FAQ in the category of Hajj - Umrah

1 What is the wisdom behind circumambulating the Kaaba seven times? What is the meaning of tawaf (circumambulation)

Circumambulating the Kaaba represents the idea of oneness. Its meaning regarding the social life is not to leave unity and to try to maintain this unity. Its meaning regarding individual life contains deep truths. The sky has seven layers; man has seven souls. Each turning around the Kaaba represents a phase, a stage; man covers a phase and is elevated up to the seventh sky, above the material realm. Besides, it means to rise from the lowest step of the soul, which has seven steps, to the highest one. That is, from nafs al-ammarah (soul commanding the evil) to nafs al-mutmainnah (tranquil self); from the animal life to the spiritual life. Circumambulating the Kaaba is a kind of worshipping taken from the order of the universe. The planets rotate around the sun, the electrons around the nucleus, the moth around the candle; rotating around such a center means allegiance with love.

God Almighty states the following in the Quran: "The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there not a thing but celebrates His praise; and yet ye understand not how they declare His glory...". (al-Isra, 44) The advancement in science as helped explain that verse. As a matter of fact, including the beings that had been thought to be lifeless, everything was found to consist of atoms. The electrons around the nuclei of the atoms rotate continuously and regularly around the nucleus; it was expressed as declaring the glory of Allah in the Quran. Therefore, to rotate around the Kaaba, which is the symbol of Islam, means to love Islam, to rotate around it like a moth and to attach oneself to Allah.

Worshipping; is fulfilling the duties like takbir, hamd, shukr by a slave for Allah in the way that He orders. Therefore, the fulfilling of the duties by each being can be said to be their worshipping and glorifying Allah

Understanding Tawaf: Lexically, tawaf means to turn, walk, etc around something. Everything in the universe, from the tiny atoms to huge galaxies, is in a state of tawaf. In the atom, electrons turn around the nucleus, which is like the heart, with a dizzying speed; in the galaxy, billions of stars rotate around the center of the galaxy with an incredible speed. They rotate as if they worship the Creator that created them. As it is stated in the Quran, each swims along in an orbit. (Yasin, 40)

The view formed by tens of thousands of Muslims walking around the Kaaba is like the view of a galaxy turning together with billions of stars. Therefore, it is necessary to let oneself be on the orbit in order to get full spiritual pleasure in tawaf. A Muslim who can enter this orbit lets himself be controlled by that spiritual flow and gets the pleasure of becoming a drop in the sea of the believers. The circumambulation around the Kaaba is regarded to be the symbol of the summary of the universe and creation, and surrendering to the divine pre-ordainment.

The formidable walk by men during the first three shawts of tawaf is called ‘ramal’ and leaving the right shoulder uncovered is called ‘iztiba’.

The historical meaning of the three acts done was a display of power and intimidating the opponents. When Makkan Muslims migrated to Madinah, the climate of Madinah affected them they became a bit weak. When they went to Makkah again after seven years for umrah, they explained the situation to the Prophet. Thereupon, he told his Companions to seem powerful to polytheists and to walk formidably when they passed in front of them; and the Companions walked like that.

Doubtlessly, their walking formidably was enough to show that they were powerful that day. What about today? How will hajjis show that they are powerful today? Material power, spiritual power, moral power… What did we lose, where and how? How will we recover them? We definitely should think about them during hajj.

The ramal (formidable walking), which was performed in order to show the strength of Muslims to the Qurayshis according to what Ibn Abbas says, became a sunnah when Hazrat Prophet walked like that during the first three shawts of the Farewell Hajj. Hazrat Umar had said, after commenting on Hajar al-Aswad, “Why do we still maintain ramal? We did it in order to be seem powerful in the eyes of polytheists, who said we were weak. As a matter of fact, Allah destroyed them.” (Bukhari, Hajj, 57) Although Umar thought that the reason for ramal did not exist any more, he did not want to abandon something that Hazrat Prophet did and thus he continued the same application. Ramal may have continued because Muslims always need to be powerful and because they should never forget it.

A person starts tawaf leaving the Kaaba on his left. It has a symbolic meaning. The heart of man, which is the place where Allah looks, faces the House of Allah in tawaf. Allah looks at the heart of man, not his shape, appearance, money and property. In this sense, there is an interesting relation between the Kaaba and the heart of man. Therefore, the heart of man faces the Kaaba during tawaf. It also indicates that tawaf should be performed heartily.

A person enjoys the pleasure of being a believer around the Kaaba. It is very difficult to taste that pleasure, which takes place so vividly and enthusiastically in any other place. The feeling of closeness experienced in that holy place makes hajjis feel at home. Hajjis feel as if they are at home because the face of the Kaaba seems so familiar, its scent feels so acquainted and its coziness feels so comprehensive that no other love can be so attractive for a believer.

There is no difference among people who perform a prayer in congregation; similarly, there is no difference among people who circumambulate the Kaaba. All believers are equal there. There is no sign that differentiates a person from others. There exists unity, which is the symbol of oneness. It is necessary to be lost in the sea of believers and to melt in the congregation.

To turn around somebody and to rotate like a moth around him is an act that shows hearty allegiance and that one can sacrifice everything for that person. In this sense, circumambulating the Kaaba is an indication of turning toward the Exalted Creator, bowing down only in the presence of Him and worshipping none but Him.

During circumambulation, the hajji should have a respect worthy of Him and a love between fear and hope. While circumambulating, the haji should build the house of belief, that is, his heart, just as Hazrat Ibrahim and Hazrat Ismail, his son, built the House of Allah by turning around it. The Kaaba is His house and the heart is the place where He looks at. The hajji continuously looks at the Kaaba, observes it and watches its loftiness; similarly, Allah watches the heart of His slave and pays attention to it. As Hazrat Prophet expressed concisely, “Allah does not look at your shape, appearance or property but at your hearts and deeds. (Muslim, 1, 33) It is like that both in the world and in the hereafter. As it is expressed based on the 88^th verse of the chapter ash-Shuara, on the Day of Judgment, when nothing will be of any use, Allah does not want gold or silver but a sound heart. “Oh hajji! Do not think that they want gold or silver from you. They want a sound heart on the day when wealth and sons are not beneficial.” As a matter of fact, in our culture, the sufis use all of the adjectives that are used to describe the Kaaba for the heart and call the heart the House of Allah. Or, they call it bayt al-haram (the honorable house) and they use the same expression for the heart because the heart is the house of Allah and it is haram (forbidden) for anybody but the beloved to enter there. As a matter of fact, the following hadith that the Messenger of Allah stated while circumambulating the Kaaba confirms it. “(O Kaaba!) You are so nice; your smell is so beautiful. Your fame and honor are so high. However, I swear by Allah, in whose hand is my life, that the honor and immunity of a believer with his property and life is greater than your honor.” (Ibn Majah, Fitan 2)

References:

1- Kur'ân'in Getirdigi - Emin Isik.

2- Kurban Kesmenin Psikolojik Temelleri - Doç Dr. Ali Murat DARYAL.

3- Kur'ân-i Kerîm ve Açiklamali Meâli - Türkiye Diyanet Vakfi.

4- Diyanet Islâm ilmihali.

5- Hac Rehberi - Irfan YÜCEL - Türkiye Diyanet Vakfi.

6- Diyanet yayinlari (hacci anlamak)

2 What are the frequent questions about hajj?

What are the frequent questions about hajj?

Contents

What is hajj?

What is the Difference between Hajj and Umrah?

Why is hajj performed?

For whom is hajj fard?

What are the conditions of performing hajj?

Is it possible to give the poor the amount of money enough for hajj instead of going to hajj?

Is it appropriate to go to hajj by borrowing money?

What does ihram mean?

Can the animals that have to be sacrificed during hajj be slaughtered outside the Haram region?

Can women go to hajj alone, without any mahram men?

If a person becomes poor after hajj becomes fard for him, is it still fard for him to go to hajj?

What are the benefits of hajj?

What is the effect of hajj on man?

What is the virtue of hajj?

What are the terms regarding hajj?

What are the types of hajj?

What is Hajj?

Lexically, hajj means to direct toward a place, to visit. As a religious term, it means to stand on Arafat and to circumambulate the Kaaba, dressed in ihram, on certain days of the year (in the month of Dhul-Hijjah) in accordance with certain rules. A person who visits those holy places at certain times is called a hajji.

What is the Difference between Hajj and Umrah?

Hajj is performed within the period of time which is called “Hajj months”. According to Hijri calendar, Hajj months are Shawwal, Dhu’l-qada and the first ten days of Dhu’l-hijjah. Hajj can be performed either with or without umrah within these months. Performing Hajj with or without umrah is called “ways of performing hajj.”

The statement of “The time of Hajj is the months Shawwal, Dhu’l-qada and Dhu’l-hijjah, which are called the months of Hajj” is the explanation of the Quranic verse “For Hajj are the months well known” (al-Baqarah, 2:197).

The duty of Hajj starts with entering the state of Ihram. The beginning of it is the month of Shawwal. Those months are called the months of Hajj because a person who enters the state of Ihram in Shawwal can complete the requirements of Hajj until the evening of the tenth (or thirteenth) day of the month Dhu’l-hijjah.

That is to say; the reason why these months are called the months of Hajj is that one is supposed to enter the state of Ihram, which is the first condition of Hajj, only in these months. It is makrooh (abominable) to enter the state of Ihram before these months according to the sects of Hanafi and Hanbali. The following hadith which Bukhari narrated from Ibn Abbas was influential on scholars’ view on this matter: “It is sunnah not to enter the state of Ihram outside the months of Hajj.” (see Zukhayli, al-Fiqh al-Islami, 3/64-65).

According to the sect of Shafii, entering the state of Ihram outside the months of Hajj is accepted for umrah, not for Hajj; because, the Quranic verse “For Hajj, are the months well-known” (al-Baqarah, 2:197) states that one cannot enter the state of Ihram in months other than the months of Hajj. (see ibid., Mughni muhtaj, 1/471, Muhadhdhab, 1/200).

Umrah is the worship which is performed independent of time by doing tawaf around the Kaa’ba after entering the state of Ihram in accordance with its rules and by fulfilling some other religious duties.

Why is hajj performed?

The aim of each believer is to obtain the consent and pleasure of Allah. One of the ways of obtaining the consent and pleasure of Allah is to fulfill His orders and to avoid His prohibitions conveyed through His prophets. The orders of Allah makes a man direct toward the good, the beautiful and the truth, and His prohibitions keeps man away from the evil. Thus, it makes man have high ethics and be happy.

Besides, we obtain the love of Allah by fulfilling His orders and we thank Him for the bounties He has given us because Allah is the only being that deserves love, respect and worshipping.

Hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, is a kind of worshipping that is carried out through money and the body. It is fard for wealthy people to go to hajj once in their lives. Allah states the following in the Quran: “pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah―those who can afford the journey.” (Aal-i Imran, 3/97) Our Prophet (pbuh) mentioned hajj as one of the five principles of Islam and taught Muslims how to perform it by showing it to them.

For whom is hajj fard?

It is fard for a Muslim who can afford, that is, a wealthy and healthy Muslim, to perform hajj once in his life. The following conditions are necessary for hajj to be fard for a person:

It is fard for a Muslim, whether male or female, who has the necessary conditions, to perform hajj once in his/her life. Such a person has to perform hajj without delay. It is not religiously appropriate to procrastinate hajj to later ages due to some reasons. A person who delays hajj and then cannot do it himself has to send someone to perform hajj for him.

To be responsible for hajj, a person must be a Muslim, sane, have reached the age of puberty, free, rich enough and have reached the time for hajj. A person who lacks one of those conditions does not have to perform hajj.

What are the conditions of performing hajj?

A person who is obliged to perform hajj must be healthy, must not be in prison, must have the right to travel abroad, and the road to hajj must be safe in order to perform hajj himself. If he is too old, weak or ill to perform hajj, he does not have to perform hajj himself. If he recovers or has the necessary conditions again, he has to perform hajj himself.

Is it possible to give the poor the amount of money enough for hajj instead of going to hajj?

A person has to perform hajj if it is fard for him; giving the poor the amount of money for hajj does not eliminate that fard. Therefore, a person who gives the poor the amount of money for hajj is not regarded to have performed hajj.

Is it appropriate to go to hajj by borrowing money?

In order to be obliged to go to hajj, a Muslim must be healthy and wealthy, free, sane and have reached the age of puberty. Therefore, a person who is not wealthy enough does not have to go to hajj; however, if a person goes to hajj by borrowing money, his hajj is valid and he becomes free of the obligation of going to hajj.

On the other hand, if a person has the necessary conditions for hajj but does not have enough money during the season of hajj, it will be better for him to borrow money if he can afford to pay it later and perform hajj as soon as possible.

What does ihram mean?

It means to make some acts and deeds that are normal at other times haram for himself until the hajj or umrah ends. Ihram has two parts: talbiyah and niyyah (intention).

Niyyah is the decision to perform hajj or umrah. It is mustahab (recommended) to utter the niyyah.

Talbiyah is to say, “Labbayk, Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk. Inna’l-hamda wa’n-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk la sharika lak,” (I respond to Your call, O Allah, I respond to Your call. I respond to Your call, You have no partner. I respond to Your call. Indeed, the praise and grace are yours as well as sovereignty. You have no partner.).

The prohibitions of ihram start with the niyyah and talbiyah. It is haram for a person who is in ihram to cut, pluck or shave the hairs on his head and the body, to trim his nails, to wear seamed clothes (for men), to wear perfume, to use oil, paint, and similar make-up to adorn oneself, to cover his head (for men), to cover her face (for women), to wear gloves, socks and shoes that cover the heels, to have sexual intercourse, to hunt and to pick up or cut the plants in the Haram region.

Can the animals that have to be sacrificed during hajj be slaughtered outside the Haram region?

The animals that are sacrificed in the Haram region during hajj or umrah and that are sacrificed as a gift for the Kaaba and the Haram region are called hady.

The sacrifices of hady are divided intwo two as wajib and nafilah (supererogatory). It is wajib for those who perform qiran and tamattu’ hajj to sacrifice hady; the sacrifices for punishment, the sacrifice of ihsar (interrupted hajj) and the sacrifices that are vowed to be slaughtered in the Haram region are also wajib. The sacrifices that are slaughtered during hajj or umrah but that are not obligatory are nafilah.

The sacrifices of hady are slaughtered in the Haram region whether they are wajib or nafilah. If they are not slaughtered in the Haram region, the sacrifices of hady that are wajib have to be slaughtered again in the Haram region. However, the nafilah ones do not have to be slaughtered again.

If a person who is in hajj wants to sacrifice an animal other than hady due to eid al-adha, it is better for him to have it slaughtered in his own country by appointing someone as a deputy.

Can women go to hajj alone, without any mahram men?

To be responsible for hajj, a person must be a Muslim, sane, have reached the age of puberty, free, afford to do it. To afford to means to have enough money and to be safe. Therefore, a Muslim must have enough money for himself to go hajj and come back and enough money for his family’s sustenance until he returns; if he has an illness or disability that prevents him from traveling or if the road is not open and safe (if there is a vital danger), he does not have to perform hajj.

Besides, a woman must be accompanied by a mahram man (a male relative or her husband). If a woman has all the other conditions but cannot find such a person to accompany her and if she wants to perform hajj, she can perform hajj together with a group of reliable women; there is no need for false marriages to go to hajj.

If a person becomes poor after hajj becomes fard for him, is it still fard for him to go to hajj?

Hajj is not fard for those who do not have the necessary conditions. If those who have not performed hajj although they have the necessary conditions lose some conditions, they still become obliged to perform hajj. For instance, if a rich person catches a permanent illness after the season for hajj passes, he has to send someone to hajj as a deputy for him. Therefore, a Muslim must perform hajj as soon as he has the opportunity to do it.

What are the benefits of hajj?

There are many material and spiritual benefits of hajj. Some of them are as follows:

- A Muslim who goes to hajj is regarded to have thanked Allah for the bounties like health and wealth that Allah has given him.

- Muslims coming from different countries meet one another, exchange ideas and has commercial relations.

- Hajj causes the sins of a person except for the violation of other people’s rights. Therefore, believers pray to Allah for the forgiveness of their sins. They promise Allah not to commit a bad deed again and to be honest and good mannered.

- Hajj helps people from Islamic countries make friends with one another. It is understood better in hajj that Islam is a religion of unity and solidarity.

- During the hajj season, the Kaaba is like the gathering place (mahshar). A Muslim who fulfils hajj understands how pointless and meaningless the good deeds committed for the interests regarding this world are.

- We know that traveling is useful for man’s health. People are advised to travel in order to get rid of psychological problems. In the Quran, Allah advises us to travel. Those who go to hajj are regarded to have fulfilled the order of travel naturally.

- The fact that all candidates of hajj wear the same type of white ihram without making any discrimination of color, race and job helps settle the idea of equality.

- Besides, hajj is a kind of worshipping with universal dimensions because it leads to the improvement of the feelings of introducing, getting close, unity, solidarity and fraternity.

- In short, the belief of the people who go to hajj is renewed. Their enthusiasm to serve humanity increases. Their feeling of assistance develops. They realize that all human beings are equal and are brothers. Thus, friendship, love and peace are achieved.

What is the effect of hajj on man?

A Muslim who goes to hajj will have thanked Allah for the bounties like health and wealth that He has granted. Muslims who go to hajj from all around the world return home with numerous spiritual benefits. They find out what the Muslims in the other Islamic countries need, and establish commercial, social and cultural connections with them. From this point of view, hajj is like an international congress.

Muslims find out about the needs and problems of one another and try to meet and solve them. Muslims coming from all over the world know each other. People with different languages and colors try to realize the principle of unity and fraternity of Islam through living it. They leave aside the differences of race, language and color that discriminate people and enjoy the feeling of equality. They strengthen their unity and solidarity with the same feeling and excitement. Thus, they renew and strengthen their belief.

Our Prophet (pbuh) said, “The reward for an accepted hajj is Paradise.” When people from all levels of life wear the same garment while performing hajj, it reminds us the day when we come together in the presence of Allah after death. Man who takes off his worldly clothes by entering ihram will shed his sins and will try not to commit any sins; he will pray Allah and try to be a perfect Muslim.

Hajj increases the feeling of thanking in man. It increases the belief of oneness and religious feelings. Hajj enables man to consider his situation spiritually. It increases the knowledge of man. Hajj saves man from being stingy and makes him get used to generosity since it makes man spend the money that he loves a lot for hajj. It also makes him modest. Hajj strengthens the feeling of living together in the society. Hajj makes a person, after returning his country, undertake some responsibilities that he has to fulfill for himself, his family and the society he lives in. It makes man acquire consciousness of living properly and in a disciplined way. He tries not to distress others with his attitudes and deeds. He respects other people’s rights. Hajj makes a person get rid of the excessive acts that he used to have before hajj.

Hajj makes man have a harmonious lifestyle. It makes man more patient. It makes man treat creatures more affectionately. Thus, man acquires important characteristics that will contribute to the solidarity of the society.

Hajj causes believers to turn toward Allah sincerely, making their repentance accepted and their sins forgiven by Allah. To see holy places gives man spiritual excitement and strengthens his religious feelings. It gives man the joy of worshipping Allah. It also helps spiritual cleaning by giving up harmful habits. It makes a person someone to be taken as an example. Hajj also helps a person mature ethically, reach the good and makes the society reach peace.

What is the virtue of hajj?

Hajj, which is a turning point in terms of worldly and otherworldly life, makes a Muslim free of major-minor sins when it is fulfilled sincerely; it also elevates his level in the presence of Allah, becomes a means of achieving Paradise and makes a person mature ethically.

The virtue of this worshipping, which is fard for every Muslim who can afford it once in his/her lifetime, is really great. The prayers and repentance performed in hajj are accepted by Allah. Thus, those who perform this worshipping return to life with a new vitality and consciousness.

During hajj, material and spiritual dirt are continuously cleaned. Both the bodily dirt and the dirt of sins are completely cleaned. Our Prophet (pbuh) informs us through the narration of Abu Hurayra that hajj will eliminate the rust in the heart and will be a means of forgiveness for all sins, whether major or minor: “Whoever performs hajj for Allah's pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return after hajj free from all sins as if he were born anew.” (Bukhari, Hajj: 4; Muslim, Hajj: 79; Tirmidhi, Hajj: 2) That statement is related to the fact that hajj is a great purification in all aspects. That hadith is enough to express how virtuous hajj is.

Hajj eliminates all of the major-minor sins committed before it. Amr b. As (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to lay it as a condition to be forgiven by Allah when he was about to pay homage to the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet said,

"Know it well that becoming a Muslim eliminates all of the previous sins, whether major or minor. Hijrah (migration for the sake of Allah) eliminates all of the previous sins, whether major or minor. Hajj eliminates all of the previous sins, whether major or minor.” (Muslim; Iman: 121)

It is certain that hajj must be performed for Allah. That is, there must not be any worldly interest, fame, hypocrisy, etc in hajj. Many people perform hajj for fame. They lose the effort and money that they spend and the troubles that they suffer in terms of thawabs (rewards). As a matter of fact, the fard hajj is fulfilled when a person performs hajj like that. However, if a person performs hajj with the intention of pleasing Allah, he will fulfill the fard hajj and earn a lot of rewards. It is a great loss to lose so many rewards for the sake of seeming as an important or great person in the eyes of others.

The value of those who perform hajj is very high in the presence of Allah. Therefore, Allah will not reject their sincere prayers. According to what Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

“Those who go to the House of Allah for hajj and umrah are the representatives of Allah sent by Muslims and the guests of Allah. When they pray, Allah answers their prayers; when they ask for forgiveness, Allah forgives them.” (Ibn Majah; Manasik: 5; Nasai; Hajj: 4)

What are the terms regarding hajj?

Ihram: It is one of the frads of hajj. For men, “ihram” consists of a piece of towel wrapped around the waist covering the lower part of the body and another piece of towel put on the back. Women do not wear ihram; they wear a long dress.

Waqfa: Waqfa means to stand. As a religious term, it means to be on Arafat on the day of Arafah (one day before the Eid al-Adha). People worship and pray there.

Tawaf (Circumambulation): It is fard to circumambulate the Kaaba on the first three days of Eid al-Adha. Turning around the Kaaba seven times by saying prayers is called tawaf. Turning around once is called shawt.

Sa’y: It means going to and coming back between the hills of Safa and Marwa, which are near the Kaaba. Sa’y is completed when a person goes to Marwa from Safa four times and from Safa to Marwa three times, totally seven times.

Places related to Hajj and Umrah

The Kaaba: It is a rectangular building, whose corners face the four cardinal directions, in the middle of Masjid al-Haram. There are three wooden columns that support the ceiling and stairs to walk up to the ceiling in the Kaaba. The inner walls of the Kaaba are covered in marble. The top part and the outer walls of the Kaaba are covered by a black cloth with verses of the Quran embroidered on every year in the season of hajj. There is a black stone (Hajar al-Aswad), indicating the beginning point of circumambulation, in one corner of the Kaaba. After the Kaaba was built, that place was called Masjid al-Haram, that is, the place where one can worship safely.

Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh) built the Kaaba upon the order he received from Allah. Hazrat Ismail, his son, helped build it. After Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh) completed the construction of the Kaaba, Allah ordered him, “Now call people to come here”; and he fulfilled that order. During hajj, Muslims recall the acts of Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh) and live them again. Makkah and the Kaabah have maintained their sacredness throughout centuries since Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh). Allah ordered our Prophet as follows with the advent of Islam: “And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways.” (Hajj, 22/27) Muslims perform the worshipping of hajj based on that order.

Masjid al-Haram consists of the large area that surrounds the Kaaba and that is used for performing prayers, circumambulating and saying prayers. It is also called “Haram ash-Sharif”. That area, whose floor is covered by colored marble, is surrounded by walls; it has many gates and seven minarets.

Makkah: The Kaaba has been regarded as a sacred place since Hazrat Ibrahim. People who settled there in the course of time founded the city of Makkah. Makkah is mentioned as the mother of the cities in the Quran. The Quran states that the first mosque built in order to worship Allah was built in Makkah. The verse regarding the issue is as follows: “The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka: full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings.” (Aal-i Imran, 3/96)

Safa and Marwa: They are two hills in the east of the Kaaba that are about 350 meters away from one another. The hill in the south is Safa and the one in the north is Marwa. Sa’y is performed between these two hills.

MountArafat: It is a place in the east of Makkah; it is about 25 km away from Makkah; hajjis gather there on the eve of Eid al-Adha. The waqfa of Arafat, which is one of the fards of hajj, is performed there.(al-Baqara, 2/198) Saying, “Hajj is Arafat” our Prophet (pbuh) stated the importance of the Waqfa of Arafat.

Arafat is the place where our beloved Prophet (pbuh) asked Allah to forgive his ummah and received the glad tidings that his ummah would be forgiven. Our Prophet (pbuh) delivered the Farewell Sermon to more than one hundred thousand Muslims in 632 when he performed the Farewell Hajj with his Companions on Arafat, too.

Muzdalifa: It is the name of the region between Mount Arafat and Mina. While returning from Arafat, hajjis perform waqfa in Muzdalifa.

Mina: It is the region on the foot of the mountains in the east of Makkah between Muzdalifa and Makkah. During hajj, the slaughtering of the animals, and stoning the devil take place in Mina.

What are the types of hajj?

1. Hajj al-Ifrad: A person who performs this kind of hajj is called a mufrid. A mufrid is a person who intends to perform hajj only while entering ihram. Those who live in Makkah become mufrid only.

2. Hajj al-Qiran: A person who performs this kind of hajj is called a qarin. A qarin is a person who intends to perform both hajj and umrah while entering ihram. A qarin first performs tawaf and sa’y for umrah and then without exiting ihram and having a haircut, he performs tawaf and sa’y again for hajj on the days of hajj.

3. Hajj at-Tamattu’: A person who performs this kind of hajj is called a mutamatti. A mutamatti enters ihram for umrah, performs tawaf and sa’y for umrah and exits ihram after having a haircut during the months of hajj, that is, Shawwal, Dhul Qada and the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. He does not return to his hometown; he enters ihram on the day of tarwiyah (two days before the first day of Eid al-Adha) or before for hajj and performs hajj like a mufrid. However, he also performs sa’y after the tawaf of ziyarah.

It is wajib for qarins and mutamattis to slaughter a sacrifice of shukr (thanking). If qarins and mutamattis cannot slaughter an animal because of the lack of animals to be sacrificed or not being able to buy one have to perform fasting during hajj for three days and after hajj for seven days, totally for ten days. It is compulsory to fast the first three days after entering ihram during the months of hajj and before the first day of Eid al-Adha in Makkah. It is better to delay performing fasting until the last three days, that is, the 7^th, 8^th, 9^th days of the month of Dhul Hijjah with the hope of finding a way of sacrificing an animal.

