the first three circuits. Al-Ramal means speeding up one's pace with small
steps. A pilgrim should walk at a normal pace during his last four circuits.

When he completes seven circuits of Tawaf, he approaches Maqam Ibrahim and recites:

And take ye the station of Abraham as a place of Prayer.

[Noble Quran 2:125]
He prays two short Rak'ah, as close as conveniently possible, behind Maqam Ibrahim. During
the first Rak'at he recites Surah Al-Kafirun [Noble Quran, 109] and during the second one Surah
Al-lkhlas [Noble Quran, 112].

When he completes the two Rak'ah he should return to the Black Stone and touch it, if
convenient. He goes out to the Mas'a and when he nears As-Safa he recites:

Verily As-Safa and Al-Marwah are among the shrines of Allah. [Noble Quran 2:158] .

He ascends As-Safa until he is able to see the Ka'bah. Facing the Ka'bah and raising his hands,
he praises Allah and makes any supplications he chooses. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
prayed thus: "There is no Deity but Allah alone," three times, supplicating in between.
He descends As-Safa and heads for Al-Marwah at a normal pace until he reaches the green
marker. He should then run fast until the next green marker. He continues toward Al-Marwah at
a normal pace. When he reaches it, he ascends it, faces the Qiblah, raises his hands and
repeats what he said on As-Safa. He descends Al-Marwah heading towards As-Safa, taking care
to walk where walking is designated, and run where running is designated.
He continues this procedure until he completes seven laps. Going from As-Safa to Al-Marwah is
a lap and returning is another lap.
During his Sa'i he may recite what he wills of supplications, recitation of Quran, and mentioning
Allah.
In completion of Sa'i he shaves his head. A woman clips her hair the length of a finger tip.
Shaving is preferable, except when Hajj is near and there isn't sufficient time for hair to grow
back. In this case it's best to clip so that hair will remain for shaving during Hajj.
With that, Umrah is completed. and a pilgrim is free to dress in other clothing, wear perfume
and engage in marital relations, etc
The Hajj
In the forenoon of the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah, a pilgrim purifies himself once again by bathing
as he did before Umrah in the place in which he is staying, if convenient. He puts on his Ihram
and says: "Here I am for Hajj. Here I am, oh Allah, here I am. Here I am. You have no partner.
Here I am. Surely all praise, grace and dominion is yours, and you have no partners."
If he fears that something will prevent him from completing his Hajj he should make a condition
when he makes his intentions, saying: "If I am prevented by any obstacle my place is wherever
I am held up." If he has no such fear, he doesn't make this condition.
A pilgrim goes to Mina and there prays Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha' and Fajr, shortening his four
unit prayers so as to make them two units each, without combining them.
When the sun rises, he goes to Arafah and there prays Dhuhr and Asr combined at the time of
Dhuhr, making each one two units. He remains in Namira Mosque until sunset if possible. He
remembers Allah and makes as many supplications as possible while facing the Qiblah.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed thus: "There is no Deity but Allah alone. He has no
partner. All dominion and praise are His and He is powerful over all things.
If he grows weary it is permissible for him to engage in beneficial conversation with his
companions or reading what he can find of beneficial books, especially those concerning Allah's
grace and abundant gifts. This will strengthen his hope in Allah.
He should then return to his supplications and be sure to spend the end of the day deep in
supplication because the best of supplication is the supplication of the day of Arafat.
At sunset he goes from Arafah to Muzdalifah and there prays Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr. If he is
tired or has little water, it is permissible for him to combine Maghrib and Isha. If he fears that
he will not reach Muzdalifah until after midnight, he should pray before he reaches it for it is not
permissible to delay prayer until after midnight. He remains there, in Muzdalifah, making
supplications and remembering Allah till just before sunrise.

If he is weak and cannot handle the crowd during Ar-Ramy, it is permissible for him to go to
Mina at the end of the night to stone the Jamrah before the arrival of the crowd.
Near sunrise, a pilgrim goes from Muzdalifah to Mina. Upon reaching it he does the following:

He throws seven consecutive pebbles at Jamrat Al-Aqabah which is the closest monument
to Mecca, saying Greatest," as he: "Allah is the throws each pebble.

He slaughters the sacrificial animal, eats some of it, and gives some to the poor. Slaughter
is obligatory on the Mutamatti' and Qarin.

He shaves or clips his hair; shaving is preferable. A woman clips her hair the length of a
finger tip.

