The ruling on forgetting to cut the nails and apply perfume before entering the state of ihram, and the two rak'ahs of ihram
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
This questioner says: Your sister in Islam, and I seek a ruling on the following: I was at a hotel in al-Madinah, preparing to perform 'Umrah. I intended to cut and trim my nails after the ghusl (full ritual bath) because they were long, but I forgot to do so. I began praying the two rak'ahs of ihram with the intention of 'Umrah, but in the first rak'ah I remembered that I had not cut my nails. I completed the prayer without leaving it, then repeated it after cutting my nails and applying perfume. I actually did this, then prayed the two rak'ahs of ihram again. Do I owe a hady (sacrificial animal), or is my ihram valid? Do I owe a hady for cutting the nails and another for applying perfume? Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Cutting the nails and applying perfume are not obligatory in this state; this is recommended (mustahabb) and not required. The prayer of two rak'ahs is also not required. If one performs wudu' (ablution) and prays two good rak'ahs when entering ihram, that is not required. Ihram is entered by the intention to enter the ritual; ihram is by the intention to enter 'Umrah or Hajj. Then one recites the talbiyah, saying "Labbaik 'Umrah" or "Labbaik." This ihram is intended in the heart that one has entered 'Umrah or entered Hajj, and one recites the talbiyah, saying "O Allah, here I am for 'Umrah" or "O Allah, here I am for Hajj." As for merely praying or preparing, that is preparation and not ihram. So if a person cuts his nails afterwards or applies perfume afterwards, there is no harm until he intends 'Umrah or Hajj in his heart and recites the talbiyah. This is the ihram: that he intends in his heart that he has entered the ritual of 'Umrah or Hajj. As for his having performed ghusl or prayed with the intention that he is entering ihram, that is not ihram, until he intends in his heart to enter 'Umrah or Hajj. This is the ihram, then he recites the talbiyah after this. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
This questioner says: Your sister in Islam, and I seek a ruling on the following: I was at a hotel in al-Madinah, preparing to perform 'Umrah. I intended to cut and trim my nails after the ghusl (full ritual bath) because they were long, but I forgot to do so. I began praying the two rak'ahs of ihram with the intention of 'Umrah, but in the first rak'ah I remembered that I had not cut my nails. I completed the prayer without leaving it, then repeated it after cutting my nails and applying perfume. I actually did this, then prayed the two rak'ahs of ihram again. Do I owe a hady (sacrificial animal), or is my ihram valid? Do I owe a hady for cutting the nails and another for applying perfume? Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Cutting the nails and applying perfume are not obligatory in this state; this is recommended (mustahabb) and not required. The prayer of two rak'ahs is also not required. If one performs wudu' (ablution) and prays two good rak'ahs when entering ihram, that is not required. Ihram is entered by the intention to enter the ritual; ihram is by the intention to enter 'Umrah or Hajj. Then one recites the talbiyah, saying "Labbaik 'Umrah" or "Labbaik." This ihram is intended in the heart that one has entered 'Umrah or entered Hajj, and one recites the talbiyah, saying "O Allah, here I am for 'Umrah" or "O Allah, here I am for Hajj." As for merely praying or preparing, that is preparation and not ihram. So if a person cuts his nails afterwards or applies perfume afterwards, there is no harm until he intends 'Umrah or Hajj in his heart and recites the talbiyah. This is the ihram: that he intends in his heart that he has entered the ritual of 'Umrah or Hajj. As for his having performed ghusl or prayed with the intention that he is entering ihram, that is not ihram, until he intends in his heart to enter 'Umrah or Hajj. This is the ihram, then he recites the talbiyah after this. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Source
فتاوى المسجد الحرام (شعبان ١٤١٧ هـ) - ٦ — archive.org (49:11)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.