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HAJJ AND ‘UMRAH PACKAGES 2014 DESCRIBED
O Muslims! You are heading for the House of your Lord and the blessed places that He has sanctified, in order to perform one of the best kinds of worship. You have not traveled for fun or out of pride or showing off, rather intending an act of devotion with which you seek the pleasure of your Lord, submitting your souls to His Majesty. You should therefore observe this obligation according to the commandments of your Lord, without excessiveness or negligence, maintaining other obligations as well, such as Wudhoo’ or Ghusl (for purification), Salaah (prayer), etc.
When you set off for Hajj or ‘Umrah Packages 2014 (minor pilgrimage), you should hold the conviction that your sole aim is to observe one of the most sacred acts of reverence; during your journey, bind yourself to conform to other obligations such as purification and congregational Salaah, for many people neglect the principles of purification and perform Tayammum (dry ablution with dust) despite the availability of water, in which case the Tayammum becomes invalid. Some people may disregard the congregational Salaah, busying themselves with things that they can carry out after performing prayer. You should shorten the fournormal”>Rak’ah (units of) prayers, performing two only, right from your departure from your town until you return to it. However, if you perform Salaah behind an Imaam who completes the Salaah (i.e., makes the entire Salaah), you should complete your Salaah likewise, whether you attended it from the beginning or if you missed any number of Rak’ahs. As for combining prayers, according to the Prophet’s sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam actions, a traveler should not combine prayers unless in the course of journeying. With regards for one who settles in a place, it is preferable for him not to combine them. Concerning Rawaatib (supererogatory prayers performed before and after the obligatory prayers), it is preferable not to perform them during travel, except the two Rak’ahs of Fajr. As for the Witr (a supererogatory prayer that consists of an odd number of Rak’ahs, the minimum of which is one Rak’ah) and other kinds of optional voluntary prayers, they are to be similarly performed in residence as well as in journey.
You must possess good manners – being kind, generous, cheerful, patient and forbearing. Indeed, circumstances are ever-changing and patience always has a good result.
Once you reach the Meeqaat (the location that a pilgrim should not go beyond without entering into the state of Ihraam), you should take a bath and scent your bodies, including your heads and beards. You should then assume Ihraam for ‘Umrah Packages 2014 intending Tamattu’ (type of Hajj, i.e., performing ‘Umrah Packages 2014 then waiting until the commencement of Hajj days, to perform Hajj) and proceed to Makkah while uttering the Talbiyah (saying: ‘Labbayka Allaahumma Labbayk, Labbayka Laa Shareeka Laka Labbayk, Innal-hamda Wan-ni’mata Laka Wal-mulk, Laa Shareeka Lak’ – ‘I re spond to Your call, O Allaah, I respond to Your call; I am obedient to Your orders and You have no partner, I respond to Your call; all the praises and blessings are for You, all the sovereignty is for You and You have no partners.’) When you reach the Ka’bah, you should make seven rounds of Tawaaf (circumambulation) around it for ‘Umrah Packages 2014. You must know that the entire Sacred Mosque is a place for Tawaaf, no matter if you are close to the Ka’bah or far away from it. However, Tawaaf close to it is preferable, so long as the pilgrim is not harmed by the crowds. If there are throngs of pilgrims, one may do it from afar and this will suffice. After making Tawaaf, you should offer two Rak’ahs behind Maqaam Ibraaheem (station of Prophet Ibraaheem, where a stone with his footprints lie) either near the Ka’bah or far from it. The most important thing is that the Maqaam Ibraaheem must be between you and the Ka’bah. You should then make Sa’i (pacing seven times between Safa and Marwah) beginning from Safa. When you finish the seven rounds, you should shorten the hair of your head, cutting it from your entire scalps, contrary to what is done by many people now, who cut hair from only one part.