Chapter on Hajj and Umrah

Hajj — the pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah in Makkah — is the fifth and final pillar of Islam. Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani presents the Maliki school's positions on Hajj and Umrah with thoroughness, covering the conditions of obligation, the types of Hajj, the pillars and obligations of each rite, and the consequences of omissions and violations.

The Maliki school holds that Hajj is obligatory once in a lifetime for every Muslim who is: adult (baligh), sane, free, financially capable (able to afford provisions and transport with what remains over and above one's needs and debts), and physically able to undertake the journey. For women, the Maliki school adds the condition of having a mahram (unmarriageable male guardian) for the journey, or — in a well-known alternative position — a group of trustworthy women if a mahram is unavailable.

There are three types of Hajj according to the Maliki school: Ifrad (performing Hajj alone, without Umrah in the same journey), Qiran (combining Hajj and Umrah in a single ihram, entering ihram for both together), and Tamattu' (performing Umrah first, exiting ihram, then re-entering ihram for Hajj in the same season). The Maliki school holds that Ifrad is the most excellent form for those coming from Makkah or nearby, while scholarly opinions differ on which is preferable for those coming from afar.

The pillars of Hajj (arkan) — which cannot be compensated by a penalty offering and whose omission invalidates the Hajj — are according to the Maliki school: the intention (niyyah) at ihram, standing at Arafah (wuquf), the tawaf al-ifadah (the major circumambulation of the Ka'bah), and the sa'y between Safa and Marwah. Arafah is the most essential of these: the Prophet said, 'Hajj is Arafah.'

The obligations of Hajj (wajibat) — whose omission requires a compensatory sacrifice (dam) — include: entering ihram at the designated miqat, spending the night at Muzdalifah, stoning the Jamarat, shaving or cutting the hair, and the farewell tawaf (tawaf al-wada') for those departing Makkah.

Umrah is obligatory (wajib) according to the Maliki school, contrary to those who hold it to be merely recommended. Its pillars are: the intention at ihram, tawaf of seven circuits, and sa'y between Safa and Marwah. It may be performed at any time of year except on the actual days of Hajj (the 9th through 13th of Dhul Hijjah), when it is disliked for those intending Hajj.

The prohibitions of ihram include: covering the head for men, wearing sewn garments for men, cutting the hair or nails, using perfume, hunting land game, and sexual relations. Violations of these prohibitions require either expiation through sacrifice, fasting, or charity, depending on the nature of the violation. Sexual intercourse before the first tahallul (partial exit from ihram after stoning on Eid day) completely invalidates the Hajj and requires it to be completed and then made up the following year.