The Description of ‘Umrah

The Ninth Topic

The Description of ‘Umrah

The pillars of ‘Umrah:

A pillar (rukn) in the language: the rukn of a thing is its strongest side. (1)

A pillar in the technical sense: that by which a thing is completed while being part of it. (2)

What is meant by it in Hajj and ‘Umrah: what the Lawgiver demands definitively, having no substitute.

The pillars of ‘Umrah are three:

The first pillar: ihram.

The second pillar: tawaf around the Ka‘bah.

The third pillar: sa‘i between al-Safa and al-Marwah.

Obligation (wajib) in the language: from wajaba al-shay’ yajibu wujuban, meaning it became required. (1)

In the technical sense: that whose deliberate abandoner is blamed in the Sharia (2)—also defined as: what its performer is rewarded for, in compliance, and whose abandoner deserves punishment.

The obligations of ‘Umrah: two obligations:

The first obligation: ihram from its miqat.

The second obligation: shaving or shortening.

Their detail, together with the description of ‘Umrah, is as follows:

As for ihram: it is the intention of entering the rite, and the place of intention is the heart. It is not permissible to utter a formula such as “O Allah, I intend to perform ‘Umrah,” or the like, because this is not reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) nor from his noble Companions—whether in ‘Umrah, Hajj, prayer, zakat, or other acts of worship. Even in worldly matters you will not find a sensible person who says “I intend to drink water” and then drinks—for he simply takes up water in order to drink it. The same is said of the acts of worship: he only came to the miqat and put on the

ihram garments except for ‘Umrah or Hajj; and likewise in prayer, he only performed wudu’ and stood to say takbirat al-ihram for the prayer.

Among the Sunnahs that one intending ihram for ‘Umrah or Hajj should do are the following:

1. Bathing: he bathes as one bathes from janabah, and this is general for male and female—even a menstruating or postpartum woman. Evidence is the long hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah on the description of the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s Hajj, in which he said: until we reached Dhu’l-Hulayfah, where Asma’ bint ‘Umays gave birth to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr. She sent word to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): “What shall I do?” He said: “Bathe, tie a cloth around yourself [to stem the flow], and enter ihram.” (1)

2. Applying perfume: the man perfumes himself with the best perfume he finds on his head and beard—musk oil, oud, or the like—and its remaining after ihram does not harm him, per the hadith of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: “I used to perfume the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the best perfume he could find, until I saw the glisten of perfume on his head and beard.” (2)

3. Then, after bathing and perfuming, he puts on the ihram garments:

For men: an izar and a rida’.

As for the woman: she wears whatever garments she wishes, provided she does not display adornment; she does not wear niqab or gloves and does not cover her face—as stated in the prohibitions of ihram—except that she covers her face in the presence of unrelated men, as explained with its evidence. Then, if it is the time of an obligatory prayer, the muhrim—other than a menstruating or postpartum woman—prays the obligatory prayer. If it is not the time for an obligatory prayer, he prays two rak‘ahs for ihram, which is a Sunnah: if he performs them he has a reward, and if he leaves them there is no sin upon him; his ihram is valid, if Allah Most High wills. (1) When he has finished the prayer, he rides his vehicle, forms the ihram intention in his heart as he mounts, and says: “Labbayka ‘umrah” (Here I am for ‘Umrah)—as evidenced by the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) about the Prophet (peace be upon him): “When he placed his foot in the stirrup and his she-camel stood upright with him, he pronounced ihram from beside the mosque of Dhu’l-Hulayfah.” (2)

And he frequently pronounces the talbiyah with tawhid. Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), describing the ihram of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), said: he pronounced ihram with tawhid: “Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk, inna’l-hamda wa’n-ni‘mata laka wa’l-mulk, la sharika lak” — “Here I am, O Allah, here I am; here I am, You have no partner, here I am; truly all praise, favor, and sovereignty are Yours—You have no partner.” And the people recited their own forms of talbiyah, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not reject any of it, while the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) kept to his own talbiyah. (1) And if he adds: “Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayka wa sa‘dayk, wa’l-khayru fi yadayk, labbayka wa’r-raghba’u ilayka wa’l-‘amal” — “Here I am, O Allah, here I am; here I am, at Your service; all good is in Your hands; here I am, and my desire and deeds are for You”—there is no harm, for this addition is established from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and his son ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both). (2) This talbiyah is the first rite of the person performing ‘Umrah and Hajj; it is the slogan of ‘Umrah and Hajj, and it indicates a great and very weighty matter—the greatest and most important of matters: the tawhid of Allah and sincere devotion of worship to Him alone without partner. In it is the most eloquent refutation of the people of Jahiliyyah and polytheism in every time and place—those who associate others with Allah: calling upon other than Allah, seeking aid from it, slaughtering and vowing to other than Allah, and seeking help and provision from other than Allah.

