Quranic Injunction on Hajj:
".....And Hajj(pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House(ka'bah)is a duty that
mankind owes to Allah,those who can afford the expenses(for ones's
conveyance,provision and residence);and whoever disbelieves{i.e.denies
Hajj(pilgrimageto makkah),then he is a disbeliever of Allah},then Allah
stands not in need of any of the Alamin(mankind,jinn and all that
exists).Holy Quran Surah Al-Imran ayah 97.(See also Sahih Al-Bukhari vol.2
Chapter 1)

Question:
I want to know about Hajj in detail.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Hajj is one of the best acts of worship. It is one of the pillars of Islam
with which Allaah sent Muhammad and without which a person’s religious
commitment is incomplete.

Worship cannot bring a person closer to Allaah and cannot be accepted unless
it meets two conditions:

1 – Sincerity towards Allaah alone, i.e., it is done to seek the Countenance
of Allaah and the Hereafter, and is not done to show off, to enhance one’s
reputation or for worldly gain.

2 – Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in
word and deed. Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) can only be achieved by knowing his Sunnah.

Hence the one who wants to worship Allaah by doing any act of worship – Hajj
or anything else – has to learn the teachings of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning it, so that his actions will be
in accordance with the Sunnah.

We will sum up in these few lines the description of Hajj as narrated in the
Sunnah.

Types of Hajj

There are three types of Hajj: Tamattu’, Ifraad and Qiraan.

Tamattu’ means entering ihraam for ‘Umrah only during the months of Hajj
(the months of Hajj are Shawwaal, Dhu’l-Qi’dah and Dhu’l-Hijjah; see
al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/62). When the pilgrim reaches Makkah he performs
tawaaf and saa’i for ‘Umrah, and shaves his head or cuts his hair, and exits
ihraam. Then when the day of al-Tarwiyah, which is the 8th of Dhu’l-Hijjah,
comes, he enters ihraam for Hajj only, and does all the actions of Hajj. So
Tamattu’ involves a complete ‘Umrah and a complete Hajj.

Ifraad means entering ihraam for Hajj only. When the pilgrim reaches Makkah
he performs tawaaf al-qudoom (tawaaf of arrival) and saa’i for Hajj, but he
does not shave or cut his hair and does not exit ihraam, rather he remains
in ihraam until he exits ihraam after stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day
of Eid.  If he delays the saa’i of Hajj until after the tawaaf of Hajj,
there is nothing wrong with that.

Qiraan means entering ihraam for ‘Umrah and Hajj both together. Or entering
ihraam for ‘Umrah first then including Hajj in that before starting the
tawaaf of Hajj. That is done by intending that his tawaaf and saa’i will be
for both Hajj and ‘Umrah.

The actions done in Qiraan are the same as those done in Ifraad, except that
the pilgrim doing Qiraan has to offer a hadiy (sacrifice) whereas the
pilgrim doing Ifraad does not.

The best of these three types of Hajj is Tamattu’. This is what the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined upon his companions and
urged them to do. Even if a person enters ihraam for Qiraan or Ifraad, then
it is strongly recommended for him to change his intention to ‘Umrah, then
complete ‘Umrah and exit ihraam, so that he will then be doing Tamattu’. He
may do that after doing tawaaf al-qudoom and saa’i  – because when the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did tawaaf and saa’i
during his Farewell Pilgrimage, and his companions were with him, he told
everyone who did not have a sacrificial animal (hadiy) to change his
intention and make his ihraam for ‘Umrah and to cut his hair and exit
ihraam, and he said, “Were it not that I have brought the hadiy with me, I
would do what I have commanded you to do.”

Ihraam

The pilgrim should observe the Sunnahs of ihraam which are mentioned below
in more detailed, namely doing ghusl, applying perfume and praying. Then he
should enter ihraam after he finishes the prayer or after boarding his means
of transportation.

Then if he is doing Tamattu’, he should say, “Labbayk Allaahumma bi ‘Umrah
(Here I am, O Allaah, for ‘Umrah).”

If he is doing Qiraam, he should say, “Labbayk Allaahumma bi Hijjah wa
‘Umrah (Here I am, O Allaah, for Hajj and ‘Umrah).”

If he is doing Ifraad, he should say, “Labbayk Allaahumma Hajjan (Here I am,
O Allaah, for Hajj).”

Then he should say, “Allaahumma haadhihi hijjah laa riyaa’a fiha wa la
sum’ah (O Allaah, this is a pilgrimage in which there is no showing off or
seeking reputation).”

Then he should recite the Talbiyah as the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) did: “Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka
laka labbayk. Inna al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak
(Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am.
Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no
partner).”

The Talbiyah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also
included the words, “Labbayka ilaah al-haqq (Here I am, O God of Truth).”

Ibn ‘Umar used to add to the Talbiyah the words, “Labbaayk wa sa’dayka,
wa’l-khayr bi yadayka, wa’l-raghba’ ilayka wa’l-‘aml (Here I am and blessed
by You, and all good is in Your hands, and desire and action are directed
towards You).”

Men should raise their voices when saying this, but a woman should recite in
such a manner that those who are beside her can hear it, unless there is a
man beside her who is not one of her mahrams, in which case she should
recite it silently.

If the person who is entering ihraam fears some obstacle that may prevent
him from completing his pilgrimage (such as sickness, an enemy, being
stopped from proceeding any further, etc), then he should stipulate a
condition when entering ihraam by saying, “If I am prevented then my exiting
ihraam is where I am prevented” – i.e., if something prevents me from
completing my pilgrimage such as sickness or delay etc, then I will exit my
ihraam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded
Dubaa’ah bint al-Zubayr, when she wanted to enter ihraam but she was sick,
to stipulate such a condition, and he said, “Your condition is valid with
your Lord.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5089) and Muslim (1207).

If he stipulates this condition and something happens to prevent him from
completing his pilgrimage, then he exits his ihraam and does not have to do
anything (i.e., offer a sacrifice in compensation).

But the one who does not fear that some obstacle may prevent him from
completing his pilgrimage does not have to stipulate any conditions, because
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not stipulate
conditions nor did he command everyone to do so. Rather he told Dubaa’ah
bint al-Zubayr to do that because she was sick.

The muhrim (person who has entered ihraam) should recite the Talbiyah a
great deal, especially when circumstances and times change, such as when
going up to a high place or going down to a low place, or when night or day
begin. After that he should ask Allaah for His good pleasure and for
Paradise, and seek refuge in His Mercy from the Fire.

The Talbiyah is prescribed in ‘Umrah from the moment one enters ihraam until
one starts Tawaaf. In Hajj it is prescribed from the moment one enters
ihraam until one stones Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day of Eid.

Ghusl when entering Makkah

When the pilgrim approaches Makkah, he should do ghusl before entering, if
possible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
did ghusl before entering Makkah. Narrated by Muslim, 1259.

Then when he enters al-Masjid al-Haraam he should do so with his right foot
first, and say, “Bismillaah wa’l-salaatu wa’l-salaam ‘ala Rasool-Allaah.
Allaahumma ighfir li dhunoobi waftah li abwaab rahmatika. A’oodhu Billaah
il-‘Azeem wa bi wajhih il-kareem wa bi sultaanih il-‘qadeem min al-Shaytaan
il-rajeem (In the name of Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the
Messenger of Allaah. O Allaah, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates
of Your mercy. I seek refuge with Allaah the Almighty and in His noble
Countenance and His eternal power from the accursed Satan).” Then he should
go to the Black Stone in order to start tawaaf… The description of Tawaaf is
given in Question no. 31819.

Then after he has done tawaaf and prayed two rak’ahs, he should go to the
Mas’a (place for doing saa’i) and perform saa’i between al-Safa and
al-Marwah. The description of saa’i is given in question no. 31819.

The pilgrim who is doing Tamattu’ should do saa’i for ‘Umrah; those who are
doing Ifraad and Qiraan should do saa’i for Hajj, and they may delay it
until after Tawaaf al-Ifaadah.

