Index

Hajj: Fifth Pillar of Islam

Mir Lutful Kabir Saadi

The word "Hajj" literally means heading for an honourable person or 

place. 

Formally Hajj means worshipping Allah by performing the Hajj rituals, 

which 

are defined as specific acts performed at a specific time and place in 

a 

specific way.

Performing Hajj is an obligation once in a lifetime upon every Muslim, 

those 

who can afford the journey. Allah, the Almighty, says, "Pilgrimage 

thereto 

is a duty men owe to Allah, - those who can afford the journey; but if 

any 

deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures." Allah 

made 

Hajj an obligation to Muslims in the ninth year after Hijrah. The 

Prophet 

(peace be upon him) performed only the Farewell Hajj.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "(The superstructure of) Islam is 

founded on five (pillars): .... etc. "Among these pillars the Prophet 

mentioned the Hajj. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The Hajj 

which is 

accepted will receive no other reward than Paradise."

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "He who performs Hajj and neither 

spoke indecently not did he act wickedly would return free of sin as on 

the 

(very first) day his mother born him. "

The Prophet  (peace be upon him) said, "O people, Allah made Hajj 

obligatory 

for you; so perform Hajj. Thereupon a person said, `Messenger of Allah, 

(is 

it to be performed) every year?' He (the Holy Prophet) kept quiet, and 

the 

man repeated (these words) thrice, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may 

peace be 

upon him) said, `If I were to say: yes, it would become obligatory (for 

you 

to perform it every year) and you would not be able to do it."

Hajj is obligatory and that it represents the fifth pillar of Islam. It 

is 

an obligation that should be performed as soon as possible. The four 

obligatory acts of Hajj: 1. Ihram, 2. Standing by `Arafah, 3. Ifadah 

Circumambulation, 4. Sa`i between Safa and Marwah. Necessary ritual 

means 

whatever ritual a pilgrim must observe and if not, he should offer a 

sacrificial animal. The seven obligations of Hajj: 1. Performing Ihram 

from 

Miqat, 2. Standing by `Arafah, 3. Spending one night in Muzdalifah, 4. 

Spending one night in Mina, 5. Shaving the head or cutting hair short 

(shaving is recommended), 6. Throwing pebbles and 7. Farewell 

Circumambulation

Some supererogatory (Sunnah), acts of Hajj: 1. Washing the whole body 

upon 

entering into the state of Ihram, 2. Performing Talbiah, 3. Performing 

the 

arrival circumambulation for a Mufrid or Qarin pilgrim, 4. Spending the 

night of `Arafah in Muzdalifah, and 5. Performing Ramal and Idtibah` 

during 

the arrival circumambulation

There are three types of Hajj: Tamattu`, Qiran and Ifrad. TAMATTU`: It 

is 

the act of performing `Umrah in the Hajj season then performing the 

Hajj 

itself in the same year. In this type of Hajj, a pilgrim intends to 

perform 

Tamattu` before setting forth on journey. He intends `Umrah and enters 

into 

the state of Ihram while uttering, "O Allah! I answer Your call to 

perform 

`Umrah. O Allah! I intend to perform `Umrah, so make it easy for me, 

and 

accept it from me. I intend to perform `Umrah and I put on the garb of 

Ihram 

only for You, O Allah (the Almighty)." He then starts to pronounce the 

Talbiah. Such a pilgrim, upon reaching Mecca and visiting the Sacred 

House, 

circumambulates the Ka`bah seven times, walks between Safa and Marwah 

seven 

times, then removes his Hajj garb and gets his hair cut or shaved.

He may do everything that is permissible but was prohibited for him in 

the 

state of Ihram till the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah (the day of Tarwiah), as he 

states his intention and puts on the Hajj garb from his residence, 

while 

uttering "O Allah! I answer Your call to perform Hajj. O Allah! I 

intend to 

perform Hajj, so make it easy for me, and accept it from me. I intend 

to 

perform Hajj and I put on the garb of Ihram only for You, O Allah (the 

Almighty)."

