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HAJJ : Merits and
Precepts
by
Maulana Justice
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Forward
Definition of the Terms used in Connection
with Hajj
Hajj is one of the Fundamentals of Islam
Before the Start of Hajj Journey
On Proceeding to Journey
During the Journey
'Hajj' and 'Umra'
Three Kinds of Hajj
How to Wear Ihram
Restrictions of Ihram
Ihram for Women
Where and when to Wear Ihram-Mawaqit
The Inhabitants within the Miqat Boundaries
Pakistanis and Indians-Where to Wear Ihram
Entrance into the Precincts of Haram
Entrance into the Holy City of Mecca
The First Thing-Tawaf
The Mode of Tawaf
To Go on Multazam and to Pray
To Have a Drink of Zamzam Water
Idhtiba' and Ramal During Tawaf
Sa'i between Safa and Marwah
The Five Days of Hajj
The First Day-The 8th Zilhijja
The 2nd Day, 9th Zilhijja-The Day of 'Arafa'
Waqof-e-Arafat
Proceeding from 'Arafat' to Muzdalifa
The Third Day of Hajj Waqof-e-Muzdalifa
Proceeding to Mina from Muzdalifa
The 2nd Wajib of 10th Zilhijja-The Rami at
Jamarat-ul-'Uqaba
Sacrifice-The 3rd Wajib of the 10th Zilhijja
Halq or Qasr-The Fourth Wajib of the 10th
Zilhijja
Tawaf-e-Ziyarat--The Most Important Practice
of the 10th Zilhijja
Sa'i of Hajj Between Safa and Marwah
The 11th Zilhijja--The Fourth Day of Hajj
The 12th Zilhijja--The Fifth Day of Hajj
Return to Mecca from Mina
Tawaf-e-Wida'
Description of Jinayat
Jinayat of Ihram
The 2nd Kind of Jinayat Pertaining to
Wajibat of Hajj
Jinayat Pertaining to Sa'i
Leaving 'Arafat Before Sunset
Abandoning Waqof-e-Muzdalifa Without Excuse
Misarradged Performance of the Practices of
the 10th Zilhijja
Jinayat Pertaining to Rami
Visit to Sacred City of Madina
Entrance to Masjid-e-Nabavi
Darood-o-Salam on the Apostle of Allah
Salam to Hazrat Abu-Bakr Siddique
Salam to Hazrat 'Umar Faroque
On Leaving Madina
Appendix--Precepts of Hajj-e-Badal
Forward
Bismillah-hi-Al-Rahman-Al-Raheem
Nahmaduhu Wanusale Alaa Rasulihil Kareem
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the
Most Merciful
We praise Him and solicit blessings for His
noble Messenger. Hundreds of Ulama have
written a large number of books on the
precepts of Hajj in different languages at
different times. Some of them are very
detailed while some are brief. The Purpose
of this small treatise is only to give an
account of the necessary dictates for Hajj
in easy language with easy classification.
These dictates have been derived from the
same detailed books to which necessary
reference have mostly been made. In edition
to the generally referred books on 'Hadith'
and 'Fiqh' , the sources of this treatise
are as follows :-
1. Manasik by Mulla 'Ali Qari.
2. Ghunyat-un-Nasik.
3. Zubdat-ul-Manasik by Hazrat Maulana
Rashid Ahmed Gangohi (along with its
annotation by Haji Sher Mohammed Mohajir
Madani). Most of the dictates have been
derived from this very book. As a matter of
fact the real service in this respect has
been rendred by these very 'Ulama'. My
contribution therein rests only on
facilitation and classification composed in
10 days of the month of Shawwal, 1387 A.H.
This is in compliance with the orders of
some of my elders through whose blessings it
is not improbable to hope that Allah may
approve my petty contribution as well.
Muhammad Shafi
(May Allah forgive him)
Definitions Of
The Terms Used In Connection
With Hajj And Explanations Of Sacred Places
Afaqi: Afaqi is the person who lives
outside Miqat boundaries such as Indian,
Pakistani, Egyption, Syrian, Iraqi, Iranian
and
so on.