A mutamatti can perform fasting before entering ihram for hajj, after the ihram of umrah.

What is the Wisdom Behind Stoning the Devil?

As it is known, during the hajj season the devil is stoned in three places called Jamratul-Aqaba, Jamratus-Sughra and Jamratul-Wusta in Mina on the first, second and third days of Eid al-Adha. It is wajib. The acts carried out there are among the essentials of hajj. It is done to recall a nice reminiscence. The devil, who is the common enemy of the humankind, is stoned and damned.

Stoning is carried out in thee places that were determined allegorically. That worshipping dates back to Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh).

There are two narrations regarding the issue. One of them as follows:

While Hazrat Ibrahim was taking Hazrat Ismail to a place to sacrifice based on the order of Allah, the devil appears before them. He wants to dissuade Hazrat Ibrahim by trying to exploit his paternal compassion. However, the devil is rejected. Then, he tries to dissuade Hazrat Ismail. He tells Ismail that his father misunderstood the order of God Almighty and that he left his mother in tears, and asks him not to obey that order. Hazrat Ismail does not heed the misgivings of the devil; he dismisses the devil and throws seven stones at him. Hajjis throw stones at jamras to recall and relive that reminiscence.

The narration of Ibn Abbas regarding the issue is as follows:

When Hazrat Ibrahim came to perform hajj, the devil appeared near Jamratul-Aqaba. Then, Hazrat Ibrahim threw seven stones at him. The devil sank into the ground. Then, he appeared again near Jamratul-Wusta. Hazrat Ibrahim threw seven stones at him. The devil sank into the ground. Then, he appeared again near Jamratul-Wusta. Hazrat Ibrahim threw seven stones at him again. The devil slumped.

Then, Ibn Abbas added,

“You only stone the devil and follow the way of Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh), your ancestor.”

That kind of worshipping means not to approve the wish of the devil, who has been the enemy of man since Hazrat Adam, not to heed his misgivings, to curse the devil again within the circle of faith and to make him sink into the ground. That stoning is a display of fitness against the evil forces, symbolization of the determination to overcome all kinds of evil and the application of the spiritual treaty made with our Lord.

Our Prophet (pbuh) stated the following:

“To circumambulate around the House of Allah, to go to and come back between Safa and Marwa, to stone the devil are performed in order to keep alive the signs of Allah.”

Believers show their servitude to their Lord by performing those acts of worshipping during the season of hajj. They enjoy the pleasure of being a servant to Him and being addressed by Him.

What is the wisdom behind circumambulating the Kaaba seven times? What is the meaning of tawaf (circumambulation)

Worshipping; is fulfilling the duties like takbir, hamd, shukr by a slave for Allah in the way that He orders. Therefore, the fulfilling of the duties by each being can be said to be their worshipping and glorifying Allah

Understanding Tawaf: Lexically, tawaf means to turn, walk, etc around something. Everything in the universe, from the tiny atoms to huge galaxies, is in a state of tawaf. In the atom, electrons turn around the nucleus, which is like the heart, with a dizzying speed; in the galaxy, billions of stars rotate around the center of the galaxy with an incredible speed. They rotate as if they worship the Creator that created them. As it is stated in the Quran, each swims along in an orbit. (Yasin, 40)

The formidable walk by men during the first three shawts of tawaf is called ‘ramal’ and leaving the right shoulder uncovered is called ‘iztiba’.

References:

1- Kur'ân'ın Getirdiği - Emin IŞIK.

2- Kurban Kesmenin Psikolojik Temelleri - Doç Dr. Ali Murat DARYAL.

3- Kur'ân-ı Kerîm ve Açıklamalı Meâli - Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı.

4- Diyanet İslâm İlmihali.

5- Hac Rehberi - İrfan YÜCEL - Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı.

6- Diyanet yayınları (haccı anlamak)

3 Is Hajarul Aswad from paradise?

4 Is it permissible for a person in ihram to wear a wristwatch?

It is not forbidden for a person in ihram to have a shower or bath, to use odorless soap, to brush his teeth, to have his tooth pulled out, to pluck a piece of broken nail or a hair that hams him, to donate blood or to, to have himself cupped, to have an injection, to have his wound wrapped, to wear a wristwatch, ring or bracelet, to wear a belt, to carry a bag on his shoulder, to have a blanket, pique, etc on him without covering his face and to put a coat, etc on his shoulders without wearing it.

5 What is the Difference between Hajj and Umrah?

6 What are the benefits of Zamzam, how should it be drunk? How was Zamzam water found? What are the advantages and benefits of it? Is it necessary to drink it while standing? Cannot we drink it while sitting?

The short history of Zamzam is as follows:

Hazrat Abraham (Ibrahim) (pbuh), upon gods command, left his wife Hagar and his son Ismaeel (pbuh) who was still a baby in the place where the Zamzam Well is located today. Nobody lived in Makkah at that time, and there was no water to drink. Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh) left some water and some dates for his wife and son and left the place. It was difficult for Hagar to live in a deserted place where there was no water and food. However, it was wrong to think about it because God Almighty demanded Hazrat Ibrahim to do that. Allah, who gives food to the living beings, will surely see their situation.

Some time later, they ran out of water. Ismaeel started to cry and wanted to drink water. His mother did not know what to do. There was no milk or water. She could not stand the cries of Ismaeel any more. She climbed up to Safa hill. She looked around to see whether there was someone around or not. When she did not see anyone, she started to run between Safa and Marwa hills. When she came to Marwa for the seventh time, she heard something. She saw Gabriel (Jibril) near the Zamzam Well. Gabrail (pbuh) was digging the ground with his wing (with his foot according to another narration). Finally, the water came out. Hagar was very delighted for that. She said Zam zam meaning stop, stop when water started to flow away. She blocked it and made it like a pond. At the same time she was filling her pitcher with water. It was coming out more while she was taking water. After that, she drank from her pitcher and started to breastfeed Ismaeel. Meanwhile Gabriel said to Hagar:

Never be afraid of being perished. This is the place of Baitullah (Holy Kaaba). It will be built by that child and his father. Certainly, God Almighty shall not destroy the experts of the duty. (1)

That is how the Zamzam Well emerged. If Hagar (pbuh) had not blocked the water and let it go, it would have been a river. The Prophet (pbuh) expresses that truth in a hadith as follows:

May Allah mercy Hagar, the mother of Ismaeel. If she had let Zamzam flow in its own course or had not grasped it; it would surely had flown and become a river. (2)

Zamzam is sacred and nutritious. Hazrat Hagar and Ismaeel lived on that water without eating anything for a long time. In a hadith, the Prophet pointed out that feature of Zamzam. (3)

It is said in another hadith : Zamzam will cure whatever it is drunk for(4)
As for drinking Zamzam while standing:
It is reported from Ibni Abbas that the Prophet drank Zamzam while standing. Ibni Abbas tells:I offered Zamzam to the Prophet (pbuh) and he drank it standing.(5)

As it is known, the prophet forbade drinking water while standing in his hadiths.(6) So, hadith scholars united those different narrations. Nawawi, who explained Sahih Muslim gives information about those different hadiths:

"The prohibition in those hadiths is tanzihan makruh (slightly abominable). It is to explain that it is permissible to drink water while standing." Imam Suyuti explains the Prophets drinking Zamzam while standing as follows:

The prophet (pbuh) drank Zamzam while standing to explain that drinking water while standing is religiously permissible. Hanefi scholars regarded drinking Zamzam while standing as mustahab (recommended) based on hadith reported from Ibni Abbas.

References

1. Bukhari, Badu'l-Halk: 29.
2. ibid.
3. Fathu'r-Rabbani, 23:248.
4. ibid, 23 247.
5. Muslim, Ashriba: 117; Ibni Majah, Ashriba: 21
6. Muslim, Ashriba: 112; Abu Dawud, Ashriba: 13

7 Can I make Hajj on behalf of someone else? Can a person make Hajj for someone who died?

It is necessary for those who are obliged to go to Hajj but die before they go to Hajj or send someone to Hajj in lieu of themselves to state in their will that someone should be sent to Hajj for them. If one third of the inheritance is enough to meet the expenses of the person to be sent to Hajj and the heirs do not send anybody, they will be responsible before Allah. If one third of the inheritance is not enough to meet the expenses of the person to be sent to Hajj or there is no statement in the will of the person regarding the issue, the heirs will not be responsible for it. However, if there is no statement in the will or one third of the inheritance is not enough to meet the expenses of the person to be sent to Hajj but if the heirs meet the expenses and one of them goes to Hajj or send someone to Hajj in lieu of the late person, the responsibility of the late person will be removed.

According to a narration, a woman from the tribe of Has`am went to the Prophet and said that her father was too old to sit on a mount and asked whether she could make Hajj for him. The Prophet replied that she could. (Bukhari, Hajj, 1; Muslim, Hajj, 407).

Ibn Abbas narrates: A woman vowed to make Hajj but her life was not long enough to make it; she died before she could make Hajj. The brother of the woman went to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and asked him what he should do. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked him, “If she had owed some money, would you pay it? The man said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah“. The Messenger of Allah said: "Then, pay her debt to Allah, too, because He deserves more to be paid." (Nasai, Manasik'ul-Hajj, 7)
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) also narrates: Sinan b. Salama al Juhani’s wife wanted someone to ask the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) if she could make Hajj on behalf of her mother who died. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Yes” and added, “if your mother had owed some money and if you paid for it, her debt would be removed, wouldn’t it? Then, let her make Hajj for her mother.” (Bukhari, Jazau’s Sayd, 33)

According to another narration, a woman asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) about the state of her father who died before he made Hajj. He said: “Make Hajj on behalf of your father. (Bukhari, ibid; Tirmidhi, Hajj, 85; Nasai, Manasik'ul-Hajj, 8)

It is necessary not to neglect Hajj. A person who is obliged to make Hajj but cannot do it has to send a relative or friend he trusts to Hajj on behalf of him. Neglecting Hajj brings about divine wrath not divine misfortune. Its punishment takes place in the form of the increase of the sins. (Nursi, Sünûhât, p. 54)

The reward of a performed worship, the prosperity of the verses of the Quran or prayers and the reward of a charity and good deed can be donated to someone else, and the person to be donated benefits from it without any decrease. (Nursi, Şuâlar (Rays), p. 589)

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Can a person appoint a proxy for worships like daily prayers (salah), fasting, zakat (almsgiving) and Hajj?

8 Can a woman perform the duty of Hajj or Umrah without a mahram?

For more information, click on the link given below.

What are the situations that women can encounter during hajj (pilgrimage) and what are they supposed to do in those conditions?

9 What should we do in order to perform an accepted (mabrur) hajj?

A person cannot know whether his hajj is mabrur or not. When the necessary conditions are met and when one fulfills his duties regarding hajj, it is expected that Allah will accept the hajj.

The following is reported from Abu Hurayra (d. 58/677): "When the Messenger of Allah was asked what deed was more virtuous, he said, ‘belief in Allah and His Messenger’; when he was asked about the next virtuous deed, he said, ‘Jihad (holy war) in the way of Allah;’ when he was asked about the next virtuous deed, he said, ‘hajj mabrur’ " (Bukhari, Jihad l; Hajj, 4, 34, 102; Umra, 1; Muslim, Iman,135,140; Tirmidhi, Mawaqit, 13, Hajj, 6,14, 88; Darimi, manasik, 8, Salah, 24, 135).

As it is known, an accepted hajj is enough to eradicate all of the sins of a person except the rights of other people that he violated. It is as if a person is born again after hajj in terms of sins. However, it is necessary to act in accordance with the following five conditions:

1. To go to hajj with a very sincere intention, that is, only for the sake of Allah. To ignore everything except Him as if one is going there to visit Allah.

2. To go to hajj with clean, halal money,

3. To pay the rights of other people or to ask for their forgiveness; to perform the worshipping like missed daily prayers and fasting or to decide definitely to fulfill all of the missed worshipping,

4. To avoid nonsensical and ugly words, intentions and acts (rafath and fusuq) during hajj,

5. To complete hajj by paying attention to all of the external and internal conditions of hajj; only Allah knows the amount of thawabs that such a hajj will earn a person after eliminating all of the sins.

The thawabs of the hajj will decrease based on the deficiencies in those conditions. The hajj of some people will not earn them anything; it will only make them fulfill a fard. For some people, the hajj will make them earn sins. Therefore, it is advised that the rich people who have earned some haram money or whose wealth are doubtful should borrow some money and use that money to go to hajj and then pay their debts when they return out of their own property.

Besides, Imam Ghazali gives the following advice: "A person who goes to hajj using haram or doubtful money should at least try to eat his food out of halal earnings. If he cannot do it during the whole period of hajj, he should do it at least when he is in ihram. If he cannot do it, either, he should do it on the day of Arafa. If he cannot do that, either, he should always have the feeling of fear, sadness and repentance because of going to hajj with such money so that he may receive mercy on Arafat." (Husayn al-Makki, Irshadu s-sari, 3)

10 Can Umrah be performed during the month of Dhul-qidah?

There is not a certain condition of time period for Umrah. Umrah is a kind of worship in which people visit the Kaaba by getting into the state of Ihram (A spiritual, mental and physical state that one is in when embarking on Hajj or Umrah. It is also the clothing one is wearing while in this state) and performing Tawaf (circumambulation of the Kaaba during hajj) and performing some other religious tasks.

Hajj is a kind of worship performed during the months which are called the months of Hajj. The months of Hajj are Shawwal, Dhu’l-qadah and the first ten days of Dhu’l Hijjah according to Hijri Calendar. Hajj can be performed within these months both with or without Umrah. Performing Hajj with Umrah or without Umrah is called the kinds of Hajj performance.

The statement of “The time of Hajj is during the months of Hajj which are Shawwal, Dhu’l-qadah and the first ten days of Dhu’l Hijjah” is the interpretation of the Quranic verse which is translated as “Hajj is in the well-known months” (al-Baqarah, 2/197).

The duty of Hajj starts when one gets into the state of Ihram. The beginning of it is in Shawwal. Those months are called the months of Hajj because one getting into the state of Ihram in Shawwal can complete the requirements of pilgrimage until the evening of 10th (or 13th ) day of Dhu’l-Hijjah.

In conclusion, the reason why those months are called the months of Hajj is that one can get into the state of Ihram, which is the first condition and element of Hajj, only in those months. Getting into the state of Ihram before those months is makrooh (abominable) according to Hanafi and Hanbali sects. The hadith “It is Sunnah not to get into the state of Ihram except in the months of Hajj” (see Zukhaili, al-Fiqh’al-Islami, 3/64-65) narrated by Bukhari from Ibn Abbas was influential on the scholars’ view regarding the issue.

According to the Shafi’is, getting into the state of Ihram in other months is valid for Umrah, not for Hajj; because, the verse “Hajj is in well-known months (al-Baqarah, 2/197)” does not mention that one cannot get into the state of Ihram in the other months that are not determined for pilgrimage (see Mughni Muhtaj, 1/471, Muhadhdhab, 1/200).

11 What is the wisdom behind throwing pebbles at Satan in Hajj (Pilgrimage)? What does this action symbolize?

Throwing pebbles at Satan is one of the stipulations of Hajj (Pilgrimage). This symbolizes Prophet Abraham’s throwing pebbles at Satan in order to drive him away when he tried to prevent him. As a prophet, he was shown Satan and he threw pebbles at Satan who tried to come between him and His Lord in order to prevent him. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing be upon him, said “Learn your duties related to Hajj from me.” (Nasai, Menasik, 220) and he himself performed this ritual and taught it to other people.

Throwing pebbles in a way symbolizes the war waged against Satan. One throws each pebble at one’s own evil commanding soul, lust and at Satan. One tries to exterminate those different fronts from which various mistakes and sins attack him. In the cause for sacrificing what one possesses for Allah’s sake, one has to eliminate whatever Satan devises and whichever arms and fronts he makes use of. Pride, arrogance, property, position, rank, fame, renown, egotism, youth, marriage, children… Whatever the obstacles are before servitude to Allah and its responsibility…

Today, when the pilgrim throws pebbles at the Satan, he both imitates Prophet Abraham, and follows the sunnah (practice) of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). However, even though the pilgrim who performs his ritual throws his pebbles symbolically at the pile of pebbles which symbolize the devil, in reality he must throw the pebbles by thinking his weak points from which Satan deceives him. As everybody knows better of their own defects, blemishes and sins, with each pebble he must aim at his evil commanding soul, lustful desires and his drives which lead him into sins. There, on the first day, he throws seven pebbles, the following days forty-nine or seventy, symbolically. They refer to multiplicity. It means that from then on, he must always be alert against the devil, and even if Satan encounters him hundreds of times, he must have thousands of pebbles to throw at him. From then on, he must carry out the meaning of the prayer he has been reciting for long “I seek refuge in Allah from Satan eternally rejected” (Auzu billahi min ash-Shaytanir-rajim.) not only with his words but also in its essence with more awareness. He must perceive in Whom he seeks refuge and from whom. He must comprehend that he seeks refuge from Satan the ‘Rajim-stoned/rejected’ in Allah the ‘Rahim-the All-Compassionate’. If he does not understand this meaning and does not reason the meaning and wisdom of this by caring only about the symbol and the outer look, he only gets deceived one more time with the apprehension that he ‘stoned the devil’, that’s it! This is because Satan does not wander outside as is symbolized there, but with the words of the Prophet “wanders inside man just like blood wanders in veins.” (Bukhari, Itikaf 11-12)

12 Is it fard to go to Hajj for one who goes to Umrah?

If someone for whom Hajj is fard goes to Makkah or does Umrah, his obligation to go to Hajj is not removed because Umrah is Sunnah; it cannot replace the fard Hajj. Besides, Umrah does not include all conditions and rules of the fard Hajj. According to the view “Hajj is immediately applicable”, even if that person arrives in his/her country, he/she must go to Hajj in the first year. Without paying back his or her debt for prayers, they must not be considered free of the obligation to go to Hajj.
However, if someone who is in Makkah for any reason sees the Kaaba and if it is the season for Hajj, he or she must fulfill Hajj. The months of the Hajj are the first ten days of Shawwal, Dhul Qadah, and Dhul Hijjah. If the time when he or she is in Makkah is not the season for Hajj but if he/she can stay there, according to some Hanafi scholars, he/she must perform Hajj by staying there until the season comes. According to some scholars who consider the difficulty of staying there for a long time and that it can be hard for a person, it is not compulsory to stay in Makkah under such conditions.
Today it is not possible to stay and waiting for the season of Hajj, because the government of Saudi Arabia does not give residence permit to people for a long time except people who work there and the officials.
In that case, Hajj is not fard for a poor man who goes there on duty before the season of Hajj, performs Umrah and sees the Kaaba because he/she has an anxiety to be imprisoned and to be expelled. Moreover s/he is not rich, it means Hajj is not fard for her or him.
Mehmed Paksu

13 What is the Hajaru-l-Aswad’s property? What is its historical background?

This holy stone is called the Hajaru-l-Aswad (Black Stone) because of its black color. It has been placed a half-a-meter above the ground by the door in the Kaaba’s “East” corner.

This holy stone is called the Hajaru-l-Aswad (Black Stone) because of its black color. It has been placed a half-a-meter above the ground by the door in the Kaaba’s “East” corner. It is composed of three large parts and a few small ones. Its surrounding is lined with a silver ring. It is also referred to as the “Ruhul-Aswad”.

This holy stone is a meteorite that was brought to Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham) by Hazrat Jibril (Gabriel). It was conserved in the Abu Qubays Mountain before being placed into the Kaaba’s wall. According to a narration, the stone that is referred to in the Hadith, “I still know and recognize the stone that greeted me in Mecca before I became a Prophet” is the Hajaru-l Aswad.

One day, Hazrat Umar approached the stone and said: “I know very well that you are a stone that does no harm and has no benefit. If I had not seen the Holy Prophet (PBUH) kiss you, then I would have never kissed you.

Is ‘Hajarul Aswad’ from paradise?

Author: Mehmet Paksu, 09-5-2006There are Sahih (authenticated) Hadiths about Hajarul Aswad (Black Stone) which is imbedded in the left corner of Holy Kaba near its door and which is accepted as the beginning point of tawaf (where pilgrims circle Kaba for seven times), that it is a stone from Paradise.

A hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas states that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "This Black Stone has come down from Paradise, and it was whiter than milk. But sins and mistakes of mankind turned it black." (1)

Another hadith narrated in Musnad, “The Black stone is from Paradise. It used to be whiter than snow, but mistakes of polytheists turned it black.” (2)

On this matter, information is given in the book of ‘History of Kaba and Mecca’,

After Hazrath Adam’s descent onto earth from Paradise, God sent him a Paradise Tent by angels. Hajarul Aswad was in this Tent and used to glow like a white ruby.

While Hazrath Ibrahim was building Kaba along with his son Hazrath Ismail, he requested a stone from his son as a corner stone for Kaba. Hazrath Ismail looked for one but came back empty handed. In the meantime, Angel Gabriel brought a stone to Hazrath Ibrahim. When Kaba was destroyed after the Noah’s Cataclysm, God entrusted Hajarul Aswad at the top of Abu Kubays Mountain and ordered to take it out when His friend (Hazrath Ibrahim) will entrusted to build Kaba. The stone that Angel Gabriel brought was white, but as it was mentioned in the Hadiths by the touching of polytheists; and according to some narrations because of the fires, it has turned black over the years. (3)

Abdullah bin Abbas’ explanation is as follows, “The reason why God turned Hajarul Aswad black is because of mankind not to crave for Paradise ornaments.” (4)

Sources:

1. At-Tirmidhi, Hajj:49.

2. el-Fethü'r-Rabbani, 12:26.

3. Ebû'l Veled el-Ezraki. Kabe ve Mekke Tarihi, s. 36-54.

4. Tuhfetü'l-Ahvezi, 3:617.

14 Why do we worship hajrul aswad?

People do not worship at Hajar Al-Aswad because, it has no feature to be worshipped at. That blessed stone, which is called as Hajar Al-Aswad (The Black Stone) because of its black color, takes place on the east edge of Ka’aba and was located in a place one and a half meters high from the ground and near the gate of the Ka’aba.. It consists of three big and a few small pieces. It is surrounded by a silver ring. Another name of it is Ruh Al-Aswad.
That blessed stone is a heavenly stone and has been delivered to Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) by Gabriel. It had been kept on Abu Qubays Mount before it was placed on the Ka’aba’s wall. According to a relation, Hajar al-Aswad is the stone that the Prophet’s, the chief of the universe’s expression “I still know and recognize the stone that had greeted me in Makkah before I was sent as a prophet” points out.
The scholars have the opinion that kissing that stone is approvable. (cf. Zuhayli, al- Fiqh al Islami, 3/151)
In a famous relation, Hazrat Umar kissed Hajar al-Aswad and said: “I swear by Allah, I know you are a stone. I would not have kissed you, if I had not seen the Prophet had kissed you.” (Refer to Nawawi, Majmu, 8/29).
Then, kissing Hajar al-Aswad is sunnah (an act of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)). However, if the place is overcrowded and if it will be a torment for people, one should content oneself with greeting from a distance and should not give torment to people. Because, kissing Hajar al-Aswad is sunnah, but giving torment to people is haram.
It is not harmful in point of health. Otherwise, similar things can also be told for mosques. It is essential to rely on Allah in such cases.

15 What is the Wisdom Behind Stoning the Devil?

Stoning is carried out in thee places that were determined allegorically. That worshipping dates back to Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh).

There are two narrations regarding the issue. One of them as follows:

The narration of Ibn Abbas regarding the issue is as follows:

Then, Ibn Abbas added,

“You only stone the devil and follow the way of Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh), your ancestor.”

Our Prophet (pbuh) stated the following:

“To circumambulate around the House of Allah, to go to and come back between Safa and Marwa, to stone the devil are performed in order to keep alive the signs of Allah.”

Believers show their servitude to their Lord by performing those acts of worshipping during the season of hajj. They enjoy the pleasure of being a servant to Him and being addressed by Him.

16 What are the situations that women can encounter during hajj (pilgrimage) and what are they supposed to do in those conditions?

The pilgrimage is fardh (obligatory) for all women and men who are healthy, wise and who can afford it. A woman must try to perform the pilgrimage when it is fardh for her as Muslim men do.
The pilgrimage has an important and special part in a womans life. As it is told in a hadithThe pilgrimage is the jihad of the women (1)

Among the conditions of the pilgrimage, women have a different and more special condition. That is; a woman who is about to have a journey for the pilgrimage is bound to have her husband or somebody whom she is never allowed to marry like her father, son, brother, uncle, son-in-law or her nephew with her.

According to the sect of Hanafi, it is not obligatory for a woman who has none of the people mentioned above with her to perform the pilgrimage and the journey is not religiously allowed. That restriction is not just for air flights. It is wrong for a woman to go somewhere that is religiously regarded as a journey without her husband or one of her close relatives.

However, it is different according to the sect of Shafii. According to that sect, it is enough for a woman to have her husband, or one of close relatives or two or more trustable women with her to have the journey for the pilgrimage. She can have the journey with them and perform the pilgrimage. A woman having no male close relatives with her can imitate the Shafii sect regarding that issue.(2)

Another problem that women may encounter during the pilgrimage is whether they will perform tawaf, say, waqfa, and similar duties when they are in the state of menstruation or puerperium.

In Sunan Tirmizi, in a hadith reported by Ibni Abbas, the Prophet says:
A woman who is in the state of menstruation or puerperium should have a shower, wears her pilgrimage dress, performs all of hajj duties, but cannot circumambulate the Kaaba till she gets clean.(3)

As it is clearly understood from the hadith, a woman who is in the state of menstruation or puerperium performs all her duties except tawaf. She does waqfa, which is one of the fundamentals of the pilgrimage, the say and stoning the devil. She performs her duties in Mina and Muzdalifa. However, she cannot get into any mosques, especially Masjid Haram. Essentially, women finish all the duties during the menstruation; after they get clean, they carry out tawaf ziyarah, which is an obligatory condition of the pilgrimage.

However, she may feel uneasy when she cannot get into mosques and haram sharif when the menstruation does not stop and causes to delay tawaf ziyarah and to leave the group. So, she had better take some measures so that she can do all the duties easily and will not have any trouble.

It can be done by taking some medicine to delay the menstruation. She can do that by taking a medicine advised by doctors who are specialists. It is possible and religiously allowed. That method used in the era of bliss (during the time of the Prophet)). At those times, a kind of water called araq juice was used to delay it. Abdullah bin Umar says there is no harm to use that water. Nowadays, it is possible to delay menstruation by using medicine.

