Hajj, pilgrimage to Umrah Hajj packages (Makkah) 2023-2024: prices, dates

1st to 8th Dhul Hiji

• On the way to Mecca: put on ihram.
• Check into a hotel in Mecca.
• Visit the al-Haram mosque.
• Enter the mosque with your right foot and read the dua.
• Go around the Kaaba 7 times, pray for the maqam.
• Run 7 times between Safa and Marva, drink Zamzam.
• Go to the salon and get your hair cut.
• Read the obligatory prayers with the jamaat.
• Return to the hotel, remove ihram and change clothes.

8 is the number of Dhul Hiji

• After sunrise: ihram, then to Mina valley.
• During the day: prayers in the jamaat in Mina.

9-dhul-hiji number

• After the morning prayer: to Mount Arafat
• In the afternoon: prayers in the Jamaat at the Namir Mosque
• Read prayers, dhikrs and ask for forgiveness.
• After the evening prayer: go to Muzdalifah.

10 is the number of dhul-hiji

• After the morning prayer: head to Mina.
• Go throw 7 pebbles at Jamarat al-Aqaba.
• Sacrifice (if you have not entrusted it to others).
• Get a haircut, remove ihram and change clothes in tents
• Go to al-Haram, do tawaf and sai

11,12,13 – Dhul-Hijji numbers

• After lunch prayer: visit 3 jamarats.
• Perform Tawaf al-Wada’ before leaving

Ihram is the first action of the rituals of Hajj and Umrah, it means the intention of a person to start the rituals. The time of entering ihram for Umrah is any time during the year. There are certain months for the Hajj: Shawwal, Dhul-Qa’da and the first decade of Dhul-Hijji.

Both Hajj and Umrah begin from the moment you enter ihram in miqat.

Miqats are sites where pilgrims wear ihram. The Prophet (S.A.U.) determined 5 miqats, on which those who perform Hajj or Umra are obliged to enter the state of ihram: -Khuleifu, for those coming from Syria – al-Juhfu, for those arriving from Najd – Karn al-Manazil, and for residents of Yemen – Yalamlam. These places are intended for them, as well as for everyone who wishes to make the Hajj or the small pilgrimage, but arrives at the above places from outside the mentioned areas. And as for those who live near Mecca, their pilgrimage will begin where they start their journey, and therefore the people of Mecca must enter ihram in Mecca itself. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

The following things are allowed during ihram:

• Put on a watch;
• Use hearing aids or headphones;
• Wear rings;
• Wear sandals;
• Wear glasses;
• To gird with a belt;
• Take cover under the shade of an umbrella;
• Take cover under the roof of the car;
• Wear luggage on your head;
• Wear a bed on your head;
• Bandage the wound, change the clothes of ihram and wash them;
• Wash your hair and take a shower.

If a person in ihram, out of forgetfulness or ignorance, covers his head, then in this case there is nothing reprehensible, but he is obliged to remove the headdress as soon as he remembers this or his mistake is explained to him.

Prayer standing in the Arafat valley is one of the obligatory pillars of the Hajj, without which the latter will not be valid. As the Messenger of Allah (S.A.U.) said: “Hajj is Arafat.” (Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi)

The day of Arafat is the best of the days on which the sun rose. On this Great Day, all pilgrims gather at Arafat and stand here from sunrise to sunset. In the Sahih Muslim collection, there is a hadith from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her!), That the prophet (saw) said:

“There is no day like the day of Arafat, in which Allah frees His slave so much from the fire. And the Almighty, descending to the nearest heaven, boasts before His angels, saying: “What do these (My servants) want?”.

It is advisable for the pilgrim, if possible, to stop at the Namir Mosque before the onset of Zuhr prayer, as this is Sunnah. During the zuhr prayer, one adhan and two iqamat are read (ikamah is pronounced immediately before the beginning of each obligatory prayer). Then the imam reads a khutba (sermon) with instructions for the people and, together with the rest of the Muslims, prays zuhr and asr, combining them and reducing each of the prayers to two rak’ats, as the prophet did (s.au.). Additional prayers are performed at will. Since part of the mosque is located outside the boundaries of Mount Arafat, the pilgrim after prayer should make sure that he is really within it.

It is reported that ‘Urwa ibn Mudarris, may Allah Almighty be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“Whoever was present at our prayer in Muzdalifah and stood with us until we set off, and even earlier stood in the Arafat valley day or night, he performed the Hajj and performed its rites.” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasai and Ibn Maja)

THIS IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW:

• On the day of Arafah, the pilgrim must be on the territory of Mount Arafat before sunset.
• The Namir Mosque is located on the territory of Mount Arafat, but part of it, namely the eastern side, is outside the borders of Arafat. Therefore, the pilgrim needs to remember this and pay attention to the signs inside the mosque. Note: The day of Arafah is the most important day of the Hajj.
• Therefore, pilgrims need to beware of any mistakes that may deprive them of the reward and recompense of the Hajj.
• You should not stop outside Arafat, stay there before sunset and go to the Muzdalifah valley ahead of time. Whoever did this did not perform the Hajj;
• You mustn’t leave Arafat before sunset. This is forbidden, as it contradicts the actions of the prophet (s.a.u.);
  It is not allowed to create crush and push with the use of force in order to climb Mount Arafat (Jabal ar-Rahmah) and reach the top, wipe stones in order to receive blessings and perform prayers on the top of the mountain.
• It is a big mistake to point your face towards Mount Arafat during du’a.

