The Shaykh’s advice to women to make the most of their time during Hajj.

Al-Hawini: A word from the women: We hope you will deliver a few words that are deep in meaning, great in impact, and brief in length, regarding how a woman should utilize the blessed times of Hajj for what benefits her; because the women here have been occupied with talk that is of no benefit.

The Shaykh : I do not find that the women are distinguished from the men in what they asked in this question in any way. All Muslims—male and female—are commanded in Hajj to increase in the remembrance of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and not to waste this free time for which they have turned to worship Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). These rites were established so that the Muslim can free himself and empty his soul of its attachment to his ordinary life, which may divert him from much of the worship and remembrance of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). So we command the women with what we command the men, and there is no difference. Especially since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: . So it is incumbent upon them, as it is upon them all, to seize this opportunity and to increase in the talbiyah and the tahlil. This reminds me that I have not heard the talbiyah or the tahlil since we arrived here. It appears to me, and I have thought about it, that the talbiyah is for those traveling, while that is from the dhikr of all these days. As long as the Muslim is in a state of ihram, he should remain reciting the talbiyah and the tahlil, and this does not cease except with the stoning of the Aqabah pillar. So we command men and women to increase in the talbiyah known in the Sunnah, and to increase also in the tahlil, mixing the tahlil with the talbiyah; because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in some of the authentic hadiths.
In summary, we are all—men and women—required not to neglect the remembrance of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
On this occasion, I want to remind you of something that some of the attendees might object to. These days are days of dhikr, not days of knowledge and teaching. But, with great regret, I mean that a session like this was not supposed to be held. Every one of us should be turning to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with dhikr, with tahlil, talbiyah, takbir, and the like of these dhikr. Because these days are days of personal worship, like standing in prayer in Ramadan, for example. It is not appropriate, as happens in some countries, to utilize the time between some rak'ahs to deliver a sermon or to give a lesson. All of this is not from the Sunnah, because that time is like this time. The Sunnah in it is to devote oneself to worship, not to knowledge. Knowledge has another place, and its place is in our countries. But due to the Muslims’ shortcoming in seeking knowledge on one hand, and the scholars’ shortcoming in conveying knowledge to the people on the other hand, people find the opportunity open to them and seize it to learn what they may feel they need to know in such times. Otherwise, the principle is that this time should be for the remembrance of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and His worship.
It is true that knowledge, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: . But for every occasion there is a suitable speech. For every occasion there is a suitable speech. The place for seeking knowledge must not take the place of dhikr, and vice versa. The place for seeking knowledge should not be replaced by dhikr.
So what I intend to say finally is that we must not be distracted and must not waste time in these blessed days from the remembrance of Allah; from the talbiyah, tahlil, and takbir, so that we may be, if Allah wills, among those accepted by our Lord (Mighty and Majestic), and among those whose sins are forgiven.
Yes.