References

(1) Ibni Majah, Manasik:8
(2) al-Mazahibu'l-Arbaa,1:636
(3) Tirmizi, Hajj:100

Reference: Mehmed Paksu Çağın Getirdiği Sorular( the problems that the age has brought)

17 About Umrah and missing the down (fajr) prayer.

The First Answer:
Every worship has an auspicious. However, the degree of it changes according to the place of the worship, avoiding from sins and sincerity.
Umra is a term which has the meaning to visit the Kaba without depending on a certain time like Hajj (Pilgrimage). The worship of Umra -according to the sects of Hanafi and Maliki- is muakkad sunnah, to the sects of Shafii and Hanbali is obligatory (fard).
The worship of Umra can be performed anytime wanted whereas the Hajj is only performed in its season. However, it is makruh (disgusting, revolting, abominable) to perform it on the eve of the Sacrifice Holiday and the four day of that holiday. And to establish it in the month of Ramadan is an opportunity for more auspicious.
The Second Answer:
All of the prayers that have been decreed as five times are precious and important. One cannot stand for other. However, a part of them is more virtuous and auspicious. And the dawn prayer (fajr salath) is one of them. Allah All-Mighty in one verse, in the Qur’an says as follows:
“Therefore be patient with what they say, and celebrate (constantly) the praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before its setting; yea, celebrate them for part of the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day: that thou may be pleased.” (the Qur’an, Ta-ha, 20/130)
Interpreters comment the aim with the statement of “celebrate the praises” is to be salath (prayer). The glorification before the rising of the sun points to the fajr prayer.
Why the fajr prayer has so much virtue and auspicious is because it coincides with the time of sleep. To give up sleeping which is very sweet and something pleasant for the soul and then to face to the Creator of allthings; to plead with Him; to prostrate Him in awe; while being an absolute impotetent, poor and weak to depend on the Lord of the worlds Who has an infinite power, wealth and force; to glorify and offer thanks to Him, to honor Him makes person to be the recipient of having an exalted taste and a holy pleasure. Together with this honor, the comfort and peace of being admitted into the presense of Allah, being an addressee and friend to Him, and also fulfilling a holy duty shall cover all of the personality.
Because the fajr prayer coincides with the time of sleep, the soul finds it difficult to wake up. Islam scholars advise for those who are weight sleeper to go to bad early to be able to wake up for fajr prayer. They do not approve them to procrastinate until late hours and then miss the prayer.
If it is intentionally or because of ignorance and slubbering; the prayers which are missed and left for qadha (late performance of an act of worship) are not considered as a legistimate excuse. Such acts and ignorences gain people to sin. The reality that the first account for people’ deeds will be prayer, that even leaving one time of prayer knowingly and willingly will cause punishment, and that the committed sins even they are a atom’s weight will be shown us should prompt us to be careful and pay attention always.
In order to be able to wake up for fajr prayer, we need to get all kinds of measures. As a matter of fact, once during an expedition Our Prophet (peace be upon him) had left Hazrath Bilal as a picket for fajr prayer.
In fact, there is no compulsion in our religion. It is very easy to establish our worships. Only thing we will do is to be careful and vigilant. Just because of neglect, to miss a prayer shall cost us too expensive. The day we performed the fajr prayer we become more lively and peppy. And the day we did not perform, as there becomes an unwillingness and misfortune even in our worldly deals, so, there occurs unrest in our psychological structure, too. And the responsibility of that issue pertaining to the next world is more piteous.
When going to bad, besides setting the alarm of the clock as a material measure, as a sipiritual measure to recite the surahs (chapter in the Qur’an) such as “Innâ a'daynâ” and “ayat al-Kursî” and to pray will help us to be able to wake up. Since there are the angels that Allah All-Mighty charged them for that tusk.
As a matter of fact, the main point is to place waking up under the conscious. If we consider that for a small worldly benediction when needed we be unable to sleep and when we want an important dealing to do, we wake up easily. So it is not difficult to think what we would bear for worship in which even its sunnah prayer is “more auspicious than this world and what is in it” (Riyazu’s Salihin, 2: 411). Besides, Our Prophet used that statement only for the sunnah prayer of the fajr salath.
There is one more case concerning fajr salath’s time, it is about what we should do when there is a very little time for the sun set up. In such a situation, if the time is very narrow, one should immediately take ablution. It is not permissible to deal with other things such as going to the toilet ect... For the time of the prayer is about to exit. And again, in order to gain time when taking ablution, only to wash the obligatory parts and to be able to perform the fard (obligatory) prayer, to give up the sunnah prayer is permissible, and is wajip in very narrow times.

18 hajj money

According to the three sects (Shafi, Hanefi and Maliki sects) performing hajj (pilgrimage) duty with ill-gotten gains is acceptable, but its merit will be less and s/he will be sinful. But according to Hanbali sect, one can not perform hajj duty with ill-gotten gains.

But, in a hadith passes in the books of the Islamic Canonical Law, the Prophet (PBUH) clearly states that Muslims in non-Muslim countries may receive interest. Muslims need to receive both the capital and the interest given as a result of this money.

Here is a known truth that a Muslim cannot receive interest from another Muslim even in a non-Muslim country.

Muslims working abroad deposit their money in the banks there. When they withdraw this money, they are given some amount of interest. Some do not receive this money considering it illicit whereas some receive the money saying that to receive interest from

Is it religiously allowed to buy a house with the mortgage system?

19 Will you give information about Rukn al-Yamani corner of the Kaaba?

The wisdom behind greeting Rukn al-Yamani is that the Prophet (pbuh) did so. Besides, before the Kaaba was ordered to be the qiblah by Allah, the Prophet (pbuh) used to perform prayers by standing in front of Rukn al-Yamani in order to turn toward both the Kaaba and Masjid al-Aqsa.

During the first years of Islam, the Muslims used to turn toward Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) while performing prayers. However, before the Migration, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not leave the Kaaba behind while performing prayers in Makkah; he used to stand between Rukn al-Yamani and Rukn al-Hajar al-Aswad so that the Kaaba would be between him and Bayt al-Maqdis . Thus, he turned to both the Kaaba and Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. After the Migration, when the Prophet turned to Masjid al-Aqsa, the Kaaba remained behind him and he felt sad. He wanted the Kaaba to be the qiblah. For, the Kaaba was the qiblah of Hz. Ibrahim, his ancestor.

RUKN AL-YAMANI

It is the corner of the Kaaba in the direction of Yemen.

The Kaaba was built by Hz. Ibrahim and his son, Ismail; the corner of the Kaaba in the direction of the east was called "Rukn ash-Sharqi" or "Rukn al-Hajar al-Aswad" because Hajar al-Aswad was there; the corner of the Kaaba in the direction of Iraq was called "Rukn al-Iraqi"; the corner of the Kaaba in the direction of Damascus was called "Rukn ash-Shami" and the corner of the Kaaba in the direction of Yemen was called "Rukn al-Yamani". The place between Rukn al-Hajar al-Aswad and Rukn al-Iraqi is inclined to the north a bit; Maqam al-Ibrahim, Zamzam Well and Banu Shayba Gate are on this side of the Kaaba. The place between Rukn al-Iraqi and Rukn ash-Shami, which forms the north side of the Kaaba, is inclined to the west a bit; Hijr, Golden Water-spout and Maqam al-Hanafi are on this side of the Kaaba. The western side, that is, the place between Rukn ash-Shami and Rukn al-Yamani is inclined to the south a bit. Umrah Gate, Farewell Gate and Ibrahim Gate are on this side. The direction of the sun, that is, the place between Rukn al-Yamani and Rukn al-Hajar al-Aswad is inclined to the east a bit; Safa Gate and the other gates in the south are on this side. (Tajrid, VI,19; M. Esad, Tarîh-i Dîni İslâm, (sad. A. Lütfi Kazancı and others, 324 ff)

In addition, in the Islamic literature the corner of the Kaaba that includes Rukn al-Hajar al-Aswad and the corner that includes Rukn al-Yamani is also called "Ruknayn al-Yamaniyayn"; The other two corners are called "Ruknayn ash-Shamiyayn". According to a narration from Abdullah b. Umar, Rukn al-Hajar al-Aswad and Rukn al-Yamani are greeted during circumambulation. According to another narration from the same person, the Prophet greeted Rukn al-Hajar al-Aswad and Rukn al-Yamani during circumambulation. (Tajrid, I, 149-150) If it was not possible due to stampede, they continued circumambulation by uttering takbir.

Rukn al-Yamani has an important place after Rukn al-Hajar al-Aswad because the Prophet (pbuh) greeted it during circumambulation.

20 Is it compulsory to do Hajj if one does Umrah?

If the conditions that make Pilgrimage compulsory have not formed, it is not compulsory for the one who goes to Umra (small pilgrimage) to go to Pilgrimage.

21 performing hajj for a married woman

Hajj (pilgrimage) duty must not be neglected. Neglecting it, does not cause Divine Calamity but requires Divine anger and distress. And as a result, sins and debauchery are increased by the Almighty Allah.

A woman can send someone else to Hajj (Pilgrimage) in place of herself, if she has a chance to do so. And also she does not have to get permission from her husband, if she will use her own money for this obligatory rule of Islam. Because, she can spend her own money however she wants without permission of her husband, in the circle of halal (permissible) deeds, especially for a duty such as Hajj. She can send her father as a proxy as well. But there are some conditions that are needed for both bequeather and proxy.

If the proxyship is wanted to be permissible, the obligor person for Hajj must be as impotent as not to be able to perform this Holy duty. Otherwise it is not permissible to send a proxy instead (That is to say, if one person is able enough to perform the Hajj himself, it is not permissible to send someone else as a proxy.).

Excuses such as excessive old-age, continuously illnesses or being confined to bed, death and for women not having someone familiar (mahram) to make a journey with (If a woman intending to perform Hajj duty has no someone familiar (mahram) to go with, she can send someone else as a proxy) etc. are the reasons that makes sending another person permissible in place of him/her self. In that situation, the obligor of Hajj can send someone, whom s/he trusts, as a proxy.
During the Last Hajj of our Prophet (pbuh), a young lady from Hasam tribe approached to Our Prophet (pbuh) and asked as follows:
“O Messenger of Allah! My dad heard about the command of Hajj, when he was very old. And now he is unable even to sit on a camel. Can I perform the Hajj duty for him as a proxy?”

Our Prophet (pbuh) stated as follows: “Yes, you can perform the Hajj for him as a proxy.” (1)
Ibn-i Abbas states that a woman had intended to perform the Hajj, but her life did not last long enough. Without performing the Hajj she died. Her brother because of this reason went to Prophet (pbuh) and asked him what to do.
Our Prophet (pbuh): “If your sister who died had had some debts behind, would you pay for her?

Her brother replied as: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!”.

Our Prophet said him that if so, pay for the debts she has to pay to Allah, too, because He is the most worthy to be paid. (2)

1- Sahih-i Buharî, Hajj, v.6, p. 52; Nesâî, v. 5, p.147
2- Nesâî, Menâsik'ul-Hajj, v. 5, p.146

22 Hajj Journey and Guide for a Deep Hajj

Intention

You are going there. You have waited all your life for this journey. Maybe you sent your life there with the people who went there; maybe you circumambulated the Kaaba imaginarily through your spirit. Now, you have set out on your feet. Maybe you set out for long journeys before; maybe you went to hajj before. You should know that hajj journey is different from other journeys and it is directed towards a different direction. Now, you have faced towards the the qiblah that you face five times every day. Now you are flying towards oneness from multiplicity. Now you are walking in order to discover yourself. You will recognize and define yourself again in the place where you will go. Even if you went there before, you should have new excitements. Each hajj is unique, isn’t it? No matter how many times you went there before, the excitement of going to hajj is new and fresh; and you must be having the excitement of going there for the first time. Otherwise, why should you feel the need to go there again? This one may not be your first hajj, but what if it is your last hajj…

Way

Now you are a traveler. The state of traveling is similar and close to the life we are leading. By the way, try watching your life and your environment through the eyes of a traveler. For instance, the earth’s ground slides away under your feet. You are moving away from the things that you are accustomed to in order to approach Him. Death is something like that, too! You assume the excitement of a frivolous butterfly and have transitory glances at everything you see. Everything is breaking off its stalk, is leaving its root, and is breaking open its pod; the daylight is withdrawing its color from the things. Streets and walls are thinning and wasting away. Your feet standing firm on the earth’s ground feel a gentle wind.

Ihram

A traveler should have few belongings. Throw away whatever you are carrying for the world; leave behind the worldly things that are a burden for your heart. Besides, the ihram that you are going to put on soon makes it necessary for you to throw the extra things. When you are in a piece of white cloth as a plain and lonesome traveler, you should break away from your addictions; you should define your heart again. Taking off your clothes is not sufficient to put on ihram. Ihram necessitates a general taking off. Everything that you have appreciated so far in terms of your own values - rank, post, nationality, tribe, ancestry, class, and career – will hit the white face of the ihram and melt away. Now you can see more easily that you are a slave of only your Lord, away from everybody. What will make you valuable is your worshipping your Lord, worshipping and being a slave of only Him. Your colorless, patternless, badgeless and flagless ihram associates you with only your Lord. As you are clad in white, the roots of your fancies and desires withdraw from the earth’s ground. You are a surrendered man in ihram, unable to command, to pluck a hair, even unable to enjoy permissible pleasures.

Direction

Man cannot easily accept his departure. You set out in order to leave the world and the things that you loved in the name of the world as a frivolous water drop that forgot about its weight, with barefoot and uncovered head. Look, all of your bonds with everybody and everything are about to set loose. The clew of life that you continuously rolled has been scattered.

The intention of a fine and sharp journey should leave everything and everybody behind. That intention turns the place we live to a faded rose as soon as it falls into our heart. Everything around us becomes transitory, is released from the earth’s gravity field and starts to fly. Your bonds with places become weak and uncertain. As your bond with places get loose and the domination of time over you becomes heavier like a prisoner, you find the decree of ephemera wrapped around your neck. Not to be able to give an appointment for tomorrow adjoins the narrow walls of the moment you are in to your chest. The rusty sword of time touches your heart; the cold breath of death licks your face. You are going; you are bound to go; you are returning; you are bound to return.

Excitement of Being Close

Yes, you are going to the Kaaba. You are going towards the place that our bits of life become a lake. You are flying to the place where your slavery will be tested by sharp sirats (bridges). Thus, the direction of the Kaaba is on the same line as the Day of Judgment. You are going to the place where you turn to five times a day. Since going towards a place that you had been turning towards for a long time involves a return, man should experience a feeling of being close, not going away, in this journey. The wind that touches your forehead should smell homeland, not foreign land.

Fear of Being Distant

But no! Directing towards the Kaaba seems to be informing us about the horrendous fear of being distant. The question is not the distance of the Kaaba to the place we are in but our distance to the state of servanthood. This journey, this direction brings to light that dazzling precipice now. Remember how you easily and casually turned towards the qiblah as if you were turning towards any wall. Did it not necessitate abstaining from everything other than Him, everything that did not inform about Him to say, “I turned towards the qiblah” Even if the Kaaba was very far away! However, being far away from our Lord makes us far away from the reality of our qiblah, the Kaaba. That distance may not diminish even if one comes to the foot of the Kaaba; precipices appear between man and the Kaaba. That distance, that precipice makes us dizzy and makes our heart shiver. No matter where you go, you cannot move your foot away from that precipice.

I wish my Lord would make you and me close to Him. Your wish to be close to the Kaaba is no different from this prayer.

Abandoning

In fact whether you reach hajj or not, I should say that, you are not very far away from the Kaaba. Do we not turn towards the Kaaba five times a day and promise our Lord that we will be His servants? That is a journey to the Kaaba actually. We do not cover distances in this journey. Only one intention takes us to the destination; the intention of being a servant of Allah. That intention makes us a traveler of a way that is more distant than unending distances, more winding than the roads on steep mountains, that cannot be compared to deserts and mountains. The intention to be a servant is a long and sharp journey containing the most general departures.

Arrival

Turning towards Him, only Him, takes us away from so many things! Turning towards the qiblah means turning away from everything except the things that show the evidence about Him. Then, is there anything that does not indicate Him in this universe? Since everything mentions His name and each atom glorifies Him, what can we turn away from? What thing does not mention Him? No, there is nothing that does not indicate Him. There may be someone that does not see the things indicating Him. To direct towards Him means to look at everything with the intention of seeing Him.

However, a person who thinks he is free to do anything he wants, thinks that things are free too. He does not see things as mirrors showing somebody else. With this blind intention, mirrors as many as filling the universe are broken; suns filling the heavens are set. The glance of man absorbs the enlightening news coming from the universe to his soul like a black hole and pushes everything into darkness. The only thing that does not indicate Him, the only black hole, is our ego attached to our self. Then, turning towards the Kaaba makes it necessary for us to throw away the black hole that does not show Him and that rusts the mirror of everything, that is our ego. Only the person who abandons the thing which he is in can reach the Kaaba. When you find that black hole, that is the Kaaba, in front of you, a black hole, that is your ego, will be left behind. When you go out of the thing which you are in, you will find your Kaaba.

Circumambulation

Arriving at the Kaaba and turning towards the qiblah necessitates going out of our egocentric orbit and entering a circumambulation in the circle of our Lord’s content. Circumambulation should make a person abandon feeling free to do anything he wants and abandon turning round your fancies and desires like a luna moth. Otherwise, it is easy to arrive at the Kaaba and to turn round the Kaaba. Arriving at the Kaaba means overcoming your ego and reaching the state of servanthood, and breaking off multiplicity and reaching oneness. Your journey starts by abandoning your country now; when you reach the Kaaba, you will abandon yourself. You will be a white dust on the collar of a black flower and float. And the journey will never end.

Sa’y (Running)

Now you are running between Safa and Marwa seven times. Who are you running away from? Who are you running towards? You are running away from Him but you are running towards Him again. In fact, you are running away from His wrath and you are running towards His grace. We should run away from His justice, which regards us as worthy of burning in the fire, towards His grace that grants us Paradise although we do not deserve it.

Arafat

Now it is time to depart from the Kaaba, which people come in groups and accumulate around. In fact, even the Kaaba is not enough for ultimate union. When you arrived at the brink of surrendering yourself to Him in circumambulation, when you reached the peak of the freedom to run away from Him to Him in sa’y, you discovered your duality. You knew about your part that surrendered and the part that remained free. Now it is time to know Him. Arafa is the time to know Him and Arafat is the place to know Him and for Him to know you. When they asked Rabia about her desire of Paradise, she said, “I do not need a house; I need a neighbor”. It is time you stopped turning around the ‘house’ and started to know the ‘neighbor’. You are being whispered in your heart, “Depart from the Kaaba; now you are closer to Me than the Kaaba. Say, “And the destination is to Allah”. (See. An-Noor 42 and Fatir 18). Abandon the Kaaba, approach the One that made the Kaaba sacred! Turn your back on the Kaaba; face the One that made the Kaaba holy. And understand that, “Everything (that exists) will perish except His own face.” (See. Al-Qasas 88). The Kaaba, Makkah and you all can be liberated from perishing and nihility as long as you turn to His face. Then, run to Arafat. “Run to Allah!”

Mash’ar

When the sun disappears from Arafat towards the sunset, try to lose the false light of your ego in the black part of your heart. Take your body, clad in white, with you and join the slaves that “rush from Arafat”. “Flow” towards Mash’ar”… Forget yourself and “remember only Allah”. As He did not forget you in the streams of nihility, took you to the plain of existence and guided you from the darkness of aberration to the light of guidance, remember Him like that. “And verily, you could have been forgotten or could have been, before, of those who were astray.” (See. Al-Baqara 198).

You reach Mash’ar (Muzdalifa) when it gets dark; you wait there all night. You had stayed all day in Arafat. As knowing each other in Arafat necessitates the day and light, gaining the consciousness in Arafat demands the night and darkness. You become plain and alone all night. The night makes it easier for you to withdraw your sight from the objects and outside and to turn your eye towards the subject and inside. The sun is missing in the sky but the stars and the moon reach towards you by tearing the darkness. However, the test is not over yet. You dip your hand into the ground and the soil when your face is in the sky and your eye is in your heart. You will collect the pebbles from the ground of Mash’ar. Using your own hands! Just like it is on “the day when neither wealth nor sons will avail. Then, you lie into the bosom of the night with your white ihram like a shroud.

Mina

And the Gathering (Mahshar) morning… Resurrection. You resurrect from your loneness with the poking of the first light of the day and join the crowd of the Gathering Place. The inward journey of Mash’ar turns outward. The devotees of Mash’ar night are preparing to become the mujahids of Mina day. Only the one who “turns the night to the day”, “makes the sun rotate” and “makes the sun go after the moon” can pull down the unseen wall between Mash’ar and Mina. Nobody from that unique crowd, which is about to exceed its limit, dares to pass that imaginary line and leave Mash’ar unless the sunlight touches his body. The great crowd that reaches the imaginary light and returns reflects the unique freedom of obeying only Allah. You should break the chains of the earth that fasten you like the stones that you broke off the sands of the desert. And the order comes with the touch of the first daylight… It is the morning of Eid. What travels over the tired faces, and falls onto the declined shoulders is the hot touch of the sun. As you see, the sun is making hajj too. It rises in the Arafat and waits. It passes Mash’ar and enters Mina before you. Now you entered Mina and reached “security”! You can be sure that you passed the test. How do you think you obtained the privilege of stoning the devil?

Stoning the Devil

Do not think that what you throw is a stone. Remember how you collected those stones. You picked them by turning your face towards the earth and by making your hands dirty. Now the tiny things in your palm are the evils that you committed by turning away from and being unaware of the sky and revelation. While throwing the stones at the devil, you should also throw off the ignorance, heedlessness, evil, sins and the devil in you. Drive away the ignorance and heedlessness and throw off the evil like you throw the stones so that your closeness to Him will increase, your sacrificial animal will be an opportunity of closeness to Him.

And the sacrifice and the Eid! Although you were not allowed to pluck even one hair, to pick even one grass, now you are ordered to slaughter an animal. What a contradiction, isn’t it? So, no matter what you do; if you do it upon His order, it becomes goodness. How deadly it is not to kill by not heeding His order! And how reviving it is to kill upon His order! It is not left to man’s arbitrariness to determine bad and good, to discriminate between the ugly and the beautiful, to determine the goodness and evil. Do not forget that the thing that you slaughter or have it slaughtered is not a camel nor a cow nor a sheep. You should slaughter your lust, fancy, desire and will, and you should make them disappear in His content! On the day of Eid, in the morning of Sacrifice, your distance from Him will disappear; you will be close to Him! Eid will walk into your heart like that...

There exists ‘no return from Hajj’. The direction of hajj journey is exactly towards the direction where our life flows. Hajj makes us approach to the moment of death when our life becomes crystallized by taking our spirit from multiplicity to oneness, from periphery to the center. Our feet touch the sharp sirats (bridges) in this journey. Thus, the neighborhood of the Kaaba is located on the way to the Day of Judgment. Even if we want, there exists ‘no return from the way’.

We memorize the place that we turn towards five times a day in hajj. The Kaaba makes oneness tangible and visible. We straighten our qiblah straightforwardly. From now on, there exists ‘no return from the qiblah’.

On the one hand, our hand is prohibited from picking grass and plucking hair; on the other hand, it is ordered to slaughter an animal. We understand that our hand is not in our hands and our will is in His hands. Thus, we remember the promise we made in the past eternity. From now on, there exists ‘no return from our promise’.

With the hands we throw stones at the devil, we pray in the mosque of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH). We hate the devil as much as the amount of the stones we threw and rebel our soul and fancies; we increase our love of Muhammad (PBUH) and renew our pledge. Then, there exists ‘no return from the pledge’.

By arriving at the location we have been craving, we experience a feeling of approaching not going away. The direction we turn towards when we prostrate should make the winds smelling homeland touch our foreheads not foreign land. Once a person arrives in his homeland, there exists ‘no return to foreign land’.

And definitely, there exists ‘no return from hajj’...

23 Can you give information about the Kaaba?

The Kaaba is a quadrilateral building which is 13 m high, 12 m long and 11 m wide in the middle of Masjid al-Haram in the city of Makkah. The Kaaba, which is the reason for hajj and the qiblah of Muslims, is the first holy temple built on the earth. It is also called Baytullah (House of Allah) and Baytul-atiq (Old House). The following is stated in the Quran: "The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka: full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings." (Aal-i Imran, 3/96)

Answering the questions of Abu Dharr, one of the Companions, Hz. Prophet (pbuh) stated that the first mosque built on the Earth was "Masjid al-Haram" and the second one was "Masjid al-Aqsa"; he also said that there was a period of forty years between their constructions. (Bukhari, Anbiya. 10).

The verse and hadith above state clearly that the first mosque built on the earth is the Kaaba.

It is stated in the Quran the people that built the Kaaba were Hz. Ibrahim and his son Ismail.

These two prophets went to the region of Hejaz as follows: While Hz. Ibrahim was fulfilling the duty of prophethood in Palestine, he had to move her second wife Hz. Hagar to another place and settle her there due to the emotional competition and jealousy between her and his first wife. Hz. Ibrahim (pbuh) took his wife, Hagar, and his son, Ismail, who was a baby sucking his mother's milk, to the place where the Zamzam Well is located now. The city of Makkah had not been built then; there was nobody around. When he wanted to return to Palestine by leaving a leather bottle of water and some dates with them, Hagar asked him whether this migration was an order of Allah. When Hz. Ibrahim (pbuh) said he would leave them acting upon the revelation of Allah," Hagar said, "Allah will protect us; you can leave." Thus, this woman and the baby who was still being breastfed were left alone in the middle of the desert where nobody lived.

