How to perform Umrah & Hajj, What to do & not to do & It's benefits I Mufti Saiful Islam (2019)
How to perform UMRAH
What is Umrah?
Umrah is a small Hajj(pilgrimage) that can be performed at any time of the year. Thus Umrah can be performed along with Hajj and in other days as well.
Allah says in the Qur’an:
"---fulfill Hajj and Umrah to Allah". (Qur’an 2: 196)
Great Virtues of Performing Umrah
Prophet (peace be upon him) has described the great merits of performing Umrah saying:
1- "The people who come to perform Hajj or Umrah are the guests of Allah because they visit His House on His Call; therefore, Allah grants them what they ask for"
2- "One Umrah becomes an atonement for the sins committed up to the next Umrah"
Performing Umrah in Ramadan
Performing Umrah during the Holy month Ramadan is most commendable and equal to Hajj in merit and excellence. Meaning that Umrah in Ramadan is equal to Hajj in terms of rewards, but it does not substitute the performance of Hajj which is Fard (imperative), once in a life time if one is financially and physically capable (as it is one of the basic Five Pillars of Islam).
RULES FOR UMRAH
1- Umrah is a Sunna (Sunna is following prophet Mohammad (PBUH)):
Umrah is neither imperative (Fard) nor obligatory (wajib), but performing Umrah once in a life time is a Sunna. However, once or more than once, whenever it is performed, it fetches great rewards.
2- No Fixed Time: Umrah can be performed during anytime in the year, there is no fixed month, day or time for Umrah as the case with Hajj, as said earlier.
How to perform UMRAH:
BEFORE WEARING THE IHRAM, IT IS SUNNAH TO TRIM ONE'S NAILS, REMOVE UNWANTED HAIR AND TO MAKE GHUSAL. IF GHUSL IS NOT POSSIBLE THEN WHUDU WILL BE SUFFICIENT
THE ONE PIECE IS TIED AROUND THE WAIST AND THE OTHER THROWN OVER THE SHOULDERS.
UNDERWEAR, JERSEYS, SHOES, SOCKS OR TOPIES ARE NOT PERMITTED. BEACH THONGS OR SIMILAR FOOTWEAR WHICH DO NOT COVER THE ARCH OF THE FOOT (ABOVE THE TOES) AND ANKLES ARE PERMISSIBLE.
SALAATUL IHRAM:
AFTER WEARING THE IHRAM, USE A HAT AS HEAD COVERING (FOR MALES) AND PERFORM TWO RAKAATS SUNNATUL IHRAM. IN THE FIRST RAKAAT READ: SURAH KAFIROON (QUL YA AYYUHAL KAFIROON) IN THE SECOND RAKAAT READ: SURAH IKHLAAS (QUL HUWWALLAHU AHAD) AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THIS SALAAH, REMOVE THE HAT AND MAKE THE NIYYAH (INTENTION) OF UMRAH, AND RECITE THE TALBIYAH THRICE. (LOUDLY FOR MALES, AND SOFTLY IF YOU ARE A FEMALE)
INTENTION FOR UMRAH:
RECITE THE FOLLOWING DUA (WITH RAISED HANDS)
"ALLAHUMMA INNI URIDUL UMRATA FAYASSIRHA LE WA TAQABBALHA MINNI."
THEREAFTER RECITE THE TALBIYAH: (RECITE THRICE)
LABBAIK - ALLAHUMMA LABBAIK - LABBAIK LA SHARIKA LAKA LABBAIK - INNAL HAMDA WAN NI'MATA LAKA WAL MULK - LA SHARIKA LAK.
( HERE I AM, O ALLAH HERE I AM -- HERE I AM, YOU HAVE NO PARTNER, HERE I AM -- SURELY ALL PRAISE, FAVOUR AND AUTHORITY BELONGS TO YOU. YOU HAVE NO PARTNER. )
AFTER THE TALBIYAH, THE FOLLOWING DUA WAS RECITED BY RASULULLAH (SALLALLAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM):
O ALLAH I SEEK YOUR PLEASURE AND JANNAH (PARADISE) AND SEEK PROTECTION IN YOU.
EN-ROUTE TO MAKKAH READ TALBIYAH AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND ZIKR ON REACHING MAKKAH ONE SHOULD FIND ACCOMODATION. IT IS MUSTAHAB TO PERFORM GHUSL. (DO NOT SHAVE ,DO NOT USE SOAP AND DO NOT RUB THE BODY AND HEAD TO AVOID ANY HAIR FALLING OFF YOU.