Ash-hur-E-Hajj: The months of Hajj
i.e. complete months of shawwal, Zi-Qa'da
and half of the month of Zilhijja.
Ayyam-e-Tashriq: The days from 9th to
13th Zilhijja wherein Takbir-e-Tashriq is
regularly proclaimed.
Bab-us-Salam: With this name there is
a gate of Masjid-ul-Haram in Mecca. The
first entrance to the Sacred Mosque is
preferable through this gate. Another gate
with the same name is in Madina. This is the
gate of Masjid-e-Nabawi opening on the side
of market.
Batn-e-'Urana: This is a jungle near
'Arafat wherein the observance of Waqof is
not Law-ful, for it is out of 'Arafat
boundaries.
Bab-e-Jibril: Through this gate
Hazrat Jibril, the angel, used to visit the
Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him). This is
the gate Through which we go to
Jannat-ul-Baqi'.
Dam: During Ihram, perpetration of
certain prohibited acts causes the
obligation of offering sacrifice of a goat
etc. It is called Dam.
Ghar-e-Hira: It is the cave where the
first revelation was sent down to the Holy
Prophet (Peace be upon him). It is situated
in Jabal-e-nor which is on the roadway to
Mina. Its top is visible from far off.
Ghar-e-Thaur: In this cave the Holy
Prophet (Peace be upon him) stayed for three
days at the time of his migration (Hijrat)
from Mecca.
Hajar-e-Aswad: The black stone. It is
a stone from Paradise. It was white like
milk when it came from the Paradise but the
sins of the human beings rendered it black.
It is fixed in the wall at about a man's
height in the south eastern corner of
Baitullah. It has a silver frame around it.
Hudaibia: It is the name of a place
before the precincts of Haram on the way
from Jedda to Mecca. Nowadays, it is known
by the name of Sumaisiya. A mosque is
situated on this very spot. Here, the Holy
Prophet entered into a treaty with the
infidels and it is the place where the Holy
Prophet (Peace be upon him) took an oath of
allegiance, Bai'at-ur-Ridhwan by name from
his noble companions. It is the starting
point of the precincts of Haram.
Hatim: It is a piece of land
surrounded by a wall of man's height
adjacent to Baitullah on the north side. It
is called Hatim as well as Ahjar or Hazira.
While observing Tawaf it is Wajib
(obligatory) to include this piece of land.
It is a part of Ka'ba. In Pre-Islamic period
when Quraish of Mecca started reconstruction
of Ka'ba, they abandoned construction of
this portion due to deficiency in Halal
(lawfully acquired) funds.
Haram: Mecca and a small area around
it is called the Land of Haram. Its
boundaries have been distinctly marked.
Hunting, Cutting trees and grazing animals
in Haram (unlawful) in this area.
Harami or Ahl-e-Haram: The person who
lives in the land of Haram; whether in Mecca
or outside Mecca within the precincts of
Haram.
Hill: The land beyond the four sides
of Haram upto Miqat (i.e. outside the Haram
boundaries but inside the Mawaqit) is called
Hill, for the things prohibited (Haram) in
Haram are permissible (Halal) here.
Hilli: The inhabitant of the land of
Hill.
Halq: To get the hair of your head
shaven or to shave them yourself. It
releases you from the restrictions of Ihram.
Ihram: Means to declare a thing as
Haram (Forbidden). When a Hajj Pilgrim
determines his intention for Hajj, Umrah or
both collectively and proclaims Talbia,
certain Halal (Permissible) things stand for
him as Haram; hence it is called Ihram. This
word is used figuratively for those sheets
of cloth as well which are used by Hajj
pilgrims in the state of Ihram.
Istilam: To Kiss as well as to touch
Hajare-Aswad with hands or only to touch it
or to touch Rukn-e-Yamani.
Idhtiba: To put the upper cover of
Ihram on the left shoulder by way of taking
the cover through the right armpit.
Ifrad: To observe Hajj practices with
the Ihram of Hajj only.
Jamarat or Jimar: There are three
places in Mina where pillars of the height
of man have been erected. Here, pebbles are
thrown. One of them which is towards the
East near Masjid-e-Khaif is called
Jamrat-ul'Ola. The next one to it is named
as Jamrat-ul-Wusta and the one subsequent to
it is known as Jamrat-ul-Kubra. The last one
is also called as, Jamrat-ul-'Aqaba or
Jamrat-ul-'Ukhra.
