Hajj and umrah
فِيهِ ءَايَٰتٌۢ بَيِّنَٰتٌۭ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۖ وَمَن دَخَلَهُۥ كَانَ ءَامِنًۭا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلْبَيْتِ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًۭا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ٩٧Feehi Aayaatum baiyinaatum Maqaamu Ibraaheema wa man dakhalahoo kaana aaminaa; wa lillaahi 'alan naasi Hijjul Baiti manis tataa'a ilaihi sabeelaa; wa man kafara fa innal laaha ghaniyyun 'anil 'aalameenIn it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.Surah Ali 'Imran 3:97
Hajj is obligatory once in a lifetime on every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able. It takes place from the 8th to the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah; umrah can be made at any time of year.
The three pillars of hajj
- Entering ihram (with intention and the talbiyah).
- Standing at ‘Arafah on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah — the heart of hajj.
- Tawaf al-ifadah.
The days of hajj in brief
- 8th: go to Mina in ihram and stay there.
- 9th: stand at ‘Arafah in du‘a and repentance; after sunset spend the night at Muzdalifah.
- 10th: stone Jamrat al-‘Aqabah, offer the sacrifice, shave or shorten the hair, and perform tawaf al-ifadah.
- 11th–13th: stay in Mina and stone the three jamarat each day; before leaving Makkah, the farewell tawaf.
The talbiyah
لَبَّيْكَ اللّٰهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَLabbaik Allahumma labbaik, labbaika la sharika laka labbaik, innal-hamda wan-ni‘mata laka wal-mulk, la sharika lakHere I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. All praise, blessings and dominion are Yours; You have no partner.
Umrah
Umrah has four acts: ihram from the miqat, seven circuits of tawaf around the Ka‘bah, seven rounds of sa‘i between Safa and Marwah, and shaving or shortening the hair.
Whoever performs hajj without obscenity or sin returns as free of sin as the day his mother bore him. (Bukhari 1521)