Water started to spring from the place where Ismail was as a grace of Allah while Hz. Hagar was going between Safa and Marwa hills. Hz. Hagar tried to form a pond so that the water would not flow out and shouted at the water as "zam, zam (stop, stop)". After a while, the tribe of Jurhumis understood from the flying of the birds that there was water there and changed their route. They arrived there and Hz. Hagar gave them permission to obtain water from there; in return for it, Jurhumis undertook the duty of supplying food for Hagar and her son. Jurhumis became the founders and first people of Makkah. (see az-Zabidi, Tajrid-i Sarih, Trnslt Kamil Miras, Ankara 1984, VI, 13, ff)

Hz. Ibrahim went to Hejaz from time to time and he built the Kaaba with his son when he grew up. This event is narrated as follows in the Quran:

"Behold! We gave the site, to Abraham, of the (Sacred) House (saying): "Associate not any thing (in worship) with Me; and sanctify My House for those who compass it round, or stand up or bow or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer)." (al-Hajj, 22/26)

While the Kaaba was being built, Hz. Ismail carried stones to the Kaaba and Hz. Ibrahim put up walls. When the walls became too high to reach from the ground, Hz. Ismail brought the big stone known as "Maqam Ibrahim" today. Hz. Ibrahim used this stone as a platform. Hajar al-Aswad (the black stone) brought from Mount Abu Qubays, was put in its current place to indicate the place of starting circumambulation. When the walls of the Kaaba became high enough, Hz. Ibrahim and Ismail prayed as follows:

"Our Lord! accept (this service) from us; for thou art the All-Hearing the All-Knowing. Our Lord! Make of us Muslims bowing to Thy (Will) and of our progeny a people Muslim bowing to Thy (Will) and show us our places for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn unto us (in Mercy); for Thou art the Oft-Returning Most-Merciful. Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, and purify them; for Thou art the Exalted in Might the Wise." (al-Baqara, 2/127-129)

The prayer of Hz. Ibrahim was accepted and Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a prophet from his lineage. It is reported that the Prophet stated the following indicating that dream: "I am honored by my father, Ibrahim's prayer, my brother Isa's glad tiding and my mother's dream." (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, IV, 127, 128, V, 262)

On the other hand, it is stated in a hadith reported by Ibn Ujra that the ummah of Islam read the prayers of "tahiyyat" and "Allahumma salli-barik" in all prayers and prayed for Hz. Ibrahim and his lineage as a kind of thanking for this old prayer of Hz. Ibrahim. (az-Zabidi, ibid, VI, 18, 19).

It is also reported that the first person to build the Kaaba was Hz. Adam (pbuh) and that Hz. Ibrahim and his son, Ismail built it on the same foundations after the Great Flood at the time of Noah. (az-Zabidi, ibid, VI, 13)

After the construction of the Kaaba ended, Allah ordered Hz. Ibrahim to call all people to the Kaaba for hajj: "And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways " (al-Hajj, 22/27).

Hz. Ibrahim climbed on Abu Qubays Mount and called out to four directions, telling the people that Allah made it fard (obligatory) for them to visit the Kaaba for hajj. (az-Zabidi, ibid, VI, 20, 21).

After making this announcement, Jibril arrived and showed him "Safa" and "Marwa" and the boundaries of Masjid al-Haram; he also advised him to put up stones as signs. Then, he taught Hz. Ibrahim the necessary information about hajj; they arrived at Mina wearing ihrams and to Arafat by uttering "La ilaha illallah" and "Labbayk" on the way. After staying (waqfa) in Arafat, they went to Muzdalifa and then to Mina; Jibril made him slaughter an animal and showed him how to stone Satan. In short, he taught Hz. Ibrahim all of the rituals of hajj. These rituals of hajj were taught to the ummah by Hz. Ismail who was sent to the people of Hejaz as a prophet. Then, Ishaq arrived in Makkah and performed hajj with his older brother Ismail

After that, visitors from near and distant places started to go to Hejaz and visit the Kaaba. It is reported that Yemenis and some Persian kings visited the Kaaba before Islam and that the two golden deer statues removed while cleaning the Zamzam Well by Abdulmuttalib, the Prophet's father, were religious offerings of the Persians. (az-Zabidi, ibid, VI, 21)

The Kaaba has been repaired several times so far. As a matter of fact, the Kaaba was repaired by Qusay, the Prophet's great-grandfather and it was also repaired by Qurayshis during the youth of the Prophet (pbuh). Meanwhile, when there was a disagreement about who will place Hajar al-Aswad, Hz. Prophet was given the honor of placing it.

The Kaaba was also repaired during the era of Abdullah b. Zubayr, the Umayyad caliph Abdulmalik, the Ottoman sultans Ahmed I and Murad IV. After the Ottoman sultans, the Saudi government has taken care of the maintenance and repairs of the Kaaba.

During the first years, the duties related to the Kaaba were carried out by Hz. Ismail. After him, they were transferred to his son, then to Jurhumis; after them, they were transferred to many other tribes and finally Qurayshis undertook these duties. Before Qurayshis, it was regarded as disrespect to build houses around the Kaaba. However, after Qurayshis undertook these duties, they started to build houses around the Kaaba at the time of Qusay, who divided the land into plots.

Thus, during the period of Qusay, one of the ancestors of Hz. Prophet, Makka assumed a civilized state as a city for the first time. There were people around the Kaaba beforehand too but the division of the land into plots and formation of streets took place during the time of Qusay.

We can list the duties related to the Kaaba in the city state of Makka before Islam as follows:

1. Sidanah: It was the duty of door-keeping, and holding the key of the Kaaba. This duty was regarded as the greatest honor.

2. Siqayah: It was the duty of providing fresh water to hajjis that came to Makkah and taking care of the Zamzam Well.

3. Ridanah: It was the duty of treating meals to the poor hajjis coming to Makkah, to entertain and to accommodate them.

There were also some duties of the emirate of Makkah that were regarded to be connected with the duties related to the Kaaba. They can be listed as follows:

1. Uqab (Qiyada): It was the duty of carrying the banner during wars; the banner was carried by the person who was appointed to carry it or who was in charge of it.

2. Nadwa: It was a kind of meeting place; important events like wars, peace, wedding ceremonies were negotiated and settled there. Not everybody was allowed to join these meetings. Only the leaders of family groups older than forty were allowed to join. This meeting place was first built by Qusay, who was a Qurayshi. Some part of his house was near the place of circumambulation and was called Dar an-Nadwa. Dar an-Nadwa was the parliament of Makkah.

3. Safarah: the duty of embassy.

4. The duty of allowing the goods to be carried.

5. The duty of protecting war equipment.

6. The duty of drawing lots with arrows in front of the idols.

7. Cleaning the Zamzam Well and offering it for usage again.

The corner of the Kaaba in the east is called "Rukn Hajar al-Aswad" or "Rukn ash-Sharq"; the corner in the west is called "Rukn ash-Sham, the one in the south "Rukn al-Yaman" and the one in the north "Rukn al-Iraq.

The 1.5 m thick wall, which is 1 m above the ground opposite the northwest wall (the wall between Rukn al-Iraq and Rukn ash-Sham) in the form of a semicircle, is called "Hatim". The area between this wall and the Kaaba is called "Hijr al-Kaaba, Hijr Ismail or Hatira".

This part was also included in the building of the Kaaba constructed by Hz. Ibrahim.

While the Kaaba was being repaired by the tribe of Quraysh five years before Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a prophet, this part was left out of the Kaaba because there were not enough materials. Since Hatim is part of the Kaaba, it is regarded wajib to circumambulate the Kaaba outside this wall. It is reported that Hz. Hagar and her son Hz. Ismail were buried in "Hijr". (see az-Zabidi, ibid, VI, 17-20)

The water spout through which rainwater flows on top of the Kaaba is called "Golden Water Spout" (Mi'zab al-Kaaba).

The door of the Kaaba is two meters higher than the ground in the part between Rukn Hajar al-Aswad and Rukn Iraqi in the north east. The part of the wall between the door and Hajar al-Aswad is called Multazam. The part that surrounds the Kaaba and where prayers are performed is called Masjid al-Haram. The most virtuous mosque in the world is Masjid al-Haram.

24 What are the situations that women can encounter during hajj (pilgrimage) and what are they supposed to do in those conditions?

For the answer please click on the link given belowe.

What are the situations that women can encounter during hajj (pilgrimage) and what are they supposed to do in those conditions?

25 Does it necessitate atonement for a woman who normally covers her face with a veil if she uncovers her face while she is in ihram?

It is one of conditions of the Ihram for a woman to uncover her face. Namely, a woman does not cover her face beginning from the time of the Ihram. The Hadith “the Ihram for a woman is on her face” explains it. Namely, there is no condition for a woman in Ihram except uncovering her face. A man cannot wear seamed clothes and a woman cannot cover her face during the Ihram. (see Ikhtiyar, 1/156)
It is clear from the explanation above that it is a right act for your wife not to cover her face during the circumambulation of the Kaaba. However, covering her face without any excuse while she is in Ihram before the circumambulation of the Kaaba is a wrong act. It is necessary, as atonement, for her to sacrifice an animal like a goat or sheep. (see al-Jazari, al-Madhahibu’l-arbaa, 1/675-678)

26 What is the reason why the noon and afternoon prayers are performed together in Arafat, and the evening and night prayers are performed together in Muzdalifa?

An exception to the rule that each prayer must be performed in its determined time is that when hajjis are in Arafat, they perform the prayers of noon and afternoon together within the time limits of the noon prayer and in Muzdalifa they perform the evening and night prayers together within the time limits of the night prayer.

Scholars unanimously agree on it because the practices and the words of the Prophet during the Farewell Hajj are strong enough to constrict the relevant verses and hadiths. Abdullah b. Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said, "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah performing a prayer outside its determined time, except for two prayers: he performed the noon and afternoon prayers together in Arafat and the evening and night prayers together in Muzdalifa." (Bukhari, Hajj, 99; Muslim, Hajj, 288; Tecrid-i Sarîh Translation, II, 487, 488, VIII, 374; A. Davudoğlu, Sahih-i Müslim Translation, İstanbul 1977, IV, 136)

During a hajj after the death of Hazrat Prophet, Abdullah b. Masud led the evening and night prayers together and then led the morning prayer at an early time; he said that the Prophet said, “The usual times of those two prayers, evening and night prayers, were changed in Muzdalifa. People must not come to Muzdalifa before the time for night prayer starts and they must not perform those two prayers at an early time. " (Bukhari, Hajj, 97; Ahmad b. Hanbal, V, 202; Asım Köksal, İslâm Tarihi, İstanbul (n.d.), XVII, 273, 274).

27 The Prosperity of the day of Arafa

While millions of people in the holy land declare their feelings of thanking, gratitude and loyalty to their Lord with takbirs and talbiyas before the eid al-adha, Muslims who are getting ready for the magnificent eid in the other Islamic countries are in an utterly different atmosphere of excitement and joy. They join the takbirs of their brothers in Makkah with the takbirs of tashriq that they start in the morning of the day of Arafa.

Arafa is the ninth day the month of Dhul Hijjah. Our Prophet (pbuh) gave great glad tidings and encouraged believers about the first ten days of this month. The Arafa of the eid al-adha (Festival of Sacrifice) has a different place among those glad tidings. The verse that means, “This day have I perfected your religion for you” (1) was sent down on that day.

The talk between a Jew and Hazrat Umar (r.a.) shows the place of Arafa in our spiritual world in a clear way:

The Jew said to Hazrat Umar, "O Umar, there is a verse that you read in your book; if it were sent to us, the Jews, we would celebrate that day as an eid."

Hazrat Umar asked, "Which verse is it?" The Jew read the following verse:

“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion."

Then, Hazrat Umar said,

"We appreciate the day and the place that the verse was sent. That verse was sent down on a Friday when the Messenger of Allah was on Arafa."

In another narration, Hazrat Umar is reported to have said the following:

"That verse was sent on the day of Arafa, which was a Friday. Praise be to Allah that both Friday and Arafa are eid for us."(2)

Why is that day called “Arafa”? Lexically, Arafa has a few meanings: To know each other, to learn, to confess and scent.

The reason why that day is called “Arafa” is explained based on those four meanings as follows:

According to the first meaning, since Hazrat Adam and Hawwa (Eve) met on the day of Arafa and on Arafat, that name was given to the day and place.

According to another view, Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him) taught Hazrat Adam (pbuh) how the perform hajj and asked him, “Have you learnt it?” Hazrat Adam said, “Yes, I have.”; thereupon, that place was called Arafat and that day was called Arafa.

According to another narration, after Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham) left his son, Ismail, and his wife, Hagar, in Makkah and returned to Damascus, he had not seen them for years and finally they met in Arafat. Therefore, that place was called Arafat and that day was called Arafa.

According to the meaning ‘confession’, when hajjis stand for waqfa on the day of Arafa, they confess the lordship, majesty, greatness and divinity of Allah and their own slavery, poverty, and need. As a matter of fact, when Hazrat Adam (pbuh) met his wife Eve, they confessed together, “Our Lord! we have wronged our own souls: if Thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy we shall certainly be lost" (3).

Those who accept the meaning of scent say that believers ask for forgiveness due to their sins and their sins are forgiven, they are freed from their spiritual sins and put on scents instead.

As a matter of fact, it is stated in a hadith that a person who performs hajj properly and returns to his hometown is regarded to have been as spotless as the day he was born of his mother (4) and it is indicate that believers are freed from their spiritual sins and they put on scents which are nice spiritually. (5)

The following is stated in the Quran:

“Then when ye pour down from (Mount) Arafat, celebrate the praises of Allah at the Sacred Monument, and celebrate His praises as He has directed you, even though before this, ye went astray."(6)

The day mentioned and the day whose importance is indicated in this verse is the day of Arafa. And, Allah orders people to mention the name of Allah and glorify him a lot on that day.

In another verse, Allah orders us to mention His name:

“Celebrate the praises of Allah during the Appointed Days (say takbirs and talbiyas)."(8)

It is stated that, “the appointed days” mentioned above are the days between the morning of the day of Arafa and the evening of the fourth day of the eid. Takbirs are uttered loudly on these days. The takbirs that are attributed to Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh) are called “takbirs of tashriq”.

Based on this verb, it is wajib to utter takbirs of tashriq after fard prayers beginning from the morning prayer of the day of Arafa to the afternoon prayer of the fourth day of the eid. It is definite by the sunnah of Prophet (pbuh).

Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), one of the Companions narrate:

"The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) led the morning prayer on the day of Arafa. Then, he turned to us and started to utter takbirs by saying, “Allahu akbar”. He continued uttering takbirs until the afternoon prayer of the fourth day."(8)

The takbirs in the form of saying “Allahu akbar” twice, according to Imam Shafii three times, and “La ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar” uttered by believers after the fard prayers in the eid al-adha are wajib.

According to a narration in Bukhari, Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayra uttered takbirs loudly in the streets on the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah and people uttered takbirs together with them. (9) The day of Arafa is the best one of those ten days.

The takbirs uttered on those days change the spiritual face of the universe. The whole world and the skies resound to the sounds of takbir of the people, all of the creatures, mountains and stones. The following observation of one of the valuable guests of the world about those magnificent takbirs is so significant:

"One fifth of mankind, three hundred million people, together declaring: “Allah is Most Great! Allah is Most Great! Allah is Most Great!”; and in relation to its size the globe broadcasting to its fellow planets in the skies the sacred words of Allah is Most Great!; and the more than twenty thousand pilgrims performing the Hajj, on ‘Arafat and at the eid, together declaring: “Allah is Most Great!” are all a response in the form of extensive, universal worship to the universal manifestation of Divine dominicality through Allah’s sublime titles of Sustainer of the Earth and Sustainer of All The Worlds, and are a sort of echo of the Allah is Most Great! spoken and commanded one thousand three hundred years ago by Allah’s Noble Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) and his Family and Companions. This I imagined and felt and was certain about."(10)

It is sunnah to worship on the night of Arafa and tarwiya (the previous night).

Muadh bin Jabal narrates:

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Paradise becomes wajib for a person who worships on five nights: The night of Tarwiya (Two nights before the eid al-adha, the eight night of the month of Dhul Hijjah), the night of Arafa, the night of eid al-adha, the night of eid al-fitr and the fifteenth night of the month of Shaban (Laylatul Barat)."(11)

Fasting on the day of Arafa

Fasting on the day of Arafa is encouraged by hadiths. The meanings of the hadiths reported from our Prophet about the reward of fasting on the day of Arafa are as follows:

Abu Qatada narrates:

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"The fasting performed on the day of Arafa eliminates the sins of a year in past year and the following year."(12)

Ata al-Horasani narrates:

Abdurrahman, the son of Abu Bakr, went to the presence of Hazrat Aisha. She was fasting. Somebody was sprinkling water on her because of the heat. Abdurrahman said to her,

“Break your fast.”

Hazrat Aisha said,

“Shall I break my fast though I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say, ‘fasting on the day of Arafa eliminates the sins of the year before it’?”(13)

According to a narration by Bayhaqi, Hazrat Aisha says the following:

The messenger of Allah said:

“Fasting on the day of Arafa is like fasting one thousand days.” (14)

However, to fast on the day of Arafa is for those who are not on hajj that year; that is, it is for those believer who are not on Arafat for waqfa. The hadith regarding the issue is as follows:

Abu Hurayra narrrates:

"The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) prohibited fasting on Arafat on the day of Arafa."

The explanation of the hadith scholars regarding the issue is as follows:

Hafiz says: "Scholars had different views on fasting on Arafat on the day of Arafa.”

Ibn Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman did not fast on the day of Arafa; therefore, I do not fast, either."

Imam Malik and Imam Thawri preferred fasting.

Abdullah Ibn Zubayr and Hazrat Aisha tended to fast.

Ata said, "I will fast in winter; I will not fast in summer.”

Qatada said, “There is no drawback to fasting on Arafat unless it makes a person too weak to pray (dua).”

Imam Shafii said, "Fasting is recommended for those who are not on Arafat on the day of Arafa; as for hajjis, in my opinion, it is better for them to eat than fast because they need strength for prayer on Arafat ."

Imam Ahmad said, "If a person is strong enough to fast on Arafat, he can; if he eats it is alright because it is a day that one needs strength." (15)

The following can be said after those citiations: If hajj is on hot days and the weather on the day of Arafa is very hot, it is better not to fast; however, if hajj is on cool and short days, one can fast.

(1) – al-Maida, 3.
(2) - Bukhari, Iman: 34.
(3) – al-Araf, 23.
(4) - Bukhari. Hajj:4.
(5) - Tafsir Kabir, 5:173-4.
(6) – al-Baqara, 198.
(7) – al-Baqara, 203.
(8) - Tafsir Kabir, 5: 193.
(9) - Bukhari, Iydayn. 10.
(10) - Sualar, p. 196.
(11) - at-Targhib wa't-Tarhib Trns, 2:330.
(12) - at-Targhib wa't-Tarhib Trns, 2:457.
(13) - at-Targhib wa't-Tarhib Trns, 2:458.
(14) - at-Targhib wa't-Tarhib Trns, 2:460.
(15) - at-Targhib wa't-Tarhib Trns, 2:460-461.

28 How should we make use of The Day of Arafah?

Nowadays, the day of Arafah is experienced as a very busy day with worldly affairs since it is one day before eid. In fact, Arafah is one of the most important time periods given to man. These days are days of worshipping and forgiveness. It is the most valuable time period when hajjis come together in Arafat regardless of their languages, races and skin colors reminding of the Day of Gathering by saying, "Labbayk (Here I am at your service)" and when servitude is presented to Allah by supplications and talbiyahs. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following:

"The most virtuous prayer is the one said on the day of Arafah." (Muwatta, Hajj 246)

Allah informed the Prophet (pbuh) that prayers are not rejected on some nights. The four holy nights when the doors of mercy are opened are as follows:

1. The night of (before) eid al-fitr,
2. The night of (before) eid al-adha,
3. The night of Tarwiyah (8th night of Dhul-Hijjah),
4. The night of Arafah. (Isfahani)

It is very virtuous to spend the day and night of Arafah worshipping. It is written in the book Saadet-i Ebediyye that a person who spends the night of Arafah worshipping will be saved from Hell. It was stated by the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) that a person who avoids sins on the day of Arafah will be forgiven.

"On the day of Arafah, a young man who was near the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was thinking about women and looking at the women. The Messenger of Allah turned the man's face away from the women a few times. The young man started to think about them again. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

- My brother's son! Today is such a day that anyone who controls his ears, eyes and tongue is forgiven." (Musnad, 1/329)

The following are advised to do on the day of Arafah:

1. It is necessary to start uttering takbirs of tashrik after the fard of the morning prayer.
2. One should perform fasting on the day of Arafah.
3. One should show respect to the day of Arafah and try not to commit sins.
4. One should pray to Allah and ask for forgiveness a lot on the day of Arafah.
5. It would be a good thing to read the chapter of al-Ikhlas 1000 times on the day of Arafah.

For more information, please click on the following links;

What is the judgement and virtue of fasting on the day of Arafah? How should we make use of the day of Arafa?

Are there any hadiths about reading the chapter of al-Ikhlas one thousand times on the day of arafah (one day before eid al-adha)?

What are Tashriq Takbirs? When are they Uttered?

29 What is the judgement and virtue of fasting on the day of Arafah? How should we make use of the day of Arafa?

What is meant by the verse “and by the Ten Nights” in the chapter of al-Fajr is the last ten days of the month of Ramadan or the first ten days of Muharram according to some resources, but the general opinion is that it refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

Dhul-Hijjah, which is the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is the month in which the worship of hajj is fulfilled. The period of time between the first and tenth day of that holy month is called “layal ashara”, that is, ten holy nights. The tenth day is the first day of the eid al-adha. The Prophet (pbuh) expresses the value of those days as follows:

“There are no better days to worship Allah than the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. One day of fasting performed on those days is equal to the fasting of one year; the prayers performed on each night are equal to the Night of Power.” (Tirmidhi: Sawm, 52; Ibn Majah: Siyam, 39)

Hafsa (r.a) one of the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) says,

"The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not abandon four things: Fasting on the day of Ashura, fasting ten days in Dhul-Hijjah, fasting three days every month and the two-rak'ah sunnah of the morning prayer. (Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Zadu’l-Maad 2/651)

Abu'd-Darda (r.a) expresses the importance of the month of Dhul-Hijjah as follows:

"It is necessary to perform fasting onthe first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, give sadaqah a lot, pray and ask for forgiveness. For, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Woe on the people who are deprived of the goodness and abundance of these ten days!"

If a person performs fasting on the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, his life will be full of abundance, his property will increase, his children are saved from misfortunes, his sins are forgiven, his good deeds are rewarded many times, he surrenders his spirit easily at the time of death and his grave is enlightened; his rewards outweighs his sins in Mizan (the Scales) and attains high levels in Paradise."

"There are no better days to worship Allah than the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Say tasbih (Subhanallah), tahmid (Alhamdulillah), tahlil (La ilaha illallah) and takbir (Allahu akbar) a lot on these days!" (Abd b. Humayd, Musnad, 1/257)

The Prophet (pbuh) gives the glad tiding that the good deeds performed on the first ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah, which Allah rendered blessed and which is vowed in the Quran, will be rewarded seven hundred times. These days are days on which we are given the opportunity to repent and to obtain a lot of rewards in very short periods of time. We should follow the Prophet, perform fasting during these days, give sadaqah and mention Allah.

Day of Arafah

Day of Arafah is one day before eid al-adha, the 9th day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah in the hijri calendar. No other day is called Arafah. The Messenger of Allah stated the following:

"The most virtuous day is the day of Arafah. It is like Friday in terms of virtue. It is more virtuous than seventy hajjs except the one performed on Friday. The most virtuous dua (prayer) is the one said on the day of Arafah. The most virtuous sentence said by me and other prophets is 'Lailaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu. (There is no go god but Allah; He is one; He has no partners.)" (Muwatta, Hajj 246)

Hazreti Aisha (ra) narrates:

"There is no day when Allah sets free more servants from Hell than the Day of Arafah. He draws near, then praises them to the angels, saying: 'What do they want?'" (Muslim, Hajj 436)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Show respect to the day of Arafah. Arafah is a day that Allah appreciates."

Thus, he wanted us to show respect to the day that Allah appreciates and to try to live consciously. Respect starts by realizing the boon that is granted and being able to know and see. To spend the day of Arafah by performing fasting, saying prayers, asking for forgiveness without committing sins is an expression of respect and gratitude to Allah, who gave the glad tiding that He would forgive His slaves. (Daylami)

The following conversation between Hz. Umar and a Jew shows the importance of the day of Arafah:

During the caliphate of Hz. Umar, a Jew said to him,

"O Umar! You read a verse; if it had been sent down to us, we would have celebrated that day as an eid (festival)." It was the third verse of the chapter of al-Maida. God Almighty stated the following:

"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you."

That verse was sent down in the tenth year of the Migration during the Farewell Hajj on Friday, which was the day of Arafah, in the afternoon when the Prophet (pbuh) was on his camel called "Adba". The camel slumped down due to the heaviness of the revelation. When Hz. Umar heard the verse from the Jew, he said,

"We know that day and the place where that verse was sent down. It was on Friday and Arafah." (Bukhari, Iman, 33, Maghazi, 77, Tafsir, Maida 2; Muslim, Tafsir 3)

Thus, Hz. Umar mentioned the importance of Arafah by stating that it was eid for us.

The day of Arafah is the day when Hz. Adam and Hawwa (Eve) met. Tawriyah is one day before Arafah.

One gets a lot of rewards when he fasts on the day of Arafah. The fasting performed on that day is equal to supererogatory fasting of one thousand days. Besides, it causes the repentance of the previous year and the next year to be accepted.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Fasting performed on the day of Arafah is equal to supererogatory fasting of one thousand days." (at-Targhib wat-Tarhib Trnsl., 2/460)

“I hope from Allah that fasting performed on the day of Arafah will atone for the sins of the previous year and the next year.” (Tirmidhi, Sawm, 46 (749); Ibn Majah, Siyam, 40)

It is recommended to read the chapter of al-Ikhlas one thousand times by some great personalities. It is stated in hadiths that reading the chapter of al-Ikhlas will be a means of forgiveness for the sins except individual rights.

“If a person reads the chapter of al-Ikhlas on the night of Arafah, Allah will give him whatever he wants.” (Kanzu’l-Ummal, h. No: 2737)

“The Prophet (pbuh) prayed to Allah to forgive his ummah. His prayer was answered as follows:

'I have forgiven them, except for the wrongdoer, with whom I will settle the score in favor of the one whom he wronged.' The Messenger of Allah said,

'O Lord, if You will, then grant Paradise to the one who is wronged, and forgive the wrongdoer.' No response came in Arafat (that evening). The next day at Muzdalifah, he repeated the supplication, and received a response to what he asked for. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) laughed. Thereupon, Hz. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar said to him,

‘May my father and mother be ransomed for you! This is not a time when you usually laugh. What made you laugh?’ The Messenger of Allah (pbuh),

‘When the enemy of Allah, Iblis, came to know that Allah answered my prayer and forgave my nation, took some dust and started to sprinkle it on his head, uttering cries of woe and doom, and what I saw of his anguish made me laugh.’” (Ibn Majah, Manasik, 56)

It is necessary to show respect to the day of Arafah; we should join the prayers of hajjis who are on Arafat on that day by feeling that we are with them spiritually. We should avoid anything that can cause us to commit a sin on that day.

