A talk on the rites of Hajj, its conditions, and the manner of 'Umrah.

The questioner : We say: Hajj to the House of Allah the Sacred is one of the pillars of Islam. Allah the Exalted made it obligatory upon His servants in His Book, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) clarified its status in the religion. Allah the Exalted said: And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: The Muslims have agreed upon its obligation, so it is established by the Book, the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus. Allah the Exalted made it obligatory upon His servants in the ninth year of the Hijrah, or it is said, in the tenth. The reason for its delay, and Allah knows best, is that Makkah was under the control of the polytheists before that, i.e., before the ninth year. The polytheists would let in whom they wished, let out whom they wished, and turn back whom they wished. For this reason, they prevented the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) from completing the 'Umrah during the expedition of al-Hudaybiyyah. So Allah did not make Hajj obligatory until it was purified for the Muslims after the Conquest. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not perform Hajj in the ninth year because the delegations from the Arabs increased in that year after the Conquest of Makkah, coming to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to learn the matters of their religion. So his staying there, i.e., in al-Madinah, was easier for many of the Arabs and allowed him (peace and blessings be upon him) more time. Also, the polytheists participated in Hajj with the Muslims in the ninth year, so Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, chose for the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) Hajj to be in the tenth year, exclusive to the Muslims. However, Hajj is not obligatory except with conditions.
The first condition is reaching puberty, and its opposite is being a minor. Hajj is not obligatory upon a minor, but if he performs it, it benefits him and his guardian receives a reward. If he begins Hajj while a minor and then exits the state of ihram without an excuse that would permit a person of age to exit, the correct view is that he owes nothing, because he is not among those upon whom it is obligatory, as the pen has been lifted from him. If a boy enters ihram and then finds it difficult and exits, saying he does not want to complete it, he may do so.
The second condition is sanity. Hajj is not obligatory upon a madman, and it is not valid from him, because he has no intention. It is not valid for his guardian to intend on his behalf, because that has not been transmitted, and the original ruling in acts of worship is prohibition until evidence establishes their prescription. But how can this be imagined, that he is among those upon whom it is obligatory while he is mad? In other words, how can Hajj be obligatory upon him in his madness? We say: This is possible if this madman is of age, and then he acquires wealth from inheritance or otherwise, so he becomes able to perform Hajj. But his madness prevents its obligation upon him, so it is not obligatory upon him even if he dies while in his madness and leaves behind a lot of wealth, because Hajj is not obligatory for him from it, as it was not originally obligatory upon him.
The third is Islam, and its opposite is disbelief. Islam is a condition for all acts of worship. The meaning of making Islam a condition is that it is not obligatory upon a disbeliever, and if he performs it, it is not valid from him, because Islam is a condition for the validity of acts of worship. The meaning of our saying that it is not obligatory upon a disbeliever is that if he becomes a Muslim after being wealthy during his disbelief, and then becomes poor and becomes a Muslim after that, Hajj is not obligatory upon him, because when he was able, he was not among those upon whom it is obligatory; he was not a Muslim. So Hajj is not obligatory upon him, but he will be punished for it on the Day of Resurrection, because the disbeliever, according to the stronger view, is addressed with the branches of Islam, meaning that he sins by neglecting them, but he is not obligated to make them up if they became obligatory during his disbelief, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Freedom, and its opposite is slavery. Hajj is not obligatory upon a slave because he has no wealth, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): meaning: the buyer. This indicates that the slave has no wealth; rather, his wealth belongs to his master. Consequently, he is not able.
If someone asks: If his master gave him money and said, "Take this and perform Hajj with it," is it obligatory upon him? The answer is: The apparent statement of the scholars is that it is not obligatory upon him, because he does not become able by the provision of another for him.
The fifth condition, the greatest of them, is ability, meaning that a person is able with his wealth and his body to perform Hajj. If he is unable with his wealth but able with his body, Hajj is obligatory upon him, because he is able to perform it, like a man who is able to walk to Makkah and to the sacred sites, such as if he is close to Makkah. Then Hajj is obligatory upon him due to his inclusion in the saying of Allah the Exalted: And if he is unable with his body but able with his wealth, he is obligated to appoint a proxy to perform Hajj on his behalf, because he is able with his wealth, so he is obligated to appoint someone to perform Hajj on his behalf. As for if he is unable with his wealth and his body, Hajj is not obligatory upon him, even if he dies, making it up is not obligatory on his behalf, like a poor, unable man who cannot perform Hajj himself. Then Hajj is not obligatory upon him, so if he dies, making it up is not obligatory, because it was not originally obligatory upon him. If he is able with his wealth but unable with his body due to a temporary inability that is expected to end, let him wait until the obstacle is removed, then perform Hajj. Like fasting: if a person is sick with an illness that is not expected to be cured, he feeds [the poor], and if he is sick with an illness that is expected to be cured, he waits until he recovers.