Shaving the head or cutting the hair

When the pilgrim who is doing Tamattu’ has completed seven circuits of
saa’i, he should shave his head if he is a man, or cut his hair. If he
shaves his head he must shave his entire head, and if he cuts his hair he
must cut from all over his head. Shaving is better than cutting because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made du’aa’ three times
for those who shaved their heads and once for those who cut their hair.
Narrated by Muslim, 1303.

But if the time of Hajj is so close that there will be no time for the hair
to grow back, then it is better to cut one’s hair at this point, so that
there will be some hair left to shave during Hajj. The evidence for that is
the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
commanded his companions, during the Farewell Pilgrimage, to cut their hair
during ‘Umrah, because they arrived on the morning of the 4th of
Dhu’l-Hijjah.

Women should cut the length of a fingertip from their hair.

With these actions, the ‘Umrah of the one who is doing Tamattu’ is
concluded, after which he should exit ihraam completely and do everything
that those who are not in ihraam do, such as wearing regular clothes,
wearing perfume, having intercourse with their wives, etc.

Those who are doing Ifraad or Qiraan should not shave their heads or cut
their hair, or exit ihraam, rather they should remain in ihraam until they
exit ihraam on the day of Eid, after stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah and shaving
their heads or cutting their hair.

Then when the day of al-Tarwiyah comes, which is the 8th day of
Dhu’l-Hijjah, the one who is doing Tamattu’ should enter ihraam for Hajj in
the morning from the place where he is in Makkah. It is mustahabb for him to
do the same when entering ihraam for Hajj as he did when entering ihraam for
‘Umrah, namely doing ghusl, putting on perfume and praying. He should form
the intention of entering ihraam for Hajj and recite the Talbiyah, and say,
“Labbayk Allaahumma Hajjan (Here I am, O Allaah, for Hajj).”

If he fears some obstacle that may prevent him from completing his Hajj, he
should stipulate a condition by saying, “If I am prevented then my exiting
ihraam is where I am prevented.” If he does not fear any such obstacle then
he should not make any such condition. It is mustahabb to recite the
Talbiyah out loud until he starts to stone Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day of
Eid.

Going to Mina

Then the pilgrim should go out to Mina and pray Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Isha’
and Fajr there, shortening the prayers but not joining them, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to shorten his
prayers in Mina but he did not join them. Shortening the prayers means
making the four-rak’ah prayers two raka’ahs. The people of Makkah and others
should shorten their prayers in Mina, ‘Arafah and Muzdalifah because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to lead the people
in prayer during the Farewell Pilgrimage and there were people from Makkah
with him, but he did not tell them to offer their prayers in full. If it had
been obligatory for them to do so, he would have told them to do so as he
did on the day of the Conquest of Makkah. But since the city has spread and
incorporated Mina so that it is like one of the quarters of Makkah, then the
people of Makkah should not shorten their prayers there.

Going to ‘Arafah

When the sun rises on the day of ‘Arafah, the pilgrim travels from Mina to
‘Arafah and stops in Namirah until the time of Zuhr (Namirah is a place just
before ‘Arafah), if he can do so. If he cannot do it, it does not matter
because staying in Namirah is Sunnah but it is not obligatory. When the sun
passes its zenith (i.e., when the time for Zuhr prayer begins), he should
pray Zuhr and ‘Asr, two rak’ahs each, and join them together at the time of
Zuhr, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, so as
to leave a lot of time for standing and making du’aa’.

Then after the prayer he should devote his time to making dhikr and du’aa’
and beseeching Allaah, and praying as he likes, raising his hands and facing
the qiblah even if the mountain of ‘Arafah is behind him, because the Sunnah
is to face the qiblah, not the mountain. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) stood by the mountain and said, “I am standing here, but
all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.”

Most of the Prophet’s du’aa’ in that great place of standing was: “Laa
ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk, wa lahu’l-hamd, wa
huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god but Allaah alone, with no
partner or associate; His is the Dominion, all praise is due to Him, and He
is able to do all things).”

If the pilgrim gets tired and wants to have a break by talking to his
companions about useful things or by reading from some useful books,
especially things that have to do with the generosity and great bounty of
Allaah, in order to increase his hopes on that day, this is good.  Then he
can go back to beseeching Allaah and praying to Him. He should strive to
make the most of the end of the day by making du’aa’. The best of du’aa’ is
du’aa’ made on the day of ‘Arafah.

Going to Muzdalifah

When the sun sets, the pilgrim should go to Muzdalifah. When he reaches
there, he should pray Maghrib and ‘Isha’ with one adhaan and two iqaamahs.
If he fears that he will not reach Muzdalifah before midnight, he should
pray on the way, because it is not permissible to delay ‘Isha’ prayer until
after midnight.

He should stay overnight in Muzdalifah, then when dawn comes he should pray
Fajr early, with the adhaan and iqaamah, and then head for al-Mash’ar
al-Haraam (which is the site of the mosque in Muzdalifah) and proclaim the
oneness and greatness of Allaah (by saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah and Allaahu
akbar), and making du’aa’ as he likes, until it has become very light (i.e.,
when the light of day appears before the sun has actually risen). If it is
not easy for him to go to al-Mash’ar al-Haraam, he should make du’aa’ where
he is, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood
there and all of Muzdalifah is the place of standing. When he is reciting
dhikr and making du’aa’ he should face the qiblah and raise his hands.

Going to Mina

When it has become very light, before the sun rises, he should go to Mina
and hasten through Wadi Mahsar (which is a valley between Muzdalifah and
Mina). When he reaches Mina he should stone Jamarat al-‘Aqabah, which is the
last one that is closest to Makkah, throwing seven pebbles one after
another, each of which should be approximately the size of a fava bean,
saying “Allaahu akbar” with each throw. (The Sunnah when stoning Jamarat
al-‘Aqabah is to face the Jamarah with Makkah to one's left and Mina to one
one’s right). When he has finished this stoning, he should slaughter his
sacrificial animal, then shave his head or cut his hair if he is male; women
should cut the length of a fingertip from their hair. This is the first
stage of exiting ihraam, in which it becomes permissible to do everything
except have intercourse with one's wife. Then the pilgrim should go back to
Makkah and do tawaaf and saa’i for Hajj. Then comes the second stage of
exiting ihraam, after which everything becomes permissible which was
forbidden whilst in ihraam.

The Sunnah is to put on perfume when one wants to go to Makkah to do tawaaf
after stoning the jamarat and shaving one’s head, because ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) said: “I used to apply perfume to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before he entered ihraam and
when he exited ihraam, before he circumambulated the House.” Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 1539; Muslim, 1189.

Then after tawaaf and saa’i, he should go back to Mina and stay there for
two night, the 11th and 12th of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and stone the three jamarats
during those two days, when the sun has passed its zenith. It is better for
him to go to the jamarats walking, but if he rides that is acceptable. He
should stone the first jamarah, which is the one that is furthest away from
Makkah and next to Masjid al-Kheef, with seven pebbles, one after another,
and say “Allaahu akbar” after each throw. Then he should go forward a little
and say a lengthy du’aa’, saying whatever he likes. If it is too difficult
for him to stand for a long time and make du’aa’, he should say whatever is
easy for him, even if it is only a little, so that he will have done the
Sunnah.

Then he should stone the middle jamarah with seven pebbles, one after
another, saying “Allaahu akbar” with every throw. Then he should move to his
left and stand facing the qiblah, raising his hands, and offer a lengthy
du’aa’ if he can. Otherwise he should stand for as long as he can. He should
not omit to stand and make du’aa’ because it is Sunnah. Many people neglect
that because of ignorance or because they take the matter lightly. The more
the Sunnah is neglected the more important it becomes to do it and spread it
among the people, lest it be abandoned and die out.

Then he should stone Jamarat al-‘Aqabah with seven pebbles, one after
another, saying “Allaahu akbar” with each throw, then he should go away and
not offer a du’aa’ after that.

