Hajj-4, Performing the Rites of Hajj

1th step is to Re-assume Ihram and declare your intention to perform Hajj. Depending upon how the trip is scheduled, most pilgrims performing the Tamattu’ pilgrimage have a several-day break in between their Umrah duties and their Hajj duties, so, for sake of ease, they leave the state of Ihram after their Umrah. However, as with Umrah, the Hajj requires ritual purity and meekness before God, so, at the outset of the Hajj, pilgrims re-assume the state of Ihram. As before, bathe, groom yourself, and don the proper Ihram clothes. When you’re ready, say another Niyyah:

“O Allah! I intend to perform Hajj. Please make it easy for me and accept it from me. Amen.”

After, say the Talbiyah three times.

The rites of the Hajj last five days – from the 8th to the 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah. You must maintain in Ihram for about three days, abstaining from the activities that are forbidden to you until this period is over. 

2nd step is to Head to Mina. On the first day of Hajj, pilgrims head to Mina, a town near Mecca, where they spend the rest of the day. Here, the Saudi government provides amenities – thousands upon thousands of white air-conditioned tents provide temporary housing for each year’s pilgrims. On the first night, no major rituals take place, so you may spend your time praying and reflecting with other pilgrims if you wish.

Note that, in Mina, men and women stay in separate tents, which are located neighboring to each other. Though husbands and wives may interact, men cannot enter women’s tents.

3rd step is to  Head to Arafat and perform Waquf. On the second day of Hajj, pilgrims travel to Arafat, which is a nearby mountain. Pilgrims must reach Arafat by the afternoon, because, at this time, a ritual called Waquf begins. From the time when the sun first starts to decline until the time it sets completely, pilgrims hold a vigil on a plain of Arafat during which time they pray and reflect.

No specific prayers are assigned for the Waquf, so simply pray to Allah sincerely from your heart. Many pilgrims like to also spend time reflecting on the course of their life, their future, and their place in the world. 

4 th step is to Pray in Muzdalifah. After sundown, pilgrims head to a place called Muzdalifah between Mina and Arafat. Here, they offer an evening prayer to God (Maghrib) and spend the night sleeping on the ground beneath the open sky.

In the morning, gather pebbles, as you will use these for the Ramy “stoning” ceremony later in the day.

5th step is to Perform Ramy in Mina. Before the sun rises, pilgrims head back to Mina. Here, pilgrims participate in a ceremony meant to symbolize stoning the devil. Pilgrims throw seven consecutive pebbles at a special stone monument called the Jamrat al Aqabah.

This ceremony can be extremely crowded, tense, and emotional. Because of this, the elderly, sick, and injured are discouraged from participating. Instead, they may perform this later in the evening or have a friend or confidant perform the ritual in their place.

6th step is to Offer a sacrifice. After the Ramy ceremony, it’s necessary to offer an animal sacrifice (Qurban) to God. In the past, each pilgrim did this individually, however, today, it’s much more common for pilgrims to simply purchase a sacrifice voucher. These vouchers signify that an animal was sacrificed in your name. After selling vouchers, qualified personnel will sacrifice a lamb for each pilgrim (or a camel for every seven pilgrims), butcher the animals, package the meat, and ship it to Muslim communities all over the world to be used to feed the poor.

Animal sacrifice can be done at any point on the 10th, 11th, or 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah. If Ramy has to be postponed for any reason, you can wait until after Ramy to make your sacrifice.

7th step is to Get your hair cut or shaved. As in the Umrah, pilgrims must have their hair ritually cut. Men may have their hair completely shaved or cut into a very short haircut (if a man selected a short haircut during his Umrah, he may now want to have his hair completely shaved off, though he is not required to). Women can have a short lock of hair cut – their heads are not shaved.

8th step is to Perform the Tawaf and Sa’ey. Just as in the Umrah, the Hajj requires pilgrims to perform the Tawaf and Sa’ey rituals at the Ka’bah and the nearby hills. The rituals are performed essentially identically to how they are performed during the Umrah, but it is highly recommended that these ceremonies be done only after the stoning, sacrifice, and hair-cutting rituals.

After completing the Tawaf and Sa’ey, you are released from your state of Ihram and may resume the activities that were previously prohibited.

At the end of your third day, return to Mina and spend the night there in prayer.

9th step is to Repeat Ramy after sundown on the fourth and fifth days. In Mina, you must once again participate in the stoning ritual. This time, you will not throw pebbles only at the Jamrat al Aqabah, but also at two other monuments – the Jamrat UUlah and Jamrat Wustah.

First, throw pebbles at the Jamrat Oolah, then praise Allah and supplicate with your hands raised (there are no assigned prayers, so you may use your own.) Repeat this for the Jamrat Wustah. Finally, throw your pebbles at the Jamrat al Aqabah, but after, you don’t need to pray – you can return home.

Repeat this ritual after sundown on the fifth day.

Final step is to Perform the Farewell Tawaf. Finally, your Hajj has come to a close. To mark the end of the most important religious experience of your life as a Muslim, perform one final tawaf, walking around the Ka’bah seven times as before. As you perform the Farewell Tawaf, reflect on the thoughts and feelings you’ve experienced on your Hajj. Offer praise and supplication to Allah. When you’ve finished, complete any unfinished business you have remaining in or around Mecca, then depart for your home.

After making the Hajj, many pilgrims choose to travel to Medina, the second-holiest city in Islam. Here, they can visit such holy sites as The Prophet’s Mosque and The Holy Tomb. No Ihram is necessary to visit Medina.