Hajj and Umrah

Hajj — the pilgrimage to Makkah — is the fifth pillar of Islam, obligatory once in a lifetime upon every Muslim who has the physical and financial ability. Allah Most High commands: "And pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Allah by people who are able to undertake it" (Al Imran 3:97). Umrah is an independent act of worship that is obligatory according to the Hanbali and Shafi'i schools, while the Hanafi and Maliki schools consider it a confirmed sunnah.

Conditions for the Obligation of Hajj: Hajj is obligatory upon a person who is: Muslim; legally sane (mukallaf); free (not enslaved); financially and physically able — meaning one can afford the journey with provision and transport after meeting one's debts and the needs of one's dependents, and one's health permits the journey. It must be performed immediately once the conditions are met, without delay, according to the Hanbali school.

Types of Hajj: There are three ways to perform Hajj: (1) Ifrad — performing Hajj alone without Umrah in the same trip; (2) Tamattu' — performing Umrah first, exiting ihram, and then re-entering ihram for Hajj during the Hajj season; (3) Qiran — combining Hajj and Umrah in a single ihram. The Prophet performed Qiran, though he instructed his Companions to perform Tamattu'. Most scholars recommend Tamattu' for those coming from distant lands.

Pillars (Arkan) of Hajj: The Hanbali school identifies four pillars whose omission invalidates the Hajj: (1) Ihram — entering the sacred state with intention at the miqat; (2) Standing at Arafah (wuquf) on 9th Dhul-Hijjah — this is the very heart of Hajj, and the Prophet said: "Hajj is Arafah"; (3) Tawaf al-Ifadah (circumambulating the Kaaba seven times after Arafah); (4) Sa'i (walking seven times between Safa and Marwah).

Obligations (Wajibat) of Hajj: These are acts whose omission requires a compensatory sacrifice (dam) but does not invalidate the Hajj: assuming ihram from the miqat; staying at Muzdalifah overnight; throwing the pebbles at the Jamarat on the days of tashriq; shaving or cutting the hair; the Farewell Tawaf (tawaf al-wada') for non-Makkans.

Sequence of Hajj Rituals: The pilgrim enters ihram at the miqat on 8th Dhul-Hijjah, proceeds to Mina (sunnah), then to Arafah on the 9th where he stands until sunset. He then moves to Muzdalifah for the night, collects pebbles, and proceeds to Mina on the 10th (Eid al-Adha). At Mina he throws seven pebbles at the large jamrah, slaughters his animal (if performing Tamattu' or Qiran), shaves his head, then goes to Makkah for tawaf al-ifadah and sa'i. He returns to Mina for the nights of tashriq (11th and 12th, or 11th, 12th, and 13th for those who do not hasten). He then performs the farewell tawaf before departing Makkah.

Umrah: Umrah consists of: ihram at the miqat; tawaf of the Kaaba; sa'i between Safa and Marwah; and shaving or cutting the hair. It may be performed at any time of year except, according to the Hanbali school, during the five days of Hajj (8th–12th Dhul-Hijjah).