"The most virtuous prayer is the one said on the day of Arafah." (Muwatta, Hajj 246)

Allah informed the Prophet (pbuh) that prayers are not rejected on some nights. The four holy nights when the doors of mercy are opened are as follows:

1. The night of (before) eid al-fitr,
2. The night of (before) eid al-adha,
3. The night of Tarwiyah (8th night of Dhul-Hijjah),
4. The night of Arafah. (Isfahani)

"On the day of Arafah, a young man who was near the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was thinking about women and looking at the women. The Messenger of Allah turned the man's face away from the women a few times. The young man started to think about them again. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

- My brother's son! Today is such a day that anyone who controls his ears, eyes and tongue is forgiven." (Musnad, 1/329)

The following are advised to do on the day of Arafah:

30 In 2015 hajj, my leg was broken after the last jamara and I had to go to hospital with my wife. We could not perform tawaf az-ziyarah. We returned to our hometown. What should we do now?

The hajj of a person who returned to his hometown after throwing stones at Satan at the last jamara and having a haircut but without performing tawaf az-ziyarah due to becoming ill is not regarded complete. For, tawaf az-ziyarah is an essential part of hajj. Hajj is not regarded to have been completed without performing it. Such a person is regarded as muhsar (detained).

Especially according to Hanafis, being unable to complete the duties of ihram after entering ihram due to an illness, being imprisoned, fear of enemy, etc is called ihsar. A person who undergoes such things is called muhsar.

A person who becomes muhsar has to slaughter an animal within the boundaries of Haram. He cannot exit ihram without slaughtering an animal or having an animal slaughtered. Since he is regarded in ihram before slaughtering an animal, the ihram prohibitions are valid for him. If he does not act in accordance with those prohibitions, some penalties become necessary.

However, if a person becomes muhsar afterthrowing stones at Satan at the last jamara and having a haircut, the first tahallul occurs for him and anything except sexual intercourse with his spouse becomes permissible for him. It is necessary for him to return to Makkah and perform tawaf az-ziyarah. It is definitely forbidden for such a person to have a sexual intercourse with his wife before he performs tawaf az-ziyarah. (see Ibn Abidin, 2/553, 593; al-fiqhu ala’l-Madhahibi’l-Arbaa, 1/630; al-Mawsuatu’l-Fikhiyya, 2/199-201)

The following information is given in Diyanet İslam Ansiklopedisi regarding the issue:

“As for a person who was detained from tawaf which is fard after performing waqfa al-Arafat, according to Hanafis, Malikis and Zaydis, such a person is not regarded as muhsar and has to wait in ihram until he performs tawaf. According to Shafiis, he exits ihram and he does not have to make hajj again. Hanbalis say a person who is detained after waqfa and before throwing stones at Satan can exit ihram; however, if he performed the duty of throwing stones, he needs to wait without exiting ihram and complete hajj when the obstacle is removed.

Ihsar has two fiqh outcomes as exiting ihram and completing the parts of the hajj that were missed due to ihsar. A person can exit ihram only after completing hajj or umrah. However, muhsar is prevented from it; therefore, according to the majority of fiqh scholars, he slaughters an animal with the intention of exiting ihram; according to some Hanafis, and all Shafiis and Hanbalis, he exits ihram by also having a haircut.

According to Malikis, the intention to exit ihram is enough; to slaughter an animal is sunnah. A person who enters ihram for umrah or hajj al-ifrad slaughters one animal; a person who makes niyyah for hajj al-qiran slaughters two animals according to Hanafis; but according to the majority of fiqh scholars, he slaughters one animal for ihsar (hady al-ihsar).

31 Will you give information about entering ihram for umrah, regions of miqat and the Mosque of Tan’im?

There are places determined for entering ihram around Makkah. Each of these places is called "miqat". It is not permissible for a person who comes for umrah or hajj from outside miqat boundaries to pass those boundaries without ihram. Accordingly:

a. Candidates for hajj who will go directly to Makkah enter ihram in the airport from which the plane will take off or at home since Jeddah is within the boundaries of miqat and since planes land in Jeddah. If it is necessary, it is possible to enter ihram on the plane too. However, since it is difficult to enter ihram on the plane, one should not prefer to enter ihram on the plane.

b. Candidates for hajj who will go to Madinah before hajj enter ihram in the places where they stay in Madinah or in Dhul-Hulayfa (Abyar Ali), which is on the way to Makkah and 11 km away from Madinah.

We have mentioned that candidates for hajj and umrah cannot pass the boundaries of miqat without ihram. A penalty is necessary for a person who enters ihram after passing a boundary of miqat without ihram. If such a person returns to any boundary of miqat without doing any of the duties related to hajj or umrah, the penalty is removed.

IHRAM

Ihram means (for a person) to render certain things for a certain time haram for oneself in order to perform hajj or umrah or both of them together and to avoid doing those haram deeds; it also means to enter the haram region of Makkah, to a haram region or month, to start to act in accordance with the requirements of a promise or undertaking, to transform something from halal into haram. Ihram takes place by making intention for hajj or umrah in a place called miqat and by uttering talbiyah.

Talbiyahis to say, “Labbayk, Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk. Innal-hamda wan-ni’mata laka wal-mulk la sharika lak.” Its translation is as follows: I respond to Your call, O Allah, I respond to Your call. I respond to Your call, You have no partner. I respond to Your call. Indeed, the praise and grace are yours as well as sovereignty. You have no partner". That is the talbiyah reported from Hz. Prophet. (Bukhari, Hajj, 26, 101, Libas, 69; Muslim, Hajj, 19-20, 275; Abu Dawud Manasik, 26; Tirmidhi, Hajj, 13; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, I, 302, 11, 3, 79, 341, 352, 476, VI, 243).

A person who enters ihrama is called "haram" or "muhrim". When a person who comes from outside for hajj or umrah comes to the place called miqat, he makes wudu or ghusl. However, this ghusl is made because the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did it when he entered ihram. The decree for making ghusl for ihram is like making ghusl for Friday prayer. (al-Marghinani, al-Hidaya, Cairo 1965, I, 136) After making ghusl, he wears izar and rida (towels for the lower and upper part of the body). A person who is in ihram cannot wear sewed clothes. He covers his private parts and the lower parts of his body with izar to be protected from heat and cold, and the upper parts with rida. Izar is a piece of towel that covers the parts of the body from the navel to knees. Rida is a piece of towel that covers the neck, shoulders and chest. It is possible to wrap the izar with a belt in order to protect it from falling. A person who is in ihram puts his rida under his right shoulder and places it on his left shoulder in the first tours of circumambulation and sa’y; thus, his right shoulder is left open. (al-Fatawal-Hindiyya, Beirut 1400, l, 222)

Ihram like that is for men. Women enter ihram with their normal clothes. The following is stated in a hadith reported from Jabir: "When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) entered ihram in Dhul-Hulayfa, he would perform a prayer of two rak’ahs and pray as follows: "O Allah! I want to make hajj; this is my intention. Make it easy for me and accept it from me." This is intention for hajj. Those who want intend for umrah, umrah instead of hajj. After that, talbiyah is uttered.

A person who utters talbiyah without making intention for ihram is not regarded as "muhrim". For, worshipping is based on intention. (Ibnul-Humam, Fathul-Qadir, Beirut 1315, II, 139) A person who makes intention and utters talbiyah becomes a "muhrim". Talbiyah is uttered after prayers, when one walks up to a high place on the way, down a valley or meets a group of people. It is also possible to utter talbiyah aloud at dawn. (al-Maydani, al-Lubab fi Sharhil Kitab, Beirut 1400, I, 183)

The issues that a person who enters ihram need to be careful about:

a) A person who enters ihram avoids everything that Allah prohibited. The following is stated in the Quran: "For Hajj are the months well known. If anyone undertakes that duty therein, Let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj." (al-Baqara, 2/197). The word rafath (obscenity) mentioned in the verse means sexual intercourse or vulgar words, fusuq (wickedness) means all kinds of bad deeds and jidal (wrangling) means necessary or unnecessary quarrel with his fellow hajjis.

b) "…But forbidden is the pursuit of land-game;- as long as ye are in the sacred precincts or in pilgrim garb" (al-Maida, 5/96). As it is mentioned in the verse, it is necessary for a muhrim to avoid hunting any animals on land. For, it is forbidden to hunt when a person is in ihram. (Mulla Khusraw, Durarul Hukkam fi Sharhi Ghuraril-Ahkam, Istanbul 1307, l, 221)

c) A person who is in ihram cannot wear sewed clothes like shirts and trousers; he cannot wear turbans, hats, gowns and khuffs either. (Mulla Khusraw, ibid, I, 221-222). As it was explained before, he wears an izar and rida.

d) A person who is in ihram cannot wear perfume; he cannot shave his head and other parts of his body; he cannot trim his nails; he cannot break off even a small part of his nails. He cannot spread oil and cream on his body. (al-Fatawal-Hindiyya, Beirut 1400, I, 223).

e) He cannot wear clothes with perfume. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) prohibited it.

f) It is forbidden to pick up and break off trees and plants that green and grow on their own, not planted or cultivated by people, and to benefit from those trees and plants in the Haram region.

g) The face and head of a muhrim who dies are covered. For, when he dies, his ihram ends. The following is stated in a hadith: "When man dies, all of his deeds except three deeds end..." (Muslim, Wasiyya, 14; Abu Dawud, Wasaya, 14; Tirmidhi, Ahkam, 36). Since ihram is a deed, it also ends. On the other hand, the Messenger of Allah stated the following for a Companion who fell of his camel, broke his neck and died: "Do not cover his head and face. For, he will come by uttering talbiyah on the Day of Judgment." (Tirmidhi, Hajj, 105). Hanafis hold the view that this practice was peculiar to that Companion only.

Miqats (Places to Enter Ihram):

Miqat means a limited place and time. Terminologically, it means a place of entering ihram for hajj and umrah. (Ibn Abidin, ibid, II, 474)

Hz. Umar stated the following about the places of miqat: "Any one of you who wants to enter ihram for hajj must not enter ihram anywhere except miqat places." The places of miqat that the Prophet showed are as follows: " Dhul-Hulayfa for the people of Madinah and other people who will come from Madinah; al-Juhfa for the people of Damascus and other people who will come from there; Qarn al-Manazil for the people of Najd and other people who will come from there; Yalamlam for the people of Yemen and other people who will come from there; Dhat al-Irq for the people of Iraq and other Muslims who will come from there.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Nobody can pass a miqat place without ihram." (Ibnul-Humam, Fathul-Qadir, Beirut 1315, II, 132) Acting upon this hadith, Hanafi fiqh scholars state the following: "Nobody can pass a miqat place whether he comes for hajj and umrah or with another intention (business, journey). For, the reason for the obligation of ihram is showing respect to that place. It becomes fard for people who come from outside when they arrive in a miqat place shown by the Messenger of Allah to enter ihram." (Imam Sarakhsi, al-Mabsut, Beirut (nd), IV, 167)

On the other hand, the believers who live within the boundaries of miqat can go to Makkah without ihram to meet their needs. Those who live in Makkah enter ihram for hajj in the place where they are. However, they enter ihram for umrah outside the haram region of Makkah especially in the place called "Tan'im". A certain amount of land around Makkah is called "Haram region". The region between Haram region and miqat places is called "Hill region" The nearest point of Hill region to Makkah is "Tan'im". The believers living in Hill region can enter ihram in the place where they are or in Makkah. They are given this ease because they come to Makkah a lot. (see al-Marghinani, ibid, I, 146; Ibn Abidin, ibid, II, 474 ff. al-Qasani, Badayius-Sanayi', Beirut 1402/1972, II, 161, ff)

Şâmil İA

MIKAT

Miqat location and miqat time are fiqh terms that express the special locations around Makkah for the people who come for hajj from various regions and countries; its plural form is mawaqit. It is not permissible for a person who comes for umrah or hajj to pass a miqat location without ihram. Otherwise, he has to sacrifice an animal or go back to a miqat location.

Ihram locations vary depending on whether a person who wants make hajj or umrah lives in Makkah or in a place between Makkah and a miqat location or in a place outside miqat locations.

Miqat locations in terms of the place of residence: I. Those who live in Makkah: The place of location of ihram for Makkans is Makkah. Hz. Prophet ordered Makkans to enter ihram in Makkah. (az-Zaylai, Nasbur-Raya, 1393/1973, n.p. III, 16). Those who live outside Makkah but inside the haram region enter ihram in the same way. The location of miqat for umrah for Makkans is the nearest place of Hill to the haram region. However, according to Hanafis and Hanbalis, the most virtuous place for ihram for umrah is “Tan’im”, “Jirana” and “Hudaybiya” respectively. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) ordered Abdurrahman b. Abi Bakr to have Hz. Aisha make umrah by entering ihram in Tan’im. (Bukhari, Jihad, 125, Umrah, 6; Muslim, Hajj, 135,136; Tirmidhi, Hajj, 91; Ahmad b. Hanbal, III, 309, 394).

2. Those who live in Hill: The area between the Harem region and the area surrounded by five miqat locations is called “hill”. Miqat (entering ihram) location for hajj or umrah for the people living in Hill is the place where their families live or any region of Hill between those places where their families live and the haram region. The verse ordering to complete hajj and umrah (al-Baqara, 2/196), the view of Hazrat Ali and Abdullah b. Mas'ud are evidence for it.

That is the view that Hanafis adopted. According to Imam Malik, their miqat location is their houses.

3. Afaqis: Those who live in towns and countries outside miqat places are called “afaqi”s. There are miqat locations determined for those who come to Hejaz for umrah or hajj outside miqat locations depending on the region or country that they come from. There are five miqat locations. The following is reported from Ibn Abbas: “The Prophet (pbuh) determined Dhul-Hulayfa for the people of Madinah, Juhfa for the people of Damascus, Qarn al-Manazil for the people of Najd, and Yalamlam for the people of Yemen. They are miqat locations for people coming from the stated regions and countries and from those directions." (Bukhari, Hajj, 7, 9, 11, 12, Sayd, 18; Muslim, Hajj, 11, 12; Abu Dawud, 8; Nasai, Manasik, 19, 20-23; Ahmad b. Hanbal, I, 238). In another hadith, Dhat al-Irq is added for Iraqis. (Abu Dawud, Manasik, 8).

Miqat locations in terms of the countries people come from: 1. Miqat location for people coming from Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Morocco and people coming from Europe by sea is Juhfa (Rabigh). The distance between Juhfa and Makkah is about 187 km.

2. Miqat location for people coming from Madinah is Dhul-Hulayfa (Abar Ali). It is about 464 km away from Makkah. It is the most distant miqat location.

3. Miqat location for people coming from Iraq, Iran and other eastern countries is Dhat al-Irq. It is about 94 km away from Makkah.

4. Miqat location for people coming from the direction of Kuwayt and Najd is Qarn al-Manazil, known as as-Sayl today.

5. Miqat location for people coming from Yemen is Yalamlam, which is in the south of Makkah. It is about 54 km away from Makkah.

If the route of the people coming for hajj or umrah does not pass from those points, it is necessary to enter ihram from the alignment of those points. Those who come to Madinah and then set out for hajj have to enter ihram in Dhul-Hulayfa, called Abar Ali today.
If a person who comes for hajj or umrah from outside passes a miqat location without ihram, he has to sacrifice an animal as a penalty or has to go back to the miqat location and enter ihram there. If a person who does not aim to enter Makkah passes miqat location without ihram, nothing is necessary for him. (For details, see al-Qasani, Badayius-Sanayi', Beirut 1394/1974, II, 163 ff.; Ibnul-Humam, Fathul-Qadir, Egypt 1316/1898, II, 131-134; al-Maydani, al-Lubab, Istanbul, n.d. I, 178 ff.; ash-Shirazi, al-Muhadhdhab, Egypt, n.d. I, 202-204; Ibn Qudama, al-Mughni Cairo 1970, III, 257; az-Zuhayli, al-Fiqhul-Islami wa Edillatuh, Damascus 1405/1985, III, 68 ff.; Hamdi Döndüren, Delilleriyle İslam İlmihali, İstanbul 1991, p. 578 ff.)

Hamdi DÖNDÜREN

32 Does a student who is thinking of performing the duty of hajj that is fard need to go to hajj by leaving his school or does he need to attend his school?

Hajj becomes fard for a person when its conditions are present in him. It is necessary for a person for whom hajj is fard to go to hajj that year. If he delays it to the following years, he becomes a sinner. The imams of three madhhabs unanimously agree on it.

However, a person who fulfills this duty when he is alive, he is freed from this sin. If he dies before he performs hajj, he becomes a sinner even if he bequeaths hajj to be performed for him.

It is necessary for a person to have enough time to go to hajj and to return for hajj. Therefore, if hajj prevents a person from attending his school, he can delay his hajj and perform it as soon as his school finishes.

33 If a person who has not performed prayers before goes to hajj and starts to perform prayers when he returns, are his previous debts of prayers removed?

If a person who has not performed prayers before goes to hajj and starts to perform prayers fully when he returns, he has to perform his previous missed prayers as qada. His sins related to not performing prayers may be forgiven with the repentance and prayers (duas) in hajj but sins are different from debt.

It is not definite that the sins of every person who goes to hajj will be forgiven; Allah forgives them if He wishes; He might not forgive them if He does not wish.

Prayers that are skipped without any excuse are to be performed as qada but performing them is not enough in order to get rid of the responsibility; it is also necessary to repent.

34 It is mentioned that the graves of Prophet Ishmael (Ismail) and Hagar are in the Hijr area of the Kaaba. If this is true, how can prayers be performed there?

It is narrated that Hagar and her son Ishmael (Ismail) were buried in the "Hijr" location. (See Akhbaru Makkah, 1/313)

Hijr: Hijr refers to the area inside the Kaaba known as Hatim, which is surrounded by a half-wall. There is no drawback to performing prayers there, but tawaf (circumambulation) is performed outside of it.

Hijr of Ishmael is the name of a space located on the northern facade of the Kaaba. It is named after the Prophet Ishmael, who was brought up and protected there by his father, the Prophet Abraham. Hijr of Ishmael is surrounded by a half-circular wall, approximately 131 cm high. The space between this wall and the Kaaba is called Hijr of Ishmael.

Since it is certain that at least three meters of the Hijr of Ishmael are part of the Kaaba and are adjacent to its wall, anyone praying in this area is considered to be praying inside the Kaaba. This is supported by a hadith narrated by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):

“I wanted to enter inside the Kaaba to perform prayers there. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took me to Hijr of Ishmael and said,

“When you want to enter the Kaaba, perform prayers at Hijr of Ishmael because Hijr of Ishmael is a part of the Kaaba. When your people built the Kaaba (again), they narrowed it and removed Hijr from it.” (Tirmidhi, Hajj, 48; Nasai, Hajj, 128).

Based on this hadith, some scholars argue that the entire Hijr area is considered part of the Kaaba.

Accordingly, if the narration about the graves of Prophet Ishmael and his mother being in Hijr is sound, it is clear that their graves should be located in the part of Hijr that is not considered part of the Kaaba.

The fact that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) performed prayers in Hijr and advised Aisha to do so (Ibn Majah, Manasik, 31) despite his instruction not to turn graves into mosques (Bukhari, Janaiz, 62, 96), confirms this understanding.

35 Hajj was performed in the period called Jahiliyya too. How and when was this hajj performed and based on what religion?

The Kaaba, which is the reason for hajj, was built by Hz. Ibrahim and his son, Hz. Ismail. After the construction was completed, Jibril showed them how to circumambulate and how to perform hajj. Hz. Ismail taught the people of Hejaz how to make hajj. However, the religious decrees conveyed by Hz. Ibrahim were forgotten in the course of time and Makkah became the center of idolatry. The way to make hajj taught by Hz. Ismail was changed gradually and was replaced by the hajj of idolaters.

During the Era of Jahiliyya, the idolaters used to circumambulate the Kaaba and make hajj. In the Era of Jahiliyya, Makkah city-state was managed by an assembly of eleven people; in addition, four tribes outside Makkah also joined the management of hajj. Hashimi tribe, to which the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) belonged, carried out the duties of rifada, siqaya and the management of the Kaaba; the tribes of Sons of Abduddar carried out the duty of keeping the keys to the Kaaba and Darun-Nadwa; Sons of Nawfal carried out the duty of managing the taxes collected to spend on hajjis; Sons of Sahm were responsible for keeping the things allocated to the Kaaba, and Sons of Kinana carried out the duty of arranging the calendar so that hajj would take place in the same season every year. Sons of Gaws and Sons of Adwan took care of hajjis in Arafat and Muzdalifa.

The rituals like the circumambulation of the Kaaba, waqfa in Arafat and Muzdalifa, and sacrificing animals continued; hajj continued with idolatrous traditions. Umrah was performed in the month of Rajab, which was arranged to coincide with date season. It was completed after the Kaaba was visited and running seven times between Safa and Marwa was done. The polytheists used to change the calendar every two or three years so that hajj would coincide with spring season; the ceremonies took place in other months instead of Dhul-hijjah; it took place in Dhul-hijjah only once in twenty-four years.

The people who wanted to perform hajj used to go to Uqaz Fair on the first day of the month with ihram and stay there for twenty nights and did business; then, they would got Majannah Fair and stay there for ten nights; then, they would go to Dhul-Majaz Fair when they saw the new moon (crescent) of the next month and stay there for eight days; they would leave Dhul-Majaz on the eight day and go to Arafat on the ninth day (day of Arafa). The people of "hilla" (the tribes other than Quraysh and their allies) would gather in Arafat on the day of Arafa and the people of "hums" (the tribe of Quraysh and their allies) who had several privileges related to hajj and the Kaaba would gather in Namira (which is included in Haram region). They would remain there until the sun approached the horizon and then proceed to Muzdalifa. They would spend the night in Muzdalifa and start waqfa before dawn the next day and continue it until the sun rose; then, they would move toward Mina. They did not do business in Arafat and Mina. After completing the rituals of stoning the devil for three days and sacrificing animals, various meetings were held and poems were recited; the tribes would praise their ancestors. This custom was abolished by the following verse:

"So when ye have accomplished your holy rites, celebrate the praises of Allah, as ye used to celebrate the praises of your fathers,- yea, with far more Heart and soul..." (al-Baqara, 2/200)

When the visitors came to Makkah from Mina, they would stay in the houses of the people of the city and would give them some gifts in return. It is stated that Arabs of Jahiliyya would clamp their hands, clap their hands and whistle ; if they belonged to hums, they would circumambulate the Kaaba with their clothes; if they belonged to hilla, they would borrow the clothes of hums or buy new clothes; otherwise, they would circumambulate the Kaaba nakedly because they did not want to circumambulate with the clothes in which they committed sins.

"When they do aught that is shameful, they say: ‘We found our fathers doing so’; and ‘Allah commanded us thus’: Say: "Nay, Allah never commands what is shameful: do ye say of Allah what ye know not?" (al-A'raf, 7/28)

It is stated in tafsir books that the verse above is related to those who circumambulated the Kaaba nakedly. If a person belonging to hilla brought a garment that he has not worn before in order to wear while visiting the Kaaba, he would circumambulate the Kaaba wearing it; then, he would leave it there; nobody would touch this garment; it would be left there to decay. The women of hilla who could not find clean clothes would circumambulate the Kaaba nakedly by covering their private parts with their hands; after the circumambulation, they would perform sa’y between Safa and Marwa. Then, they would sacrifice animals next to the idol Isaf; they would spread some of the blood on the walls of the Kaaba. Those who sacrificed animals would not eat the flesh of those animals. After that, every tribe would visit the idol for which they entered ihram and uttered talbiya; they would have a haircut next to them and exit ihram. Along with the Kaaba, Arabs of Jahiliyya used to circumambulate the temples of the deities like Lat, Manat and Uzza, the graves of the notable people and erected stones (ansab), and they called it "dawar".

The custom of giving hajjis water and food (siqaya and rifada) dated back to old periods. Taxes were collected from the people in order to continue the tradition of rifada in the past; the rich who wanted to obtain honor undertook this duty later. It is narrated that the first person to cook food from camel’s meat and distribute it to hajjis was Amr b. Luhay; it is also known that he gave garments to hajjis too. During the time of Qusayy, there were big water containers made of leather where water brought from freshwater resources on camels were kept. After Zamzam Well was opened again by Abdulmuttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet (pbuh), the duty of siqaya was carried out with water from this well. Abdulmuttalib milked his camels, mixed the milk with honey and gave it to hajjis with zamzam water; he sometimes mixed grapes with zamzam.

When Islam emerged, the duty of siqaya and rifada was fulfilled by Abu Talib; however, he transferred this duty to his younger brother Abbas later when he had financial difficulty. Abbas fulfilled this duty until Makkah was conquered. After the conquest, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) removed this duty from him for a while but returned it to him later. The Prophet appointed Hz. Abu Bakr as the amir (leader) of hajj in 631 and gave him some food items to distribute. The Prophet himself undertook this duty during Farewell Hajj; after his deaths, the caliphs themselves fulfilled this duty.

After the conquest of Makkah, the elements of polytheism that were not included in hajj introduced by Hz. Ibrahim including the idols in and around the Kaaba were eliminated. The people of hums attributed some privileges to themselves and did not perform waqfa in Arafat by saying, "We are people of Haram; we are the guards of the Kaaba." However, this privilege was abolished with the following verse:

"Then pass on at a quick pace from the place whence it is usual for the multitude so to do, and ask for Allah´s forgiveness. For Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." (al-Baqara 2/ 199)

The prohibition of business (shopping) in Arafat and Mina was abolished by the following verse:

"It is no crime in you if ye seek of the bounty of your Lord (during pilgrimage)..." (al-Baqara 2/198)

Fairs like Uqaz, Majannah and Dhul-Majaz that were held before hajj continued for a while but they were abandoned at the end of the seventh (second H) century due to various reasons.

After the advent of Islam, the people of hilla did not perform the ritual of sa’y between Safa and Marwa stating that it was done for idols, that it was a custom of Jahiliyya and that it was not included in hajj worshipping.

"Behold! Safa and Marwa are among the Symbols of Allah. So if those who visit the House in the Season or at other times, should compass them round, it is no sin in them. And if any one obeyeth his own impulse to good,- be sure that Allah is He Who recogniseth and knoweth." (al-Baqara 2/158)

Thereupon, the verse above was sent down; it was stated that sa’y was included in hajj and the doubts about it were eliminated.

