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Hajj consists of entering ihram at the miqat, performing tawaf al-qudum upon arriving in Makkah, sa'i between Safa and Marwa, standing at Arafat on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, spending the night at Muzdalifah, stoning Jamarat al-Aqaba, offering the sacrifice, shaving the head, performing tawaf al-ifadah, and completing the days of tashreeq with stoning and overnight stays at Mina.
Before departing for Hajj, the pilgrim must fulfill prerequisites: Islam, sanity, puberty, physical and financial ability, and for women, a mahram (male guardian) or safe companionship according to the majority of scholars. The pilgrim must repent from all sins, settle debts, write a will, and learn the essential rites. There are three types of Hajj: Tamattu' (Umrah first, then Hajj — recommended by the Prophet, peace be upon him, for those not bringing a sacrificial animal), Qiran (Umrah and Hajj combined in one ihram), and Ifrad (Hajj only, no Umrah). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'If I were to do it again, I would not have brought a sacrificial animal, and I would have made it an Umrah' (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1651). Sheikh Ibn Baz recommended Tamattu' as the best type for most pilgrims.
Upon reaching the designated miqat boundary, perform ghusl, wear the ihram garments (two white unstitched cloths for men; modest regular clothing for women), and make the intention for Hajj. For Tamattu', first make the intention for Umrah: 'Labbayk Allahumma Umratan' — perform Umrah, exit ihram, then re-enter ihram for Hajj on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah. For Qiran, say: 'Labbayk Allahumma Hajjan wa Umratan.' For Ifrad, say: 'Labbayk Allahumma Hajjan.' Then begin reciting the Talbiyah. The five miqat points were designated by the Prophet (peace be upon him) as narrated by Ibn Abbas in Sahih al-Bukhari (1524) and Sahih Muslim (1181).
These are the most frequent errors pilgrims make during this stage of Hajj.
Scholarly references supporting this guidance from established Islamic sources.
Upon arriving in Makkah, proceed to Masjid al-Haram and perform Tawaf al-Qudum (the arrival tawaf). This consists of 7 circuits around the Ka'bah beginning and ending at the Black Stone. Keep the Ka'bah on your left. Men perform Raml (brisk walking) in the first 3 circuits and Idtiba' (exposing the right shoulder) throughout all 7 circuits. At the Black Stone, say 'Bismillah, Allahu Akbar' and either kiss it, touch it, or point toward it from a distance. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, recite: 'Rabbana atina fi al-dunya hasanah wa fi al-akhirati hasanah wa qina adhab al-nar' (Al-Baqarah 2:201). After tawaf, pray 2 rak'at behind Maqam Ibrahim, then drink Zamzam water.
After completing tawaf, proceed to the hill of Safa. Upon reaching Safa, face the Ka'bah and recite: 'Indeed, Safa and Marwa are among the symbols of Allah' (Al-Baqarah 2:158), then say 'Abda'u bima bada'Allahu bihi' (I begin with what Allah began with). Make takbir, tahlil, and dua three times. Walk to Marwa — this is lap 1. At Marwa, face the Ka'bah and repeat the dua. Walk back to Safa — this is lap 2. Complete 7 laps ending at Marwa. Men jog between the green markers. Sa'i is a rukn (pillar) of Hajj according to the majority, meaning it cannot be compensated by fidyah — it must be performed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Perform sa'i, for Allah has prescribed sa'i for you' (Musnad Ahmad, 27394, authenticated by al-Albani).
The Day of Arafat is the greatest day of Hajj. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Hajj is Arafat' (Sunan al-Nasa'i, 3016, authenticated by al-Albani). On the morning of the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, travel from Mina to the plain of Arafat after sunrise. The time of standing at Arafat begins at noon (zawal) and extends until Fajr of the 10th. Pray Dhuhr and Asr combined and shortened (2 rak'at each) at the time of Dhuhr, with one adhan and two iqamahs. Spend the rest of the day in dua, dhikr, and istighfar. Face the Qiblah, raise your hands, and supplicate with humility and hope. This is the best day for dua — Allah descends to the lowest heaven and boasts of the pilgrims to the angels. The best dua of Arafat is: 'La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir.'
After sunset on the Day of Arafat, depart for Muzdalifah calmly and with dignity. Upon arriving, pray Maghrib and Isha combined (Maghrib 3 rak'at, Isha shortened to 2 rak'at), with one adhan and two iqamahs. This combination is established in the Sunnah — the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not pray any nafl prayers between them (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1673). Spend the night at Muzdalifah — this overnight stay is wajib (obligatory) according to the majority of scholars. Collect pebbles for the stoning (7 pebbles for the 10th, or 49/70 total for all days). Pray Fajr at its earliest time, then make dua facing the Qiblah until the sky brightens. Depart before sunrise toward Mina.
The 10th of Dhul Hijjah is the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr), the busiest day of Hajj with multiple rites. The Sunnah order is: (1) Stone Jamarat al-Aqaba (the large pillar) with 7 pebbles, saying 'Allahu Akbar' with each throw. Stop the Talbiyah upon the first throw. (2) Offer the sacrificial animal (hady) — obligatory for Tamattu' and Qiran pilgrims. (3) Shave the head (halq, preferable) or trim (taqsir). After shaving, the first tahallul (partial release) occurs — all ihram restrictions are lifted EXCEPT sexual relations. (4) Perform Tawaf al-Ifadah (the tawaf of Hajj, a rukn/pillar) and sa'i (if not done earlier). After tawaf al-ifadah, the second tahallul occurs and ALL restrictions are lifted. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was flexible about the order of these acts on this day (Sahih al-Bukhari, 83).
The days of Tashreeq are the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul Hijjah. On each day, stone all three Jamarat in order: small (7 pebbles), middle (7 pebbles), large (7 pebbles) — 21 pebbles per day. The stoning time begins after zawal (noon). After stoning the small and middle pillars, stop and make dua facing the Qiblah. After the large pillar, leave without stopping for dua. Spend the nights at Mina — this is wajib. A pilgrim may leave on the 12th after stoning if he wishes (this is called al-nufur al-awwal, the first departure), as Allah says: 'Whoever hastens in two days, there is no sin on him' (Al-Baqarah 2:203). Before leaving Makkah, perform Tawaf al-Wida' (the farewell tawaf) — this is wajib for all pilgrims except menstruating women. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Let none of you depart until the last thing he does is tawaf around the House' (Sahih Muslim, 1327).