When the conditions are met, it is obligatory for a person to proceed to Hajj immediately without delay, because the original ruling in commands is to hasten in their execution, unless they are timed for a specific time or conditioned by a cause, in which case one waits until the time comes and the cause exists. Otherwise, the original ruling is to hasten. This is indicated by the fact that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) ordered the Companions to exit ihram at al-Hudaybiyyah and they delayed somewhat, he (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry. This indicates the immediacy in commands. And because it came in the hadith: and at its end, it is mentioned that the expenses may be wasted and the camel may perish, or as he (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said. A person does not know what may befall him; perhaps the conditions are available for him in this year and not available in the coming years, or perhaps he dies before he reaches the coming year, so Hajj remains in his liability as a debt. The heirs may hasten to make it up, or they may delay. These are the conditions for the obligation of Hajj. If these conditions are not met, there is no Hajj, as we mentioned.
Then know that it is recommended for a person to perform Hajj according to what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: And due to His saying: And because a condition for the validity of worship, indeed, the condition for the validity of worship is sincerity and following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
So let us now begin by mentioning the manner that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded, which is tamattu'. That is to perform 'Umrah first, then Hajj second. When he reaches the miqat, he bathes and removes the known clothes to wear the special clothes for ihram, which are the izar and the rida'. He applies perfume after bathing with the best perfume he finds on his head and his beard, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did. It does not harm him if the perfume remains after ihram, because this perfume preceded the ihram. And 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Then he recites the talbiyah. If the time for the obligatory prayer is near, let him make the talbiyah after it, after the obligatory prayer. If it is not near, some scholars said: It is recommended to pray two rak'ahs for the sake of ihram, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: And the point is his saying: And some people of knowledge said: There is no specific prayer for ihram; rather, a person enters ihram as soon as he finishes bathing, applying perfume, and wearing the clothes of ihram, without prayer, unless it is the time of a prescribed prayer, such as if it is the time of the Duha prayer, he prays the Duha prayer and enters ihram after it, or he intends to pray two rak'ahs of the Sunnah of wudu', he enters ihram after it. And this is what was said, we say: It is the correct view if it is his habit to do so, meaning if it is his habit to pray the Duha prayer, if it is his habit to pray when he performs wudu'. But if he prays and it is not his habit, it is known that he only intended the prayer for the ihram. The person who prays is not blamed, and the person who does not pray is not blamed. The most important thing is that you form the intention that you have entered the ritual, so you say: Labbaik Allahumma labbaik, labbaik Allahumma labbaik, labbaik la sharika laka labbaik, innal hamda wan ni'mata laka wal mulk, la sharika laka. And you intend to enter the ritual and name your ritual. And what do we name it now?
The student: Tamattu'.

The Shaykh : We call it 'Umrah and say: "Labbaik Allahumma 'Umrah" (Here I am, O Allah, for 'Umrah), and there is no need to say: "Tammata'an ila al-Hajj" (I am combining it with Hajj). You continue to recite the talbiyah until you reach al-Masjid al-Haram and begin the tawaf. When you reach al-Masjid al-Haram, enter it as you enter other mosques, putting your right foot forward and saying the prescribed dhikr. Then proceed to the Black Stone to touch it and kiss it if it is feasible; otherwise, point to it and say at the beginning: . Keep the Ka'bah on your left as you perform the tawaf of 'Umrah for seven circuits. In this tawaf, it is recommended (sunnah) for a man to perform al-ramal (brisk walking) in the first three circuits, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did in the Farewell Pilgrimage. He should also perform al-idtibaa' (uncovering the right shoulder) throughout the entire tawaf. Al-ramal is walking quickly without extending the stride; this is the meaning of their saying: "quickening the pace while keeping the steps close," meaning that you do not take a normal long step, but walk quickly. It is not recommended to shake the shoulders, as we see some of the common people doing; they walk slowly but shake their shoulders. There is no basis for this. It should be said that it is a religious innovation (bid'ah), because those who do it worship Allah with it, and it has not been legislated. Thus, there are two recommended practices (sunnahs): the first is al-ramal, and the second is al-idtibaa'. As for al-ramal, it is only in the first three circuits.
Al-idtibaa' is in the entire tawaf. Its method is to place the middle of one's garment under the right armpit and its ends on the left shoulder until the tawaf is completed.
During his tawaf, he says whatever dhikr, recitation, or supplication he wishes, except that between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, he says: and does not add to that. As for the addition by some: "And admit us to Paradise with the righteous, O Mighty, O Forgiver," this has no basis. However, if the area is crowded, the distance between being opposite the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone will be long, and the walking will be short. What does he do if he says it once? The answer is that he repeats it and persists in supplicating to Allah the Exalted with it. But if he supplicates with something else along with it, there is no harm if it is for this need, because he finished the supplication before being opposite the Black Stone. So we say: if he repeats it, that is better, and if he supplicates with something else, there is no harm. Whenever he is opposite the Black Stone, he says takbir, touches it, and kisses it. In case of difficulty, pointing is sufficient. As for the Yemeni Corner, the sunnah is to touch it without kissing it. If he is unable to do so, he does not point to it, because that has not been reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It is not valid to analogize it to the Black Stone, because analogy in acts of worship is prohibited. This is from one aspect. From another aspect, touching the Black Stone is more emphasized, and therefore kissing it is legislated, whereas kissing the Yemeni Corner is not legislated. When they differ, one cannot analogize one to the other. And thus we say: when you are opposite the Yemeni Corner.