Entering the Sacred Precinct Without Ihram and Praying in It
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh, I am among those participating in the Hajj rites this year, if Allah wills. Since I have some free time with no work to do, I would like to go to the Sacred Precinct to pray in it. However, some of my brothers told me that it is not permissible to enter the Sacred Precinct unless you are in a state of ihram. Is what they said correct? Please note that I performed 'Umrah last Ramadan.
Answer:
If the first thing you do when you arrive is pass through the miqat, and you intend to perform 'Umrah, you enter the state of ihram from the miqat. But if you do not intend to perform 'Umrah or Hajj, you are not required to enter the state of ihram. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the miqats: "Let them be..."Sahih Muslim 1181a or 'Umrah. So, the one who passes through the miqats without intending Hajj or 'Umrah is not required to enter the state of ihram.
As for the issue of you being inside the Sacred Precinct, meaning inside the miles, and wanting to go to al-Masjid al-Haram to pray in it: you are in the Sacred Precinct as long as you are within the miles. You can pray in your location, and the virtue is obtained, praise be to Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), during the Farewell Pilgrimage, descended at al-Abtah, at the elevated cemetery, and he did not go to pray in al-Masjid al-Haram; he used to pray in his residence, peace and blessings be upon him.
Do not make things difficult for yourself, especially during these days of crowding and the days that follow. The matter is made easy, praise be to Allah. Pray in your location or in the mosques in Makkah that are close to you, and you will get the reward of one hundred thousand prayers for every prayer, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us, even if you do not go to the Ka'bah. The entire Sacred Precinct, praise be to Allah, everything within the miles is included in this virtue. It is all a Sacred Precinct, so it is all called al-Masjid al-Haram.
Honorable Shaykh, I am among those participating in the Hajj rites this year, if Allah wills. Since I have some free time with no work to do, I would like to go to the Sacred Precinct to pray in it. However, some of my brothers told me that it is not permissible to enter the Sacred Precinct unless you are in a state of ihram. Is what they said correct? Please note that I performed 'Umrah last Ramadan.
Answer:
If the first thing you do when you arrive is pass through the miqat, and you intend to perform 'Umrah, you enter the state of ihram from the miqat. But if you do not intend to perform 'Umrah or Hajj, you are not required to enter the state of ihram. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the miqats: "Let them be..."
and those (Mawaqit) are also meant for those who live at these (places) and for those too who come from without towards them for the sake of Hajj
لهن ولمن اتى عليهن من غير اهلهن ممن اراد الحجAs for the issue of you being inside the Sacred Precinct, meaning inside the miles, and wanting to go to al-Masjid al-Haram to pray in it: you are in the Sacred Precinct as long as you are within the miles. You can pray in your location, and the virtue is obtained, praise be to Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), during the Farewell Pilgrimage, descended at al-Abtah, at the elevated cemetery, and he did not go to pray in al-Masjid al-Haram; he used to pray in his residence, peace and blessings be upon him.
Do not make things difficult for yourself, especially during these days of crowding and the days that follow. The matter is made easy, praise be to Allah. Pray in your location or in the mosques in Makkah that are close to you, and you will get the reward of one hundred thousand prayers for every prayer, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us, even if you do not go to the Ka'bah. The entire Sacred Precinct, praise be to Allah, everything within the miles is included in this virtue. It is all a Sacred Precinct, so it is all called al-Masjid al-Haram.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، باب النفقات — islamhouse.com (1:10:04)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.