Name : Muhammad Hoqqil Fatwa

NIM : 19522214

Religion Education
Hajj Assignment
Question:

1. What is hajj?

2. What is the Difference between Hajj and Umrah?

3. Why is hajj performed?

4. For whom is hajj fard?

5. What are the conditions of performing hajj?

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

7. Is it appropriate to go to hajj by borrowing money?

8. What does ihram mean?

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

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

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

12. What are the benefits of hajj?

13. What is the effect of hajj on man?

14. What is the virtue of hajj?

15. What are the terms regarding hajj?

16. What are the types of hajj?

Answer:

1. Hajj, also spelled ḥadjdj or hadj, in Islam, the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia,
which every adult Muslim must make at least once in his or her lifetime. The hajj is the fifth of the
fundamental Muslim practices and institutions known as the Five Pillars of Islam. The pilgrimage rite
begins on the 7th day of Dhū al-Ḥijjah (the last month of the Islamic year) and ends on the 12th day.
 2. The Main Differences Between Hajj And Umrah Are:

 Importance – Hajj is of higher religious importance as it is compulsory and a pillar of Islam,

3. For Muslims, Hajj re-enacts the actions of Prophet Muhammad's "farewell pilgrimage" in 632 AD.
Hajj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam, but is only a requirement for those who are able to afford the
trip and are physically strong enough to complete the pilgrimage.

Muslims perform Hajj with the aim to cleanse their souls and revive their relationship with God. It is
also meant to strengthen the bonds among Muslims, since pilgrims come from the four corners of
the earth for the pilgrimage. 

A significant aspect of Hajj is that itremoves all markers of class, wealth and materialism, which is
why the pilgrims dress in simple cloth for the duration of the pilgrimage. Men wrap themselves in
two pieces of white cloth called the ihram, which also means the sacred state. 

Hajj also hearkens back to the time of Prophet Abraham. Muslims believe that he built the kaaba,
along with his son Ishmael. The cubic structure was intended as a gathering point for worshipers. 

4. 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.

5. 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. 
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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. 
12. 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.

13. 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.  

14. 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)
15. 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.

16.

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 7th, 8th, 9th 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.