These three should be done in the above order if convenient, but there is no restriction if one
precedes another.
With that, one is allowed to come out of Ihram. He can wear other clothing and do everything
that was lawful before Ihram except engaging in marital relations.
He goes to Mecca to perform Tawaf Al-lfadah and Sa'i, also for Hajj. It is Sunnah to put perfume
on before going to Mecca.
With the completion of this Tawaf and Sa'i, a pilgrim is allowed to do everything that was lawful
before Ihram, including engaging in marital relations.
After performing Tawaf and Sa'i, he returns to Mina to spend the nights of the eleventh and
twelfth days there.
He stones the three Jamrah in the afternoon of both the eleventh and twelfth days. He starts
with the first Jamrah, which is furthest from Mecca, then the middle one, and lastly Jamrat AlAqabah. Each one should be stoned with seven consecutive pebbles accompanied by Takbir. He
stops after the first and middle Jamrah to make supplications facing the Qiblah. It is not
permissible to stone before noon on these two days. It is best to walk to the Jamrah, but riding
is permissible.
If he is in a hurry after stoning on the twelfth day, he leaves Mina before sunset. But if he
wishes to prolong his stay, which is best, he spends the night of the thirteenth in Mina and
stones that afternoon in the same manner as on the twelfth day.
When he is ready to return to his country, he makes Tawaf Al-Wada', which is seven circuits
around the Ka'bah. Menstruating women and women experiencing postnatal discharge are not
obligated to perform Tawaf Al-Wada'.
Visiting The Prophet's Mosque

A pilgrim goes to Medina before or after Hajj with the intention of visiting the Prophet's
mosque and praying in it. Prayer there is better than a thousand prayers elsewhere except
in the Holy Mosque in Mecca.

Upon reaching the mosque he prays two Rak'ah of salutation or performs any obligatory
prayer that is due.

He goes to the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he stands before it. He
greets him saying the "May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, oh
Prophet. May Allah grant you a good reward on behalf of your people."

He takes a step or two to his right to position himself before Abu Bakr and greets him saying:
"May the peace, mercy, and blessing of Allah be upon you, oh Abu-Bakr, Caliph of the
Messenger of Allah. May Allah be pleased with you and grant you a good reward on behalf of
Muhammad's people."

Then he takes a step or two to his right to position himself before Umar and greets him saying:
"May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you, oh Umar, Prince of the believers.
May Allah be pleased with you and grant you a good reward on behalf of Muhammad's people."

In a state of purity, he goes to pray in Quba' Mosque.

He goes to Al-Baqi' to visit Uthman's grave. He stands before it and greets him saying:
"May the peace, mercy and blessing of Allah be upon you,

Oh Uthman Prince of the believers. May Allah be pleased with you and grant you a good reward
on behalf of Muhammad's people." He greets any other Muslims in Al-Baqi'.

He goes to Uhud and visits the grave of Hamzah and the other martyrs there with him. He
greets them and prays to Allah to grant them forgiveness, mercy, and pleasure.

Notification

The following is incumbent upon the Muhrim for Hajj or Umrah:

That he be committed to Allah's religious obligations upon him such as prayer in its time
(in congregation for men).

That he avoids what Allah has prohibited such as obscenity, inequity, and disobedience. if
anyone undertakes Hajj therein. Let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling
during Hajj. [Noble Quran 2:197]

That he avoids harming the Muslims with words or actions within the Masha'ir or
elsewhere.

That he avoids all of the restrictions of Ihram:

He shouldn't cause the loss of any of his hair or nails. A prick by a thorn and the like is
unobjectionable, even if there is bleeding.

He shouldn't perfume himself, his clothing, his food or his drink after entering Ihram. He
should also abstain from cleansing himself with scented soap. There is no harm in what
remains of the effect of perfume used prior to Ihram.

He shouldn't touch, kiss, etc. his spouse out of passion and, even worse, shouldn't have
sexual intercourse.

He shouldn't be wed or propose to a woman for himself or others.

He shouldn't wear gloves, although there is no harm in wrapping the hands in cloth. This
ruling goes for both men and women.

The following pertains specifically to men:

He cannot cover his head with something that touches it, although there is no harm in the
use of an umbrella, the roof of a car or tent for shade. There is also no harm in carrying his
baggage atop his head.
He cannot wear a shirt, turban, hooded cloak trousers, or shoes. Only if he is unable to
obtain an Izar or sandals can he wear trousers or shoes.

He cannot wear anything with the same qualities of the above mentioned such as an
Aba'ah, hat, undershirt, etc.

It is permissible for him to wear sandals, rings, glasses, a hearing aid, a watch, worn on his
wrist or hung from his neck, or a speech aid. It is permissible for him to cleanse himself with
unscented cleansers and to wash and scratch his head and body, even if some of his hair falls
unintentionally. In such a case there is no obligation on him because of it.

A woman cannot wear a Niqab or Burqa'. The Sunnah is for her to uncover her face except if
men not related to her might see her, in which case it is obligatory for her to cover her face
during Ihram and otherwise.
Allah is the giver of success. May His blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all of his
family and companions.
By the needy before Allah, Muhammad As-Salih Al-Uthaymin