THEREAFTER ENTER THE MUSJIDUL HARAM, PREFERABLY THROUGH " BABUS SALAAM" DOOR
WHEN ENTERING THE " THE MUSJID AREA "
1. ENTER WITH THE RIGHT FOOT
2. RECITE BISMILLAH
3. RECITE DAROOD SHARIEF
4. MAKE INTENTION FOR ITIKAAF ( O ALLAH I AM MAKING INTENTION FOR ITIKAAF WHILE I AM IN THE MUSJID
5. AND SAY: O ALLAH, OPEN FOR ME THE DOOR OF YOUR MERCIES, AND MAKE EASY FOR ME THE MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD
THEN RECITE: O ALLAH YOU ARE PEACE AND FROM YOU COMES PEACE. SO KEEP US ALIVE, OUR LORD IN PEACE. O ALLAH INCREASE THIS HOUSE IN DIGNITY, HONOUR, NOBILITY AND AWE. AND INCREASE HIM WHO PERFORMS HAJ OR UMRAH IN DIGNITY, HONOUR, AND PIETY.
YOU CAN MAKE ANY OTHER DUAS TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS AS WELL. IF SALAAH TIME IS AT HAND, DO NOT START WITH YOUR TAWAF UNTIL AFTER SALAAH.
REMEMBER THAT SALAAH WILL BE PERFORMED BAREHEADED.
THE TAWAF OF UMRAH
BEFORE COMMENCING WITH TAWAF, COVER THE LEFT SHOULDER WITH ONE END OF THE IHRAM AND PASS THE OTHER END UNDER THE RIGHT ARM, THUS BARING THE RIGHT ARM AND SHOULDER AND COVERING THE LEFT SHOULDER. THIS IS CALLED IDTIBA.
NOW PROCEED TO THE HAJR ASWAD, (BLACK STONE) WHICH IS AT THE CORNER OF THE KA'BAH CLOSEST TO THE DOOR OF THE KA'BAH. A DARKISH BROWN LINE RUNS FROM THE HAJR ASWAD TILL THE END OF THE MATAF ( MATAF IS THE OPEN AREA FOR TAWAF). IT IS EASILY VISIBLE AS THE MATAF IS OF WHITE MARBLE.
ABOVE THE LINE ON THE WALL AT THE EDGE OF THE MATAF IS A GREEN LIGHT WHICH IS DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE HAJR ASWAD. THE STARTING POINT OF YOUR TAWAF IS ON THIS LINE, AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE HAJR ASWAD. BEFORE STARTING THE TAWAF, STAND FACING THE KA'BAH WITH THE BROWNISH LINE ON YOUR RIGHT. STOP RECITING THE TALBIYAH AND MAKE YOUR INTENTION:
O ALLAH I INTEND PERFORMING TAWAF OF YOUR SACRED HOUSE, (SEVEN ROUNDS) SO MAKE MY TAWAF EASY FOR ME AND O ALLAH ACCEPT IT FROM ME.
TAWAF
NOW STAND ON THE DARKISH BROWN LINE AND FACE THE HAJR ASWAD. STANDING WITH THE FACE AND CHEST IN LINE WITH THE HAJR ASWAD, RAISE BOTH HANDS AS IN SALAAH AND RECITE THE FOLLOWING:
BISMILLAH ALLAHU AKBAR LA ILAHA ILLALAH WA LILLAHIL HAMD. IN THE NAME OF ALLAH - ALLAH IS THE GREATEST. THERE IS NONE WORTHY OF WORSHIP BESIDES ALLAH AND ALL PRAISE BELONGS TO ALLAH.
THEREAFTER, PROCEED TOWARDS THE HAJR ASWAD AND KISS IT THRICE LIGHTLY WITHOUT SMACKING THE LIPS , PROVIDED THERE IS NO ITR ON THE HAJR ASWAD. IF A LARGE CROWD IS NEARBY AND YOU ARE UNABLE TO KISS THE HAJR ASWAD, YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:
a) PLACE BOTH HANDS OR THE RIGHT HAND ON THE HAJR ASWAD AND KISS THE INNER SIDES OF THE PALMS OF BOTH HANDS, OR THE INNER SIDE OF THE PALM OF THE RIGHT HAND.
b) WHILE STANDING ON THE BROWN LINE, STRETCH YOUR ARMS WITH THE PALMS FACING THE HAJR ASWAD AND THEN KISS YOUR PALMS ( AS A SUBSTITUTE ). ( TO KISS OR TOUCH THE HAJR ASWAD IS CALLED ISTILAM )
IF ITR IS ON THE HAJR ASWAD DO NOT KISS OR TOUCH THE HAJR ASWAD WHILE IN IHRAM . TO KISS THE STONE IS SUNNAH BUT TO CAUSE INCONVENIENCE AND INJURY TO OTHERS BY PUSHING IS HARAAM.