When he has completed the stoning of the Jamaraat on the 12th day of
Dhu’l-Hijjah, if he wants he may hasten and leave Mina, and if he wants he
may delay his departure and stay there for another night, the night of the
13th, and stone the three Jamaraat after noon as he did before. It is better
to delay, but it is not obligatory unless the sun has set on the 12th and he
is still in Mina, in which case it is obligatory to stay until one has
stoned the three Jamaraat after noon on the following day. But if the sun
sets on the 12th and he is still in Mina but not by choice, such as if he
had already started out and boarded his means of transportation, but got
delayed because of crowded conditions and traffic jams etc., then he is not
obliged to stay there, because the delay until sunset was not by his choice.

When the pilgrim wants to leave Makkah and go back to his country, he should
not leave until he has performed the farewell tawaaf (tawaaf al-wadaa’),
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No
one should leave until the last thing that he does is (tawaaf) around the
House.” Narrated by Muslim, 1327). According to another version, he told the
people that the last thing they should do was (tawaaf) around the house, but
he made an exception for women who were menstruating. Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 1755; Muslim, 1328.

Women who are menstruating or bleeding following childbirth do not have to
do the farewell tawaaf; neither should they stand by the door of al-Masjid
al-Haraam to bid farewell, because that was not narrated from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

The last thing the pilgrim should do when he wants to leave is to
circumambulate the House. If after the farewell tawaaf he stays and waits
for his companions or to load his luggage or to buy something he needs on
the way, there is nothing wrong with that, and he does not have to repeat
the tawaaf, unless he intends to delay his journey, such as if he intended
to travel at the beginning of the day and he did the farewell tawaaf, then
he delays his travelling until the end of the day, for example; in this case
he has to repeat the tawaaf so that it will be the last thing he does in
Makkah.

Note:

The pilgrim who enters ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah has to do the following:

1-     He has to adhere to that which Allaah has enjoined of religious laws,
such as praying on time in congregation.

2-     He has to avoid all that Allaah has forbidden of obscene and immoral
speech and sin, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein (by assuming Ihraam), then he
should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor
dispute unjustly during the Hajj”

[al-Baqarah 2:197]

3-He should avoid annoying the Muslims with his words or actions, at the
holy sites and elsewhere.

4-He should avoid all things that are forbidden when in ihraam:

a.So he should not cut anything from his hair or nails, but removing thorns
and the like is fine, even if that results in some bleeding.

b.He should not apply perfume after entering ihraam, either to his body, his
clothes, his food or his drink. He should not wash with perfumed soap
either. But if any traces of perfume remain from that which he put on before
entering ihraam, that does not matter.

c.He should not hunt.

d.He should not have intercourse with his wife.

e.He should not touch her with desire or kiss her etc.

f.He should not enter into a marriage contract for himself or arrange a
marriage for anyone else, or propose marriage to a woman for himself or on
behalf of another.

g.He should not wear gloves, but wrapping one’s hands with a piece of cloth
does not matter.

These seven prohibitions apply equally to men and women.

The following apply only to men:

-Men should not cover their heads with something that stays on the head.
Shading their heads with umbrellas, car roofs and tents, and carrying mats
etc. (on one’s head, when moving them from one place to another), is
acceptable.

-They should not wear shirts, turbans, burnouses, pants or leather slippers,
unless someone cannot find an izar (waist wrapper), in which case he may
wear pants; and if he cannot find sandals he may wear shoes.

-They should not wear anything that is akin to the above, such as abayas,
cloaks, hats, t-shirts and the like.

-It is permissible for men to wear sandals, rings, eyeglasses and hearing
aids, and to wear wristwatches, or to put watches on strings around their
necks, and to wear money belts.

-It is permissible for them to wash with unperfumed soaps, and to scratch
their heads and bodies, and if any hairs fall unintentionally as a result,
there is no sin on them.

Women should not wear niqaab, which is what they use to cover their faces,
with holes cut for the eyes. They should not wear the burqa’ either.

The Sunnah is for them to uncover their faces unless non-mahram men can see
them, in which case they should cover their faces whilst in ihraam and at
other times.

See Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah by al-Albaani [available in English as The
Rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah, published by International Islamic Publishing
House, Riyadh]; Sifat al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah and al-Manhaj li Mureed al-‘Umrah
wa’l-Hajj by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on them all).

Question:

“Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk. Inna
al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak (Here I am, O Allaah,
here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and
blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner).”
This is the Talbiyah recited by the pilgrim doing Hajj and ‘Umrah. What is
its meaning and what is the benefit of it?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Hajj is the symbol of Tawheed (the Oneness of Allaah) from the first moment
the pilgrim enters ihraam. Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said, describing the Hajj
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Then he srated
to say the words of Tawheed, ‘“Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa
shareeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa
shareeka lak  (Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no
partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all
sovereignty, You have no partner).’” Narrated by Muslim.

Anas said, describing how the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) entered ihraam, that he said: “Labbayka ‘Umrata laa
riyaa’a fiha wa la sum’ah (Here I am for ‘Umrah in which there is no showing
off or seeking reputation).”

This trains the soul to acknowledge the Oneness of Allaah and to be sincere
towards Him.

The pilgrim starts his Hajj with Tawheed, and continues to recite the
Talbiyah with its words of Tawheed, and he moves from one action to the next
with Tawheed.

The Talbiyah has a number of meanings, such as:

1.“Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk (Here I am, O Allaah, here I am)” is one
response after another, which is repeated to show that the response is
lasting and ongoing.

2.“Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk (Here I am, O Allaah, here I am)” means, I
submit and submit again, i.e., ongoing submission.

3.It may mean staying in one place (labba bi’l-makaan) and clinging to it,
which means, I am persisting in obeying You, thus emphasizing the meaning of
continuous servitude to Allaah.

4.One of the meanings of the Talbiyah is confirming love of Allaah. There is
an Arabic phrase imra’ah labbah (a loving woman) which refers to a woman who
loves her child. One only says “Labbayk (Here I am at your service)” to a
person whom one loves and respects.

5.It implies sincerity, as in the phrase lubb al-shay’ which means the
essence of a thing, and lubb al-rajul which means a man’s mind and heart.

6.It implies drawing close, as in the word ilbaab, which means drawing
close, so it emphasizes the meaning of seeking to draw closer and closer to
Allaah.

7.It is a symbol of the Tawheed of the religion of Ibraaheem, which is the
spirit and aim of Hajj, indeed the spirit and aim of all the acts of
worship. Hence the Talbiyah is the key to this act of worship that the
pilgrim is embarking on.

The Talbiyah also includes:

Praise of Allaah, which is the dearest thing with which a person may draw
close to Allaah.

It implies recognition of the blessings of Allaah, for He is the source of
all blessings and the One Who bestows them.

And it includes acknowledging that all sovereignty belongs to Allaah alone,
and no one else has any true dominion.

See Mukhtasar Tahdheeb al-Sunan, by Ibn al-Qayyim, 2/335-339

When the pilgrim is reciting the Talbiyah, he feels a connection with all
other created beings, as they all join with him in submission to Allaah
alone and echo his Talbiyah. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who recites the Talbiyah but whatever is
to his right and to his left of stones, rocks and clods recites it with him,
to the furthest point to the east and the west” – meaning from his right and
his left. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 828; also by Ibn Khuzaymah and al-Bayhaqi
  with a saheeh isnaad.


Question:
I want to know about ‘Umrah in detail.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

An act of worship cannot be accepted unless it meets two conditions:

1 – Sincerity towards Allaah alone, i.e., it is done to seek the Countenance
of Allaah and the Hereafter, and is not done to show off, to enhance one’s
reputation or for worldly gain.

2 – Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in
word and deed. Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) can only be achieved by knowing his Sunnah

Hence the one who wants to worship Allaah by doing any act of worship – Hajj
or anything else – has to learn the teachings of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning it, so that his actions will be
in accordance with the Sunnah.

We will sum up in these few lines the description of ‘Umrah as narrated in
the Sunnah.

‘Umrah is composed of four things, namely: ihraam, circumambulation of the
Sacred House (tawaaf), saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and shaving the
head or cutting the hair.

1 – Ihraam.

Ihraam means having the intention of starting the rituals of Hajj or ‘Umrah.

