The Wisdom Behind the Three Types of Hajj

The following message was received by the program from the listener, Hajj Rafi' al-Kamal al-Din, from the Arab Republic of Egypt. He says: We are a group of pilgrims who would like you to clarify for us why the state of ihram was made in three types: qiran, tamattu', and ifrad? Which of the three types is easiest for the pilgrim? And how was the ihram of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?
Answer: Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, prescribed the three types of rites for a profound wisdom, among which is: making things easy for the Ummah and providing them with leeway. For some people may want to perform only 'Umrah and not Hajj; because they may have performed Hajj previously, so they come with 'Umrah alone, and benefit from this great rite. And 'Umrah is an expiation for what is between it and the other 'Umrah; it contains great good. And performing Hajj alone (ifrad) also contains ease for the pilgrim; because he performs Hajj without 'Umrah, so he does not burden himself with 'Umrah and does not burden himself with the sacrificial animal; because the one who performs tamattu' is required to offer a sacrificial animal. So he comes with Hajj alone, so he responds to the call (talbiyah) for Hajj alone and performs the actions of Hajj when he arrives in Makkah. He performs the arrival tawaf and performs sa'y with it, and remains in his state of ihram until he stands at 'Arafah and until he completes the Hajj. And he is not required to offer a sacrificial animal. This is called: the one who performs ifrad.
The third type is called: the one who performs qiran, and it is called: the one who performs tamattu'. It is the one who comes with both 'Umrah and Hajj. If he combines them in the talbiyah, he says: "Labbaik 'Umrah and Hajj," or: "O Allah, Labbaik 'Umrah and Hajj," or: "O Allah, I have made obligatory 'Umrah and Hajj." So his ruling in terms of action is the ruling of the one who performs ifrad: he performs tawaf and sa'y when he arrives in Makkah, and remains in his state of ihram. When the Day of 'Arafah comes, he stands with the people, and spends the night at Muzdalifah, then he stons the pillars on the Day of 'Id, then he completes his Hajj. And he is required to offer a sacrificial animal; because he combined Hajj and 'Umrah. It is a sacrificial animal, or one-seventh of a camel, or one-seventh of a cow, slaughtered in Makkah or in Mina for the poor and the needy. And he eats from it and feeds others from it.
The second type of tamattu' is: that he enters the state of ihram for 'Umrah, then he exits from it. He performs tawaf and sa'y, and shortens his hair, and exits the state of ihram in the months of Hajj: Shawwal, or Dhu al-Qa'dah, or Dhu al-Hijjah. Then he responds to the call (talbiyah) for Hajj with the people on the eighth day of Dhu al-Hijjah or before it. He stands with the people at 'Arafah, and at Muzdalifah, and at al-Mash'ar al-Haram. And so on, and he completes the Hajj in this manner. This is called: the one who performs tamattu'. And he is required, like the one before him, to offer a sacrificial animal like the one who performs qiran. He is required to offer a sacrificial animal, and it is the sacrificial animal of tamattu', slaughtered in Makkah, or in Mina. And he eats from it and feeds others from it, just as the one who performs qiran did.
This is the difference between these three types of rites, and the wisdom in that—Allah knows best—and the benefit is leeway and ease for the pilgrims. Whoever wants Hajj alone enters the state of ihram for Hajj alone. And whoever wants 'Umrah alone enters the state of ihram for 'Umrah alone at any time. And whoever wants both Hajj and 'Umrah combines them in one rite, or enters the state of ihram for 'Umrah and finishes it, then enters the state of ihram for Hajj. If he arrives as one who performs qiran or ifrad for Hajj before the time of Hajj, then the Sunnah for him is to exit the state of ihram. The Sunnah for him and what is prescribed for him is that he exits the state of ihram, rather than remaining in the state of ihram; because this is difficult for him and tiresome, and it is contrary to the Sunnah. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the pilgrims... he ordered the Companions when they arrived on the fourth of Dhu al-Hijjah, and some of them had entered the state of ihram for qiran and some of them had entered the state of ihram for 'Umrah and exited from it, he ordered them to exit the state of ihram. Some of them had entered the state of ihram for qiran and some of them had entered the state of ihram for Hajj alone, so he ordered them (peace and blessings be upon him) to exit the state of ihram, by: making it 'Umrah, so they perform tawaf and sa'y, and shorten their hair, and exit the state of ihram. So they performed tawaf and sa'y, and shortened their hair, and exited the state of ihram. And he ordered them to offer the sacrificial animal of tamattu'. And whoever did not find it, he fasted ten days: three days in Hajj and seven when he returned to his family. This is the best, and it is that he enters the state of ihram for 'Umrah, so when he finishes it, then he enters the state of ihram for Hajj and offers the sacrificial animal. This is the best, and this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered his Companions to do, and he said: He wished that he had done as they did. So the best for the one who arrives in Makkah in the months of Hajj is that he responds to the call (talbiyah) for 'Umrah, then when he finishes it and the time of Hajj comes, he enters the state of ihram for Hajj, and this is called: the one who performs tamattu'. And this is the best, and it is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to do, and he was pleased with them, and he guided them to it, and he wished that he could do it, if not for the fact that he had the sacrificial animals with him, peace and blessings be upon him. Yes.