START MOVING TOWARDS YOUR RIGHT HAS YOUR TAWAF HAS BEGUN. FOR MALES THE FIRST THREE SHAWTS (ROUNDS) ARE TO BE DONE AT A BRISK PACE WITH THE CHEST OUT (CALLED RAMAL). THE LAST FOUR ROUNDS AT A NORMAL WALKING PACE. ENGROSS YOURSELF IN DUA AND THE THIRD KALIMA WHILE MAKING TAWAF.
(NOTE: DURING TAWAF DO NOT FACE THE KA'BAH WITH YOUR CHEST. THE KA'BAH SHOULD BE ON YOUR LEFT DURING TAWAF. YOU WILL FACE THE KA'BAH ONLY WHEN YOU ARE STANDING ON THE BROWN LINE TO MAKE ISTILAM)
THE HATIM HAS TO BE ENCIRCLED AS WELL. THE TAWAF WILL BE INCOMPLETE. IF ONE PASSES THROUGH THE HATIM. (THE HATIM IS A LOW, HALF MOON SHAPED MARBLE WALL CLOSE TO THE KA'BAH
EVERYTIME YOU CIRCLE THE KA'BAH TOUCH THE RUKN-YAMANI (The Yamani Corner) WITH YOUR HANDS OR THE RIGHT HAND, AS THIS IS MUSTAHAB. DO NOT KISS OR PLACE YOUR FOREHEAD AGAINST IT. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO TOUCH IT, MOVE ON ( Without Raising The Hands ).
EVERYTIME YOU REACH THE HAJR-ASWAD, IF POSSIBLE KISS IT, OTHERWISE WHILE STANDING ON THE BROWN LINE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND WITH PALM FACING THE HAJR-ASWAD
RECITE: BISMILLAHI ALLAHU-AKBAR AND KISS YOUR PALM. COMPLETE YOUR SEVEN ROUNDS IN THIS MANNER
TAWAF DUAS
THERE ARE NO FIXED DUAS FOR EACH ROUND. YOU ARE AT LIBERTY TO RECITE ANYTHING TO SUIT YOUR PERSONAL NEEDS. WE INCLUDE CERTAIN SELECTED DUAS RASULLAH (SALLALAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) AND THE SAHABAH (R.A.) MADE DURING TAWAF.
DUAS SHOULD BE RECITED SOFTLY, KEEPING THE MEANINGS IN MIND. LOUD RECITAL OF DUAS IS MAKROOH. REMEMBER IT IS BETTER TO READ A DUA IN THE LANGUAGE YOU UNDERSTAND.
RECITE THE FOLLOWING TAWAF DUAS:
SUBHANALLAHI WAL HAMDU LILLAHI WA LA ILAHA ILLALLAH WALLAHU AKBAR. WA LA HAWLA WA LA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAHIL ALIYIL AZIM.
GLORY BE TO ALLAH. ALL PRAISE BE TO ALLAH. ALLAH IS THE GREATEST. THERE IS NO POWER AND MIGHT EXCEPT FROM ALLAH, THE MOST HIGH, THE GREAT.
DUA BETWEEN RUKN-YAMANI AND HAJR-ASWAD:
RABBANA AATINA FIDDUNYA HASANAH WA FIL AKHIRATI HASANAH WA QINA AZABAN NAR. ( OUR LORD GRANT US GOOD IN THE WORLD AND IN THE HEREAFTER AND SAVE US FROM THE PUNISHMENT OF THE FIRE (HELL).
THIS WAS THE MOST RECITED DUAS IN TAWAF BY RASULULLAH ( SALLALLAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM ) AND THE SAHABAH (R.A.)
WHEN DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE MIZAB RECITE:
OH ALLAH I ASK YOU FOR FORGIVENESS AND SAFETY IN THE WORLD AND IN THE HEREAFTER . OUR LORD, GRANT US GOOD IN THE WORLD AND IN THE HEREAFTER AND SAVE US FROM THE PUNISHMENT OF THE FIRE.
YOUR TAWAF WILL NOW BE COMPLETE AFTER SEVEN ROUNDS ( YOU HAVE MADE ISTILAM 8 TIMES ) GO TO THE MULTAZAM AND MAKE DUA TO YOUR HEARTS DESIRE SEEKING ALLAH'S GRACE AND MERCY. IF POSSIBLE PLACE YOUR CHEST AGAINST THE WALL OF THE KA'BAH, HANDS RAISED AND RIGHT CHEEK TOUCHING THE WALL.