The practice of circumambulating the Kaaba nakedly and the prohibition of bringing food and drinks, and sheep to Haram region by the people of hill were abolished by the following verse and the order given by the Prophet (pbuh) in the 9^th year of the Migration:

"O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters. Say: Who hath forbidden the beautiful (gifts) of Allah, which He hath produced for His servants, and the things, clean and pure, (which He hath provided) for sustenance? Say: They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) purely for them on the Day of Judgment..." (al-Araf 7/31, 32)

"No polytheist will perform hajj after this year and nobody will circumambulate the Kaaba nakedly." (Bukhari, Hajj, 67)

(Diyanet İ.A. Hac. Item.)

36 Is sexual intercourse forbidden in umrah and hajj?

What is forbidden for a person who has entered ihram for hajj is also forbidden for a person who has entered ihram for umrah. Anyone who violates one of those prohibitions while in ihram for umrah is subject to the same punishment as the one who violates the same prohibition while in ihram for Hajj.

The person who intends to perform hajj or umrah makes certain acts that were previously permissible haram for him beginning from one of the places called ‘miqat’. Those prohibitions include wearing stitched clothes, wearing perfume and having sexual intercourse with one’s spouse. However, women do not remove their stitched clothes.

Thus, during hajj or umrah, sexual intercourse between married spouses, or any act that may lead to it, such as hugging, kissing, touching with lust, and looking at the genitals of a woman, is forbidden as long as one is in ihram.

The following is stated in a verse:

“If any one undertakes that duty therein, let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj.” (al-Baqara, 2/197)

The word “rafath (obscenity)” in the verse alludes to sexual contact with women or, in general, to men’s sexual need for women. The following is stated in a hadith:

“Whoever performs hajj, avoids sexual contact during hajj and does not commit any sins will be free from his sins as if he were born anew.” (Bukhari, Hajj, 4, Muhsar, 9, 10; Muslim, Hajj, 438; Nasai, Hajj, 4; Ibn Majah, Manasik, 3; A. b. Hanbal, II, 229, 410, 484)

According to Hanafis, it is permissible for a person in ihram to get engaged and marry. However, in that case, the nuptial chamber must be delayed until after hajj. The evidence is that the Prophet (pbuh) married Maymuna (r. anha) while he was in ihram. (see Bukhari, Sayd, 12, Nikah, 30, Maghazi, 43; Muslim, Nikah, 46, 47, 48; Tirmidhi, Hajj, 24)

The majority of fiqh scholars, on the other hand, considers the marriage contract of person in ihram invalid. The evidence they rely on is the following hadith:

“A person who is in ihram cannot marry, nor can he be married or betrothed.” (Muslim, Nikah 41-45; Abu Dawud, Manasik, 38; Tirmidhi, Hajj, 23; Nasai, Manasik, 91)

They say that the Prophet (pbuh)’s marriage to Maymuna (r. anha) occurred when he was not in ihram. (Tirmidhi, Hajj, 23,24; Darimi, Manasik, 21; A. b. Hanbal, VI, 393)

If a person who is performing hajj has sexual intercourse before waqfa in Arafat, his Hajj will be invalidated and he will have to perform it next year. He must also sacrifice a sheep or goat as a punishment. In case of acts that may lead to sexual intercourse, such as kissing or touching with lust, whether or not ejaculation occurs, a sheep or goat must be sacrificed as a punishment. According to the majority, except for Malikis, hajj is not invalidated in that case.

The punishment for having sexual intercourse with one’s spouse after waqfa in Arafat and before exiting ihram is sacrifice of a large bovine animal. After coming out of ihram, it is not forbidden to have sexual intercourse after exiting ihram.

37 Is it permissible to wear perfume and to apply hair-gel before entering ihram for hajj and umrah?

There is no drawback to wearing perfume before entering ihram; in fact, it is sunnah.

Entering ihram means for a person who intends to perform hajj or umrah to render haram some deeds that are actually halal until hajj or umrah is completed.

Ihram has two parts: intention and talbiyah. Intention (niyyah) means to decide to perform hajj or umrah. It is mustahab to utter niyyah with the tongue. Talbiyah means to say,

“Labbayk, Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk. Innal-hamda wan-ni’mata laka wal-mulk la sharika lak (I respond to Your call, O Allah, I respond to Your call. I respond to Your call, You have no partner. I respond to Your call. Indeed, the praise and grace are yours as well as sovereignty. You have no partner.)”

Before entering ihram, it is sunnah to trim nails, to make ghusl, to wear perfume, to wear a two-piece garment called ihram and to perform a two-rak'ah prayer after wearing ihram. Intention is made after performing the prayer; then, talbiyah is uttered and ihram starts. It is sunnah to utter talbiyah aloud when possible when one is in ihram.

The prohibitions of ihram start with the niyyah and talbiyah. It is haram for a person who is in ihram to cut, pluck or shave the strands of hair on his head and the body, to trim his nails, to wear seamed clothes (for men), to wear perfume, to use oil, paint, and similar make-up to adorn oneself, to cover his head (for men), to cover her face (for women), to wear gloves, socks and shoes that cover the heels, to have sexual intercourse, to hunt and to pick up or cut the plants in the Haram region.

SUNNAHS RELATED TO IHRAM

1. To have a haircut, to shave the hair under the armpits and the pubic hair, to trim nails and to wear perfume.
2. To make ghusl or wudu before entering ihram.
3. To perform a two-rak’ah prayer with the intention of the sunnah of ihram.
4. To be wrapped in a two-piece garment called izar and rida.
5. To utter talbiya when possible in ihram.
6. To utter talbiyah three times.
7. To utter salawat and to pray and supplicate after talbiyah.

38 Is eid prayer not performed in hajj?

The Muslims who go to hajj do not perform eid prayer since they are musafir (travelers), since hajj worship coincides with eid prayer and since the conditions of hajj are hard.

If hajjis arrive at a place where people are performing eid prayer on the way, they can perform eid prayer. However, those who do not perform it are not held responsible.

39 Is a person who circumambulates the Kaaba fifty times purified of his sins?

Ibn Abbas (ra) narrates:

“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“If a person circumambulates the Kaaba fifty times, he will be purified of his sins and will be as if he had just been born.” (Tirmidhi, Hajj 41, h. no: 866)

What is meant by tawaf (circumambulation) in the hadiths is fifty complete tawafs, not shawts.

Tirmidhi said, “The hadith of Ibn Abbas is gharib”, pointing out the weakness of this hadith. He said, “I asked Muhammad about this hadith and he said: ‘Indeed, this hadith was narrated as Ibn Abbas’ own statement.” (Tirmidhi, ibid)

According to an explanation in Tabarani’s al-Mujamul-Awsat, the fifty tawafs mentioned in the hadith does not mean fifty tawafs at a time, but fifty tawafs, each of which contains seven shawts, to be recorded in the book of deeds. It does not matter if one completes it in a lifetime.

40 Why does the Kaaba exist only in Islam though it is the house of Allah, a place that has come from the Prophet Adam to this day and is a place of holiness?

As it is known, the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael) built the Kaaba - After Adam (pbuh). Ibrahim’s son, Ismail, personally settled in Hejaz as the founder of the Kaaba and regarded it as a holy place when he was alive and always visited it.

The Arabs, who are the descendants of the Prophet Ismail, followed the path of the Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail, who were also their ancestors, throughout history and always considered the Kaaba holy. They tried to fulfill their duty of hajj, which has been valid since the time of Ibrahim, though some aspects of it were distorted, to the extent that it was handed down to them. We learn from the Quran that those customs and deeds of worship continued until the time of the Prophet (pbuh).

The Prophet Ishaq (Isaac), the other son of the Prophet Ibrahim, lived in the places far from the Kaaba since he settled in the Palestine/Canaan/Jerusalem region, not the Hejaz region. Therefore, it is normal for his descendants not to have a tradition of worship related to the Kaaba. After all, since the Jews, who came from the descendants of Ibrahim (pbuh) who were prophets, always thought that they were the most superior nation throughout history, they could never accept to be under the protection of Arabs, who were their cousins, by being attached to their holy temple.

Due to divine wisdom, when qadar (destiny) made them build Masjid al-Aqsa, the second holy temple on earth after the Kaaba, as a qibla for them, they found the opportunity to fulfill their needs there. In the course of time, Christians who were from Sons of Israel even thought of destroying the Kaaba - as in the case of Abraha.

To sum up, the fact that the Kaaba is not mentioned in the sources of Jews and Christians may be an attitude stemming from both geographical distance and negative competition.

That the holy Kaaba was reserved for the Arabs, who are the descendants of the Prophet Ismail, and that it became a completely holy temple in the religion of Muhammad, the last prophet, can also be considered as a separate instance of wisdom regarding the issue.

41 Is circumambulating the Kaaba better than a nafilah prayer? Is it regarded worshipping to watch the Kaaba?

- The Prophet (pbuh) states the following in a hadith included in Sunan books: “Circumambulating the Kaaba is a kind of prayer but Allah allows speaking in circumambulation. He who speaks while circumambulation should not speak anything that is not good.” (Ibn Hajar, 3/482; Hakim, 2/267)

We can understand from the hadith that circumambulation (tawaf) is also a virtuous deed of worship like performing prayers. A fard circumambulation is like a fard prayer; a nafilah circumambulation is like a nafilah prayer.

- According to a narration, when Abdullah b. Abbas was asked which one was more virtuous, he said, “Prayer is more virtuous for the people of Makkah and circumambulation for the guests.” (see al-Fakihi, Akhbaru Makkah, 1/468-Shamila)

Said b. Jubayr holds the same view. (see ibid, 1/470)

According to a narration reported from Hz. Aisha, the Prophet (pbuh) said, “It is a deed of worship to look at the Kaaba.” (see Kanzul-Ummal, h. No: 34647)

The Kaaba does not consist of the stone building situated there only. It is like a luminous pole from the earth to the sky (Throne). The intention of those who turn toward the Kaaba is to obey Allah's order and turn toward the direction ordered by Allah. The Kaaba is the first mosque built on earth.

42 What should one do to spend umrah in the most virtuous way?

The Meaning of Umrah

Umrah, which is derived from the root “a-m-r” meaning “to visit, to live a long life, to improve a home, to reside in a place, to protect, to have a lot of wealth and to serve Allah” lexically, is a deed of worship that one performs by entering ihram without a specific time limit, circumambulating the Kaaba, making sa’y between Safa and Marwa, then shaving (or having a haircut) and exiting ihram.

In this respect, in order to spend umrah in the most virtuous way, it is necessary to know what umrah is and how it should be performed in accordance with the Sunnah. In addition, it is necessary to live spiritually and to feel spiritually, to bring to life in the world of the heart what it means to enter ihram, the meaning of tawaf, the reality of the sa’y between Safa and Marwa, the meaning of shaving (or haircut), etc., which are among the requirements of umrah.

Differences Between Umrah and Hajj

Umrah differs from Hajj in that it is not limited to a specific time and does not include waqfa in Arafat and Muzdalifah, sacrifice and stoning the devil. Therefore, hajj is called “Hajj al-Akbar” (the major pilgrimage) and umrah is called “Hajj al-Asghar” (the minor pilgrimage).

Fards of Umrah

Umrah has two fards. Ihram and tawaf. Ihram is a condition and tawaf is a rukn. Its wajibs are sa’y and shaving (or haircut) and leaving ihram.

The Decree on Umrah

It is fard for a Muslim to perform umrah once in a lifetime according to Shafi’i and Hanbali madhhabs, sunnah al-muakkadah according to Hanafi and Maliki madhhabs.

There are also some Hanafi scholars who hold the view that umrah is wajib, just like witr prayer, sacrificing an animal and sadaqah al-fitr.

The disagreement on the decree of Umrah stems from the different interpretations of the verse, “And complete the hajj or umrah in the service of Allah...” (al-Baqara, 2/196) and the different narrations regarding the issue.

The verse means that once the pilgrimage and umrah are started, whether fard or nafilah (supererogatory), they need to be completed; it also means “fulfill (aqimu) the duty of hajj”, as in the verse meaning “complete your fast till the night appears” (al-Baqara, 2/187).

Imam Shafi’i and Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal understood this verse as a command to fulfill the duty of hajj and umrah and they concluded that umrah was fard. They also accepted the following narrations as evidence for their views:

Aisha (ra) asked,

- “O Messenger of Allah! Is jihad necessary for women”?

The Prophet (pbuh) said,

- Yes, jihad that does not include fighting, i.e., hajj and umrah, is necessary for them.” (Ibn Majah, Manasik, 8, II, 968. Shirbini, II, 206-207)

“Umrah is minor hajj.” (Mughni, V, 14)

Abu Razin al-Uqayli, one of the Companions, asked

- “O Messenger of Allah! My father is an old man. He cannot perform hajj and umrah, nor can he travel. (What should he do?)”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

- “You perform hajj and umrah on behalf of your father.” (Abu Dawud, Manasik, 26, II, 402. Ibn Majah, Manasik, 10, II, 970.)

Those who hold the view that umrah is not fard use the following verse

“... Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah,- those who can afford the journey...” (Aal-i Imran, 3/ 97)

and the fact that umrah is not mentioned in the hadith listing the five pillars of Islam as evidence that umrah is not fard. They also cite the following hadiths as evidence for their view:

“Hajj is fard and umrah is a nafilah deed of worship.” (Ibn Majah, Manasik, 8, II, 968. Tirmidhi, Hajj, 88. III, 270. Qasani, II, 226. Tabari, II, 2/212. Mughni, V, 13)

According to what Jabir ibn Abdullah reports, a Companion asked the Prophet (pbuh),

- “O Messenger of Allah! Is umrah fard?”

The Prophet (pbuh) said,

- “No, it is better for you to perform umrah.” (Tabari, II, 2/212; Tirmidhi, Hajj, 88. III, 270; Ahmad, III, 316)

They explain that the term “umrah is a minor pilgrimage” in the hadith used by those who say umrah is fard aims “to express its reward (thawab)”.

According to what Abdullah ibn Umar reports, the Prophet (pbuh) performed umrah four times (Tirmidhi, Hajj, 93. III, 275), encouraged umrah and said,

“Umrah is atonement for the sins committed between it and the next umrah. The reward of hajj that is acceptable in the sight of Allah is Paradise.” (Tirmidhi, Hajj, 90. III, 272.)

Time for Umrah

While Hajj can only be performed during the months of hajj, there is no set time for umrah. Umrah can be performed at any time except on the days of Arafah and Eid (the 5 days when the takbirs of tashriq are uttered).

It is makruh tahrimi to perform umrah in the period between the morning of Arafah and the sunset on the 4th day of Eid because they are the days when the manasiks of hajj are performed.

According to the Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali madhhabs, those who do not intend to perform Hajj can perform umrah on any day of the year, including the days of tashriq.

According to the Maliki madhhab, those who intend to perform hajj cannot perform umrah until the sun sets on the 4th day of Eid, and according to the Shafi’i madhhab, they cannot perform umrah until all manasiks of hajj have been completed except the farewell tawaf.

It is more virtuous to perform umrah in Ramadan. The Prophet (pbuh) said,

“Umrah performed in Ramadan is equivalent to hajj.” (Tirmidhi, Hajj, 90. III, 276.)

How to Perform Umrah

• The person who wants to perform umrah removes his armpit and pubic hair if necessary, shaves or trims his hair and beard, trims his mustache, cuts his nails and makes ghusl, or if it is not possible for him to make ghusl, he makes wudu and applies perfume on his body.

• Men take off their undershirts, underpants, socks, garments and shoes. They put on two pieces of ihram cloth called izar and rida. It is makruh to tie the ends of the rida together or fasten them with a pin. They wear slippers with open backs and tops on their feet. It is permissible to tie a belt around the waist, wear a bag on the back and use an umbrella. Women continue to wear their dresses and shoes; they do not uncover their heads and do not cover their faces.

• They pray two rak’ahs of ihram prayer with the intention of performing the sunnah of ihram. In the first rak’ah, they read the chapter of al-Kafirun after al-Fatiha and in the second rak’ah, they read the chapter of al-Ikhlas after al-Fatiha.

• The person who wants to doperform umrah should enter ihram before crossing the borders of miqat if he is an afaqi (from outside miqat areas), or if he is a resident of Hill area, he should enter ihram where he is and if he is in the Haram area, he should enter ihram in Hill area, for example, in Tan’im.

One enters ihram by making intention and uttering talbiyah. Intention means the determination to perform umrah in the heart.

It is mustahab to make intention (niyyah) by saying,

“O Allah, I intend to perform Umrah, so make it easy for me and accept it from me.”

After the intention, one utters talbiyah as follows:

“I respond to Your call, O Allah, I respond to Your call. I respond to Your call, You have no partner. I respond to Your call. Indeed, the praise and grace are yours as well as sovereignty. You have no partner.” Thus, he enters ihram and ihram prohibitions start.

Until he reaches Makkah, he continues his journey by uttering talbiyah, takbir, tahlil and salawat loudly when he gets on and off the vehicles, when he meets caravans, when he enters the cities, in the evening and in the morning, day and night, in the vehicle, when he walks, sits, lies down, stands, descends, climbs, changes places, and at every opportunity and after fard prayers.

It is mustahab to repeat talbiyah three times in each utterance and then utter takbir, tahlil and salawat.

- When he approaches Makkah and enters Haram area, he prays as follows:

“O Allah, this city is your Holy Land and save myself my flesh, blood, hair and skin from hell. And save me from your torment in the day when You resurrect your servant, and make me among those who are always near and obedient to You.”

It is sunnah to enter Makkah with wudu and it is mustahab to enter during the day.

• After settling in a hotel or a house in Makkah and resting, if possible, one should make ghusl, if not, wudu and go to Masjid al-Haram on foot or by vehicle. On the way, he should utter takbir, tahlil, talbiyah and salawat. With humility and respect, he prays as follows and enters Masjid al-Haram:

“O Allah! Open the doors of mercy to me and protect me from the accursed devil!”

• When he sees Baytullah, he utters takbir and tahlil three times and recites the following prayer:

“Glorified is Allah, all the praises and thanks are to Allah, there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. O Allah! This is Your house. You have exalted it; You have honored it. O Allah, increase its exaltation, honor and value. Increase the honor, reverence, awe, exaltation and goodness of the one who increases its value, honors and respects it. O Allah! You are peace, and from you is peace. Make us live in peace and put us in Paradise, the Abode of Peace. Blessed are You O Possessor of majesty and honor!”

One can say other prayers he knows too. He stops uttering talbiyah before starting tawaf.

• He comes to the level of Hajar al-Aswad, turns towards it, raises his hands to the level of his shoulders, salutes Hajar al-Aswad by saying “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar”, and utters takbir, tahlil and tahmid. He kisses Hajar al-Aswad if it is not crowded and he does not cause any harm to anyone, but he does not kiss Hajar al-Aswad if it is crowded. Istilam is a sunnah, and pushing and shoving people is a sin. One cannot commit a sin to perform a sunnah.

• He intends to perform the tawaf of umrah. It is mustahab to say his intention (niyyah) as follows:

“O Allah, I intend to perform tawaf of umrah for You as seven shawts; so, accept it from me and make it easy for me.”

He performs tawaf with the Kaaba to his left, going around the outside of the Hatim. In each shawt, he salutes Rukn al-Yamani and Hajar al-Aswad from a distance, saying “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar”. It is sunnah to salute Hajar al-Aswad and mustahab to salute Rukn al-Yamani. Rukn al-Yamani is not kissed and the other corners are not saluted.

During tawaf, he should say the sunnah prayers or the prayers he knows and silently say takbir and tahlil or read the Quran.

The first four shawts of tawaf are fard; it is wajib to perform it in wudu and not in the state of junub, menstruation or puerperium, to cover the places of awrah, to do it with the Kaaba to your left, to start from the level of Hajar al-Aswad, to go around the outside of the Hatim, to do it on foot if you can do it, and to complete seven shawts. If one of them is omitted, dam (sacrificing a sheep or goat) penalty becomes necessary.

He does iztiba in tawaf and ramal for the first three shawts.

After tawaf is completed with seven shawts, he prays at Multazam and Hatim. If possible, he should perform tawaf prayer of two rak’ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim; if not, he should perform it in a suitable place; it is wajib to perform that prayer. After the prayer, he says prayers, drinks Zamzam and salutes Hajar al-Aswad.

• He goes to Safa to perform the sa’y of umrah. He turns towards the Kaaba, utters takbir, tahlil, tahmid, salawat and salam, and then he prays. He intends to perform sa’y. It is mustahab to make intention as follows:

“O Allah! I intend to perform the sa’y of umrah between Safa and Marwa, as seven shawts, for Your sake.”

He starts the sa’y at Safa and finishes at Marwa as seven shawts. During the sa’y, he says the sunnah prayers or the prayers he knows, and he says the takbir and tahlil or reads the Quran silently. He does “harwala” between the two green lights. When he completes the sa’y, he prays at Marwa.

The sa’y of umrah is wajib. If it is abandoned, dam penalty becomes necessary.

• He shaves or shortens his hair at the barber’s or at home or at the hotel; thus, he exits ihram and completes the worship of umrah.

• Women do not perform ramal and harwala. They do not raise their voices in takbir, tahlil and talbiyah. It is enough for them to cut the tip of their hair to exit ihram. Women do not perform tawaf while menstruating. (see Diyanet İşleri “Hac İlmihali”)

43 Can a person who does not perform prayers go to hajj? Does the hajj of a person become invalid if he does not perform prayers after returning from hajj?

It is not a prerequisite for hajj to perform prayers. A person who does not perform prayers can also go to hajj.

The sin of not performing prayers is one thing and the thawab of hajj is another thing. A person who does not perform prayers is not deprived of the thawab of hajj.

The hajj of a person is valid even if he does not perform prayers after returning from hajj. It does not become invalid.

44 Is it appropriate for women to circumambulate the Kaaba together with men during hajj or umrah?

- Ibn Jurayj narrates:

"Ata informed us that when Ibn Hisham forbade women to perform Tawaf with men he said to him,

"'How can he forbid it? Even the wives of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) performed hajj with men." I asked Ata:

"Was this before decreeing of the use of the veil or after it?"

"I swear by Allah, I saw it after the order of veil." I asked again,

"'How did they mix with men?" He gave the following answer:

"They never mixed with men. Hz. Aisha circumambulated the Kaaba separately and never mixed with men." Once woman said to her

"O Mother of believers! Let us go and touch Hajar al-Aswad." Hz. Aisha said to her,

"Go yourself as you wish." She herself avoided doing so. They would go out at night, in disguise, and circumambulate the Kaaba with men.

Whenever they intended to enter Baytullah, they would stay outside till all men went out; then, they would enter. (Ata continued):

"I would visit Hz. Aisha with Ubayd Ibn Umayr (the qadi of Makkah) when she resided near Mount Thabir at Muzdalifa." I asked at once,

"What was Hz. Aisha’s veil?"

"She was in a Turkish tent made of felt. The tent had a curtain. There was nothing else between her and us. I saw a rose-colored cover on her." (Bukhari, Hajj 64)

It is permissible for women to circumambulate the Kaaba with men. However, it is necessary for women to circumambulate in the places where there are fewer people so as not to touch men and be touched by men.

(Prof. Dr. İbrahim CANAN, Kütüb-ü Sitte)

45 If Makkah is a safe town, how can the death of the hajjis (pilgrims) in the crane accident next to the Kaaba be explained?

The phrase “al-baladul-amin=safe/secure town” is used for Makkah in the verses above, in the chapter of at-Tin and in other verses of the Quran. However, it does not mean the following:

People will not be hurt in Makkah, they will not die there, they will not be harmed there, there will be no theft, people will not be killed, etc. This way of thinking stems from not understanding Islam and the Quran:

a) If nobody dies in Makkah, where will the people living there die? If Allah does not kill those who serve Him, those who pray, those who fast, those who give alms, and those who go to hajj, how will they die? Since there is no “everlasting” being other than Allah, what can be the reason for the exclusion of hajjis, who, like everyone else, must die when their determined time comes?

Every human being’s time of death is determined; it has been ordained by Allah where, when and how they will die. The state of the hajjis in question is no exception. It was destined for them to die based on divine predestination on that day, at that hour, in Makkah, and the decree of qadar became manifest. It means that this incident did not happen despite Allah - God forbid. On the contrary, it occurred based on His knowledge and His permission. If some people have some faults, they will definitely be held responsible. However, it is Allah who created the death caused by humans.

Using the deaths in the Battle of Uhud as an excuse, hypocrites (munafiqs) attacking Islam said, “If only those friends of ours had stayed with us - had not gone to war. They would be alive now.” Allah answered them as follows:

“(My messenger!) Say: Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death.” (Aal-i Imran, 3/154).

The fact that “everyone will die where they are supposed to die” is emphasized in the verse above.

b) As for the meaning of the expression “safe town (balad al-amin)” used for Makkah, scholars have different opinions regarding the issue:

1) The reason why Makkah is called a “safe town” is that Allah protected it from the Abraha army in the Incident of the Elephant. The phrase Bayt al-Atiq is used for the Kaaba. Atiq means to be free. This name was given to the revered Kaaba because it was saved from the attacks of cruel despots. A hadith like that was also reported from the Prophet. He said: “In other words, Almighty Allah named the Kaaba “al-Atik” because He protected it from the evil of despots. A tyrant was never able to prevail over it.” (see Tirmidhi, Tafsir, Hajj, 3169)

2) According to the religion of Islam, it is a “safe town” because even if a person sentenced to death enters Makkah/Haram, this decree will not be executed there.

3) The reason why Makkah is a “safe town” is Hajar al-Aswad in the Kaaba. As Ali (r.a.) puts it, all the deeds of people are written on this stone and will not be lost as if they were in a “safe hand” until the Day of Judgment, and will be revealed on the Day of Judgment. (see Razi, the interpretation of at-Tin, verse 3; 95/3)

4) “Do they not then see that We have made a sanctuary secure, and that men are being snatched away from all around them?....”(al-Ankabut, 29/67) the issue is clearly expressed in the verse above. That is, due to the sanctity that Allah brought to this land - thanks to the Kaaba - it was made safe from attacks on other places even in the age of ignorance. The people of that place were also safe from the attacks of the bandits during their travels for trade thanks to the holy land (as it is stated in the chapter of Quraysh) and were respected everywhere.

5) As it is mentioned in Aal-i Imran, 97, the fact that Makkah is a “safe town” for both humans and birds and other living beings thanks to the Kaaba means that their lives are protected there - so much so that even in the age of ignorance, if a man had seen his father’s murderer there, he would not have killed him. Although the Arabs loved to hunt, they did not hunt the creatures in the haram of Makkah.

- To sum up, the phrase “Balad al-Amin” does not guarantee that “there will be no accident or misfortune and no one will die there”.

- In addition, if the determined time of death of the hajjis who died there came, they would still die, even if they were at home - based on divine predestination.

