hajj - pilgrimage in islam

Hajj is the fifth pillar of islam, all muslims that can afford it must perform the pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia.

Hajj is only performed in a ceratin time of the lunar year, it's the mounth of Thusl-hijah, the 12th mounth of the lunar year.

pilgrimage is divided into two kinds : the official pilgrimage which is the Hajj performed in th mounth of Thul-hijah. and umrah which every persone can do it at any time of the year except in the official time of the hajj.

Hajj hascertain actes and rituals every pilgrim have to do to be valide as the fommowing :

• Hajj ritual

• 1 - intention for hajj and Ihraam

the pilgrim begins the ritual of hajj by the intention to do it for allah worship only.

then the pilgrim start uttering talbiyah by saying :

"labayka Allahuma labbayk, labbayka la shareeka laka labbayk, inna l-hamda wa n'amata laka wa l-mulk, laa shareeka laka"

"لبيك اللهم لبيك، لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك، إن الحمد و النعمة، لك و الملك، لا شريك لك"

• 2 - Arrival Circumambulation

once the pilgrim arrives to kaabah, he should begin by circumambulating around the kaabah with the black stone in his left, the circumambulating is done seven times.

• Sa'ay between As-safaa and Al-marwah

​​​​​​​after circumambulating, the pilgrim ascends mount As-safaa and faces the kaabah, he recite takbeer Allah Akbar.

then he heads to Al-marwah and ascend it and recite takbeer Allah Akbar.

then he he reapeat that going beetween as-safah and al-marwah for seven times.

• Going to Mina

​​​​​​​on the morning of the eight day of thul-hijjah, or called as the day of Tarwiyah, the pilgrim heads to Mina to pray the Thihr, Asr, Maghrib and Ishaa prayers and by shorting the four rakaa prayers to only two, what means he prays the thuhr with two rakaat, and the same for Asr and ishaa, and Maghrib prayers stays the same.

the pigrim pray the Fajr and then he heads up to Arafah.

• standing at Arafah

​​​​​​​one of the best days for muslims around the word, the day of Arafah, alsi standin in Arafah is one of neccessary pillars of has, without it whole ritual is invalid.

the pilgrim heads to Arafah to stand on it on the ninth daay of Thul-hajjah.

it is recomded for the pilgrime to reach Arafah before the sun reaches it's highest point in the sky so that he can pray Thuhr and Asr combined and shortned to two rakaat in Arafah

• Going to Muzdalifah and spanding the night there

​​​​​​​after the sunset of the ninth daay of Thul-hajjah, the pilgrim heads to Muzdalifah where he pray the Maghrib and Ishaa prayers combined and by shorting th Ishaa prayer to two rakaat.

the pilgrim spent the night in Muzdalifah.

• Throwing Jamarat al-Aqabah

​​​​​​​after Fajr prayer of the tenth day of Thil-hijjah, it recomended for the pilgrim to go to Mina, and once he reaches there, he should head to the grand Aqabah to perform the throwing of jamarat by throwing seven pebbles while reciting takbeer.

• Having a Haircut

​​​​​​​after throwing the pebbles, the pilgrim must either shave his hair or cut it, but it is better to shave it all.

as for the women, they should only cut a small part of their hair.

• Ifadhaah circumambulating

​​​​​​​the pilgrim returnes to Kaabah to perform the Ifadhaah circumambulatin, which is done the same way as the first circumambulating.

• Returning to Mina

​​​​​​​the pilgrim returns to mina to spend the eleventh, twelfth and the thitteenth of Thul-hijjah in Mina.

in each day, the pilgrim throws seven pebbles at each of the three Jamarah, starting from the small jalarah, to the middle one and finishig with th grand jamarah which is next to Al-Aqabaah.

• Farwell circumambulating

​​​​​​​once the pilgrim finish all hajj rituls and decided to leave makkah, he should perform the farwell circumambulating which is also seven rounds. after the the pilgrim pray two rakaat asking Allah for acceptence and forgiveness.

and may allah make us part of this great worship. Ameen