( THE MULTAZAM IS THE AREA BETWEEN THE KA'BAH DOOR AND HAJR-ASWAD )
MAQAM IBRAHIM
THEREAFTER, IF IT IS NOT MAKROOH TIME, GO BEHIND THE MAQAM IBRAHIM, COVER BOTH SHOULDERS AND PERFORM 2 RAKAATS SALAAH. THESE 2 RAKAATS ARE WAJIB (WAJIBUT-TAWAF) AND THE MUSTAHAB SURAS ARE KAFIROON AND IKHLAAS. IF THERE IS NO SPACE BEHIND THE MAQAM IBRAHIM THEN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE HARAM WILL SUFFICE.
NEXT GO DOWNSTAIRS TO THE WELL OF ZAM-ZAM AND DRINK TO YOUR FILL. BEFORE DRINKING SAY: "BISMILLAH" AND AFTER DRINKING SAY "ALHAMDULILLAH"
DUAS NEAR THE ZAM-ZAM WELL ARE ACCEPTED SO MAKE DUA THERE AS WELL. THE WELL IS VISIBLE WITH A GLASS PARTITION BLOCKING ENTRY TO IT (IN THE MALES SECTION)
THE DUA OF RASULULLAH (SALLALLAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) AT THE TIME OF DRINKING ZAM-ZAM IS AS FOLLOWS:
O ALLAH I AM ASKING YOU FOR BENEFICIAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXTENSIVE SUSTENANCE AND A CURE FROM ALL ILLS.
NOW PROCEED TO SAFA-MARWAH (SA'EE)
STAND ON MOUNT SAFA (A ROCKY HILL, A PORTION OF WHICH HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PRESENT BUILDING), FACE THE KA'BAH, MAKE DUA THEN READ :
LA-ILAHA ILLALLAH AND ALLAHU-AKBAR (MEN TO READ LOUDLY) AND THEN READ DAROOD SHARIF (SOFTLY)
DESCEND FROM THE SLOPE AND PROCEED TOWARDS MARWAH. (TWO PEDESTRIAN LANES ARE AVAILABLE, ONE LEADING TO MARWAH, AND THE OTHER RETURNING TO SAFA.
ABOUT 70 METRES FROM SAFA ARE TWO SETS OF GREEN FLUORESCENT LIGHTS INDICATING THE MILAIN AKHDARAIN. MALES HAVE TO BREAK OUT INTO A SLOW JOG BETWEEN THESE LIGHTS, A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 50 METRES. IT IS SUNNAH TO RUN THIS SHORT DISTANCE.
ENGAGE YOURSELF WITH DUA AND ZIKR AND REPEATEDLY RECITE THE FOLLOWING DUA: " RABBIGHFIR WARHUM ANTAL-A-'AZZUL AKRAM " MEANING: MY CHERISHER AND SUSTAINER, FORGIVE AND HAVE MERCY ON ME, YOU ARE MOST POWERFUL AND MOST GENEROUS
ON REACHING MARWAH, CLIMB THE SLOPE, FACE THE KA'BAH AND DO THE SAME AS YOU HAD DONE AT SAFA. ( THE KA'BAH IS NOT VISIBLE FROM MARWAH ).
ONE SHAWT HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETED. COMMENCE YOUR RETURN TO SAFA ON REACHING THE GREEN LIGHT BREAK OUT INTO A SLOW JOG AGAIN TILL YOU REACH THE OTHER GREEN LIGHT. ON REACHING SAFA, THE SAME PROCEDURE OF RECITING THE DUAS IS CARRIED OUT. THE SECOND SHAWT HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETED IN THIS MANNER COMPLETE SEVEN SHAWTS ENDING AT MARWAH.
AFTER COMPLETING THE SEVEN ROUNDS, RETURN TO THE MATAF AREA OF THE HARAM ( i.e. THE AREA AROUND THE KA'BAH ) AND PERFORM TWO RAKAATS SALAAH (MUSTAHAB)
THEREAFTER, GO TO THE BARBER AND HAVE YOUR HAIR SHAVEN OFF( MEN ONLY)
WOMEN WILL TRIM THE END OF THE HAIR ( APPROX: 1 inch or 2.5 cm ) THE BEST WAY IS FOR HER MAHRAM (AFTER HE HAS SHAVEN OFF HIS HAIR) TO WRAP THE END OF HER HAIR ONCE AROUND HIS FINGER AND SNIP OFF THE AMOUNT MENTIONED ABOVE.
ALHUMDULILLAH -YOUR UMRAH IS NOW COMPLETE.
REMEMBER THE WHOLE UMMAH IN YOUR DUAS MAY ALLAH MAKE IT EASY AND ACCEPT IT FROM YOU - INSHA-ALLAH - AAMEEN.
REMEMER TO HAVE PATIENCE AT ALL TIMES AND SAFE GUARD YOUR EYES AGAINST ALL EVIL