When the pilgrim wants to enter ihraam, he should change his clothes and do
ghusl like the ghusl done to cleanse oneself of janaabah (impurity following
sexual activity). Then he should apply whatever perfume is available, musk
or whatever, to his head and beard. It does not matter if traces of that
perfume remain after he enters ihraam, because of the hadeeth narrated in
al-Saheehayn from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said: When
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to enter
ihraam, he would perfume himself with the best perfume he could find, then I
would see shining traces of that musk on his head and beard after that.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 271; Muslim, 1190.

Doing ghusl when entering ihraam is Sunnah for both men and women, even
women who are bleeding following childbirth or menstruating, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded Asma’ bint
‘Umays when she was bleeding following childbirth to do ghusl when she
entered ihraam, and to bandage her private parts and enter ihraam. Narrated
by Muslim, 1209. Then after doing ghusl and putting on perfume, the pilgrim
should put on the ihraam garments and – apart from women who are bleeding
following childbirth or menstruating – pray the obligatory prayer if that is
at the time of an obligatory prayer, otherwise they should  pray two rak’ahs
with the intention of the Sunnah prayer of wudoo’. When the pilgrim has
finished praying he should face the qiblah and enter ihraam. He may delay
ihraam until he has boarded his means of transportation, and is ready to
move off, but he should enter ihraam before he leaves the meeqaat for
Makkah.

Then he should say, Labbayk Allaahumma bi ‘Umrah (Here I am, O Allaah, for
‘Umrah).

Then he should recite the Talbiyah as the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) did: “Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka
laka labbayk. Inna al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak
(Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am.
Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no
partner).”

The Talbiyah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also
included the words, “Labbayka ilaah al-haqq (Here I am, O God of Truth).”

Ibn ‘Umar used to add to the Talbiyah the words, “Labbaayk wa sa’dayka,
wa’l-khayr bi yadayka, wa’l-raghba’ ilayka wa’l-‘aml (Here I am and blessed
by You, and all good is in Your hands, and desire and action are directed
towards You).”

Men should raise their voices when saying that, because the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Jibreel came to me and told me
to tell my companions and those who are with me to raise their voices when
reciting the Talbiyah.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi
Dawood, 1599. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The
best of Hajj is that in which voices are raised in the Talbiyah and the
blood of the sacrificial animal flows.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1112.

A woman should recite in such a manner that those who are beside her can
hear it, unless there is a man beside her who is not one of her mahrams, in
which case she should recite it silently.

If the person who is entering ihraam fears some obstacle that may prevent
him from completing his pilgrimage (such as sickness, an enemy, being
stopped from proceeding any further, etc), then he should stipulate a
condition when entering ihraam by saying, “If I am prevented then my exiting
ihraam is where I am prevented” – i.e., if something prevents me from
completing my pilgrimage such as sickness or delay etc, then I will exit my
ihraam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded
Dubaa’ah bint al-Zubayr, when she wanted to enter ihraam but she was sick,
to stipulate such a condition, and he said, “Your condition is valid with
your Lord.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5089) and Muslim (1207).

If he stipulates this condition and something happens to prevent him from
completing his pilgrimage, then he can exit his ihraam and does not have to
do anything (i.e., offer a sacrifice in compensation).

But the one who does not fear that some obstacle may prevent him from
completing his pilgrimage does not have to stipulate any conditions, because
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not stipulate
conditions nor did he command everyone to do so. Rather he told Dubaa’ah
bint al-Zubayr to do that because she was sick.

The muhrim (person who has entered ihraam) should recite the Talbiyah a
great deal, especially when circumstances and times change, such as when
going up to a high place or going down to a low place, or when night or day
begin. After that he should ask Allaah for His good pleasure and for
Paradise, and seek refuge in His Mercy from the Fire.

The Talbiyah is prescribed in ‘Umrah from the moment one enters ihraam until
one starts Tawaaf. When he starts Tawaaf he should stop reciting the
Talbiyah.

Ghusl when entering Makkah

When the pilgrim approaches Makkah, he should do ghusl before entering, if
possible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
did ghusl when he entered Makkah. Narrated by Muslim, 1259.

2 – Tawaaf

Then when he enters al-Masjid al-Haraam he should do so with his right foot
first, and say, “Bismillaah wa’l-salaatu wa’l-salaam ‘ala Rasool-Allaah.
Allaahumma ighfir li dhunoobi waftah li abwaab rahmatika. A’oodhu Billaah
il-‘Azeem wa bi wajhih il-kareem wa bi sultaanih il-‘qadeem min al-Shaytaan
il-rajeem (In the name of Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the
Messenger of Allaah. O Allaah, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates
of Your mercy. I seek refuge with Allaah the Almighty and in His noble
Countenance and His eternal power from the accursed Satan).” Then he should
go to the Black Stone in order to start tawaaf. He should touch the Stone
with his right hand and kiss it; if he cannot kiss it then he should touch
it with his hand and kiss his hand. If he cannot touch it with his hand then
he should face the Stone and point to it with his hand and say “Allaahu
akbar”, but he should not kiss his hand.

There is a great deal of virtue in touching the Black Stone, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will raise
up the Black Stone on the Day of Resurrection and it will have two eyes with
which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak, and it will bear
witness for those who touched it in sincerity.” Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1144.

It is better not to crowd around and cause annoyance to people or be annoyed
by them, because of the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said to ‘Umar: “O ‘Umar, you are a strong man, do not
crowd around the Stone and disturb the weak. If you find space, then touch
it, otherwise just face it and say ‘Allaahu akbar.’” Narrated by Ahmad, 191;
classed as qawiy by al-Albaani in Risaalat Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah, p.
21.

Then he should move towards the right, with the Ka’bah on his left, and when
he reaches the Yemeni Corner  (al-Rukn al-Yamaani, which is the third corner
after the Black Stone) he should touch it, without kissing his hand or
saying “Allaahu akbar”. If he cannot touch it then he should move on, and
not crowd around it. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone he should
say, “Rabbanaa aatina fi’l-dunya hasanah wa fi’l-aakhirah hasanah wa qinna
‘adhaab al-Naar (Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in
the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the
Fire).” Narrated by Abu Dawood and classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh
Abi Dawood, 1666.

Every time he passes the Black Stone he should face it and say ‘Allaahu
akbar’, and in the rest of his tawaaf he should recite whatever he likes of
dhikr, du’aa’ and Qur’aan, because tawaaf around the Ka’bah has been
established for the remembrance of Allaah.

In Tawaaf men should do two things:

1 – Uncovering the right shoulder (idtibaa’) from the beginning of tawaaf
until the end. This is done by placing the middle of the rida’ (upper
garment) beneath the right armpit and the ends of the rida’ over the left
shoulder. When the pilgrim finishes tawaaf, he should put his rida’ back as
it was before tawaaf, because the time for wearing it with one shoulder
uncovered is only in tawaaf.

2 – Raml in the first three circuits only. Raml means walking quickly with
short steps. In the last four circuits there is no raml, rather the pilgrim
should walk normally.

When the pilgrim has completed seven circuits of tawaaf, he should cover his
right shoulder and then go to the Station of Ibraaheem (Maqaam Ibraaheem)
and recite the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“And take you (people) the Maqaam (place) of Ibraaheem (Abraham) [or the
stone on which Ibraaheem (Abraham) stood while he was building the Ka‘bah]
as a place of prayer (for some of your prayers, e.g. two Rak‘at after the
Tawaaf of the Ka‘bah at Makkah),”

[al-Baqarah 2:125]

Then he should pray two rak’ahs behind the Station; in the first rak’ah
after reciting al-Faatihah he should recite Yaa ayyaha’l-kaafiroon (Soorat
al-Kaafiroon 109) and in the second Qul Huwa Allaahu ahad (Soorat al-Ikhlaas
112). Then when he has finished this prayer he should go to the Black Stone
and touch it if he can. It is prescribed at this point to touch it only; if
he cannot do that then he should go away and not point to it.

3 – Saa’i

Then he should go out to the Mas’aa (place for saa’i) and when he comes near
to al-Safa’ he should recite (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah (two mountains in Makkah) are of the Symbols
of Allaah”

[al-Baqarah 2:158]

And he should say: “Nabda’u bima bada’a Allaah bihi (We start with that with
which Allaah started).”

