Advice for Pilgrims

Our brother also asks and says: Many of the pilgrims, may Allah guide them, come from far away and endure difficulties and hardships, but they do not protect their Hajj from what invalidates it or diminishes it, such as being lax about praying in congregation, playing cards, listening to musical instruments, drinking intoxicants, and so on. We ask you to clarify the prohibition of these actions, especially on this path. May Allah reward you with good.
The answer: My advice to all pilgrims, men and women, is to fear Allah in every place on their way to Hajj, at the Hajj sites, in the Sacred Mosque, and everywhere. My advice to everyone is to fear Allah, to strive earnestly to perform what Allah has made obligatory, and to abandon what Allah has forbidden. They should complete their Hajj by staying away from everything Allah has forbidden, so that their Hajj is complete and perfect, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): This is a great favor. So when a believer completes his Hajj without lewdness or transgression, he returns from this great Hajj as if he were born on the day his mother gave birth to him, meaning: his sins are forgiven, meaning: Allah has forgiven him. Lewdness (rafth) is intercourse with a woman and what leads to it in speech and action. So the one in the state of ihram stays away from that; he does not have intercourse with his wife until he finishes his ihram by stoning the pillars, shaving or cutting the hair, and performing the circumambulation and walking between al-Safa and al-Marwah after descending from 'Arafah. The one performing 'Umrah is likewise; if he enters the state of ihram for 'Umrah, he does not approach his wife, nor does he flirt with her, nor does he touch her for desire until he performs the circumambulation and walking, and cuts or shaves his hair, and completes his 'Umrah. This is lewdness. So intercourse and what leads to it is called lewdness. The one in the state of ihram stays away from that in his Hajj and 'Umrah until he completes his Hajj, until he exits the state of ihram from his 'Umrah, and until he exits the second state of ihram from his Hajj after the circumambulation, walking, and stoning the pillars on the Day of 'Id, and shaving or cutting the hair. This is the obligation of the pilgrim and the one performing 'Umrah. Likewise, transgression (fisq) is to be avoided. Transgression and all sins, so the believer avoids transgression in Hajj and otherwise. All sins are called transgression. Among them are backbiting, talebearing, and encroaching on people by beating them or otherwise, or encroaching on their wealth, and cursing and insulting. All of this is among the sins. So it is obligatory for the pilgrim, the one performing 'Umrah, and others, men and women, to avoid that. Among them is being lazy about prayer in congregation, for prayer in congregation is an individual obligation, and it is obligatory for the pilgrim to pray in congregation and not to be lax. Greater and more serious than that is abandoning prayer and being lax with it. This is greater and more serious. One must maintain prayer at its times, for it is the pillar of Islam. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Narrated by Imam Ahmad and the people of the Sunan with a sound chain from Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him). And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahih.
So it is obligatory for everyone, men and women, to care for prayer and maintain it at its times in Hajj and otherwise, and in any place. It is the pillar of Islam and the greatest of the obligations after the two testimonies. So it is obligatory for Muslim men and women to care for prayer and maintain it, and to perform it with humility, tranquility, and full attention, without haste. They should perform it with tranquility, without snapping it off, and without haste on the days of Hajj and other than Hajj. This is how the believer is, and this is how the believing woman is. Likewise, the believer stays away from instruments of amusement and singing in Hajj and otherwise. For singing, as Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: And Allah the Exalted says: [Luqman: 6]. Most of the scholars of exegesis said: "Levity in speech" is singing. And if it is done by women or by those who imitate women, the trial becomes greater and more serious. And if it is on the radio and during the seasons of Hajj, it becomes more severe. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), who is one of the scholars of the Companions, the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), said: Singing is what occurs of rhymed poetry in praise of fornication or intoxicants, or mentioning women, or causing trial through women, or other than this that leads to corruption and evil. So its danger is great in Hajj and otherwise. So it is obligatory to avoid it. And if there are instruments of amusement with the singing, such as the lute, the violin, the flute, and music, the evil becomes more, the trial becomes greater, and the sin becomes more severe. So the believer and the believing woman must beware of that in any place, in Hajj, in the car, in the plane, in the train, in their country, in other than their country, wherever they are. The believer is with his brothers, advising each other to good. So Allah the Exalted says: INDEED, MANKIND IS IN LOSS, EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE AND DO RIGHTDEEDS AND ADVISE EACH OTHER TO TRUTH AND ADVISE EACH OTHER TO PATIENCE [Al-'Asr: 1-3]. These are the winners. These are the happy ones: [An-Nur: 62]. They believed in Allah and His Messenger and they made Allah one and they magnified Him and they were sincere to Him in worship and they believed in His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and they believed in him and followed him and they did righteous deeds, meaning: they performed the obligations of Allah and they avoided the prohibitions of Allah. And with that, they advised each other to truth, meaning: they advise each other and cooperate on righteousness and piety. And they advised each other to patience, also in that. These are the righteous ones. These are the winners. These are the happy ones. They are the good ones. So every believer and believing woman should strive to be among these.