Then he starts to pronounce the Talbiah that goes: "O Allah! Here I am 

at 

Your service. I respond to Your call, O Allah! Here I am at Your 

service. I 

respond to Your call. Here I am at Your service. I respond to Your 

call, and 

I am obedient to Your orders, You have no partner. Here I am at Your 

service. I respond to Your call. All praises and grace are due to You 

and 

all sovereignty is (too) for You and You have no partner with You. O 

Allah! 

I forbid myself, my hair, skin and body from wearing perfume on and 

from 

touching women. This is something that You prevent the one who is in a 

state 

of Ihram from doing it, and I do this only for Your sake, O Allah! Lord 

of 

the worlds."

Upon this, he must make an Offering, because he has performed `Umrah 

during 

the season of Hajj, as stated in the Holy Qur'an: "If any one wishes to 

continue the `Umrah on to the Hajj, he must make an Offering such as he 

can 

afford." For the pilgrim performing Tamattu` Hajj, the Circumambulation 

[Tawaf] of `Umrah is performed instead of the Arrival [Qudum] 

Circumambulation. Then, after the first act of removing the garb of 

Ihram, 

he performs the Ifadah Circumambulation and walks between Safa and 

Marwah 

for Hajj.

QIRAN: It is to combine both Hajj and `Umrah in only one Ihram. In this 

type 

of Hajj, the pilgrim intends to perform both of them with declaring his 

intention only once, saying, "O Allah! I answer Your call to perform 

Hajj 

and `Umrah." Then, he starts to pronounce the Talbiah, and remain in 

the 

state of Ihram till the morning of the ` Eid Al-Adha. Then, he sets 

forth to 

throw pebbles at the greater Jamrah of Al-`Aqabah located near Mecca, 

gets 

his hair shaved or cut, and slaughters his Offering. Upon completing, 

he can 

do the first act of removing his Ihram, and enjoy everything except 

touching 

women. Also, he can perform the Ifadah Circumambulation [Tawaf] while 

wearing his usual clothes. As for the one who performs the Qiran, the 

Sa`i 

which he performed after the Circumambulation upon entering the Sacred 

House, will not have to be performed after the Ifadah Circumambulation. 

That 

is because that Sa`i was performed for both Hajj and `Umrah. Finally, 

he 

must make an Offering because he has joined the rituals of Hajj and 

`Umrah 

together.

IFRAD: It is the intention to perform Hajj only. In this type of Hajj, 

a 

pilgrim declares that intention while still at his own home and wears 

the 

garb of Ihram for the Hajj only. Upon reaching the Sacred House, he 

starts 

to circumambulate the Ka`bah and to walk between Safa and Marwah for 

Hajj 

only. He must keep wearing the garb of Ihram till the morning of ` Eid 

Al-Adha Then, he sets forth to throw the pebbles at the greater Jamrah 

of 

Al-`Aqabah near Mecca, then gets his hair shaved or cut, and slaughters 

his 

sacrificial animal. Then, he can remove his Ihram, and no Offering has 

he to 

make.

To perform the Hajj, pilgrims enter a state of consecration known as 

ihram. 

In this state they may not clip their nails, cut or pluck any hair, or 

have 

any sort of sexual contact. Male pilgrims wear special clothes 

consisting of 

two seamless strips of white cloth, one covering the back and 

shoulders, the 

other covering from the waist to the knees. Female pilgrims can wear 

ordinary clothing that covers everything but the face and hands.

The rituals of Hajj date back to the time of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be 

upon 

him) and commemorate his willingness to sacrifice his only son, Isma`il 

to 

fulfil the desire of Allah (SAW). During the days of Hajj, the pilgrims 

attempt to forget all but their most basic worldly needs and to focus 

their 

attention and devotion on Allah (SAW) Alone. Upon arriving in Makkah, 

the 

pilgrims first circumambulate the Ka`bah seven times in a ritual known 

as 

Tawaf. This ritual reminds the pilgrims that Allah (SAW) should be the 

focus 

and center of their lives.

