 |
- Four person sharing in one room
- Three person sharing in one room
- Two person sharing in one room
|
|
- Four person sharing in one room
- Three person sharing in one room
- Two person sharing in one room
|
|
- Four person sharing in one room
- Three person sharing in one room
- Two person sharing in one room
|
|
"Hajj" means literally "to set out for a place". For a Muslim, that place is the Holy City of Makkah.
This section is divided into two parts. The first part explains briefly, the history of Hajj and the second part explains the rituals of Hajj.
Statistical information on the Hajj can be sought from the Ministry of Economy and Planning.
>>Haajar and Ishmael
>>Prophet Ibrahim builds the Kaaba
>>After Ibrahiml
>>Period of Idolatry
>>Kaaba rebuilt once more
>>Cleansing of the Kaaba
Top
Ibrahim abandons Haajar and Ishmael
The Holy Qur'an tells us that the Prophet Ibrahim was given the task of leading mankind.
And remember that Ibrahim
Was tried by His Lord
With certain Commands
Which he fulfilled:
He said: "I will make thee
An Imam to the Nations."
Prophet Ibrahim was ordered to go Makkah. When he reached Makkah, he was commanded by Allah to abandon his second wife, Haajar, and his first-born son Ishmael in this barren, rocky, uninhabited valley.
O our Lord! I have made
Some of my offspring to dwell
In a valley without cultivation,
By The Sacred House;
In order, O our Lord, that they
May establish regular Prayer:
So fill the hearts of some
Among men with love towards them,
And feed them with Fruits
So that they may give thanks.
S 14.37
Soon Haajar's meager provisions of dates and water were exhausted and both mother and child became thirsty. Seeing the suffering of her son, Haajar became desperate to find water. She ran to the hill of Safa but found nothing. She then ran to the hill of Marwah. But again she was disappointed. Seven times she ran between the two hills. Suddenly, close to where Ishmael lay, water sprang from the earth by the command of Allah. This source of water was to become known as the well of Zamzam.
Top
The Prophet Ibrahim builds the Kaaba and performs Hajj (1)
The rites of the Hajj were laid down by Allah to mark historic events in the life of Prophet Ibrahim, which show his absolute and total submission to the will of Allah. Allah commanded the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), on one of his visits to see Haajar and Ishmael, to build the House of God (the Holy Kaaba). With the help of his son Ishmael, Ibrahim built the House of God on the ground where the Kaaba stands to this day.
The Archangel Gabriel brought from Paradise a stone, known as the Black Stone (Al-Hajar Al-Aswad), which was set into one corner of the Kaaba.
Behold! We gave the site
To Ibrahim, of the (Sacred) House,
(Saying): "Associate not anything
(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).
"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;
"That they may witness
The benefits (provided ) for them,
And celebrate the name
Of God, through the Days
Appointed, over the cattle
Which He has provided for them
(For sacrifice): then eat ye
Thereof and feed the distressed
Ones in want.
"Then let them complete
The rites prescribed
For them, perform their vows,
And (again) circumambulate
The Ancient House."
Top
After Ibrahim
When Ishmael grew up, he married the daughter of the chief of the Banu Jurhum, a tribe which had settled in the Makkah valley.
When Ibrahim died, Ishmael continued to perform Hajj each year and to look after the Kaaba.
After the death of Ishmael, the Kaaba came into the possession of the Banu Jurhum tribe. It remained with the Banu Jurhum tribe for many centuries until the Khuza'ah tribe took it over.
Throughout this period the Kaaba was vulnerable to flooding for it stood in a valley which, from time to time, experienced heavy rainfall. One such flood virtually destroyed the building.
Seeing the Holy Kaaba in a state of disrepair, Qusay bin Kilaab, of the Quraysh tribe, rebuilt it, according to the original design but adding a roof to protect it from the extremes of weather. Qusay, who was born around 400 CE, was renowned for his wisdom. He built the first "town hall" in the Arabian Peninsula where leaders of the tribes could discuss and resolve political, social and commercial issues. He also set out rules for the supply of food and water to the pilgrims who came to Makkah, and he even persuaded the indigenous Arabs to pay a tax towards their support.
Top
Period of Idolatry
Over the centuries, the pure monotheism of Ibrahim was gradually diluted and debased and the Hajj rites as transmitted by Allah to Ibrahim became adulterated with pagan rites.
In this way, the purity of worship for God which Ibrahim had performed and passed to his first-born son was eroded over the centuries until, by the time of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there was nothing much left and the darkness of paganism and idolatry lay across the land. Matters could not be set right until the prayer was answered:
"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 sanctify them:
For Thou art the Exalted in Might,
The Wise.
S. 2:129
After Ibrahim
The Kaaba rebuilt once more
Top
The Kaaba rebuilt once more
About 600 CE, the Quraysh tribe, which was now in the ascendant, decided to gather sufficient funds to rebuild the Kaaba. Once again, the structure had been weakened by periodic floods and, on one occasion, partially destroyed by fire when a woman spreading incense in the Kaaba had inadvertently set the place alight. The new structure was built out of wood and stone, in alternate layers.