And among that: the people of Jahiliyyah associate partners even in the talbiyah—as ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: the polytheists used to say, “Labbayk, You have no partner,” and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would say: “Woe to you—enough, enough!” Then they would say: “Except a partner who is Yours; You own him and what he owns”—saying this while circumambulating the House. (1)

◈ And the Sunnah for men: raising the voice with the talbiyah—per the hadith of al-Sa’ib ibn Khallad (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Jibril (peace be upon him) came to me and commanded me to command my Companions and those with me to raise their voices with the ihlal”—or he said: “with the talbiyah”—meaning one of the two. (2) The command to raise it manifests tawhid, proclaims it, and magnifies it—for it is the greatest of the rites of Hajj. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to raise their voices with the talbiyah until their throats became hoarse—al-Muttalib ibn ‘Abdullah said: “The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to raise their voices with the talbiyah until their voices became hoarse.” (3) And Bakr ibn ‘Abdullah al-Muzani said: I was with Ibn ‘Umar

when he pronounced the talbiyah until I heard [him] between the two mountains.” (1) And it has come from a group of the salaf: “The adornment of Hajj is the talbiyah” (2)—and it came from the speech of the Prophet (peace be upon him). (3)

◈ As for the woman: she pronounces the talbiyah without raising her voice in talbiyah or any other dhikr in the presence of men, because concealment is what is required of her. The pilgrim’s saying “Labbayk Allahumma labbayk” means: an answer to You, O Allah, after answer, and abiding in Your obedience (4)—responding to Allah’s call to His servants to perform Hajj, as He, glorified be He, said: ﴿وَأَذِّن فِي ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلۡحَجِّ يَأۡتُوكَ رِجَالٗا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٖ يَأۡتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٖ﴾ [And proclaim among the people the Hajj; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, coming from every deep defile.] (Al-Hajj 27) And if the muhrim fears he will be unable to complete his rite —because he is ill, or fears an enemy or a blockade (ihsar), or fears he cannot complete the rite due to a spreading contagious epidemic or the like—it is recommended that he say at his ihram, after saying “Labbayka ‘umrah”: “So if a preventer prevents me, my place of exiting ihram is where You prevented me”—per the hadith of ‘A’ishah, who said: the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered upon

Duba‘ah bint al-Zubayr and said to her: “Perhaps you intended the Hajj?” She said: “By Allah, I only find myself ailing.” So he said to her: “Perform Hajj and stipulate, saying: ‘O Allah, my place of exiting ihram is where You prevent me.’” (1)

And the benefit of this stipulation: if something occurs to the muhrim that prevents him from completing his rite—illness, blockade, or the like—he may exit ihram, and nothing is upon him. It is recommended for the muhrim to increase the talbiyah, and it is emphasized when ascending a height, descending into a valley, completing an obligatory prayer, at the approach of night or day, when companions meet, when hearing another pilgrim’s talbiyah, when committing a prohibition in forgetfulness, when mounting or dismounting his ride, when seeing the House, or other changes of circumstance and time. The collective talbiyah is not prescribed, because it is not reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) nor from his noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)—each muhrim pronounces the talbiyah alone.

He continues the talbiyah in ‘Umrah from the time of ihram until he begins the tawaf; when he begins the tawaf he stops the talbiyah; and in Hajj, from ihram until he stones Jamrat al-‘Aqabah on the Day of Eid. When he approaches Makkah, it is Sunnah to bathe for entering it if feasible, per the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), as related by his mawla Nafi‘: Ibn ‘Umar “would not arrive in Makkah without spending the night at Dhu Tuwa until morning, when he would bathe, then enter Makkah by day—and he mentions that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did it.” (1) And it is Sunnah to enter Makkah from its upper part and leave from its lower part, from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both): “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered Makkah from Kada’, the upper pass at al-Batha’, and left from the lower pass” (2)—and from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): “When the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to Makkah, he entered from its upper part and left from its lower part.” (3)

Kada’: with a fathah on the kaf and a madd—the name of the pass at the top of Makkah, now called Ray‘ al-Hajun; it is the road coming from al-Ma‘la cemetery.

