Hajj
Ḥajj الحج is one of the most integral pillars of Islam upon which Islam has been established. Imam Baqir (a) says "Islam has been established on the following five elements: prayer, zakat, fast, hajj and wilaya".[1]
Hajj holds immense virtue and abundant reward. Many traditions have been narrated from the Holy Prophet (s) and Ahl al-Bayt (a) on the merits of hajj. Imam al-Sadiq (a) says: "Those who perform hajj and 'umra form the delegation of Allah; if they beg Him, He will grant them; if they call upon Him, He will answer them; if they want to intercede for others, He will accept it; and if they keep quiet, He will speak on their behalf, and they will be compensated with a reward of one million dirhams for the expense of one dirham".[2]
In the light of many verses and hadiths, a person who has qualified for Hajj and is well aware that hajj is obligatory upon him and yet does not perform it has committed a major sin.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur'an:
| ﴾ | وَلِلّهِ علَیَ النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً وَ مَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ الله غَنِيّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ Pilgrimage to the House is a duty imposed upon mankind by God for everyone who can afford a way to it. Anyone who disbelieves will find that God is Transcendent beyond any need of the Universe".[3] |
﴿ |
It is narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (a): "If a person dies and does not perform hajj while there was no pressing need, severe illness, or any cruel ruler which may prevent him from performing it, he will die as a Jew or a Christian".[4]
Hajj on Bahalf
Hajj on behalf is the hajj performed on behalf of another person, whereas hajj for oneself is hajj accomplished for oneself.
If a person was mustati' for hajj and hajj became obligatory for him but now does not have power to perform hajj due to old age, sickness, or unbearable hardship and has no hope of recovery and power to perform hajj without hardship in the coming years, it is obligatory for him to hire someone to perform hajj on his behalf. However, if hajj did not become fully obligatory for him, he is not required to hire someone else for this purpose.
Recommended Hajj
Hajj for oneself is further classified into two forms: obligatory hajj and recommended hajj.
Obligatory Hajj
The obligatory hajj becomes an obligation in itself according to the Islamic law, or it becomes obligatory because of nadhr or invalidation of previous hajj.
Types
Obligatory hajj is further classified into three forms:
- Hajj al-tamattu': is obligatory for a person whose homeland is located at a distance more than 90 km from the holy city of Mecca (see: Afaqi)
- Hajj al-ifrad,
- Hajj al-qiran.
Hajj al-ifrad and hajj al-qiran are obligatory for people who reside within the holy city of Mecca or those who are settled at a distance less than the aforementioned one.
Hajj al-Tamattu'
For the hajj al-tamattu' to be valid, there are certain conditions be fulfilled. They are as follows:
- Intention, i.e. from the time of wearing ihram for 'umra al-tamattu', he should intend to perform hajj al-tamattu'; otherwise, his hajj is not in order;
- Both 'umra and hajj need to be performed in the months of hajj;
- Both 'umra and hajj need to be performed in the same year;
- 'Umra and hajj should be performed for one person and by one person. This implies that a person who is performing hajj on the behalf of a dead person needs to perform both 'umra and hajj himself. Hiring two individuals to carry out the 'umra and hajj separately is not permitted.
A person, whose duty is to perform hajj al-tamattu', cannot change it on purpose and by choice to perform hajj al-ifrad or al-qiran.
A person, whose duty is to perform hajj al-tamattu' but knows that the time is too short to complete 'umra and join hajj, should change his intention from hajj al-tamattu' to hajj al-ifrad and after completing the rites of hajj, he should perform al-'umra al-mufrada.
Istita'a
Istiṭāʿa, In Islamic law, means enjoying all the required characteristics that make hajj obligatory, such a person is called mustati'.
After one becomes mustati', if the act of performing hajj requires travelling and managing provisions, the person should take every step possible to accomplish this noble pilgrimage the same year. When a mustati' person is negligent and does not perform hajj, he has committed a sin and hajj would remain obligatory for him even if he no longer meets the conditions of being mustati'.
Going Toward Mecca
After wearing ihram in miqat, pilgrims move towards the holy city of Mecca to perform other rites of 'umra.
Before entering the holy city of Mecca, the boundary of the Holy Haram begins. Entry to the Holy Haram and holy city of Mecca and Masjid al-Haram is accompanied by a huge collection of supplications, prayers and etiquette (see: Supplications of Entering Haram)
Tawaf and Prayer of Tawaf
The second obligation of 'umra is tawaf. The person, who wears ihram with intention of 'umra al-tamattu' and enters the holy city of Mecca in order to perform all deeds of 'umra, must first perform the tawaf and turn around the Ka'ba seven times. After tawaf he should perform the prayer of tawaf.
Sa'y
Sa'y is the fourth obligation of 'umra. After performing tawaf and its prayer, it is obligatory to perform Sa'y between Safa and Marwa. Sa'y means covering the distance between these two mountains. The first round should start from Safa and end at Marwa and the second from Marwa to Safa. In this way, the seven rounds should be completed and he/she should complete this rite at Marwa. Therefore, it is incorrect to start Sa'y from Marwa and end it at Safa.
Taqsir
Taqsir involves cutting some strands of the hair from head, beard, mustache, or alternatively one may cut a nail of hand or foot. It is the fifth obligation of 'umra. In 'umra al-tamattu' it is obligatory for a person to perform taqsir after finishing sa'y.
Tawaf al-Nisa'
Tawaf al-nisa' is a tawaf and a two rak'a prayer which is one of the obligatory rites of hajj al-tamattu' and al-'umra al-mufrada. It is not obligatory in 'umra al-tamattu'.
Notes
References
- The Rites of Hajj, In Accord with Fatwas of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Hajj and Ziarah Research Center