Juhfa: It is a place near Rabigh at a
distance of three Manzils (encampment
distances) from Mecca. This is the Miqat for
those coming from Syria.
Jannat-ul-Ma'la: It is the graveyard
of Mecca where Umm-ul-Mu'minin (The Mother
of the faithful) Hazrat Khadijat-ul-Kubra
and the dear son of the Holy Prophet (Peace
be upon him) and some of his faithful
companions have been interred. The grave of
Hazrat Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki is also
situated here.
Jannat-ul-Baqi': It is the Graveyard
of Madina where the uncle the uncle of the
Holy Prophet, (Peace be upon him) Hazrat
Abbas, Hazrat Imam Hasan, Hazrat Uthman and
thousands of other noble companions of the
Holy Prophet have been interred. In addition
to that, among those buried here are also
the son of the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Ibrahim,
Hazrat Fatima, Hazrat Halima Sa'dia and all
other Ummahat-ul-Mu'minin (the Mothers of
the faithful) with the exception of Hazrat
Maimona as the place of her burial is Sarif.
Jabal-e-Thabir: It is a hill in Mina.
Jabal-e-Rahmat: It is a hill in
'Arafat.
Jabal-e-Quzah: It is a hill in
Muzdalifa.
Jabal-e-'Uhud: It is a hill outside
Madina at a distance of nearly three miles
where the battle of 'Uhud was fought. Here
are the graves of the martyrs.
Jabal-e-Abu Qubays: It is the name of
a hill in Mecca near Safa. Here is a mosque
called Masjid-e-Bilal. Some of the
biographers have stated that the miracle of
Shaqq-ul-Qamar (splitting of the moon in two
halves) was revealed here.
Ka'ba the Sacred: The Ka'ba, which is
also known as Baitullah, is a sacred house
in the center of Masjid-e-Haram in Mecca. It
is the first place of worship in the world.
It was originally constructed by angels
under the order of Allah the most high even
before the birth of Hazrat Adam.
Subsequently on its demolition Hazrat Adam
reconstructed it. Thereafter it was
reconstructed by the Holy Prophet Hazrat
Ibrahim, then by Quraish, then by Hazrat
Abdullah ibn Zubair (Radhi-Allahu 'anhu) and
then by Abdul Malik. Even in the later ages,
certain repairs continued to be carried out.
It is the Qibla of Muslims. All the Muslims
in the world turn their faces towards it
while offering their prayers.
Muhrim: One who wears Ihram.
Mufrid: One who wears Ihram for Hajj
only.
Miqat: The place where Ihram wearing
is Wjib for those who go to Mecca.
Miqati: The inhabitant of Miqat.
Mataf: The place around Baitullah in
Masjid-e-Haram to perform Tawaf.
Maqam-e-Ibrahim: It is a stone from
Paradise. Standing on it, the Holy Prophet
Hazrat Ibrahim had constructed Baitullah.
Nowadays, it is included in Mataf.
Masjid-e-Haram: The Mosque around
Ka'ba.
Multazam: The wall between
Hajar-e-Aswad and the gate of Baitullah. It
is Masnon (prescribed as Sunnah of our
Prophet) to invoke blessings of Allah while
embracing this wall.
Mina: It is a vast open field between
two hills at a distance of 3 miles from
Mecca towards the East. Rami and Sacrifice
are accomplished here. It is included in
Haram. A stay of three days is observed
here.
Masjid-e-Khaif: It is the name of big
Mosque in Mina situated adjacent to the hill
on the northern side of Mina.
Masjid-e-Namra: A Mosque on one side
of 'Arafat.
Mad'a: The Place of invocation. It
means the place which is situated between
Masjid-e-Haram and the graveyard of Mecca
and where invoking Allah's blessing is
Mustahab (preferred) at the time of entering
Mecca.
Muzdalifa: It is open field between
Mina and 'Arafat at a distance of about
three miles from Mina in the East. On having
returned from 'Arafat, the Hajj Pilgrims
stay here at night.