And the lower pass: is now called Ray‘ al-Rassam; it is the road that comes from the Bab quarter heading toward Jarwal. If it is feasible for the pilgrim to enter from where the Prophet (peace be upon him) entered and leave from where the Prophet (peace be upon him) left, that is best; if not feasible, then wherever he enters or leaves Makkah is permissible, and nothing is upon him.

When he reaches al-Masjid al-Haram: it is Sunnah for him to put his right foot forward in entering and say: “Bismillah, wa’s-salatu wa’s-salamu ‘ala Rasulillah; a‘udhu billahi’l-‘azim wa bi-wajhihi’l-karim wa sultanihi’l-qadim mina’sh-shaytani’r-rajim; Allahumma iftah li abwaba rahmatik” — “In the name of Allah, and prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah; I seek refuge in Allah the Magnificent, His noble Face, and His ancient dominion from the accursed devil; O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.” From Abu Humayd or Abu Usayd, who said: the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When one of you enters the mosque, let him say: ‘O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy’; and when he leaves, let him say: ‘O Allah, I ask You of Your bounty.’” (1) And this is general for al-Masjid al-Haram and all mosques.

Then he advances toward the House, heading for the Black Stone to begin the tawaf, and he does not say “I intend the tawaf,” for that is not reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him)—the place of intention is the heart. The Sunnah for a man in this tawaf —which is the arrival tawaf for the qarin and the mufrid, and the ‘Umrah tawaf for the mutamatti‘; it is called the arrival tawaf because it is his first tawaf upon arriving in Makkah— is that he perform idtiba‘ in all of it, and ramal in its first three circuits, walking in the remaining four.

Idtiba‘: uncovering the right shoulder—placing the middle of his rida’ under his right armpit and its two ends over his left shoulder.

Ramal: quickening the walk with short steps.

When he reaches the Black Stone, he has four ordered cases, as follows:

The first case: he touches the Black Stone with his right hand and kisses it with his mouth if feasible, saying: “Bismillah wa’llahu akbar” (“In the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest”)—doing that to magnify Allah Most High and follow the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), not out of belief that the Stone benefits or harms, for that belongs to Allah Most High alone—as ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)

came to the Black Stone and kissed it, then said: “I know that you are a stone that neither harms nor benefits; had I not seen the Prophet (peace be upon him) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.” (1) In this is a reminder of the importance of tawhid and sincere worship of Allah alone without partner—that none brings benefit nor repels harm except Allah, glorified and exalted—and also of following the Prophet (peace be upon him) and not innovating in the religion.

If this case is not feasible for him, he moves to the next case, which is:

The second case: he touches the Black Stone with his hand and kisses his hand, saying: “Bismillah wa’llahu akbar”—from Nafi‘, mawla of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “I saw Ibn ‘Umar touch the Stone with his hand, then kiss his hand, and he said: I have not left it since I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) do it.” (2)

If this case is not feasible for him, he moves to the next case, which is:

The third case: he touches the Black Stone with something he has, such as a staff, and kisses the staff, saying: “Bismillah wa’llahu akbar”—from Abu’l-Tufayl (may Allah be pleased with him),

who said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) circumambulating the House, touching the corner with a mihjan (crooked staff) he had, and kissing the mihjan.” (1)

If this case is not feasible for him, he moves to the next case, which is:

The fourth case: he points to the Black Stone with his hand, even from afar, saying: “Bismillah wa’llahu akbar”—from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made tawaf on his camel, and whenever he came upon the corner, he pointed to it and said takbir.” (2) And in a narration: “Whenever he came upon the corner, he pointed to it with something in his hand and said takbir.” (3) And it is reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) from various routes that strengthen one another that he said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): “O Aba Hafs, you are a strong man; do not jostle at the corner, for you harm the weak—but if you find an opening, touch it; otherwise say takbir and move on.” (4)