The next ritual is Sa`i, which is walking back and forth seven times 

between 

the hillocks named Safa and Marwah. This commemorates the search for 

water 

made by Hajar when Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) left her and her 

infant son Isma`il (peace be upon him) in the desert. On 8 Dhul-Hijjah, 

pilgrims head to Mina, where they spend the day supplicating Allah. 

Early 

the next morning they go to `Arafah. They spend the day supplicating 

Allah 

and begging for His forgiveness. When the sun sets on the Day of 

`Arafah, 

the pilgrims╝ sins are forgiven.

After sunset the pilgrims move on to Muzdalifah, where they spend the 

night 

and collect pebbles to be used in the next ritual.

The next morning, 10 Dhul-Hijjah, is the Day of Sacrifice. Most 

pilgrims 

slaughter a sheep, goat, camel or cow. Muslims who are not on Hajj also 

slaughter that day, which is known as `Eid Al-Adha. The ritual 

commemorates 

Ibrahim╝s willingness to sacrifice his son Isma`il (peace be upon them 

both) 

and Allah╝s provision of a ram as a substitute sacrifice. But before 

slaughtering, the pilgrims go to throw pebbles at the stone pillars 

known as 

Al-Jamarat. This ritual commemorates Ibrahim╝s stoning of Satan when 

the 

latter tried to tempt him to disobey Allah.

After this, the pilgrims cut or shave their hair (women cut off only a 

small 

amount) and return to Makkah to repeat Tawaf and Sa`i. They sleep at 

Mina 

and repeat the stoning of the pillars on the next two days. A final 

Tawaf 

before leaving Makkah completes the Hajj. Pilgrims also go to Madinah 

before 

or after Hajj in order to pray in the Prophet╝s Mosque and visit his 

holy 

grave. Visiting his tomb at Madinah is not an essential obligation to 

make 

Hajj valid or complete. Honoring him remains a matter of the heart, and 

a 

Muslim proves his love towards the Prophet by following his path of 

Islam.

As Hajj provides every pilgrim with tranquility of heart, inner purity, 

and 

fullness of understanding of his existence in the cosmos, every single 

step 

should recall the ideas of the creation, glory of divine transcendence, 

and 

the unity of the believers that crosses boundaries and ethnic and 

gender 

diversities. In the heart of every aspect of Hajj is some reflection 

signifying the Hereafter.

The pilgrim should watch the duties of his heart at all stages. He will 

realize if he has been accepted or not by watching his heart and its 

conduct. If he finds his heart adverse to this world and inclined to be 

intimate with Allah, then he may count on acceptance, for Allah accepts 

only 

those whom He loves. Throughout the performance of Hajj, the pilgrim 

can 

easily observe that it is a course of spiritual enrichment and moral 

rearmament, a journey of intensified devotion and disciplinary 

experience, a 

course of humanitarian interests and inspiring knowledge, all put 

together 

in one single Pillar of Islam.

If the pilgrim understands where Hajj really stands in Islam, he will 

notice 

in himself a process of spiritual transformation through the rituals. 

Every 

step of Hajj serves as a reminder, a sign of submission to Allah, an 

instructive tool for self-discipline and devotion, and an exhortation 

to the 

faithful aspirant. If the pilgrim hopes his visit is to be accepted, he 

should carry out Allah╝s commands, cast off iniquities, repent for all 

acts 

of disobedience, and sever his heart╝s connection from all worldly 

concerns 

during Hajj. Then he can turn to Allah as he turns his face in the 

direction 

of the Ka╗bah in each prayer. Unless the pilgrim does so, he will get 

nothing from his journey except trouble and hardship at the outset, and 

dismissal and rejection at the end.

 

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