The Hajj (Part 1)

بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم
In the Name of Allah,
the Most Gracious, and Most Merciful.



As the season of Hajj is upon us I thought of
posting articles, bayans, nasheeds etc.. related
to it. This is the first post in this series - The Hajj
InshaAllah we all can benefit  as there are many
lessons to learn from it.
 
It's that time of the year now, the Pilgrims
are getting ready to leave their countries and
some already in the Holy land, the Prilgrims
in humbleness leave for the House of Allah,
chanting the labbayk - ''Ever at Your service, 
O Allah, ever at Your service.''


Who must perform Hajj and Umrah

Hajj and 'umrah are obligatory because of the
word of Allah Most High :

وَ للَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ البَيْتِ مَنْ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً

''People owe Allah to make pilgrimage to the House,

whoever is able to find a way''  Surah Aal'Imran 3 : 97,

and,

وَأَتِمُّوا الحَجّض وَالعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ

''Complete the hajj and  'umrah for Allah''
Surah Baqarah 2 : 196,

meaning, ''Perform both of them completely.''

This section uses the following special vocabulary, 

Arafa : the name of a plain about thirteen miles to
the east-southeast of Mecca.

Hajj : the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Ihram : the state of consecration that pilgrims enter
for hajj and 'umrah.

Labbayk : a litany meaning, ''Ever at Your service,
O Allah, ever at Your service.''

al-Masjid al- Haram : the Holy Masjid in Mecca
that encompasses the Kaaba.

Safa and Marwa : two hillocks connected by a
course adjoining al-Masjid al-Haram.

'Umrah : the lesser pilgrimage or visit to Mecca
that may be performed at any time of the year.

Both hajj and 'umrah are obligatory, though neither
is obligatory more than once in a person's lifetime
unless one vows more than that.

They are only obligatory for someone who :

a) is Muslim ;

b) has reached puberty ;

c) is sane ;

d) and is able to make them.

The hajj or 'umrah of someone considered unable
(non- (d) above) is valid ( i.e. if he undertakes the
hardship, travels, and stands at 'Arafa, it fulfills the
obligation ), though not that of a non-Muslim, or a
child below the age of discrimination who is unaccom-
panied by a guardian.

It is valid for a child of the age of discrimination to
enter the state of ihram with his guardian's permission
( guardian meaning the person with lawful disposal
over the child's property ).

It is also valid for the guardian to enter ihram on behalf
of an insane person or a child below the age of discrimination,
in which case the guardian has his charge do as much as he
is able, by having him ( telling him to ) perform the purifi-
catory bath (ghusl), remove clothing that has seams, and
put on hajj garments ; and forbidding him the things prohi-
bited while in the state of ihram, such as perfumes and the
like, after while he takes him to the various places of the
hajj rites ( it being insufficient for the guardian to go alone),
and performs the acts that the charge cannot do himself,
such as entering into ihram (which the charge, lacking
discrimination, is unable to make a legally valid intention
for), the two rak'as  after circumambulation the Kaaba,
and stoning at Mina. ( But the hajj of someone who has
not reached puberty does not fulfill the obligation Islam
imposes, since even though it is valid, it is supererogatory.)

Extracts from
Ahmad ibn Naqib al- Misri
Reliance of the Traveller
Tran .. Nuh Ha mim Keller