And the one performing tawaf must, in the first three cases, not harm the circumambulators or cause them injury—for touching the Stone is a Sunnah, while refraining from harm is an obligation, so performing the obligation takes precedence. And if he is strong and there is crowding, he should keep away from jostling the weak lest he harm them. The one performing tawaf should be mindful of the majesty of this place, be gentle with whoever jostles him, excuse him and have mercy on him—for mercy is only removed from the wretched—and be keen on khushu‘ and humble supplication to Allah, leaving whatever removes this khushu‘ and supplication, such as jostling, or taking tawaf outside the purpose for which it was legislated—worshipping Allah—as happens with some circumambulators’ idle talk, arguing, and quarreling. Women should avoid jostling men, lest that lead to something forbidden, such as their being uncovered or otherwise; rather a woman should seek the time when there are only women, then kiss the Stone. Then, after saying “Bismillah wa’llahu akbar” at the Black Stone, he turns to the right, keeping the Ka‘bah on his left; when he reaches the Yemeni Corner

he touches it if he can, without kissing; if he cannot, he neither jostles nor points to it. And he touches nothing of the House except the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner, because they stood upon the foundations of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and because the Prophet (peace be upon him) touched only them—from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: “I never saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) touch of the House except the two Yemeni corners.” (1)

And between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone he says: ﴿رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ حَسَنَةٗ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ﴾ [Our Lord, give us in this world good and in the Hereafter good, and shield us from the punishment of the Fire.] (Al-Baqarah 201) for ‘Abdullah ibn al-Sa’ib said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say between the two corners: ﴿رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ حَسَنَةٗ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ﴾ [Our Lord, give us in this world good and in the Hereafter good, and shield us from the punishment of the Fire.] (Al-Baqarah 201) (2) And whenever he passes the Black Stone he does as before, saying “Allahu akbar” once. As for repeating the takbir and standing at the Stone, that is not reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him), and it causes crowding and harm to the circumambulators.

And in the rest of his tawaf he says whatever he wishes of dhikr, supplication, and recitation—for tawaf around the House, [sa‘i] between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and the stoning of the jimar were only instituted to establish the remembrance of Allah. (1)

◈ As for what some circumambulators do: assigning a specific supplication or dhikr to each of the seven circuits—some even carrying a book from which they read these designated supplications and adhkar— all of this is newly introduced practice, a reprehensible innovation that is not permissible; rather he supplicates with whatever is easy for him of the good of this world and the Hereafter. There is no specific supplication or dhikr for each circuit—nothing of that is reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him), neither in word nor deed. And among the errors some circumambulators commit is that a group gathers around a leader who performs tawaf with them and dictates the supplication in a raised voice, the group following him in a single voice—so voices rise, chaos occurs, and they disturb the rest of the circumambulators, who no longer know what they are saying. In this is the removal of khushu‘ and harm to the servants of Allah in this secure place.

And the tawaf is seven circuits, beginning at the Black Stone and ending at it. And tawaf from inside the Hijr is not valid, for it is part of the Ka‘bah.

When he completes seven circuits, he advances to the Maqam of Ibrahim: and recites: ﴿وَٱتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ مُصَلّٗىۖ﴾ [And take the Maqam of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.] (Al-Baqarah 125) then he prays two rak‘ahs behind it—near it if feasible, otherwise farther away—with the Maqam between him and the Ka‘bah, reciting in the first rak‘ah al-Fatihah and Surah ﴿قُلۡ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ﴾ [Say: O disbelievers.] (Al-Kafirun 1) and in the second rak‘ah: al-Fatihah and Surah ﴿قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ﴾ [Say: He is Allah, the One.] (Al-Ikhlas 1)

And what should be noted: some Muslims pray these two rak‘ahs near the Maqam of Ibrahim during crowding, harming the circumambulators, blocking their movement, and causing crowding and distress—whereas he is permitted to pray behind the Maqam in a distant place, whether in the mataf area or inside the arcades of the mosque; he may pray anywhere, and no specific place is required.

And attention should be drawn: to those who wipe themselves with the Maqam and wipe their bodies and children with it—this is among the forbidden innovations and misguidance,

for it is not reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he wiped himself with the Maqam of Ibrahim or authorized it—nor from his noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).