However, Allah took them there and removed their spirits in the most sacred place and had them buried in that holy land.

Moreover, He left them under the rubble and elevated them to a kind of spiritual martyrdom. Receiving the reward of hajj is one of the manifestations of that endless mercy.

In return for those few minutes of trouble, he sent them to Paradise, inshaAllah.

From this point of view, dying there like that was a great divine grace and grant for them.

46 How should we understand stoning, sacrificing an animal and shaving in Hajj?

Understanding Stoning the Devil:

One of the conditions of Hajj is stoning the devil. Stoning symbolizes the Prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) (pbuh) throwing stones at the devil in order to expel the devil who tried to prevent him. The devil appeared before him and he stoned the devil, who wanted to come between him and his Lord, and who wanted to prevent him. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

“Learn your duties related to hajj from me.” (Nasai, Manasik, 220)

Thus, he performed hajj himself and taught it to the people there himself.

In a sense, stoning symbolizes a war against the devil. A hajji throws every stone against himself, his lust and the devil. He tries to destroy one by one those different fronts that lead him to various mistakes and sins. He needs to eliminate the places where the devil confronts him, and the weapons and fronts he uses in the way of sacrificing everything he has for Allah. Pride, arrogance, property, position, rank, glory, fame, egoism, youth, marriage, family and children... Whatever hinders his worshipping and responsibilities...

Today, when the hajji throws stones, he plays the role of the Prophet Ibrahim (as) and follows the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The hajji who plays this role symbolically throws stones at the piles of stones representing the devil, but, in fact, he should throw stones by thinking about his weak points through which the devil deceives him. Since everyone knows better his own shame, vulnerability and sin, he should stone his soul, his lust, and the impulses that cause him to sin with every stone he throws.

He throws seven stones on the first day, and forty-nine or seventy stones on the following days there. It represents multitude. Its meaning is that he must be constantly alert against the devil, and he must have thousands of stones to throw at him if he confronts him hundreds of times. He should perform “istiadha” in the form of saying “Audhu billahi minashshaytanir rajim” meaning “I seek refuge in Allah from the stoned devil!”, which he is used to repeating, not only with his words but also with his essence more consciously. He should know from whom and in whom he takes refuge. He should realize that he takes refuge in Allah, “Rahim (Merciful)”, from the devil, who is “Rajim (Stoned)”.

If he cannot understand it and is interested only in the symbols and shapes, and cannot comprehend the meaning and wisdom of it, he will be deceived again with the delusion that he “stones the devil”. The devil is not outside as it is symbolized there; as the Prophet (pbuh) states,

“Satan (the Devil) circulates in man as blood circulates through veins.” (Bukhari, Itikaf 11, 12)

Understanding Sacrificing an Animal:

Sacrifice is an important deed of worship in which man shows that he can give up his property just because Allah wants, and that he can sacrifice his property in the way of Allah. It is forbidden to pluck even grass in ihram but live animals are sacrificed on eid day as a sign of devotion to Allah and sacrificing. Sacrificing an animal is performed to express gratitude for fulfilling the duties of hajj.

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated after completing the Ramadan fasting; similarly, Eid al-Adha is celebrated when hajj is completed. Patience, war, gratitude and victory. The hajji who attains knowledge in Arafat, consciousness in Mash’ar, love in Mina and victory in Jamarat reaches taqwa with the gift of sacrifice, and Allah through taqwa.

Takbirs uttered on Eid-al-Adha days are called “takbirs of tashriq”. “Tashriq” is the name given to the process of sun-drying of the meat of the sacrificed animals by placing it on hot rock in the Era of Jahiliyya. Thus, pilgrims dried the meat of the sacrificed animals on the stones in the sun during hajj and kept it for themselves to eat later. When the hajji repeats the takbirs of tashriq, he should think about what good habits and deeds he has kept for himself for later use. At least, he should take from Mina the sustenance of taqwa just as he comes with the sustenance of taqwa for hajj. Animals sacrificed for Allah and in the name of Allah are a sign of dhikr and gratitude, humility and submission, solidarity and brotherhood.

Especially today, when the meat of the sacrificed animals is sent to poor countries without being eaten by hajjis, the support and social solidarity they give to their Muslim brothers whom they have never met constitute the most significant aspect of the pilgrimage. For example, it is very nice that the sacrificed animals of our country's hajjis are consumed in a Muslim region in Africa, whose name they do not even know, and that they receive the prayers of those Muslims in absentia.

What the hajji sacrifices is not sheep, cows or camels but his desire, enthusiasm and lust. The hajji should sacrifice all of them for the sake of Allah so that he can feel the eid in his heart and the closeness in his spirit because this eid is Eid-al-Adha, the moment of closeness, eid of closeness to Allah.

Eid al-Adha is the feast of those who experience the meaning of hajj even if they are in very distant countries. Those who experience this closeness in hajj will carry that nice feeling they have gained to the places they will go. They will be pure, fresh blood that will cause a spiritual blood circulation in their own countries.

Later, some pilgrims will experience separation, some pilgrims will experience migration, and some pilgrims longing. The blood shed from those animals sacrificed for Allah symbolizes that the sins of those who sacrifice animals are shed and that “their impurity is removed”.

When the hajji sacrifices the animal for Allah, he knows that it is a sunnah inherited from the Prophet Ibrahim and that it is a reminder of sacrificing his favorite child in the way of Allah. He thinks that the wealth and children Allah has given are not obstacles in the way of Allah, but rather things to make him closer to Allah. While sacrificing a living being for Allah there, the hajji prays to Allah so that his children in his hometown will be in the way of Allah and closer to Allah; and he works hard to attain it throughout his life.

Understanding Shaving the Head:

“O Allah! Have mercy on those who have their heads shaved!” (Bukhari, Hajj, 127)

The hajji, who first stones the devil and then sacrifices an animal, symbolically sacrifices a part of his own being by shaving his head. It shows that he will sacrifice not only his hair but also his life in the way of Allah when necessary; every strand of hair that falls from his head virtually symbolizes his sins.

When the Prophet (pbuh) prayed by saying, “O Allah! Have mercy on those who have their heads shaved”, some of the Companions said, “Would you pray for those who shorten their hair, O Messenger of Allah?” He prayed for them by saying, “And those who shorten their hair...” in the fourth prayer. Some of the Companions shaved their heads and some of them shortened their hair. (Bukhari, Hajj, 127)

Shaving the head symbolizes humility and neediness, which is described as “with bare head and feet”. It is symbolized by cutting a bit of the hair in women.

47 Is it permissible to go to hajj with money earned through haram ways?

According to Hanbali madhhab, the hajj of a person who goes to hajj with money earned through haram ways is not valid; according to the other three madhhabs, his hajj is valid even if he becomes a sinner; that is, he is freed of the debt of hajj.

It is not appropriate to go to hajj with money earned through haram ways. If one does so, his hajj is valid but the thawab he gets will not be the same as the thawab gained through a hajj with money earned through halal ways.

As it is known, a fully accepted hajj is enough for all of the sins of a person except the violation of others’ rights to be eliminated. It is as if he is born again in terms of sins. However, it is necessary to pay attention to at least the following five conditions:

1. To go to hajj with a very sincere intention, that is, only for Allah. To ignore everything except Him as if one is going there to visit Allah.

2. To go to hajj with fully clean money.

3. To pay the debts he owes to others and to ask for forgiveness from the people he has hurt or harmed. To perform missed (qada) prayers and fasting or to decide definitely to perform them and to start performing them.

4. To avoid useless and bad words, intentions and deeds (rafath and fusuq) during hajj.

5. To complete hajj in compliance with its other external and internal conditions.

48 What is the decree for a person who is in ihram for hajj to apply perfume or perfumed soap on his/her body due to an obligation?

Perfume is added to soaps and shampoos; therefore, it is forbidden to use them in ihram. However, it is permissible to use pure soaps into which perfume is not added.

Kaffarah is necessary even if a person applies perfume due to an obligation, unknowingly or by forgetting.

PENALTY FOR APPLYING PERFUME, NICE SCENT AND OIL IN IHRAM:

Everything that people benefit from and that has nice scent in it is called "Tiyb". The things that are applied on the body are generally of three kinds:

The first: Things that are scent in essence like musk, ambrette, camphor, etc.
The second: The substances that are not scent in essence but that are used in the production of perfume and that are used as medicine like olive oil. If they are used in order to oil the body, they are regarded as scent. If they are added to food, they are not regarded as scent.
The third: The substances that are not scent in essence, that are not used as the main substance of a scent and that are not used for this purpose like tallow.

Kaffarah becomes necessary for a person in ihram who applies perfume or nice scent on his body. If he applies perfume on the whole of an organ or more, he has to sacrifice an animal. However, if he applies perfume on less than an organ, he has to give kaffarah of half a sa’ (about 1,667 kg.) of wheat. More than half of an organ is regarded as the whole organ. The following decree exists in Fatawa al-Hindiyya: "There is no difference between forgetting or doing deliberately in terms of the infliction of penalty for applying perfume. The decree is the same for both men and women. It is written like that in Badai. Even if a person applies perfume on all of his body, one animal is sacrificed because the body is regarded as a whole. It is written like that in Tabyin."

Acting upon the statement of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), "Henna is a nice scent", Hanafi scholars agree on the following decree: "A person who dyes his/her hair with henna in ihram has to sacrifice an animal."

If a person applies perfume, shaves or has a haircut, wears a seamy garment based on a legitimate excuse in ihram he has to do one of the following three things as a penalty: to sacrifice a sheep, to fast for three days or to give six poor people three sa's of wheat (about 10 kg.). The following is stated in the Quran regarding the issue:

"... And if any of you is ill, or has an ailment in his scalp, (Necessitating shaving), (He should) in compensation either fast, or feed the poor, or offer sacrifice..." (al-Baqara, 2/196)

Hanafi scholars decree that the word "aw" (or) used between penalties in the verse gives the person the right to choose one of them. It should not be forgotten that if an animal is to be sacrificed as a penalty, it has to be sacrificed within the boundaries of Haram. The following decree is written in Durr al-Mukhtar: "If a person sacrifices an animal but does not eliminate the scent, another sacrifice becomes necessary for leaving the scent there." When Ibn Abidin explains this text, he states the following: "Another sacrifice is necessary since he leaves that scent there. For, it was haram to apply perfume at the beginning. The decree of beginning is given for the continuation too."

If a person oils his body with olive oil or sesame oil, a sacrifice is necessary even if it is pure. For, they are the main substances for the scent. Besides, it is unanimously agreed that a sacrifice becomes necessary when violet oil or similar aromatic oils are used. However, if something that is not a scent and that is not used as a substance to produce scents (tallow, etc.) is applied, no penalty is necessary. It is permissible to eat the types of oil that is not a scent in essence but that is a main substance in producing scents. For, they are not regarded as scent/perfume if they are not used as scent/perfume. The trace of the scent applied before entering ihram does not necessitate a penalty.

49 Why were Makkah and the holy areas forbidden for non-Muslims and when?

The following is stated in verse 28 of the chapter of at-Tawba in the Quran:

"O ye who believe! Truly the Pagans are unclean; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque. And if ye fear poverty, soon will Allah enrich you, if He wills, out of His bounty, for Allah is All-knowing, All-wise."

Thus, in obedience to this command of Allah, none other than Muslims are allowed to approach Masjid al-Haram and its surroundings.

O believers! The polytheists are nothing but filth. In terms of being polytheists, they are indeed just filth. Polytheism (shirk) is the worst form of spiritual filth. In addition, they do not purify themselves; they are not aware of what ghusl and wudu are; they roam in a state of impurity; they do not abstain from material filth. Neither their bodies nor their clothes are free from impurity. Therefore, they are individuals who are dirty and immersed in filth to the extent that they can be called impure though they are not literary dirty.

Thus, the word "filth" is used in a concise and exaggerated manner to express the meaning accurately, which means they are nothing other than impurity. Therefore, Abdullah ibn Abbas says polytheists are "exactly as impure as dogs and pigs," and Hasan Basri says, "One who shakes hands with a polytheist should make wudu," but all madhhabs except for some Shiite groups like today's Ja'faris hold the opposite view.

If they were literally impure, they could never be cleansed in any way. However, they can indeed be pure through belief and taharah. Furthermore, it is clear both religiously and intellectually that this decree is not based on their being human, but rather on an emerging condition due to their polytheistic belief. Since that issue is so clear and evident, it is eloquent to depict them as being impure. That is, polytheists are not impure literally and innately in terms of being human, but in terms of their impurity in creed and deeds as polytheists. They are in a state of abhorrence like filth. Even if their impurities are not visible externally, they are spiritually impure due to their polytheism. Hence:

After this year, let them not approach Masjid al-Haram. It means that after this announcement was made in the ninth year of Hijrah (Migration), they were prohibited from approaching Masjid al-Haram. You Muslims are also responsible for enforcing this prohibition. Therefore, do not let them approach Masjid al-Haram. They must not even come close to it let alone entering Masjid al-Haram and doing any service or duties there. They must not even step into the boundaries of Masjid al-Haram. According to this absolute decree, they must not be allowed to enter into Haram for any reason, even for travel, diplomacy, or litigation.

They have no right to enter there, nor do they deserve it. Thus, the custom of them entering there until this year has been abolished because they are impure spiritually, though not physically.

Can non-Muslims be allowed to enter Haram and Makkah for purposes other than rituals and worship under the supervision and permission of Muslims?

Imam Malik states that it is forbidden for unbelievers to enter not only Masjid al-Haram but also other mosques. However, since it is understood from some narrations stating that the Prophet accepted the delegations of Thaqif and Najran in Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah, entry into other mosques except Masjid al-Haram might be allowed in some cases. And it should be taken into account that applying the decree on Masjid al-Haram mentioned in this verse to other mosques would not be appropriate in terms of clarity and analogy. In this respect, the issue can be considered more from the perspective of the following verse:

"It is not for such as join gods with Allah, to visit or maintain the mosques of Allah while they witness against their own souls to infidelity." (at-Tawba, 9/17)

However, there is an absolute right to enter there, which cannot be considered an obstacle for them to enter with the permission of Muslims in some cases. Imam Shafi'i states that unbelievers are specifically prohibited from entering Masjid al-Haram. Therefore, if a head of state were in Makkah and an envoy from polytheists were to come, the head of state would have to meet and accept him in Hil, outside Haram region.

According to Shafi'i madhhab, if an unbeliever enters Makkah secretly, dies there, and is mistakenly buried as a Muslim, and if it is later discovered, his bones must be exhumed and taken out of Haram.

According to the madhhab of Imam Abu Hanifa, those people are forbidden from Hajj and Umrah in Makkah. Not approaching Masjid al-Haram means they must not come for Hajj and Umrah because approaching Masjid al-Haram is evidently related to the acts and rituals specific to it, namely Hajj and Umrah. As mentioned above, during the ninth year of Hijrah (Migration) and on the day of Hajj, when Ali (ra) declared this decree at the beginning of the chapter of at-Tawba, he said, "After this year, polytheists shall not perform Hajj." And all madhhabs unanimously agree on the aspect of this prohibition in the meaning of the verse. That is, they are never allowed to enter Haram for Hajj, including places like Makkah, Arafat, and Muzdalifah, with Muslims to perform Hajj rites. After that year, Hajj is exclusively for Muslims. And it will be performed in accordance with Islamic principles. Therefore, they can be allowed for other mosques and matters unrelated to Hajj, but it is necessary to act with care and precaution.

The following can be asked: Does this prohibition contradict the principles of economics and does it not hinder the trade and income of the people? When the polytheists are prohibited from approaching Masjid al-Haram and are cut off from Hajj, will the profit and benefits they bring to that region not also cease? And will the Hijaz region and even all the people of Arabia not suffer as a result? Is the Kaaba not also a factor that sustains people from this point of view? Will the people of this valley without cultivation (see Ibrahim, 14/37), which is dependent on the blessing of Hajj for its main sources of income, not suffer from economic hardship? Such questions and concerns may understandably arise. All such questions are answered as follows:

And if you fear being poor and needy, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills, inshallah: Indeed, from that year onwards, goodness and blessings began to increase. Many people from regions like Tabala and Jurash became Muslims. They provided more food supplies to Makkah than before. Then, when the era of conquests began, people from all over the world started flocking there.

All of those are divine promises fulfilled in accordance with the execution of Allah's commands. As for the use of "Inshallah" as a condition of this promise: Firstly, it points to the wisdom of directing all hopes to Allah, and secondly, it indicates that this prosperity may not be permanent for every individual, situation, or time. There is no doubt that Allah is All-Knowing of your states, both inward and outward. He acts with wisdom in preventing and granting. Therefore, O believers, adhere to those divine orders and obey those prohibitions!

(Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır, Kur'an-ı Kerim Tefsiri)

50 Can a woman go to umrah alone? Does hajj become fard for a person who performs umrah?

According to Hanafi madhhab, it is not permissible for a woman to go on a journey alone; therefore, it is not appropriate for you to go to umrah without a mahram man like your brother, paternal uncle and maternal uncle.

However, "you can go to umrah and hajj without a mahram man thanks to the precautions that are taken and suitable companions and if there is security of life, wealth and honor by imitating Shafii madhhab." (Prof. Dr. Hayrettin Karaman)

Hajj does not become fard for a person who performs umrah. There are certain conditions for hajj; if a person has them, hajj becomes fard for him/her.

51 How was Zamzam water found? What are its benefits and virtues? How is Zamzam drunk? Does Zamzam have to be drunk by standing? Is it not permissible to drink it by sitting?

The short history of Zamzam is as follows:

Upon the order of Allah Almighty, the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) left his wife Hagar and his son Ismail, who was still breastfeeding, in the place where the Zamzam well is located today. At that time, there were no people living in Makkah. There was no water to drink. The Prophet Ibrahim left some dates and some water for his wife and son, and set off.

It was very difficult for Hagar to stay in this desolate place where there was no food or drink. However, since Allah Almighty had ordered Abraham to leave them there, it was useless to be worried because Allah, the Giver of sustenance, definitely saw their situation.

After a while, the water left by Prophet Ibrahim ran out. Ismail started crying and asking for water. His mother did not know what to do. There was no milk to breastfeed, no water to drink. She could not bear Ismail’s crying any longer. She went up to Safa Hill. She looked around hoping to see someone. When she could not see anybody, she started running between Safa and Marwa. When she went up to Marwa hill, she heard a sound. She saw Jibril (Gabriel) near the well of Zamzam. He was digging with his wing (in one narration, with his foot). Finally, water appeared. Hagar became very happy. When she saw the water flowing, she said, “Zam zam,” meaning “Stop, stop,” and blocked the water so that it would not flow, making it like a pool. On the one hand, she was filling her jug. As she took the water, it was gushing. When her jug was full, she drank from the water and started breastfeeding Ismail. Meanwhile, Jibril said to Hagar:

“Do not fear that you will be destroyed or be lost. The Kaaba, the first temple in the world, is here. This boy will build this temple. Allah Almighty will never allow the doers and family of them to be lost.”(1)

That is how the well of Zamzam came into existence. If Hagar had not blocked the water and left it on its own, it would have become a river. In one of his hadiths, the Prophet (pbuh) explains this truth as follows:

“May Allah show mercy to Ismail’s mother, Hagar! If she had left Zamzam free and had not filled her hands with it, it would have been a flowing river.”(2)

Zamzam is a very blessed and nourishing water. Hagar and Ismail subsisted on this water for a long time without eating. The Prophet (pbuh) points out this characteristic of Zamzam in a hadith.(3)

In another hadith, the following is stated: “Zamzam will be a cure for whatever intention it is drunk.”(4)

As for the issue of drinking Zamzam by standing:

It is stated in a narration from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet drank Zamzam water while standing. Ibn Abbas said:

“I gave the Prophet (pbuh) Zamzam water. He drank it while standing.”(5)

As it is known, the Prophet (pbuh) prohibited drinking water while standing in a hadith.(6) Thus, hadith scholars combined those different narrations. Nawawi, who explained Sahih Muslim, writes the following about those two different hadiths:

“The prohibition in those hadiths is in the form of makruh tanzihi. It aims to show that it is permissible to drink water while standing.”

Imam Suyuti explains why the Prophet (pbuh) drank Zamzam water while standing as follows:

“The reason why the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) drank Zamzam water while standing is to show that it is permissible to drink water while standing.”

Acting upon the hadith Ibn Abbas narrated, Hanafi scholars decreed that it was mustahab to drink Zamzam water while standing.

References:

1. Bukhari, Badul-Khalq: 29.
2. ibid.
3. Fathur-Rabbani, 23:248.
4. ibid., 23 247.
5. Muslim, Ashriba: 117; Ibn Majah, Ashriba: 21
6. Muslim, Ashriba: 112; Abu Dawud, Ashriba: 13.

52 What should a person who cannot go to hajj due to old age do?

During the Farewell Hajj, a young woman from the tribe of Has'am asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh),

"O Messenger of Allah! The order to make hajj came when my father was very old. He cannot sit even on a camel. Can I make hajj on behalf of him by proxy?"

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Yes, you can make hajj by proxy." 1

Ibn Abbas narrates:

A woman vowed to go to hajj but she died before performing hajj. The woman’s brother asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) what to do. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked him,

"Would you have paid her debt if your sister had been in debt?" The man said,

"O Messenger of Allah! Yes." The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Then, pay her debt to Allah because the debt to Allah is more worthy to pay." 2

It is necessary not to neglect hajj. If a person for whom hajj is fard cannot go to hajj, he must send one of his relatives whom he can trust to hajj as proxy. For, neglecting hajj attracts divine wrath, not divine misfortunes. Its penalty occurs in the form of "increase in sins". 3

The thawab of a deed of worshipping that is performed, the blessing of the Quran or tasbihat that is read, the thawab of a charity and good deeds can be given to somebody else as a gift; the person to whom it is sent as a gift benefits fully from it spiritually. 4

Proxy is permissible in deeds of worshipping that are done directly by wealth like zakah, sacrificing an animal and sadaqah; similarly, proxy is also permissible in hajj, which is done by both the body and wealth. However, hajj by proxy becomes permissible only when the person who has to make hajj is too weak to make hajj. Otherwise, it is not permissible for a person who can make hajj to send somebody else to hajj as proxy.

The reasons like being too old, being chronically ill, being confined to bed, death and a woman having no mahram person to accompany her in hajj are reasons that make it impossible for the responsible person to make hajj. In such cases, the person who has to make hajj has to send a person whom he can trust to hajj as proxy.

The person who will go to hajj as proxy must know how to make hajj and must make hajj on behalf of the person who sends him by making intention for him. Both the responsible person who appoints a proxy and the proxy must be sane, have reached the age of puberty and know about the hajj issue.

A person for whom hajj becomes fard must will before his death for somebody to make hajj for him as proxy. In that case, his inheritors must go or send a reliable person to hajj on behalf of him by proxy by meeting the expenses from one-third of the inheritance. Even if he has not willed, when his inheritors make hajj or send somebody to hajj on behalf of him by proxy, his hajj debt will have been paid. According to Shafii madhhab, his inheritors have to make hajj or send somebody to hajj on behalf of him by proxy.

Footnotes:

1. Sahih Bukhari, Hajj, Vol. 6, p. 52; Nasai, Vol. 5, p. 147,
2. Nasai, Manasikul-Hajj, Vol. 5, p. 146,
3. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Sünûhât, p. 54,
4. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Şuâlar, p. 589.

53 What are the conditions for hajj to become fard for a person?

The conditions for hajj are divided into two: the conditions that are related to everybody and the special conditions that are related to women only. When all of these conditions exist, hajj becomes fard. Otherwise, it does not become fard.

General Conditions for Hajj

They are the conditions for the obligation, health and performing of hajj; like being a Muslim, being sane, having reached the age of puberty and being able to perform hajj.

1. Being a Muslim: Hajj is not fard for an unbeliever. Since he is not liable to worship, his hajj is not valid. If an unbeliever performs hajj and becomes a Muslim afterwards, hajj becomes fard for him. According to Hanafis, an unbeliever is not responsible for the orders and prohibitions of the religion; therefore, he is not called to account for abandoning hajj. According to the majority of fiqh scholars, he is responsible for Islamic orders and prohibitions and he is called to account for them in the hereafter.

2. Having reached the age of puberty and being sane: Children and mentally ill people are not obliged to perform hajj. For, they are not held responsible to perform religious decrees. The hajj or umrah performed by a mentally ill person is not valid since he is not liable to worship. If a child and a mentally ill person perform hajj and then the child reaches the age of puberty, the mentally ill person becomes sane, hajj becomes fard for both of them. The hajj performed by the child before puberty becomes a nafilah hajj. The following is stated in a hadith:

"There are three people whose actions are not recorded: a sleeper until he awakes, a boy until he reaches puberty, an insane person until he is restored to reason." (Abu Dawud, Hudud,17; Ibn Majah, Talaq, 15)

Mental disease, fainting, drunkenness and sleep do not eliminate the order of ihram. (see Ibnul-Humam, Fathu'l-Qadir, II/120 ff.; al Maydani, al Lubab, I/177; Ibn Rushd, Bidayatul-Muctahid, I/308 ff.; Ibn Qudama, al-Mughni, III/218-222, 241, 248-250)

3. Being Free: Hajj is not fard for a slave and prisoner. For, hajj necessitates a long journey and it is necessary to be able to be strong and rich enough to make this journey. A person who is not free cannot make this journey.