Muhassir: It is an open field
adjacent to Muzdalifa. The Divine punishment
had descended upon the people of Elephant (Ashab-ul-Fil)
here, who had invaded Baitullah. That is why
the pilgrims cross it running.
Marwa: It is a small bill near the
north eastern corner of Baitullah. The Sa'i
ends here.
Masjid-ul-Raya: This Mosque is on the
way to Jannat-ul-Ma'la. On the day of the
Conquest of Mecca, the Holy Prophet had
erected this flag here.
Masjid-e-Quba: It is a Mosque three
miles before the boundaries of Medina. The
Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) himself
participated in its construction. It is the
first Mosque of Muslims in the vicinity of
Madina. Offering two Raka'at of Nafl
(supererogatory) prayer, here is equivalent
to one Umrah in reward and it is Mustahab to
visit this Mosque on a Saturday.
Masjid-e-Khandaq: There are some
Mosques constructed on the place where, at
the time of the battle of Ahzab, the ditch
was dug. One of the Mosques is called
Masjid-e-Ahzab and Masjid-e-Fath. Here, the
Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) prayed to
Allah and Allah granted the prayer ; the
Muslims were victorious. Around this mosque
there are several other mosques attributed
to the names of the Companions of the Holy
Prophet.
Masjid-e-Qiblatain: It is mosque on
the hillock near the valley of Aqiq in the
North West of Medina. It has two arches, one
towards Bait-ul-Maqdis and the other towards
the Ka'ba, For, this is the mosque where the
event of the change of Qibla occurred and
that is why it is called Masjid-e-Qiblatain.
Masjid-e-Bani-Zafar: It is also
called Masjid-e-Baghla. It is situated
towards the East of Jannat-ul-Baqi'. The
tribe of Bani Zafar used to live here. Once
the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him)
honoured this place with his presence and at
his desire, one of his Companions recited
Sura-e-Nisa to him. Near the Mosque there is
a hoof-mark of the mule of the Holy Prophet
(Peace be upon him) and that is why it is
also called Masjid-ul-Baghla.
Masjid-ul-Ijaba: This mosque is in
the northern side of Jannat-ul-Baqi'. The
Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) had prayed
here.
Mash'ar-e-Haram: It is a mosque in
Muzdalifa but a hill of Muzdalifa,
Jabal-e-Quzah by name is also called Mash'ar-e-
Haram.
Mas'a: The place for performing Sa'r
(running between Safa and Marwah.)
Mauqif: The place for having a stay.
It means the place of stay in the open field
of 'Arafat or in Muzdalifa.
Mizab-e-Rahmat: The water-outleft of
the roof of Ka'ba falling in Hatim. One
should pray to Allah while standing beneath
it as the invocations offered here are
accorded approval.
Qiran: To Perform Umrah and Hajj
successively after wearing Ihram
collectively for Hajj and Umrah both.
Qarin: One who performs Qiran.
Qarn: It is a hill at a distance of
about forty two miles from Mecca. It is the
Miqat for those coming from Najd-e-Yemen,
Najd-e-Hijaz and Najd-e-Tihama.
Qasr: To have your hair cut or to cut
them yourself in order to be out of Ihram.
Rukn-e-Iraqi: The north eastern
corner of Baitullah towards Iraq.
Rukn-e-Yamani: The south western
corner of Baitullah towards Yemen.
Rukn-e-Shami: The north western
corner of Baitullah towards Syria.
Ramal: To walk a bit fast in the
first three rounds of Tawaf with steps close
to each other shaking shoulders struttingly.
Rami: To throw pebbles on Jamarat.
Sa'i: To have seven rounds in a
defined mode between Safa and Marwa.
Shaut: We complete seven circuits
around Baitullah. Every circuit is called
Shaut. At the time of Sa'i between Safa and
Marwa the round made from Safa to Marwa is
also known as shout. Similarly the back
round from Marwa to Safa is the 2nd Shaut
and so on upto the seventh Shaut.
Safa: A hill near Ka'ba towards the
south werefrom the Sa'i takes a start.
Tamattu': To observe 'Umrah in the
months of Hajj in the first instance and
then to perform Hajj in the same year with
the Ihram of Hajj.
