A.    Upon whom is Hajj Obligatory? 

            Hajj is a pillar of Islam, it is obligatory on:

1.       The Muslim; it is not obligatory on the Kafir or the apostate from Islam.

2.       One in his right mind; it is not obligatory on the insane.

3.      The freeman; it is not obligatory on the slave, who is the property of his master.

4.      One who has attained puberty; it is not obligatory on the child; if the child performs Hajj, it doesn't absolve him of the obligation to perform it when he attains puberty.

5.      One who is healthy; it is not obligatory on the sick person until he gets well.

6.      One who has the ability; it is not obligatory on one too poor to make the journey.

7.      It is obligatory only once in a lifetime; if a person performs it more than once, he will get reward, and women and men are the same in this regard.

8.      For a woman; she has to have a Mahram to accompany her.

B.    Fundamental constituents (Arkân) of Hajj

The Hajj has some fundamental constituents, if any one of these is missing, the Hajj will not be valid. They are:

1.       Entering the state of Ihram for Hajj: It is the intention, plus the wearing of unstitched cloth, for men: one piece wrapped around the upper part of the body and one piece wrapped around the lower part of the body. Women would remain in their normal clothing.

2.       Staying at 'Arafat: on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah from the time the sun passes the zenith of high noon until sunset. (For latecomers, their Hajj is valid as long as they can get to 'Arafât before the start of Fajr Salat on the 10th).

3.      Tawaf al-Ifädah : It can be performed anytime after Fajr on the 10th until the last day of Dhul-Hijjah. (the 12th month of the Islâmic calendar).

4.      Sa´y (walking) between As-Safa and Al-Marwah: Start from As-Safa and make 7 passages back and forth (3.5 round trips).

The miqat[1] (Arabic: مِيْقَات, : mīqāt  'a stated place') is a principal boundary at which Muslim pilgrims intending to perform the Ḥajj or ʿUmrah must enter the state of iḥrām (lit. 'prohibition'), a state of consecration in which certain permitted activities are made prohibited.

There are five mawāqīt (مَوَاقِيْت). Four of these were defined by the Islamic prophet Muhammad (PBUH). One was defined by the second Rashidun caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, to fulfill the needs of pilgrims from the newly annexed regions in Mesopotamia.[2]


                                                                     C. Compulsory acts (Wajibât) of Hajj

If any compulsory act is not performed, one must offer a sacrifice of an animal to compensate for the omission. These compulsory acts are as follows:

1.       Assuming Ihram from the Miqât.

2.       Extending one's stay at 'Arafat from the afternoon until a part of the night.

3.      Spending the night at Muzdalifah or Mina.

4.      Stoning the Jamarát (pillars).

5.      The Farewell Tawaf (except on a woman who is menstruating at the time she's about to travel).

D.    Things Forbidden to a person in the State of Ihrâm

1. Intercourse, and anything which might lead up to it, such as kissing or touching with desire.

2. Doing bad deeds and sins which expel a person from the obedience of Allah.

3. Arguing with one's companions, servants, or anyone else. The basis for the prohibition of these three things is the Statement of Allâh :

"...So whosoever intends to perform Hajj (therein by assuming Ihram), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj..." (2:197)

4. Wearing of sewn clothes (for men) such as shirts, hooded robes, pants, and covering the head with a cap or turban or shawl, etc. Also, it is forbidden to wear clothing that is dyed with a fragrant dye; also it is forbidden to wear leather socks; but it is permissible to wear sandals. If one cannot find sandals, the leather socks should be cut so that they don't come up to the ankle.

5. All scholars agree that the prohibitions in item 4 are for men only.

6. As for women, they can wear all of that, except for a garment that has perfume on it and the Niqab (veil) which covers her face and gloves, as it is reported that the Prophet said:

It is permissible to cover her face from men by using an umbrella or to let a portion of her outer garment hang over it. 'Aishah said:

"Riders would pass us while we were with Allah's Messenger # in Ihram. When they drew close, each of us would let part of her outer garment hang over her face, and when they would pass, we would uncover our faces." (Abu Dawud)

7. If a man is unable to find or acquire the two sheets normally worn for Ihrâm, or sandals, he should wear what he has. The Prophet said:

"When a Muslim can't find the Izar (lower waist sheet), he should wear pants/trousers, and if he can't find sandals he should wear leather socks." (Agreed upon)

8. It is forbidden for a person in Ihram (for Muhrim) to arrange a marriage for someone else, or to get married himself, or to propose marriage. This is based on the statement of the Prophet:

"A woman in Ihram shouldn't wear a Niqab, nor should she wear gloves." (Bukhari)

"The Muhrim should not marry, nor arrange for another marriage, nor propose." (Muslim)

9.      It is prohibited for the Muhrim to trim his nails, or to remove any hair by shaving or clipping, or by any other method. This is based on Allâh's Statement:

10.   "... and do not shave your heads until the Hady (sacrificial animal) reaches the place of sacrifice..." (2:196)

11.     It is prohibited for the Muhrim, men and women to use perfumes on their bodies or garments.

12.    It is prohibited for the Muhrim to hunt land animals, or slaughter them; he may not even point towards it or make it flee so another person could kill it, but it is permissible to catch fish or take any sea dwelling animal out of it, as well as eating it. Allah said:

13.    "Lawful to you is (the pursuit of) water-game and its use for food for the benefit of yourselves and those who travel, but forbidden is (the pursuit of) land-game as long as you are in a state of Ihram (for Hajj or Umrah)..." (5:96)


Last modified: Saturday, 20 April 2024, 10:25 PM