Al-Hajj.. A Journey of a Lifetime

Many Muslims travel annually to perform one of the great obligations in Islam, that is Pilgrimage [الحج].

It is a personal obligation upon every Muslim to perform pilgrimage if one is free, pubescent, sane, and able to do so.

And for one’s Pilgrimage to be accepted and rewarded, one must perform it the way Allah ordered by fulfilling the integrals and conditions and avoiding its invalidators.

So one must learn these matters before performing the Pilgrimage so that one does not fall into what is unlawful or invalid and miss out on rewards.

There are six (6) integrals which one must perform for the Pilgrimage to be valid:

1⃣ The first of these integrals is al-ihram [الإحرام] that is for one to say in his heart for example “I intend to perform Hajj (pilgrimage) and I make ihram for the sake of Allah” This intention is not valid unless it was during the months of Hajj (pilgrimage) as Allah said:

{الحجُّ أشهرٌ معلومات}

These months are Shawwal, Dhul-Qa^dah, and the first ten nights of Dhil-Hijjah.

2⃣ The second integral is for one to be in the area of ^Arafah [عرفة] for at least a moment between Dhuhr [ظهر] time of the ninth of Dhil-Hijjah and the dawn time of the tenth of Dhil-Hijjah
It is valid for one to be there even if one was asleep or passing through it without staying there.

3⃣ The third integral is to make [طواف] that is to circulate around the Ka^bah [الكعبة] seven times starting from the black stone with the left shoulder towards the Ka^bah الكعبة
One must do so having purification and covering the unlawful nakedness. This is so because the
circumambulation [طواف] is like the prayer as the Prophet peace be upon him mentioned, however, it is permissible to talk while in circumambulation طواف.

4️⃣ The fourth integral is to make (Sa^iyy) سعي between mount as-safa الصفا and mount al-marwah المروة seven times starting with as-safa الصفا
This Sa^iy [سعي] has to be after one has performed a circumambulation [طواف] – (it could be even after the recommended arrival circumambulation طواف), and it has to be in the path that was specified by the Prophet peace be upon him.

Note: By consensus, it is not valid for one to make Sa^i السعي in the new addition which is outside the original specified pathway. So for Sa^iy [السعي] to be valid, it needs to be in the old pathway whether in the upper floors or the lower ones.

5️⃣ The fifth integral is to shave the head or cut the hair.
Shaving the head is better for men; however, women are not allowed to shave the head rather they cut their hair. This shaving or cutting is not allowed before the second half of the night preceding the day of ^Eid

6️⃣ And the sixth integral is to maintain order in most of the integrals – because the intention [إحرام] has to be done first, and the circumambulation [طواف], as well as the cutting or shaving, has to be after being at ^Arafah.

There are also obligations that one must do. Not doing these obligations does not invalidate Pilgrimage [الحج], but one would be sinful and must pay a “fidyah” [فدية].

Among these obligations is staying at Muzdalifah even for a short time and staying at Mina most of the night. (Some scholars said that these 2 matters are recommended and not obligatory)

Among the obligations is also throwing the seven pebbles at “Jamratul-^aqabah [جمرة العقبة] The time for this starts after the middle of the night preceding ^Eid [العيد]. It is not sufficient to throw these pebbles before that time.

Then one must throw pebbles at the three stations on the three days of Tashreeq [التشريق], that is on the 11th, 12th, and the 13th of Dhil-Hijjah. On each day, one throws seven pebbles at each station. He throws each pebble by itself.
It is not sufficient for one to throw all seven pebbles together in one throw.