Takbir: To proclaim Allah-o-Akbar.
Talbiyya: To proclaim Labbaik
Allahumma Labbaik.......etc.
Tahlil: To proclaim La Ilaha Illallah.
Tan'im: It is a place where, at the
time of their stay at Mecca, people wear
Ihram for Umra. It is at a distance of 3
miles from Mecca and is the nearest place
from the precincts of Haram. Here is a
Mosque named Masjid-e-Aisha.
Tawaf: Circumambulation of the Ka'ba.
Tawaf-e-Qudom: The first Tawaf,
observed by Hajj pilgrims immediately after
reaching Mecca, is called Tawaf-e-Qudom or
Tawaf-e-Tahiyya. It is Sunnat for a Qarin
and a Mufrid Afaqi.
Tawaf-e-Ziyarat: The Tawaf performed
after Waqof-e-Arafat. It is also known as
Tawaf-e-Rukn for it is Fardh (Divine
obligation) in Hajj.
Tawaf-e-Sadr: The Tawaf performed at
the time of departure from Mecca is called
Tawaf-e-Sadr or Tawaf-e-Wida.
Umra: To perform Tawaf of Baitullah
alongwith Sa'i between Safa and Marwa after
wearing Ihram from Hill or Miqat.
Yaum-e-Arafa: The ninth Zilhajja, the
day when Hajj is performed and the pilgrims
have to stay at 'Arafat.
Yaum-ut-Tarviya: The eighth Zilhijja.
Yalamlam: It is a hill at a distance
of two Manzils (encampment distances) from
Mecca towards the south. It is also known as
Sa'diya nowadays. The sea traveling pilgrims
from our country wear Ihram at this place
when they reach the point confronting to it.
Zulhulaifa: It is the name of a place
situated at a distance of about six miles on
the way from Madina to Mecca. It is the
Miqat for those who come from Madina and is
known nowadays by the name of Bir-e-'Ali.
Zat-u-'Irq: It is the name of place
which is desolate nowadays. It is as a
distance of about three days journey towards
Iraq from Mecca. It is the Miqat for those
coming from Iraq.
Zamzam: In Masjid-e-Haram near
Baitullah, it is a well to which Almighty
Allah, out of his Devine power, made a
spring of water to flow for the sake of His
Prophet Hazrat Isma'il and his mother (peace
be upon him). It has been running for
thousands of years till now.
Hajj Is One
Of the Fundamentals of
Islam And A Basic Religious Obligation
There is a verse of the 'Holy Quran'
"And pilgrimage to the house is a duty unto
Allah for mankind, for him who can afford
the journey thereunto. And whosever
disbelieves (i.e. he does not come to the
house despite his being able to do so) then
(he does Harm only to himself) Allah stands
not in need of any of his creatures." (3 :
97)
To afford journey to that House (i.e. the
Ka'ba) means that apart from one's
day-to-day necessities of life one has
sufficient funds to meet all the expenses of
journey to and from the house of Allah at
Mecca as well as the Expenses during the
period of one's stay there. Moreover, one
should be able to manage the Wajib
(obligatory) maintenance of one's dependants
upto one's return from the journey. There
are severe warnings in the 'Holy Quran' and
'Hadith' for a man who does not perform the
'Hajj' Pilgrimage despite his being capable
as mentioned above.
Rule Of Action :
Suppose a person who, at any time of his
life, possessed money sufficient to meet the
Hajj expenses, was able to retain it as his
property upto the beginning of the Hajj
season i.e. the beginning of the month of
'Shawwal'. If thereafter, instead of
performing Hajj he spent the funds on
raising a building or holding a function of
marriage or on some other affairs, the Hajj
already became obligatory as Fardh on him.
He would be bound to collect sufficient
funds again by doing his best in order to
discharge the Hajj obligation.
Hadith. The Messenger of Allah (Peace be
upon him) said, "One who performs Hajj for
the sake of Allah and therein abstains from
obscene acts and words, wickedness and sins,
he returns so purified from sins as he was
at the time when his mother gave him birth."
(Bukhari and Muslim).