Then he should climb al-Safa until he can see the Ka’bah, then he should
face it and raise his hands and praise Allaah, and make du’aa’ as he wishes.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say: “Laa
ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk, wa lahu’l-hamd, wa
huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer. Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdah, anjaza wa’dah,
wa nasara ‘abdah, wa hazamaa al-ahzaaba wahdah (There is no god but Allaah
alone, with no partner or associate; His is the Dominion, all praise is due
to Him, and He is able to do all things. There is no god but Allaah alone;
he fulfilled His promise, granted victory to His slave, and defeated the
confederates alone).” Narrated by Muslim, 1218.

He should repeat that three times, and make du’aa’ in between. He should
recite this dhikr then make du’aa’, then recite it again and make du’aa’,
and recite it a third time, then come down to al-Marwah, and not make du’aa’
after the third time.

When he reaches the green marker he should run as quickly as he can without
disturbing anyone, because it was proven that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah,
and he said, “The river bed is not crossed except with vigour.” Narrated by
Ibn Maajah and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 2419.
The river bed [it was a dried river bed in the time of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] is the area between the two green
markers that stand there now.

When he reaches the second green marker, he should walk normally until he
reaches al-Marwah. He should climb up it and turn to face the qiblah, and
raise his hands and say what he said at al-Safa. Then he should come down
from al-Marwah and head for al-Safa, walking in the place of walking and
running in the place of running. When he reaches al-Safa he should do what
he did the first time, and the same when he goes back to al-Marwah, until he
has completed seven circuits; going from al-Safa’ to al-Marwah is one
circuit, and coming back from al-Marwah to al-Safa is another circuit.
During his saa’i he can say whatever he likes or dhikr and du’aa’, and
recite Qur’aan.

Note:

The verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah (two mountains in Makkah) are of the Symbols
of Allaah”

[al-Baqarah 2:158]

should be recited by the pilgrim who wants to perform saa’i when he
approaches al-Safa at the beginning of saa’i only. It is not mustahabb to
repeat it every time he approaches al-Safa and al-Marwah, as some people do.

4 – Shaving the head or cutting the hair

When he has completed seven circuits (of saa’i) he should shave his head if
he is a man, or cut some of his hair. If he shaves his head he must shave
his entire head, and if he cuts his hair he must cut from all over his head.
Shaving is better than cutting because the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) made du’aa’ three times for those who shaved their heads
and once for those who cut their hair. Narrated by Muslim, 1303.

Women should cut the length of a fingertip from their hair.

With these actions, ‘Umrah is complete. So ‘Umrah consists of ihraam,
tawaaf, saa’i and shaving the head or cutting the hair.

We ask Allaah to help us to do righteous deeds, and to accept them from us,
for He is Ever Near and responds to our prayers.

See Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah by al-Albaani [available in English as The
Rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah, published by International Islamic Publishing
House, Riyadh]; Sifat al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah and al-Manhaj li Mureed al-‘Umrah
wa’l-Hajj by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on them all).


Question:
Is it permissible to give zakaah to a poor person so that he can perform the
obligation of Hajj?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah has mentioned the things on which zakaah is to be spent in the verse
(interpretation of the meaning):

“As-Sadaqaat (here it means Zakaah) are only for the Fuqaraa’ (poor), and
Al‑Masaakeen (the poor) and those employed to collect (the funds); and
to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and
to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Allaah’s Cause (i.e.
for Mujaahidoon — those fighting in a holy battle), and for the wayfarer (a
traveller who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allaah. And
Allaah is All-Knower, All-Wise”

[al-Tawbah 9:60]

The scholars are agreed that the phrase “for Allaah’s Cause” refers to jihad
for the sake of Allaah. But they differed as to whether Hajj is included
with jihad or not.

The majority of scholars were of the view that it applies only to jihad and
does not include Hajj. Imam Ahmad was of the view that it includes Hajj as
well, and he quoted as evidence for that the report narrated by Abu Dawood
(1988) from Umm Ma’qal, who said: “O Messenger of Allaah, I need to go for
Hajj and Abu Ma’qal has a young camel.” Abu Ma’qal said, “She is telling the
truth, and I shall donate it for the sake of Allaah.” The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Give it to her so
that she may go for Hajj on it, for it is for the sake of Allaah.” Classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

And it was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: “Hajj comes under the heading of
for Allaah’s Cause.” Al-Haafiz said: Abu ‘Ubayd narrated it with a saheeh
isnaad.

See al-Mughni, 9/328; al-Majmoo’, 6/212.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Ikhtiyaaraat, 105:

Whoever has not done the obligatory Hajj and is poor should be given what he
needs to do Hajj – i.e. from the zakaah funds.

And it says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/38:

It is permissible to give zakaah so that poor Muslims can travel to do the
obligatory Hajj, because this comes under the general meaning of the phrase
“for Allaah’s Cause” in the verse which speaks of the ways in which zakaah
is to be spent.

And Allaah knows best.


Question:
Is it Sunnah for the pilgrims to recite the Talbiyah in unison, or should
each person recite it on his own?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not narrated that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them)
recited the Talbiyah in unison. Rather Anas ibn Maalik said: We were with
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – meaning during the
Farewell Pilgrimage – and among us were some who recited “Allaahu akbar”,
some who recited “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah”, and some who recited the Talbiyah.
This is what is prescribed for the Muslims: for each person to recite the
Talbiyah by himself, and not to pay attention to what others are reciting.

And Allaah knows best.


Question:
I have decided to do Hajj this year in sha Allah. I hope that you can give
me some advice which will be of benefit to me during Hajj.
I would also like to ask this question: are there rulings that apply
specifically to woman during Hajj,distinct from men?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Congratulations on your decision to go to Makkah to perform the obligatory
duty of Hajj,this obligation which many Muslim women do not pay enough
attention to.Some women are ignorant of the fact that Hajj is obligatory for
them; some know that but they procrastinate until death takes them unawares
and they have failed to go for Hajj; and some of them do not understand any
of the rituals so they do things that are haraam and may even invalidate
their Hajj without realizing. Allaah is the One Whose help we seek.

Hajj is a duty that Allaah has enjoined upon His slaves, it is the fifth
pillar of Islam and it is the jihad of women, as the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased
with her): “Your jihad is Hajj.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari.

There follows some advice and the rulings that apply specifically to women
who want to do Hajj. These are things that will help to make your Hajj
acceptable, and an accepted Hajj, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, “brings no less a reward than Paradise.” Agreed
upon.

1 – Sincerity towards Allaah is a condition of any act of worship, including
Hajj, being valid and acceptable. So be sincere towards Allaah in your Hajj
and beware of showing off, for showing off invalidates good deeds and brings
punishment.

2 – Following the Sunnah and doing actions in accordance with the teachings
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the second
condition of actions being valid and acceptable, because the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Whoever does any action that is
not in accordance with this matter of ours, will have it rejected.” Narrated
by Muslim.

This means that you should learn the rulings of Hajj according to the Sunnah
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), with the help of
useful books which are based on saheeh evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah.

3 – Beware of major and minor shirk (association of others with Allaah), and
of sin in all its forms. Major shirk means that a person goes beyond the
pale of Islam, his good deeds are rendered invalid and that he is exposed to
punishment. Minor shirk means that a person’s good deeds are rendered
invalid and he is exposed to punishment. Sin means that he is exposed to
punishment.

4 – It is not permissible for a woman to travel for Hajj or for any other
purpose without a mahram, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “No woman should travel without a mahram.” Agreed upon.

The mahram is the husband or any man whom a woman is forever forbidden to
marry because of blood ties or radaa’ah (ties that result from
breastfeeding) or ties through marriage. This is one of the conditions of
Hajj being obligatory for women. If a woman does not have a mahram to travel
with her, then she does not have to do Hajj.

5 – A woman may enter ihraam in whatever clothes she likes, black or any
other colour, so long as she avoids wanton display (tabarruj) or clothes of
fame and vanity such as tight, see-through, short, thin or decorated
clothes. Women must also be careful to avoid clothes that resemble the
clothes of men or the kuffaar.

