The Sacred Journey to the House of Allah
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, obligatory once in a lifetime for every able Muslim (Surah Ali 'Imran 3:97). The Prophet ﷺ stated: "Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any obscenity or transgression will return as pure as the day his mother gave birth to him" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1521).
Core Rites of Umrah (The Lesser Pilgrimage)
- 1. Ihram at the Miqat: Donning two white unstitched sheets for men (modest clothing for women) before crossing the boundary, making intention, and chanting the Talbiyah:
"Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk, Labbayka la shareeka laka Labbayk, Innal-hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la shareeka lak." - 2. Tawaf: Circling the Holy Kaaba seven times counterclockwise starting from the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad), offering 2 rakats behind Maqam Ibrahim, and drinking Zamzam.
- 3. Sa'i: Walking seven laps between the hills of Safa and Marwah, commemorating the devotion of Sayyidah Hajar.
- 4. Halq or Taqseer: Shaving the head (Halq) or trimming hair (Taqseer) to exit Ihram.
The 5 Days of Hajj (8th to 12th/13th Dhul Hijjah)
- 8th Dhul Hijjah (Yawm at-Tarwiyah): Enter Ihram and travel to the tent city of Mina; pray Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr shortened.
- 9th Dhul Hijjah (Yawm 'Arafah): Proceed to the plains of Arafah. Stand in prayer and heartfelt supplication until sunset—"Hajj is Arafah" (Jami at-Tirmidhi 889). At sunset, proceed to Muzdalifah to spend the night and collect pebbles.
- 10th Dhul Hijjah (Yawm an-Nahr / Eid al-Adha): Stone the large Jamarah (Aqabah) with 7 pebbles, offer animal sacrifice (Hady), perform Halq/Taqseer, and perform Tawaf al-Ifadah in Makkah.
- 11th & 12th/13th Dhul Hijjah (Ayyam at-Tashreeq): Stay in Mina, stone all three Jamarat (Sughra, Wusta, Kubra) daily after Dhuhr. Conclude with Tawaf al-Wada' (Farewell Tawaf).