When the time came, the positioning of the Black Stone in its accustomed place was the cause of some disagreement, since all the tribes engaged in the rebuilding sought the honor of placing the Black Stone themselves. To resolve the issue, it was agreed that the first man to enter the Haram should make the decision. The first man to enter the Haram was the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and he accepted the role of arbiter. He told them to place the Black Stone in the middle of a strong cloth. A representative from each tribe should then take hold of the edge of the cloth and raise the stone. Once raised in this way by all the tribes, Muhammad himself fixed the Black Stone in position.
Period of Idolatry
The cleansing of the Kaaba
Top
The cleansing of the Kaaba
When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) took control of Makkah in 8 AH (630 CE), he left the Kaaba building as it was, but he destroyed all the idols and removed the paintings and all other pagan decorations from the inner walls. Thus, once more, the Kaaba, the House of God, was dedicated to the simple and pure worship of the one true God.
The Kaaba rebuilt once more
Top
The following sections explain the rituals of Hajj.
- Preparation for Hajj
- Rituals/Stages of Hajj
Top
To begin Hajj, if not already in a state of purification, the pilgrim should enter the state of Ihram
Bathe yourself (ghusl)
Put on the white clothing of Ihram. The white garment of the Ihram consists of two pieces of white cloth: the cloth covering the upper part of the body is the Rida'; the cloth covering the lower part of the body is the Izar.
After donning the white garment of Ihram and verbally declaring the intention to perform Umrah or a specific type of Hajj, recite the Talbiyah.
Now that you are in a state of Ihram, you are subject to a number of prohibitions. You must not:
- wear sewn clothes
- cut or pluck hair
- clip nails
- cover your head
- wear perfume
- engage in sexual intercourse
Other prohibitions include entering into a marriage contract, hunting, or cutting down trees in the Sacred Precinct.
Top
Here in this section we describe the Three Ways of Performing Hajjand then give an account of the rituals and stages for each way of performing Hajj. You can also see a summary of the stages of the Hajj by clicking on the " Hajj, Day by Day" button on the top menu bar. We also provide the text, in English, of Prayers during Hajj commonly used at the different stages of the Hajj
|
|
Map of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
To enlarge map, click on image.
|
|
To enlarge map,
click on image. |
|
To enlarge map,
click on image. |
|
Top
There are three ways of performing the Hajj.
- Hajj al-Tamattu'
- Hajj al-Ifrad
- Hajj al-Qiran
Hajj al-Tamattu' involves performing Umrah and then Hajj, with one Ihram for each.
This form of Hajj is considered the best of three forms of Hajj. It is the one that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) urged his followers to perform and is the one adopted by most pilgrims from overseas.
Stages of Hajj al-Tamattu'
Every pilgrim will want to know how the rituals of the Hajj fit together within the framework of the Hajj as a whole. In this section we give details of each stage of Hajj al-Tamattu' and provide advice on the rituals that must be performed if the Hajj is to be completed satisfactorily.
Hajj al-Ifrad involves performing Hajj only. A sacrificial animal is not obligatory when performing Hajj al-Ifrad.
Stages of Hajj al-Ifrad
In this section we give details of each stage of Hajj al-Ifrad and provide advice on the rituals that must be performed if the Hajj is to be completed satisfactorily.
Hajj al-Qiran involves combining Umrah and Hajj, with only one Ihram for both.
Stages of Hajj al-Qiran
In this section we give details of each stage of Hajj al-Qiran and provide advice on the rituals that must be performed if the Hajj is to be completed satisfactorily.
Top
Tawaf is the circumambulation seven times of the Holy Kaaba.
Each circumambulation (shawt) starts from the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad).
You should move off from the Black Stone counter-clockwise.
Each circuit is completed when you return to the Black Stone and perform the Istilam (the kissing, touching or pointing to the Stone).
On completion of seven circuits, continue to move counter-clockwise until you reach your point of exit.
There are five types of Tawaf.
Also known as the Welcome Tawaf.
This Tawaf is performed by anyone coming to Makkah for any reason, whether for Umrah, Hajj, business or just for a visit.
Also known as Tawaf al-Hajj.
This Tawaf must be performed by all pilgrims undertaking Hajj.
Also known as the Farewell Tawaf.
This is the last ritual before leaving the Holy City of Makkah on completion of your Hajj or whatever you came for.
This Tawaf may be performed at any time and as often as desired.
This Tawaf is performed as part of the rituals of Umrah.
|
|
| DEPARTURES |
|
GROUP: 1
Onward
6th July 2009
Return
20th July 2009 |
GROUP: 2
Onward
16th July 2009
Return
30th July 2009 |
|
1st Half of Ramazan
Onward - 20th August 09
Return - 6th September 2009
2nd Half of Ramazan
Onward - 06th September 09
Return - 21st September 2009
Full Month of Ramazan
Onward - 20th August 09
Return - 21st September 2009
|
|