Tawaf, like prayer, can be performed as many times as you like, but only 7 circles each. During the Hajj, people need to perform at least three types of tawaf:

1. Tawaf al-Kudum. The first circuit around the Kaaba, made by pilgrims after arriving in Mecca.

2. Tawaf al-Ifada. The obligatory tawaf of the Hajj, performed after Jamarat al-Aqab (on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijja).

3. Tawaf al-Wada’. Farewell tawaf is the last obligatory action of the Hajj.

Tawaf al-kudum (circumvention around the Kaaba).

After completing the tawaf:

1. It is necessary to close the right shoulder (for men).

2. Perform a prayer in two rak’ats behind the maqam of Ibrahim, which is Sunnah.
If it is difficult to read the prayer behind the maqam, then you can perform it in any other place in the mosque. In the first rak’at after the al-Fatiha surah, it is advisable to read the al-Kafirun surah. In the second rak’at after the al-Fatiha surah, it is advisable to read the al-Ikhlas surah. It is allowed if these two suras are replaced by others.

Surah Al-Kafirun
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
Kul ya ayukhal-kafirun. La a’du ma
ta’budun. Wa la antum ‘abiduna ma a’bud. Wa
la ana ‘abidum ma ‘abattum. Va la antum
‘abiduna ma a’bud. Lakum dinukum va lidin.

Surah al-Ikhlas
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
Kul huwallahu ahad. Allahus-Samad.
Lam yalid wa lam yulyad, wa lam yakul-lahu
kufuvan ahad.

Mistakes in Tawaf

1. Some pilgrims go around the Kaaba from the inside of the Hijr (a semicircular wall near the Kaaba). This is a mistake, as Hijr is part of the Kaaba, and it is necessary to do tawaf outside of it, and not from the inside.

2. Touching and wiping all the corners of the Kaaba, its walls, bedspreads, doors and Makam Ibrahim, peace be upon him. All these actions are forbidden, as they belong to the category of innovations that do not have a basis in Sharia, which the Prophet (saw) did not do.

3. Participation of women in the stampede, where they come into contact with strangers men. This happens mainly during tawaf, at the Black Stone or at Maqam Ibrahim. Therefore, you need to move away from large crowds of people.

1. Sa’y is a seven-fold walk between the two hills of Safa and Marwa, located inside the al-Haram mosque.

2. Distance between two hills = 450 m.

3. Men, having reached the green lights, start running to the next green lights, after which they continue to walk at a normal pace.

4. During the Hajj tamattu, sa’y is performed 2 times. Once for Umrah (on the first day of arrival, after Tawaf Kudum), another for the Hajj itself (on the 10th day of Zul-Hijja after Tawaf Ifada).

5. During Hajj qiran, sa’y is performed only once for Umrah and Hajj together (on the first day of arrival, after tawaf kudum or on the 10th day of dhul-hijja after tawaf ifrad)

6. During Hajj Ifrad, Sa’y is also performed only once for Umrah and Hajj together (on the first day of arrival or on the 10th day of Zul Hijjah).

Safa

After the end of the tawaf, the pilgrim goes to Safa to perform seven walks between the hills. Approaching Safa, he says: “I start from where Allah began” and quotes the verse:

“Innas-sofa wal maruata min sha’irillah”.

Then he rises to Safa, stands on it and heads towards the Kaaba, praises Allah three times: “Alhamdu lillah” and exalts Him: “Allahu Akbar”, and raising his hands, makes du’a (calls out):

“La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharalyah. Lyakhul mulku wa lyakhul hamdu wa hua hua ala kuli shay in kadir. La ilaha illallahu wahdahu anjaza wadahu wa nasora abdahu wahazamal ahzaba wahdahu.”

Translation: “There is no deity but Allah, who is alone and has no partner. To Him belongs dominion and all praise, and He is powerful over all things. There is no deity but Allah alone, who fulfilled his promise, gave victory to his slave and destroyed the tribes.

(these words are repeated three times)

Between these words, the pilgrim asks the Almighty for whatever he wants, and if the prayer is shorter than the above form, this is allowed. Hands are raised only when making a du’a, with the words jet “Allahu Akbar” they should not be raised. A common mistake pilgrims make is pointing with both hands towards the Kaaba. Then the pilgrim descends from Safa and moves in the direction of Marwa with the usual step, at this moment the pilgrim makes du’a for himself, his family and other Muslims.

Men, having reached the green lights, run to the next green lights, after which they continue to walk at a normal pace.

Marwa

Having reached Marwa, the pilgrim turns to the Kaaba and pronounces the same words as on Safa, with the exception of the verse. Makes dua whatever he wishes and goes to Safa. Whenever the men approach the green lights, they need to quicken their pace to the next lights. On Safa, the same actions are repeated. The passage of the distance from Safa to Marwa is counted as one round of sa’i. In this form, seven rounds of sa’y should be performed.

A pilgrim who started the sa’i on foot is allowed to finish it on a wheelchair if he feels physical discomfort or pain that does not allow him to continue moving on his own.

After sa’y, the one who performs umrah shaves or shortens the hair on his head (shaving the hair is preferable). Hair should be trimmed evenly over the entire head. A woman shortens her hair to the length of one phalanx.

At this, the rites of death are completed and for the pilgrim, actions that are forbidden during ihram become permitted.

Note: Women in the period of monthly or postpartum discharge are allowed to perform sa’y, since this area does not belong to the Forbidden Mosque. However, neither they nor other women are allowed to run during the sa’y.