Hadith. The Messenger of Allah (Peace be
upon him) said, "The Pilgrims for Hajj and
Umrah are the guests of Allah. If they Pray
for a thing to Allah, He will grant it. (Ibn-e-Majah).
What greater blessing there could be for a
Muslim than to be forgiven by Allah for All
the sins he committed throughout his life
and to be blessed with Allah's granting to
whatever he prayed for. By dint of this
blessing he could easily be successful in
achieving all his worldly and Heavenly
objects.
A Very Important Warning :
The attainment of all these virtues and
blessings is subject to the accomplishment
of all the 'Fara'idh'. Wajibat' and Sunna of
Hajj Pilgrimage must be abstained from ;
otherwise if one is at all relieved of the
obligation of Hajj, deprival from its
virtues and blessings is however
indisputable. Hajj Pilgrims are usually
careless in this respect. They do not care
to acquire knowledge of dictates about Hajj
and visiting sacred places and the religious
instructions regarding them. On reaching the
holy place they are put under the charge of
inexperienced servants of Mu'allims. Neither
they care for the correct fulfillment of
Wajibat (obligatory acts) of Hajj nor they
are vigilant about refraining from sins
during "Ihram. It may place be noted that
after wearing Ihram for Hajj or Umrah one
comes under certain restrictions imposed by
Shariat violation of which is a grievous
sin. Moreover for a sin committed in the
Haram of Mecca, the punishment is also
extremely severe. After performing Hajj
these ignorant people start reckoning that
they have returned after being purified from
sins and that they have stored plenty of
divine rewards for the life hereinafter. But
what happens in fact is that they return
with a store of sins due to contravention of
Wajibat and Sunnan of Hajj and with a stock
of penalties for the omission of Wajibat of
Ihram. Possibility is there of course that
all these misdoings are forgiven by Allah
out of His endless mercy and for the
innumerable blessings of "Haramain Sharifain"
but we have no right to be careless about
them. Besides, sin not taken seriously and
committed carelessly has less possibility of
forgiveness. That is why the 'Ulama' of
every age have purposely composed the
necessary dictates of Hajj after rendering
them easy or the sake of Hajj after
rendering them easy for the sake of Hajj
pilgrims, only out of their well wishing and
sympathy towards them. If these are kept
under continuous study before the start of
the journey as well as throughout its
duration, if Almighty Allah wills, the Hajj
will be accorded approval by Him.
Before The
Start Of Hajj Journey
Please be careful about certain things :-
- Purify your intention (Niyyat) for
Hajj only for the sake of Allah and
exclusively keeping in view the heavenly
reward. Do not allow any worldly honour
and vanity or any financial advantages
or any worldly selfish design to mix up
with your intention for Hajj. There is
of course no Harm if even then some
worldly benefits are attained to by
Allah's grace (and according to Hadith
wordly benefits will also be certainly
available), but you should not impurify
your intention for their sake.
- Turn to Allah in penitence from all
sins small or grievous. There are three
pre-requisites for a sincere penitence
:-
- Repentence and regret for the
sins committed in the past in the
possible redress of the omissions.
- For the present, to give up all
the sins.
- For future, to resolve not to
commit any sins.
These are the three requisites of a
sincere penitence without which mere
uttering the words of penitence will not
be sufficient.
The omissions and short-doings of the
past which can be accomplished after
their due time are as under :-
- Fasts and prayers which could
not be fulfilled after your having
attained to the age of puberty. They
must be calculated correctly and if
correct calculation is not possible,
then they should be accomplished on
the basis of a guess calculation.
- If you have not paid the 'Zakat'
of your money and effects in the
past, it should be paid now by way
of calculations or a careful guess.
- If you took an oath and violated
it, it should be expiated for.
Similarly if you made a vow to Allah
but could not fulfill it, it should
be fulfilled now.
The rights of human beings which can
be redressed may be defined as for
example you owe a debt to a person or
you are under financial dues to any one;
you have teased someone with your words
or caused him trouble by your acts or
you have spoken ill of someone in his
absence ; for all such things you are to
beg pardon of the rightful persons as
well as well as to pay back all the dues
which otherwise should be got remitted
if the rightful persons willingly do so.