Then he returns to the Black Stone: and touches it if feasible; if not feasible, he does not point to it.

Then he goes out to the mas‘a to perform sa‘i:

When he draws near al-Safa: he recites: ﴿إِنَّ ٱلصَّفَا وَٱلۡمَرۡوَةَ مِن شَعَآئِرِ ٱللَّهِۖ﴾ [Indeed al-Safa and al-Marwah are among the rites of Allah.] (Al-Baqarah 158) he recites it once in this place before beginning the sa‘i, and does not recite it again. Then he ascends al-Safa until he sees the Ka‘bah, faces it, and raises his hands, praising Allah and supplicating whatever he wishes. Among the dhikr the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say here: “La ilaha illa’llahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu’l-mulku wa lahu’l-hamd, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir; la ilaha illa’llahu wahdah, anjaza wa‘dah, wa nasara ‘abdah, wa hazama’l-ahzaba wahdah” — “There is no god but Allah alone, without partner; His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is over all things capable. There is no god but Allah alone; He fulfilled His promise, supported His servant, and defeated the confederates alone”—repeating it three times and supplicating between them. (1) Then he descends from al-Safa toward al-Marwah, walking until he reaches the bottom of the valley—which is today marble like the rest of the Haram’s marble, but green lights have been placed in its ceiling at its beginning; when he reaches the ceiling lit in green

the man hastens—severe hastening—as much as he can without causing harm, until he reaches the second green-lit marker in the ceiling; then he walks as usual until he reaches al-Marwah, ascends it, faces the qiblah, raises his hands, and says as he said on al-Safa. Then he descends from al-Marwah to al-Safa walking where he walked and hastening where he hastened; he ascends al-Safa, faces the qiblah, raises his hands, and says as he did the first time. And in the rest of his sa‘i he says whatever he wishes of dhikr, recitation, and supplication—there is no specific supplication or dhikr for each circuit, as some people think, as pointed out earlier in the tawaf. Ascending al-Safa and al-Marwah, and the severe hastening between the two markers—all of these are Sunnah, not obligatory. When he completes seven circuits of sa‘i —from al-Safa to al-Marwah is one circuit, and from al-Marwah to al-Safa is another; he begins at al-Safa and ends at al-Marwah— he shaves his head if he is a man, or shortens it, and shaving is better—unless he is a mutamatti‘ and the Hajj is near so that his hair cannot grow before it, in which case shortening is better, leaving

his hair to shave in the Hajj—for the Prophet (peace be upon him), when he arrived in Makkah on the fourth of Dhul-Hijjah, commanded his Companions to make tawaf of the House and between al-Safa and al-Marwah, then shorten their hair, then exit ihram—and that was for whoever had no badanah (sacrificial animal) garlanded with him (1), meaning: he had no hady with him. ◈ And the shaving must cover the whole head; as Allah Most High said: ﴿مُحَلِّقِينَ رُءُوسَكُمۡ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ﴾ […shaving your heads and shortening.] (Al-Fath 27) and because the Prophet (peace be upon him) shaved his whole head—he shaved its right side, then its left (2)—and it is not reported from him (peace be upon him) that he permitted shaving part of it and leaving another part. ◈ And likewise, shortening covers the whole head. As for the woman, she shortens the hair of her head in every case, and shaving is not permissible for her—she cuts from each lock (braid) a fingertip’s length: the woman holds her braids—if she has braids—or the ends of her hair—if she has none—and cuts about a fingertip’s length, and no more. With these acts his ‘Umrah is complete and he exits it in full release, which makes lawful for him all the prohibitions of ihram.

Summary of the acts of ‘Umrah: 1. Bathing as one bathes from janabah, and applying perfume. 2. Wearing the ihram garments—izar and rida’ for men; for women, whatever lawful garments they wish. 3. The talbiyah, and continuing it until the tawaf. 4. Tawaf of the House—seven circuits, beginning at the Black Stone and ending at it. 5. Praying two rak‘ahs behind the Maqam. 6. Sa‘i between al-Safa and al-Marwah—seven circuits, beginning at al-Safa and ending at al-Marwah. 7. Shaving or shortening for men; shortening for women.