Hence we know that there is no evidence for the practice of some of the
common folk of choosing a specific colour for women to wear in ihraam, such
as green or white; rather this is a kind of bid’ah (innovation).

6 – After forming the intention for ihraam, it is haraam for the muhrimah
(woman in ihraam) to put on any kind of perfume, whether on the body or
clothes.

7 – It is haraam for the muhrimah to remove any hair from her head or body
by any means, and to clip the nails.

8 – It is haraam for the muhrimah to wear the burqa’ or niqaab (kinds of
face-veils), and to wear gloves, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Women (during Hajj) should not wear niqaab or
gloves.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari.

9 – The muhrimah should not uncover her face or hands in front of non-mahram
men using the excuse that the niqaab and gloves are among the things that
are forbidden in ihraam, because they can cover their faces and hands with
anything such as their clothes, scarves, etc. Umm al-Mu’mineen ‘Aa’ishah
(may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The riders used to pass by us when
we were with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) in ihraam. When they came alongside us we would lower our jilbaabs from
our heads over our faces, and when they had passed by we would uncover
them.”  Narrated by Abu Dawood and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Hijaab
al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah.

10 – Some women, when they enter ihraam, put something like a turban or
clips on their heads, so that no part of the khimaar or jilbaab will cover
their faces. This is going to trouble for which there is no need, because
there is nothing wrong with the cover touching the face of the muhrimah.

11 – It is permissible for the muhrimah to wear a shirt, pants, socks on the
feet, gold bangles and rings, watches, etc, but she should cover her
adornments in front of non-mahram men during Hajj and at other times.

12 – Some women, if they pass the meeqaat with the intention of doing Hajj
or ‘Umrah and happen to be menstruating, do not enter ihraam, thinking that
it is a condition of ihraam to be free of menstruation. So they pass the
meeqaat without entering ihraam. This is an obvious mistake, because
menstruation does not mean that a woman cannot enter ihraam. So a
menstruating woman should enter ihraam and do everything that other pilgrims
do, apart from tawaaf around the Ka’bah. She should delay tawaaf until she
becomes pure (i.e., until her period ends). If she delays ihraam and passes
the meeqaat without entering ihraam, then she has to go back and enter
ihraam from the meeqaat; if she does not go back then she has to offer a
sacrifice because she failed to do something that was obligatory upon her.

13 – If a woman fears that she may not be able to complete the rituals of
Hajj, she may stipulate a condition when entering ihraam by saying, “If I am
prevented (from completing Hajj), then I will exit ihraam at the point at
which I am prevented.” Then if something happens to prevent her from
completing Hajj, she will exit ihraam and there will be no blame on her.

14 – Remember the actions of Hajj:

(i)When the day of al-Tarwiyah comes, which is the eighth day of
Dhu’l-Hijjah, do ghusl and enter ihraam, and recite the Talbiyah, saying,
“Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk. Inna
al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak  (Here I am, O Allaah,
here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and
blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner).”

(ii)Go out to Mina, and pray there Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Isha and Fajr,
shortening the four-rak’ah prayers to two rak’ahs without joining them.

(iii)When the sun rises on the ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, go to ‘Arafah, and
pray Zuhr and ‘Asr there, shortened and joined at the time of Zuhr. Stay in
‘Arafah making du’aa’, remembering Allaah, beseeching Allaah and repenting,
until sunset.

(iv)When the sun sets on the ninth day, go from ‘Arafah to Muzdalifah, and
pray there Maghrib and ‘Isha’ shortened and joined. Stay there until Fajr
prayer, and strive hard after Fajr in dhikr, du’aa’ and conversing with
Allaah, until it has become very light.

(v)Set out from Muzdalifah to Mina before the sun rises on the day of Eid.
When you reach Mina, do the following:

a.Stone Jamrat al-‘Aqabah with seven pebbles, and say Takbeer (“Allaahu
akbar”) with each throw.

b.Slaughter the hadiy (sacrifice) after the sun has risen.

c.cut a fingertip’s length from each side of your hair (approximately two
centimeters).

d.Go back to Makkah and do tawaaf al-ifaadah, and do the saa’i of Hajj
between al-Safa and al-Marwah, if you are doing tamattu’, or if you are
doing ifraad or qiraan but you did not do saa’i after the tawaaf of arrival.

(vi)Stone the Jamaraat on the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhu’l-Hijjah, after the
sun has passed its zenith, if you want to delay departure; or on the 11th
and 12th only if you want to leave sooner. You must also stay in Mina on
those nights.

(vii)If you want to go back to your country, then do the farewell tawaaf;
this will conclude the actions of Hajj.

15 – Women should not recite the Talbiyah out loud, rather they should say
it quietly so that only they and the women next to them can hear it and so
that non-mahram men cannot hear it, lest that cause fitnah (temptation) and
attract attention. The time for reciting the Talbiyah starts from after
entering ihraam for Hajj and lasts until one stones the Jamrat al-‘Aqabah on
the Day of Sacrifice.

16 – If a woman’s period begins after she has done tawaaf and before she
does saa’i, she should complete the rest of the rituals and do saa’i even if
she is menstruating, because tahaarah (purity) is not essential for saa’i.

17 – It is permissible for a woman to use pills to delay menstruation to
enable her to perform the rituals of Hajj, subject to the condition that
this will not cause her harm.

18 – Beware of crowding with men in all the rituals of Hajj, especially
during tawaaf and at the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner, during saa’i and
when stoning the Jamaraat. Choose times when there is less crowding. Umm
al-Mu’mineen ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) used to do tawaaf in
an area away from the men, and she did not touch the Black Stone or the
Yemeni Corner if there was crowding.

19 – Women do not have to walk quickly (raml) during tawaaf or jog (rakd)
during saa’i. Raml means walking quickly in the first three circuits of
tawaaf, and rakd means jogging between the two green markers in every
circuit of saa’i. These actions are Sunnah for men only.

20 – Beware of this small book which contains innovated du’aa’s, such as a
specific du’aa’ for each circuit of tawaaf and saa’i for which there is no
evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah. It is prescribed to recite du’aa’
during tawaaf and saa’i however one wishes, for the best in this world and
in the Hereafter. If the du’aa’ is one that is narrated from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that is even better.

21 –A woman who is menstruating can read books of du’aa’ and dhikr that are
prescribed in sharee’ah, even if they contain verses of Qur’aan. It is also
permissible for her to recite Qur’aan without touching the Mus-haf.

22 – Beware of uncovering any part of your body, especially in places where
men could see you, such as public wudoo’ areas. Some women do not care about
men being close to such areas and they uncover during wudoo’ things that it
is not permissible to uncover, such as the face, forearms and calves. They
may even take off their headcovers, thus uncovering their heads and necks.
All of that is haraam and is not permissible, because it causes a great deal
of fitnah (temptation) to them and to men.

23 – It is permissible for women to leave Muzdalifah before dawn, because
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) allowed some women,
especially those who were weak, to leave Muzdalifah after the moon had set
at the end of the night. That was so that they could stone Jamarat
al-‘Aqabah before it became crowded. In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from
‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that Sawdah (may Allaah be
pleased with her) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) on the night of Muzdalifah for permission to leave before it became too
crowded, because she was a heavy woman, and he gave her permission.

24 – It is permissible to delay stoning the Jamrah until the night, if the
woman’s guardian thinks that the crowding is too great around Jamrat
al-‘Aqabah and that this may pose a danger to the women who are with him. So
it is permissible to delay their stoning of the Jamrah until the crowding is
less or has stopped, and there is nothing wrong with them doing that.

The same applies with regard to stoning of the Jamaraat during the three
days of Tashreeq, when women can stone them after ‘Asr, which is the time
when the crowding is a lot less, as is well known. If that is not possible
then there is nothing wrong with them delaying it until the night.

25 – Beware of the following point: it is not permissible for a woman to
allow her husband to have intercourse with her or to be intimate with her so
long as she has not yet exited ihraam completely. This exiting ihraam is
achieved when three things take place:

(i)Stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah with seven pebbles.

