5 Advices for Haajis (Pilgrims)

Shaykh Naasirud-Din al-Albani’s (rahimahullah) “The Rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah” from the Book and the Sunnah and Narrations from the Pious Predecessors provides some advice for the pilgrims.

These are some pieces of advice and useful points which I offer to our brothers about to make Hajj.

Firstly
The pilgrim must fear his Lord by obedience to Him, and must be very careful not to fall into that which Allah has forbidden as Allah Ta’āla says: “For Hajj are the months well-known. If anyone undertaken that duty therein, let there be no obscenity nor wrangling in the Hajj.”[Surat-al-Baqarah, v:197]

And Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “He who performs Hajj and does not speak obscenely or commit evil then he returns from his sins just as the day his mother gave birth to him”, and if he did so then his Hajj would be accepted and Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “The accepted Hajj – there is no less a reward for it than Paradise. [Reported by Bukhari, Ahmad, An-Nasaa’i & Ibn Maajah from Abu Hurairah – may Allah be pleased with him. See ‘Silsilat-ul-Ahadeeth-us-Saheehah’ (no. 1200) and ‘Al-Irwaa’ no. 769]

So he must be aware of what many are affected by because of their ignorance or misguidance:
(a) Directing any form of worship to other than Allah (shirk). And we have seen many of the people falling into shirk – like praying fro the removal of distress or aid from the Prophets and the pious instead of from Allaah alone, and their taking oath by them in veneration of them – so by their actions they completely nullify their Hajj. As Allah Ta’āla says “If you were to join gods with Allaah, truly fruitless will be you work (in life)”. (Surat-uz-Zumar, v:65)

(b) Some men shaving off their beards – as it is a sinful deed – and doing it involves four separate sins.

(c) The wearing of gold rings by men – and this is Haraam – even more so those which are known as wedding-rings as that includes the further sin of imitating the Christians.

Secondly
Everyone who intends to make Hajj and has not brought the sacrificial animal (Hadee) with him, as is the case with most pilgrims these days – and it is very rare for one of them to bring the sacrificial animal along with him as the Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) did. So he who does so, then there is no blame upon him. However one who does not bring it with him and still does Hajj Qaarin or Faarid – then he has gone against the Prophet’s (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) action and his command – even though the people may be averse to this point. As Ibn Abbas narrated- reported by Muslim (4/58) and Ahmad (1/278,342)

So everyone who intends to make Hajj and has not brought the sacrificial animal (Hadee) with him, then he should intend to perform Hajj of Tamattu’ [Refer to Hajj Tamattu’] as Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) ordered his Companions to do in the end. He became angry when some did not immediately carry out this order to change the intention from Hajj to an ‘Umrah and he said: “I have entered the ‘Umrah into the Hajj until the Day of Resurrection”, and when some of the Companions asked whether he had done that only for that year or forever, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) joined his fingers together and said: “I have entered the ‘Umrah into the Hajj until the Day of Resurrection, not just for a time, rather forever. Saheeh Abi Dawood (no.1568 and no.1571)

Hence due to this, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) ordered Faatimah and also all his wives (RadiyAllahu ‘anhunna) to leave the state of ihraam after finishing the ‘Umrah, and therefore Ibn ‘Abbaas (RadiyAllahu ‘anhu) used to say: “Whomsoever makes tawaaf of the House, then he has left ihraam – the Sunnah of your Prophet, even if you are averse to it. [Saheeh Abu Dawood no.1573, no.1580)
His basis for saying that is the saying of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam): “Verily Allah has entered the ‘Umrah into this Hajj of yours, so when you come, he who has made tawaaf of the House and between Safaa and Marwah – then he has become Halaal (left ihraam) except he who had the sacrificial animal with him”.
So everyone who has not brought the sacrificial animal with him, should call out that he is going to make ‘Umrah – in the three months of Hajj. He who has declared his intention to do Hajj Mufrad/Ifraad (Hajj on its own) or Hajj Qaarin/Qiraan then hears of the Prophet’s (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) order to change it – then he should quickly obey even after reaching Makkah and Sa’ee between Safaa and Marwah. He should leave the state of ihraam – then declare the intention for Hajj on the Day of Tarwiyyah – the 8th of Dhul Hijjah.

“O you who believe! Give you response to Allaah and His Messenger, when He calls you to that which will give you life…”[Soorat-ul-Anfaal, v:24].

Thirdly
You must not leave out staying the night at Mina on the night before ‘Arafah as it is obligatory (waajib). Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) did it and ordered it, saying: “Take from me your rites of pilgrimage.” And you must also stay the night at Muzdalifah until you pray the Fajr prayer, and if you miss this staying then you must at least pray Fajr there as that is even more obligatory – rather it is one of the rukn (pillar) of Hajj according to the most correct saying according to the scholars, except upon the woman and the weak. It has been allowed for them to leave after half of the night has passed.

Fourthly
And be very careful not to walk directly in front of anyone praying in the Haram mosque, not to speak of other mosques and praying places as Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “If the one who passes in front of one who is praying knew what (sin) he incurs, he would realise that waiting for *forty* is better than passing in front of him.” Abu’l-Nadr said: I do not know whether he said forty days, or months, or years. [Bukhaari no.510, Muslim no.507]

This is a general text covering everyone walking in front, and everyone praying – and there is no authentic Hadeeth to make any exception for the one doing so in the Haram. You should pray therein like any other place towards a sutrah, according to the general nature of the Hadeeth regarding that.

Fifthly
The people of knowledge should teach the pilgrims the rites of Hajj and its commands according to the Qur-aan and the Sunnah whenever meeting with them. That should not stop them from calling to Tawheed which is the essence of Islam and was the reason for sending of the Prophets, and the sending down of revealed books. Most of the people whom we have met, even some of those who are supposed to be seeking knowledge, we have found to be in complete ignorance of the real meaning of the necessity of the return of the Muslims to their differing madhabs (schools of thoughts) and various parties – to unification and joining ranks upon the basis of the Qur-aan and Sunnah, – in belief (Aqeedah) and Regulations (Ahkaam) and transactions, and behaviour, and politics and economic affairs and all other aspects of life. They must remember that any voice raised or any movement made to reform which is based upon any foundation other than this will form splitting and weakening of the Muslims and will increase their shamefulness and humiliation. The present state of affairs is the greatest proof of that and Allah is the One Whose help is sought.

And there is nothing wrong with debating in the best way – when required, as the kind of argumentation that is forbidden in Hajj is a useless argument which is also forbidden outside Hajj, just like the evil-doing that is forbidden in Hajj. For that is not the debating which is commanded by Allah Ta’āla as mentioned in Surat-un-Nahl, v:125 “Invite (all) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious…”