Rules Of Action:
If the person whom you owe a debt has
died, pay it back to his heirs or get it
absolved by them. If the creditors are
numerous and their whereabouts are not
known, give as much amount as you owe to
them to the poor as alms on their
behalf. If you did any Haram to them
with your words or acts, pray often for
the remission of those whom you had
harmed. You would, Allah willing, be
relieved from the liability for all
their rights.
If the missed prayers and fasts are too
large in number to be accomplished
before the 'Hajj' journey, or your
liabilities to others are so excessive
in quantity that, at present it is out
of your power to pay them back or to get
them absolved, then what you are to do
is that you determine just now a firm
resolution in your mind either to
discharge all these obligations or to
get them remitted by the rightful
persons. At the same time, you are to
pay back whatever dues you can. For the
rest, you are to execute a will and
appoint someone of your relatives or
sincere friends as its executor, so that
in case of your failure he may pay back
all your liabilities.
For an indebted person who cannot spare
funds after paying his debts, it is
better not to intend to go for 'Hajj'
before the payment of his debts. He
should first avail of all his resources
in relieving himself from all the
liabilities. If before payment of the
debts he performed 'Hajj' , the 'Hajj'
obligation would however stand
discharged. This, of course, excludes
the usual current commercial loans for
which Hajj cannot be postponed.
If an indebted person has no effects,
whatsoever, which can suffice the
payment of his debts, his proceeding to
'Hajj' will not be lawfull without the
permission of his creditors. (Manasik,
Mulla Ali).
- Be careful in legitimate collection
of funds for 'Hajj'. The 'Hajj'
performed with ill gotten funds stands
unapproved and loses the Heavenly
reward, though even then it stands
discharged.
Rule Of Action:
A person with doubtful resources of his
funds should borrow sufficient money for
'Hajj' expenses from a non-Muslim and
then he should pay it back out of his
own funds, so that he may not be
deprived of the divine bounties and
Heavenly rewards.
- At the time of preparations for
'Hajj', do not forget to arrange for
necessary cloth for 'Ihram'. A sheet and
a loin-cloth (i.e. two sheets of cloth)
suffice the dress for 'Ihram'. It is
better to be of white cloth. An 'Ihram'
comprising of two big towels, which can
be easily used in place of the necessary
sheet and loin, is far better for the
days of intense summer or chilly winter
seasons. If conveniently possible,
arrange two or three 'Ihrams' for use
one by one in case of their being dirty.
On Proceeding To
Journey
- A 'Hajj' pilgrim should get his
faults excused by his friends and
relatives at the time of taking their
leave and request them to pray for his
well being. When he intends to get out
of his house, he should offer two 'Rak'at
of Nafl prayers. On getting near the
exit of his house he should recite Surah
Inna Anzalna. (ch.97).
When he comes out he should give
whatever he can afford as charity and
should recite 'Ayat-ul-Kursi'.
Thereafter he should pray to Allah in
these words :-
"O Allah : I seek Thy protection against
that I go or be led astray, or that I
oppress or be oppressed ; and against
that I do an act of ignorance or fall a
victim thereto" :
This invocation should also be
pronounced :-
"O Allah ! Weask Thee for righteousness
and piety in this journey of ours. We
request Thee to bless us with the acts
that may please Thee."
"O Allah ! make this journey of ours
convenient for us and help us in
crossing over its distance easily."
"O Allah ! Thou art our companion in
this journey and the care-taker of our
family behind us."
"O Allah ! I seek Thy protection against
the troubles in this journey ; against
beholding my property and family in bad
condition on my return and against being
impaired after being settled and against
the malediction of the oppressed one."
- If the Arabic text of the
invocations is not safe in memory, their
subject matter written in the
translation underneath may be repeated
in one's own language.
- On taking leave of the relatives
this invocation should be repeated :
"I commend you to Allah's protection
under whose charge the things are not
lost."
- At the time of getting into the
traveling carriage 'Bismillah.......'
along with the following invocation
should be pronounced :
"Praise be to Allah who made it
submissive to our control and we were
not to control it (without the help of
His omnipotence). No doubt we are
certainly to return to our Lord."
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