(ii) Cutting the length of a fingertip from all ends of the hair, which is
approximately 2 centimeters.

(iii)Doing the tawaaf of Hajj (tawaaf al-ifaadah).

· Once a woman has done these three things it is permissible to do all the
things that were forbidden to her during ihraam, including intercourse. If
she has only done two of them then it is permissible for her to do anything
apart from intercourse.

26 – It is not permissible for a woman to show her hair to non-mahram men
whilst she is cutting the ends of her hair, as many women do at the Mas’aa
(place of saa’i), because the hair is ‘awrah and it is not permissible to
show it to any non-mahram men.

27 – Beware of sleeping in front of men. This is what we see many women
doing who do Hajj with their families without a tent or anything to conceal
them from the eyes of men, so they sleep in the streets or on the sidewalks,
and under elevated bridges, and in Masjid al-Kheef, amongst men or close to
men. This is one of the greatest evils which must be put a stop to.

28 – Women who are menstruating or bleeding following childbirth do not have
to do the farewell tawaaf. This is one of the allowances that sharee’ah
makes to women. Women who are menstruating can go back to their families
even if they have not done the farewell tawaaf, so give thanks to Allaah for
this allowance and blessing.

Question:
Is it permissible for me to delay doing the obligation of Hajj for one or
two years? I meet the conditions of being able to do Hajj, but I want to
visit my family and my wife from whom I will have been absent for two years
if I do Hajj this year. It will not be easy for me to visit my family and do
Hajj as well; I can either go for Hajj or visit my family and delay Hajj.
Please advise us, may Allaah reward you with good.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The Muslim should hasten to fulfil the duty of Hajj when he is able to do
it, because he does not know what will happen to him if he delays it. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that
mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s
conveyance, provision and residence)”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]

And it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “Hasten to do Hajj – meaning the obligatory Hajj – for none of
you knows what will happen to him.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have
mercy on him), 1/314; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel,
990.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’, 11/17.

Question:
If there are poor people in my country who need money, can I give them the
price of the sacrifice in charity, or should I offer the sacrifice?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Slaughtering the sacrifice is better than giving its price in charity,
because that was what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and the Muslims with him did. And because the sacrifice is one of the
ritual of Islam; if the people turn away from it and give charity instead,
that symbol will die out. If giving the price of the sacrifice in charity
was better than slaughtering the sacrifice, the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) would have explained that to his ummah in word and
deed, because he did not omit to explain anything that was good for the
ummah. Indeed, if giving charity was equal to offering the sacrifice he
would have explained that too, because it is easier than going to the
trouble of offering the sacrifice. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) never failed to point out the easier option to his ummah
when it was equal to the more difficult option. There was a famine during
the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and
he said, “Whoever among you offers a sacrifice should not keep any of it in
his house for more than three days.”

The following year, they said, “O Messenger of Allaah, should we do what we
did last year?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Eat and feed the poor and store some, for last year the people were
having a hard time and I wanted you to help them.” Agreed upon.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Sacrifice when prescribed
is better than giving its price in charity. He said, Hence even if you give
many times more the value of the sacrifice for tamattu’ and qiraan, it will
never take its place, and the same applies to udhiyah.

Risaalat Ahkaam al-Udhiyah wa’l-Dhakaah

Question:
If the muhrim does one of the things that are forbidden in ihraam out of
forgetfulness or because he is unaware that it is haraam, what is the
ruling?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

If he does one of the things that are forbidden in ihraam out of
forgetfulness or ignorance, there is no blame on him, but he must correct
himself as soon as he remembers or finds out, so it is essential to remind
people and to teach those who are ignorant.

For example: if a man forgets and puts on regular clothes when he is in
ihraam, he does not have to do anything, but as soon as he remembers he has
to take off these clothes. Similarly if he forgets and keeps his pants on,
then he remembers after he has formed the intention and started to recite
the Talbiyah, he has to take off his pants immediately and he does not have
to do anything else. And if he was ignorant of the ruling, he does not have
to anything, such as if he wore a t-shirt in which there was no stitching,
thinking that the muhrim can wear anything that has no stitching, he does
not have to do anything. But once it is explained to him that a t-shirt,
even if it has no stitching, is a kind of clothing which he is forbidden to
wear, then he has to take it off.

The basic principle concerning that is that if a person does any of the
things that are forbidden in ihraam out of forgetfulness or ignorance, or
because he is forced to do them, there is no blame on him, because Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error”

[al-Baqarah 2:286]

and Allaah has said, “I will do that.”

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake,
except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allaah is Ever
Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”

[al-Ahzaab 33:5]

And Allaah says concerning hunting in particular (interpretation of the
meaning):

“…and whosoever of you kills it intentionally …”

[al-Maa’idah 5:95]

It makes no difference whether the thing that is forbidden in ihraam has to
do with dress, perfume etc, or hunting game, or shaving the hair on one's
head, etc. Some scholars differentiate between these things, but the correct
view is that there is no difference, because these are things that are
forbidden but for which a person may be excused if he does them out of
forgetfulness or ignorance, or because he is forced to do them.

Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 536-537

Question:
There is a man who has not done Hajj for himself, and he does not have
enough money to do Hajj. Is it permissible for him to take money in order to
do Hajj on behalf of a man who has died or who is very old?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible for a man to do Hajj on behalf of someone else before
he does Hajj for himself. The basic principle concerning that is the report
narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who heard a man saying,
“Labbayk ‘an Shubrumah (Here I am [O Allaah], on behalf of Shubrumah).” He
said, “Have you done Hajj for yourself?” He said, “No.” He said, “Do Hajj
for yourself, then on behalf of Shubrumah.” Narrated by Abu Dawood and
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 994.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’, 11/50.

Question:
There is a married woman whose husband promised to take her to Hajj, but he
did not keep his promise. Her family came to her on their way to Makkah and
took her with them without the husband’s knowledge or approval. Is her Hajj
valid?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Before replying,I would like to point out that it is not permissible for a
woman to go out without her husband’s permission, even if that is in the
same city, so how can she go for Hajj without his permission? This is haraam
and it is not permissible for her to do this. The husband who promised to
take his wife for Hajj has to fulfil his promise and take her for Hajj,
especially since this promise is stated as a condition in the marriage
contract.The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The
most deserving of conditions to be fulfilled are those by means of which
intimate relations become permissible for you.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
2729; Muslim, 1418.

If this promise was made after the marriage contract,the scholars differed
as to whether it should be fulfilled. The correct view is that it must be
fulfilled so long as that will not cause harm to the one who made the
promise, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
described breaking promises as one of the attributes of the hypocrites, as a
warning against breaking promises.

See Daleel al-Akhta’ allati yaqa’ fiha al-Haaj wa’l-Mu’tamir.

Question:
A woman has come to Saudi Arabia and the expenses for her performing the
duty of Hajj have been provided by her host. She is asking whether this Hajj
will count as the obligatory Hajj of Islam, when she herself has not spent
any of her own money on Hajj?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The validity of her obligatory Hajj is not affected by the fact that she has
not spent any of her own money on it,or that she has spent only a little and
that most of her Hajj expenses have been paid by someone else. Based on
this,if her Hajj meets all the conditions and she does all the essential
parts of Hajj,then she has fulfilled the obligation of Hajj, even if someone
else pays for it.

  And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta (Fataawa
al-Lajnah, 11/34)

Question:
Is it permissible for a man to send his parents to Hajj before he goes for
Hajj himself?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Hajj is obligatory for every Muslim who is free, of sound mind, an adult and
is able to do it, once in a lifetime. Honouring one's parents and helping
them to do things that are obligatory is something that is prescribed in
sharee’ah to the extent that one is able to do it. But you should do Hajj
yourself first,then help your parents,if it is not easy to do both.If you
give precedence to your parents over yourself, their Hajj will still be
valid.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’, 11/70.

Question:
I took a loan from the bank of 251,000 riyals to buy property,to be paid off
in annual installments.Do I have the right to go for Hajj at the time when I
owe this amount to the bank?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The ability to do Hajj is one of the conditions of it being obligatory. If
you are able to afford it and to pay the installment that is due at the time
of Hajj, then you have to go for Hajj. If you cannot to pay the installment
and go for Hajj at the same time,then you must give precedence to paying off
the installment that is due, and delay Hajj until you can afford it, because
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that
mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s
conveyance, provision and residence)”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’, 11/45.

