Detailed observations on the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) Hajj and how he entered the state of ihram (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Shaykh : First: How did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) enter the state of ihram? He entered it by taking a full ritual bath, like the bath for major ritual impurity, meaning a complete bath. He applied perfume to his beard and body with the finest perfume available, using a generous amount until the sheen of musk could be seen on his hair while he was in the state of ihram (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he put on the izār and the rida' and entered the state of ihram, saying: . By doing so, he became one performing qiran; by doing so, he became one performing qiran. For this reason, Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him)—who is the imam of the people of the Sunnah and the imam of the people of hadith—said: "I have no doubt that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was performing qiran, and tamattu' is more beloved to me". The meaning of his statement (may Allah have mercy on him), "tamattu' is more beloved to me", will come later, because the Messenger commanded it. He used to say: "Labbaik 'umrah and Hajj." This is one thing.