Practices of Hajj in Mecca
The five obligatory rites in the holy city of Mecca, performed after the rites of Eid al-Adha, are as follows:
- Tawaf of hajj (termed as tawaf al-ziyara [visiting]);
- Prayer of tawaf;
- Sa'y between Safa and Marwa;
- Tawaf al-nisa'; and
- Prayer of this tawaf.
It is mustahabb to leave for the Holy city of Mecca from Mina, after fulfillment of the deeds of Eid al-Adha and perform the remaining rites of hajj: the two tawafs, their prayers and sa'y. It is permissible to delay them until the last day of tashriq or even to the end of the month of Dhu l-Hijja.
The method of the tawafs, associated prayers and sa'y are the same as tawaf, prayer and sa'y for 'umra; the only difference is in the intention.
It is not permissible to perform the above mentioned rites before the wuquf at 'Arafat and al-Mash'ar and the practices of Mina. However, this is permitted for the following three groups:
- Women who fear that they may menstruate or face pureperium (nifas) lest they might not wait for purification after returning to the Holy city of Mecca to perform tawaf and its prayer.
- Men and women who are unable to perform the tawaf after returning to Mecca due to crowd or unable to return to the holy city of Mecca at all.
- The sick who are unable to perform the tawaf after returning to the holy city of Mecca due to crowd or feel fear of it.
If the above mentioned groups perform two tawafs, associated prayers and sa'y and when their excuse is removed, repetition of rites is not obligatory for them, although it is better that they perform these rites again. Whoever performs deeds in the Holy city of Mecca in advance due to a genuine reason (such as the above mentioned groups), their spouse and using perfume would not be halal for them, but it is only after halq or taqsir that all the forbidden things will become halal.
It is not permissible to perform sa'y before tawaf of hajj or its prayer by choice. It is also impermissible to perform tawaf al-nisa' before the tawaf of hajj, its prayer and sa'y. So if a person does not follow the right sequence of deeds, he/she should repeat these deeds.
References
- The Rites of Hajj, In Accord with Fatwas of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Hajj and Ziarah Research Center