Question:
My question is short. I want to enter Paradise, I want to strive to control
my self (my nafs),I want to kiss my mother’s hand every day, I want to keep
away from whims and desires and from Shaytaan,I want Allaah to call me a
devoted slave on the Day of Resurrection,in sha Allaah, I want to love my
brothers,and I want my faith to keep increasing. What should I do?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

We ask Allaah to make you steadfast in adhering to the truth, and to make
your hopes come true, and to make you one of those who turn to Him and who
know the truth, defend it and adhere to Islam.

The things you mention in your question indicate that you have a sound and
pure nature, and a great desire to achieve great things and to give everyone
his rights. These are great hopes that can be achieved through faith, as it
was narrated that Sufyaan al-Thawri said: Faith is not wishes or pretence,
rather it is what settles in the heart and is proven by actions.” So we will
discuss the matter of faith and how important it is in becoming a devoted
slave, pleasing and honouring one’s parents and achieving the victory of
Paradise.

Whoever seeks to achieve great things has to stay up at night (worship).

Hence al-Fudayl said: “You hearts can never taste the sweetness of faith
until they shun worldly pleasures.” And he also said, “If you cannot pray
qiyaam at night and fast during the day, then know that you are deprived.”

The sincere believer has a heart like a burning coal, hence it was narrated
by al-Haakim in his Mustadrak and al-Tabaraani in his Mu’jam with a saheeh
isnaad that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,
“Faith wears out in your heart as clothes wear out, so ask Allaah to renew
the faith in your hearts.”

The believer’s heart may sometimes feel overwhelmed by clouds of sin. This
was portrayed to us by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) when he said: “There is no heart that does not have clouds like the
clouds that cover the moon. When the cloud covers it, it is dark, and when
the cloud moves away it shines.” Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, and
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. So the believer’s heart is sometimes
covered with a cloud and its light is hidden, and it remains dark and
lonely, but if he strives to increase his store of faith and seeks the help
of Allaah, that cloud goes away and the light in his heart starts to shine
again. Hence one of the salaf said: “It is part of a person’s smartness to
check on his faith and be aware of what affects it.” It is also part of a
person’s smartness “that he recognizes how the Shaytaan whispers to him.”

So he has to come back to faith. If you come back to faith and do as it
requires, then you will achieve what you want. We will tell you of a basic
principle which will let you know when faith is present and when it is not.
Imam Ibn al-Jawzi said: “O you who are turned away, O you who are deprived
of meeting your loved ones, if you want to know how you stand before the
king, then look at how you are spending your time and what work you are
assigned to do. How many people stand at the door of the king, but no one
enters except the one whom he cares for.  Not every heart is fit to draw
close, not every heart can be filled with love, not every wind is like the
morning breeze.”

If a person want to know how he stands before Allaah and how he stands in
relation to His commands and prohibitions, let him look at himself and see
what he is preoccupied with. If he is busy with da’wah and with saving
people from the Fire, striving to attain Paradise, helping the weak and
needy, honouring his parents, then let him rejoice in the fact that he is
close to the King of kings, for Allaah does not help anyone to do good
except those whom He loves.

But if he has no interest in da’wah, dislikes the daa’iyahs and does not do
good things, if he is preoccupied with this world and its gains, and with
gossip and asking too many questions, whilst not doing much or following his
whims and desires, let him know that he is far from Allaah and has been
deprived of that which will bring him closer to Paradise, because Allaah
says in His holy Book (interpretation of the meaning):

“Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We
readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have
appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein disgraced and rejected ( far
away from Allaah’s Mercy).

And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary
effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah’s obedience) while he
is a believer (in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic Monotheism) — then such are
the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by
Allaah)”

[al-Isra’ 17:18-19]

My brother, if you want to have a high position in all kinds of good deeds,
to be a devoted slave of Allaah and to honour your parents, and you are
seeking Paradise, then you have to do the following:

1 – You have to revive the faith in your heart. Faith is what will bring the
Muslim everything he seeks in this world and in the Hereafter. Faith is the
key to all goodness and locks the door to all evil. The means of reviving
and strengthening faith in one’s heart are many and varied, including doing
a lot of acts of worship and righteous deeds.

2 – You must turn to your Lord sincerely, as it says in the report: “If My
slave turns to me inwardly and outwardly, I will turn the hearts of My
slaves to him with love and mercy.”

Allaah has made worship the ultimate aim and loftiest purpose of man:

“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should
worship Me (Alone)”

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56 – interpretation of the meaning)]

3 – You should always set your sights on the highest degrees, and make your
goal in life to earn the pleasure of Allaah, and strive to attain the
victory of Paradise, or to attain the highest Firdaws. You should strive as
hard as you can to achieve these lofty aims.

4 – You should follow the example of historical Muslim figures such as the
Sahaabah, Taabi’een and righteous forebears (the salaf).

5 – You should make the most of every minute, every moment and every
heartbeat to use it in such a way as to increase your faith.

6 – You should try to keep company with righteous people, because the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “A man
will follow the religion of his close friend, so let each one of you look at
whom he befriends.” Narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi with a hasan
isnaad. Good friends are one of the best means of helping you to obey Allaah
and to avoid sin and error.

7 – Doing a lot of righteous deeds which will bring you happiness in this
world and in the Hereafter.

8 – Praying qiyaam al-layl, making du’aa’ in the time just before dawn. The
feet of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to swell because of his desire to be a thankful slave, even though
Allaah had forgiven his previous and future sins.

9 – Persisting in reading a portion of Qur’aan daily, and other dhikr that
helps you to think and ponder the meanings of the Qur’aan.

10 – Striving to spread the word and make da’wah for the sake of Allaah, and
working for Islam as much as possible.

If you want to reach the status of devoted slave for which you long, then be
as Allaah commanded His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

“Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and
my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all
that exists)”

[al-An’aam 6:162]

Being a devoted slave of Allaah means declaring one’s devotion and belonging
to the Lord, which can only be achieved by applying this aayah, so that we
are for Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, in all our affairs.

Being a devoted slave of Allaah can only be fully achieved in this manner;
it can only be achieved by worshipping Allaah in the fullest sense of the
word, which means making our living and dying, and all our movements, for
Him alone. So we only speak that which is pleasing to Allaah; we only do
that which is pleasing to Allaah; we focus our intention in these words and
deeds only on Allaah. Worship should not be reduced to merely raising and
lowering our heads at certain times, or giving a few pennies every once in a
while, or fasting a few days each year, or moving our lips to say a few
words and dhikrs.

Hence the deeds that lead to this status – of being a devoted slave – are
innumerable and may take many shapes in all aspects of our lives and the
places where we live. This is by the bounty of Allaah towards us and towards
all people.

Just look, in every place where you find yourself and every moment that
comes to you, for that which will please Him, and what you think He wants to
see you doing, and do it. Then you will be a devoted slave.

Finally, we ask Allaah to accept righteous deeds from all practicing and
sincere muslims and from you, and to gather us and you in His mercy with the
Prophets, siddeeqs, martyrs and righteous, and those are the best of
companions.


With the very best of good wishes,
Musa Amadu Pembo
Glasgow,
Scotland
UK.
[log in to unmask]
Da’wah is to convey the message with wisdom and with good words. We should
give the noble and positive message of Islam. We should try to emphasize
more commonalities and explain the difference without getting into
theological arguments and without claiming the superiority of one position
over the other. There is a great interest among the people to know about
Islam and we should do our best to give the right message.
May Allah,Subhana Wa Ta'Ala,guide us all to His Sirat Al-Mustaqim (Righteous
Path).May He protect us from the evils of this life and the hereafter.May
Allah,Subhana Wa Ta'Ala,grant us entrance to paradise .
We ask Allaah the Most High, the All-Powerful, to teach us that which will
benefit us, and to benefit us by that which we learn. May Allaah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family
and
companions..Amen.




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