4. Time: Hajj does not become fard unless a person reaches Arafat for waqfa and the Kaaba for circumambulation of ziyarah at certain times. The following verses show that hajj is a deed of worshipping based on time:

"They ask thee concerning the New Moons. Say: they are but signs to mark fixed periods of time in (the affairs of) men, and for pilgrimage." (al-Baqara, 2/189)

"For Hajj are the months well known." (al-Baqara, 2/197)

According to Hanafis and Hanbalis, hajj months are Shawwal, Dhul-Qada and the first ten days of Dhul-Hijja. The following hadith reported from Abadila (Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar and Ibn Zubayr) is shown as evidence for it:

"The greatest hajj (hajj al-akbar) is the days of eid al-adha." (Bukhari, Hajj, 33, 34, Umra, 9; Muslim, Hajj, 123; Nasai, Manasik, 77; Darimi, Manasik, 38; Muwatta ; Hajj, 63)

The times outside this period are not suitable for entering ihram and performing parts of hajj. However, if a person enters ihram before these months with the intention of hajj, his ihram and hajj will be valid. The evidence for this is the following verse:

"And complete the Hajj or `Umrah in the service of Allah." (al-Baqara, 2/196)

In that case, it is not permissible to do any of hajj deeds before hajj months start. According to Hanafis, ihram is a condition; to do it before its time is like making wudu before the time of prayer. For, ihram means (for the person to make hajj) to make some things haram and some things necessary for himself. It is similar to starting ihram before Miqat. However, it is makruh to enter ihram before hajj months. The following hadith reported by Ibn Abbas (d. 68/687) is evidence for it: "It is among sunnahs to enter ihram only in hajj months." (Bukhari)

According to Malikis, hajj months are three months. Ihram starts at the beginning of Shawwal, that is, the first night of eid al-fitr and continues until the dawn of the first day of eid al-adha. If a person stays in Arafat for a moment with ihram before dawn on the first day of eid al-adha, he is regarded to have reached hajj. Then, he needs to do the other deeds of hajj like the circumambulation of ziyarah and sa'y. (Ibnul-Humam, ibid, II/ 220 ff.; Ibn Qudama, al-Mughni, III/271; ash-Shirazi, al Muhadhdhab, I/200; az-Zuhayli, ibid, III/63-65)

5. Affording hajj (istitaa). This may be related to the safety of the body, wealth and way. The following is stated in the verse:

"…Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah―those who can afford the journey." (Aal-i Imran, 3/97)

According to Hanafis, the phrase "those who can afford the journey" includes the elements of the "body, wealth and safety". They form the conditions of performing hajj.

a. Sound body and health. Accordingly, hajj is not fard for a person who is invalid, very ill, blind, paralyzed, who has had both of his legs amputated, an old person who cannot sit on a mount without the help of a person, a person who is in prison and a person whom cruel administrators do not give a visa. For, Allah made it a condition for hajj to become fard "to afford/to be able to go to hajj". Ibn Abbas interprets the word "istitaa" as victuals (food and drink necessary on the way) and mount (camel, horse, car, etc.). The following is stated in a verse:

"On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear." (al-Baqara, 2/286)

b. To have enough wealth. It includes the food he needs to eat on the way and (fare of) means of transportation. Accordingly, a person who wants to go to hajj needs to have enough money (wealth) to provide food for himself and the people in his family during hajj journey and to buy tickets for the transportation (or to have the means of transportation). The people living in Makkah and around Makkah do not have to have a means of transportation; it is enough to be healthy enough to walk for them.

c. Road Safety. Road safety (security on the road) is necessary for hajj to be fard. According to Abu Hanifa, it is among the conditions for its being fard but according to other scholars, for performing hajj.

Road Safety for women: If a woman has a mahram male relative who is not fasiq, who is sane and who is older than 12, or her husband with her, the road (journey) becomes safe for her. It is makruh tahrimi for a woman to go to Makkah from a distant place (that lasts three days and nights or more on foot) without her husband or a mahram male relative. If she performs hajj like that, it is makruh but permissible. The existence of a mahram male relative is a condition for being fard but some scholars say it is a condition for performing hajj. Due to the widespread mischief today, a woman cannot go on a journey with her milk brother. It is makruh for her to remain alone with her milk brother as it is the case with young relatives through marriage. Shafiis add the following principles regarding the issue: "A woman can perform hajj with other reliable women in the group (convoy). (see al-Qasani, ibid, II/121-125; al Maydani, al Lubab, I/177; Ibn Abidin, Raddul-Muhtar, II/94-199; ash-Shirazi, ibid, 196-198; az-Zuhayli, ibid, III/25-32)

If you have the conditions stated above, hajj is fard for you.

54 What is the wisdom behind the prohibitions of ihram in hajj and umrah?

To understand ihram:

“Ihram” means to make some words, deeds and acts that are actually permissible haram for the people who are performing hajj and umrah for a certain time within the framework of prohibitions imposed by Allah and His Messenger.

These prohibitions start when a person makes niyyah (intention) and enters ihram for hajj or umrah. Men who enter ihram uncover their heads, take off their normal clothes and wrap two pieces of seamless towels called “izar and rida” around their bodies. There is no special clothing for the ihram of women. Their ihram is represented by the obligation of leaving their faces uncovered. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in a narration:

“A woman’s ihram is on her face and a man’s ihram is on his head.” (Daraqutni, Sunan, II/294)

Wrapping the body with ihram has the following meaning:

Those who come to hajj leave their worldly clothes that show their social and economic status, their uniforms that show their ranks and positions, all kinds of indicators (jewels, make-up, etc) that show their pleasures, cultures and characteristics; they wear two simple pieces of towels symbolizing that everybody is equal in the eye of Allah. That is, ihram, first of all, states that wealth, goods, property and material things are worth nothing in the eye of Allah and that Muslims are equal and brothers in this holy atmosphere. There is nothing showing that one of them is superior to another. Worldly clothes are taken off and only personalities are shown.

In other words, decorated clothes that usually hide personalities are left and “the clothing of taqwa” is regarded as a basis. The two pieces of towels serve to ensure equality and cover awrah places. The real clothing that needs to be put on in this holy journey, which starts at miqat, is the clothing of taqwa, that is, the consciousness of responsibility. For, as Allah states,

“The raiment of righteousness,― that is the best.” (al-A’raf, 7/26)

A Muslim enters the region of Haram bareheaded and barefooted, in an appearance of hunger, need, non-existence and poverty, showing that his power, strength, rank, position and existence mean nothing in the presence of the owner of endless power and strength. This also symbolizes Hz. Adam, the first man in creation, when various social elements that made people different from one another like nation, class and social status had not formed yet.

Ihram is understood as joining white-winged angels due to intending to meet Allah, going there after repenting, opening a new page for oneself, prohibitions starting with ihram, keeping away from sins as much as possible, and similar changes. The hajji will pursuit angelic faculties, not human characteristics. He will never disobey Allah just like angels and will do whatever he is ordered to do. At least, during hajj, he will keep away from human weaknesses like his soul and lust; he will virtually become an angel with the new faculties he obtains.

In their white garments, hajjis virtually unfurl flags of peace and become white doves, which are symbols of peace. They enter the forbidden area, the area of inviolability, warless zone and land of peace.

A hajji declares that he is in peaceful terms with his Lord, that he is in peaceful terms with himself and that he has come to make peace with all of his brothers. Ihram, which is the symbol of peace, on the one hand, and the invisible war of the hajji against Satan, his lust and soul in order to ensure this peace on the other hand are like armor in this war. Ordinary armor protects a person from coming blows while this ihram protects him from his soul, lust and Satan. As the Prophet (pbuh) says,

“Fasting is an armor for the person who performs it.” (Muslim, Siyam, 162)

Similarly, ihram is a strong armor and shield protecting a person from all inner and outer blows.

Another aspect of hajj is that it reminds death, resurrection and Gathering Place. The Muslims who are enshrouded in white garments virtually rehearse for death and life after death in hajj. All Muslims show that they are brothers and are equal in the presence of Allah wearing the same garments no matter what their statuses are. They experience death with ihram; they experience resurrection and gathering in Arafat; they enter into the presence of Allah with this spirit. To sum up, they try to acquire the consciousness of “dying before death” and spiritual resurrection. Thus, they suggest to themselves that they are ready to surrender to divine will by doing an important exercise of will.

Ihram symbolizes the shroud that each Muslim will wear when they die. A Muslim who goes to hajj is conscious of the similarity between the garment he puts on in ihram and the garment he will be wrapped in while entering the grave; thus, in a sense, he feels that he is adapting himself to an extraterrestrial system and perceives its effects. A hajji wears the garment of death in the world, wears ihram as if he is in the hereafter in the Gathering Place. Anything that he knows to be valuable up to that time like wealth, rank, nationality, gender and human superiorities melt in the color of ihram and he shows his Lord that he is only His slave. This garment, which has no color, seam, badge and flag, isolates Muslims from all worldly powers and facilities.

With their snow-white ihrams during the season of hajj, hajjis remind us resurrection from the graves wearing white shrouds and coming together in the Gathering Place. By experiencing this scenario of resurrection, a conscious hajji promises to prepare better for the real resurrection in afterlife and realizes a hearty resurrection in his spirit.

With ihram, it looks as if shrouds are worn, bodies are left in miqat places and spirits proceed to the region of Haram. All of the feelings of “I” and “ego” are taken off with the clothes in miqat and people unite in the Kaaba, which is the center of divine attraction, as “we”. In that case, ihram is not only an outward change of clothes but also a radical change in the lifestyle and attitude of man. As a matter of fact, a person who is in ihram has to keep away from certain deeds that are permissible for him at other times as long as he wears ihram. This non-scheduled life is an important opportunity that enables a person to get rid of his temporary concerns, habits and addictions and to call himself to account.

The Muslims who take off their causal clothes and wear snow-white and spotless ihrams during hajj get rid of their bad desires and habits, and show the determination to start a new and clean life along with keeping away from all kinds of show-off and ostentation, not boasting about their jewels and wealth, remembering life and afterlife by experiencing them.

The prohibitions imposed for the person in ihram provides him with the ability not to harm living beings, to show compassion and mercy to all creatures, to show endurance to difficulties, in short, the ability to live regularly and in a disciplined way. The Muslims who undergo this training acquire the ability not to harm and then to be useful to their environment.

A person’s taking off his clothes and wrapping two pieces of towels around his body symbolizes discarding all of his worldly possessions and walking toward God Almighty. He can see more easily that he is all alone and is the slave of his Lord only. He can become conscious that what will make him valuable in such a situation is worshipping and obeying his Lord.

In order to ensure the desired spiritual regeneration in hajj, a person needs to discard not only his clothes but also all kinds of spiritual impurities and the weights that are a burden for his soul while entering ihram. He needs to put aside all worldly concerns and concentrate on purifying his soul. While taking off his clothes and wrapping two pieces of towels around his body, he needs to discard all of the things that bother his spirit, disturb his heart and form a weight on his spirituality before entering the sacred atmosphere of hajj.

Understanding the Prohibitions:

“Let there be no obscenity nor wickedness nor wrangling in the Hajj.” (al-Baqara, 2/197)

A hajji makes some halal and permissible things haram for himself in order to worship. The takbir of iftitah uttered while starting a prayer prohibits a person from doing certain things in the prayer; a person who starts fasting prohibits himself from eating and drinking with imsak; similarly, a hajji makes certain things that are permissible for him haram with ihram. The Quran mentions three kinds of prohibitions regarding the issue:

1. “Rafath (obscenity)” includes all kinds of talks that are related to sexual desires and all kinds of sexual prohibitions.
2. “Fisq and fusuq (wickedness)” include all kinds of sins, evils and bad deeds.
3. “Jidal (wrangling)” includes all kinds of fights, quarreling, arguments, cursing and combatting.

As it can be seen, the first one of these three kinds of prohibitions aims to protect a person from his lust, the second from his soul and the third from others. It means a person must not have any problems with his lust, soul and brothers during hajj and must be in peaceful terms with them.

In general, these three aspects cause people commit a lot of sins. Man should not be hit by them. He should protect himself from them with this experience after hajj too. The Prophet (pbuh) gives the glad tiding that a person who performs hajj by obeying these prohibitions will be as if he has just been born. (Bukhari, Hajj, 4)

Along with these basic prohibitions determined by the Quran, some hadiths include some ihram prohibitions. They are as follows: during ihram, men must not wear anything - except slippers and two pieces of towels - ; men and women must not wear perfume after entering ihram, must not hunt any animals and must not harm the plants and trees in the region of haram. Other prohibitions include shedding blood by any reason, taking something found except with the intention of giving it to the lost property office. Ihram prohibitions covers not only Muslims or people but also other living and non-living beings, almost everything.

All animals, plants, the nature and the environment granted to believers by Allah are a kind of untouchable protected area. You must not harm anything, pick up any grass or flowers and frighten any birds in this region. Let alone spitting on the ground, you must not drop litter. For, to pick up litter from the ground is regarded as sadaqah, that is loyalty to Allah, even in other places. To do the opposite of it in the region of Haram, that is, polluting it instead of cleaning is disloyalty.

Since it is essential not to harm anything during hajj, man needs to be careful about his relationships with his environment. Especially the sensitivity that needs to be shown toward living beings like plants and animals will make a person nurture a sensitivity that he cannot develop at other times. A hajji cannot harm a green leaf, any living beings after that.

In addition, moral attitudes like not to be furious, not to harm anybody and to behave in a friendly manner are among the spiritual acquisitions that those who perform hajj will get.

In short, all kinds of things and deeds that can disturb social peace and unity, that can lead to egoism and that can remind the previous pleasures and interests are forbidden during ihram.

55 Will you give information about hajjis' performing eid al-adha prayer and hajj al-qiran?

1. If Friday prayer is fard for a person, eid prayer is wajib for him. This decree is according to Hanafi madhab. It is sunnah according to other madhhabs. Eid prayers were rendered legitimate in the first year of the Migration.

The Muslims who go to hajj do not perform eid al-adha due to being travelers, hajj duties that need to be done at the time of eid prayer and due to the hardships. If they meet people performing eid al-adha prayer somewhere, they can perform eid prayer with them. However, those who do not perform it are not held responsible.

2. Hajj al-qiran is the hajj that is performed in accordance with its rules after performing umrah by combining umrah and fard hajj before hajj months or during hajj months before miqat or at miqat with one niyyah (intention). Hajj performed like this is more virtuous than "hajj at-tamattu". A person who performs this hajj is called "Qarin". The hajj performed like this is called "hajj al-qiran".

HAJJ AL-QIRAN

It means performing hajj and umrah with one ihram.

Qiran lexically means to bring two things together. Terminologically, it means to combine the ihram of hajj and umrah, that is, to enter ihram for both of them.

A person who wants to perform hajj al-qiran makes intention for hajj and umrah together at miqat or earlier and performs a two-rak'ah prayer; then, he prays as follows: "O Allah! I want to make umrah with hajj; make them easy for me and accept them from me!" He utters talbiyah and acts in accordance with ihram prohibitions. He goes to Makkah and performs umrah first; he circumambulates the Kaaba, makes sa'y between Safa and Marwa. Then, he starts to perform fard hajj like a person who performs hajj al-ifrad. He completes his hajj and umrah with the rituals of hajj like tawaf al-qudum, waqfa in Arafat, tawaf az-ziyarah, sa'y and tawaf al-wada. The following is stated in the Quran: "And complete the Hajj or `Umrah in the service of Allah." (al-Baqara, 2/ 196). We are asked by the verse to complete the hajj that we start without making discrimination between hajj al-qiran and the oher types of hajj. Sabiy b. Ma'bad performed hajj with two tawafs and two sa'ys. Hz. Umar said to him, "You found the way leading to the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)." (Zaylai, Nasbur-Raya, III, 109); Hz. Ali said to a person who performed hajj al-qiran, "When you utter talbiyah for hajj and umrah, make two tawafs and two sa'ys for them." (Zaylai, ibid, III, 111)

According to the madhhab imams except Hanafis, one tawaf and one sa'y is enough for umrah and hajj for a person who performs hajj al-qiran: "One tawaf and one sa'y is enough for a person who enters ihram for hajj and umrah until he exits ihram for both of them." (Zaylai, ibid, III, 108) However, a person who performs hajj al-qiran does tawaf al-qudum before tawaf al-ifada just like in hajj al-ifrad; if he has not made sa'y after tawaf al-qudum, he makes sa'y after tawaf al-ifada.

A person who performs hajj al-qiran sacrifices an animal as thanking like in hajj at-tamattu after finishing stoning or after stoning only jamarah al-Aqaba and before having a haircut. This is wajib. If he cannot find an animal to sacrifice, he fasts for three days ending on the day of Arafah and seven days after eid days end when he wishes, totally ten days. These seven days can be performed on separate days. The following is stated in the Quran: "If anyone wishes to continue the 'Umrah on to the Hajj, he must make an offering such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, he should fast three days during the Hajj and seven days on his return making ten days in all." (al-Baqara, 2/196) If he does not perform fasting three days before eid al-adha, he will have to sacrifice two animals. One of them is sacrifice for thanking and the other sacrifice of penalty due to exiting ihram earlier than its determined time. (Ibn Qudama, al-Mughni, III, 469, 476-478; Ibn Rushd, Bidayatul-Mujtahid, I, 357; al-Qasani, Badayius-Sanayi', II, 159; Ibn Abidin, Raddul-Muhtar, Trnsl. by A. Davudoğlu, İstanbul 1983, V, 33-46)

56 Is it regarded as disrespect to visit the grave of the Prophet (pbuh) by wearing a turban and a prayer cap?

It is the best to visit the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by wearing a turban or a prayer cap. It is better for a person to utter salawat individually in terms of peace, awe and respect while visiting the grave of the Prophet (pbuh).

Therefore, one should not greet the Prophet (pbuh) by shouting, should not pray aloud in his presence and should not act disrespectfully and impiously. One should not touch and kiss the wall of the tomb; should not circumambulate it and should not bow down before it. Such deeds are makruh and ugly bid’ahs.

It is definitely haram to prostrate by turning toward the tomb of the Prophet; if it is done with the intention of worshipping, it is regarded as unbelief.

After performing tahiyyatul-masjid prayer, one should make dua (say prayers), approach the grave of the Prophet modestly, decently and calmly and stop 1.5 meters before the grave at the head of the Messenger of Allah by turning toward the Messenger of Allah.

Expecting that the Messenger of Allah will see him, hear his words, accept his greeting and say "amin", he should say,

"As-salamu alayka ya sayyidi ya Rasulallah, as-salamu alayka ya nabiyyallah..."

(Greetings to you O my master, O Messenger of Allah! Greetings to you O Prophet of Allah)

and similar greetings and prayers that exist in relevant books.

Then, he should proceed to the right about one meter and stand at the head of Hz. Abu Bakr; then, he should proceed about one more meter and stand at the head of Hz. Umar. He should greet them and say prayers.

Then, he should return to the head of the Prophet (pbuh), turn toward the qiblah and say prayers.

57 Is it permissible to go to hajj with the money obtained from interest?

According to Hanbali madhhab, hajj performed by haram money is not valid but according to the other three madhhabs, hajj is valid but that person becomes a sinner; that is, he is freed from the responsibility of hajj.

Hajj is not performed with haram money; if one goes to hajj with haram money, his hajj is valid but its thawab is not like the thawab of hajj performed with halal money.

As it is known, a fully accepted hajj is enough for the elimination of all sins of a person except for the violation of others’ rights. A person is virtually regarded as having just been born in terms of sins. However, it is necessary to pay attention to the following five conditions at least:

1. To go to hajj with a sincere intention, that is, only for the sake of Allah. To forget about everything except Allah as if visiting Him.

2. To go to hajj with clean (halal) money.

3. To pay his debts related to other peoples’ rights or to ask forgiveness from them, to perform his missed (qada) prayers and fasting or to decide to perform them and start.

4. To keep away from nonsensical and bad words, intentions and deeds (rafath and fusuq).

5. To complete hajj based on its other external and internal conditions.

58 Is the hajj of a woman who uncovers her head after returning from hajj not accepted?

It is fard for a woman to cover her body and it is stated in the Quran and hadiths.

It is fard for a person who has the opportunity to go hajj; if he does not go, he abandons a fard.

Not covering her body does not prevent a woman from going to hajj; uncovering her head after returning from hajj does not invalidate her hajj. It is not appropriate for a woman not to go to hajj because her head is uncovered.

A woman who does not cover her head can go to hajj or umrah; she can perform prayers and fasting; she receives the thawabs of her worshipping. The sin of not covering her head is evaluated separately. From this point of view, the thawab of going to hajj is different and the sin of uncovering her head is different. She receives the thawab of going to hajj but she commits a sin when she leaves her head uncovered.

The thawab of each worship and the sin of each haram should be evaluated separately. It is not appropriate to think that a person’s worshipping is invalid because he commits a sin.

It is hoped that the prayers that are performed will eliminate the other deficiencies of a person and will cause her to cover her head.

It is a very wrong deed to alienate people from worshipping with such unfounded and useless words.

Committing a sin does not prevent a person from worshipping; similarly, it is not appropriate to abandon worshipping because of committing sins.

59 If a woman who does not cover her head goes to Makkah to perform umrah and if she does not cover her head after umrah, will she be held responsible for it?

The places of deeds are separate. If a person commits a sin, it does not prevent his worship. He can do any deeds of worship and gets thawab for them.

A woman who does not cover her head can go to hajj or umrah, can perform prayers and fasting; she will receive thawabs for them. The sin of not covering her head is dealt with separately. It is hoped that the prayers that are performed and the deeds of worship that are done will eliminate the other mistakes of a person and cause her to cover her head.

It is very wrong act to drive people away from worshipping with such meaningless and useless words. Committing a sin does not prevent a person from worshipping.

It is fard for a woman to cover her head and it is stated in the Quran and hadiths.

A woman’s not covering her head does not prevent her from going to hajj or umrah; if she does not cover her head after returning from hajj or umrah, her worship of hajj or umrah will not be annulled.

60 Is it permissible to go to hajj by borrowing money?

It is necessary for a Muslim to be healthy and wealthy enough to go to hajj, to be free and sane, and to have reached the age of puberty in order to be obliged to perform the duty of hajj worshipping. Therefore, it is not necessary for a person who cannot afford to go to hajj to borrow money in order to go to hajj. However, if he borrows money and goes to hajj, his hajj is valid and he is freed from the responsibility of performing hajj.

On the other hand, if a person has all of the conditions that make hajj obligatory for him but does not have cash during the time of hajj and if he borrows money, he has the power to repay it easily afterwards, it will be appropriate for such a person to go to hajj in order to perform it as soon as possible.

61 Is it permissible for a Hanafi woman to go to hajj alone by imitating Shafii madhhab? How should she perform hajj there?

Such a woman can imitate Shafii madhhab only regarding journey; she performs hajj in accordance with her own madhhab.

According to Shafii madhhab, it is necessary for a woman to have her husband, a mahram male relative or a few woman with her for hajj to be wajib to her. That is, if her husband or a mahram male relative goes to hajj with her, she can perform hajj with him; if not, she can go to hajj with a few women. If she cannot find them, she does not have to go to hajj even if the journey is safe. However, if she wishes, she can go.

According to Hanafi madhhab, it is not permissible for a woman to go on a journey alone; therefore, it is not appropriate for you to go to hajj without a male mahram relative. A male mahram relative like your father, brother, paternal uncle and maternal uncle has to go with you.

However, if there is safety of life, wealth and honor thanks to the measures that are taken and suitable companions, you can go to hajj or umrah by imitating Shafii madhhab without having a mahram male relative with you." (Prof. Dr. Hayrettin Karaman)

62 Is it necessary for a person to go to hajj in the same year when it becomes fard for him? If a person cannot go to hajj when it becomes fard for him and if he loses the conditions of hajj afterwards, is it still fard for him to go to hajj?

The worshipping of hajj is fard for every Muslim who is sane, rich enough to go to hajj and healthy, once in his life. Accordingly, must a Muslim perform hajj in the year when it becomes fard for him or can he postpone to the years to come? If he postpones it, is he regarded to have committed a sin and is he held responsible?

The view of the majority of the scholars regarding the issue is different from that of some mujtahids. For instance, according to Imam Malik, the founder of Maliki madhhab, and Abu Hanifa and Abu Yusuf from Hanafi madhhab, a person for whom hajj becomes fard needs to go to hajj in the same year. For, hajj is immediate; it is necessary to go in the year it becomes fard; if it is postponed to the coming years, it is a sin. Furthermore, according to these mujtahids, a Muslim for whom hajj is fard and who can marry needs to go to hajj first and postpone marriage. However, if there is a possibility that he cannot control his soul if he does not marry, he gets married and postpones hajj to the following year.

According to Imam Shafii and Imam Muhammad, who is a Hanafi scholar, a person for whom hajj becomes fard can perform hajj any year during his lifetime. According to them, hajj is a worship that can be performed when one is alive; it can be performed any year.

The clear view of Shafii madhhab regarding the issue is as follows:

A person for whom hajj becomes fard does not become a sinner if he postpones it to the next year and does not go to hajj in the same year when it becomes fard. However, the following two conditions need to be present for postponing hajj:

Firstly, he must not fear that he can miss hajj next year due to old age, weakness or losing his wealth. If one of these worries exists, he has to go to hajj in the same year; if he postpones it, he will be a sinner.

Secondly, if a person could not go to hajj in the year when it became fard, he has to try hard to go to hajj the next year. If he does not make any efforts to go to hajj in the following years, he becomes a sinner.1

Imam Muhammad states that it is permissible to postpone hajj to the years to come. According to him, the time period for a prayer (salah) is a certain time; the time period for hajj worshipping is a person’s lifetime. It is permissible to delay a prayer to the end of its time period; similarly, it is permissible to delay hajj to the end of one’s life. However, this permission does not mean it is necessary to delay it; it means it does not have to be performed immediately.

However, when a person postpones hajj for one year when it becomes fard, he does not become a fasiq. Nevertheless, if he continues postponing it every year though the conditions of hajj are present, he is regarded to have committed a makruh tahrimi deed because he abandons a wajib by not performing a fard in time.

If a person for whom hajj becomes fard postpones it and dies before performing it, he becomes a sinner because he owes a hajj. However, if he goes to hajj a few years before he dies, his hajj is regarded to have been performed in time, not as qada (missed). That is, if he performs hajj not in the same year when it becomes fard but, say, ten years later, he is regarded to have performed hajj and paid his debt. 2

As it is seen, the view of both Shafii madhhab and Imam Muhammad about postponing hajj is only a permission. However, postponing hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam just like prayer, fasting and zakah, to an old age like 60 to 70 years by using some worldly affairs as excuses causes a wajib to be abandoned; according to the majority of scholars and two great imams of Hanafi madhhab, such a person will be under a heavy responsibility.

Due to not paying attention to this issue very much, people in some countries, especially in Turkey, hold a view that it is better to go to hajj at an old age like sixty or seventy or after being retired. This view is based on the excuse of “not being able to act in accordance with the responsibilities of a hajji”.

What does it mean? If it means not being able to give up some bad habits (harams), a Muslim has to keep away from harams before hajj too; and he has to perform fards before hajj too. Such an excuse is the trick of the soul and a delusion. If a person for whom hajj is fard has such a delusion, it means he will be held responsible for abandoning a fard worship.

Therefore, it is necessary to perform hajj in the same year when it becomes fard in order to get rid of this responsibility and sin. This is the strong view accepted as the strong view according to all madhhabs.

Footnotes:

1. al-Madhahibul-Arbaa, I/631-632.
2. Majmaul-Anhur, I/260; Ibn Abidin, II/140-141.

(Mehmed Paksu, İbadet Hayatımız-1)

63 Travelling for umrah without mahram, will the umrah be accepted?

Yes, the ʿumrah is valid. Moreover, if there is safety and security, there is no sin.

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