Hajj & Umrah Handbook (2008) - Book 2 of 5: Preparing For Hajj & Umrah

BOOK 2 of 5: PREPARING FOR HAJJ/’UMRAH
Compiled and Edited by

Asma Abdullah Ph.D and Azian Ali
October 2007
InsyaAllah this free handbook is updated yearly, so please e-mail

your suggestions/contributions to
asma@culturematters.info or picsb@yahoo.co.uk
Disclaimer: This compilation is based on the experiences, opinions and limited

knowledge of the editors and contributors. Please refer to your Ustaz/ah as you
go through this handbook.
Hajj/’Umrah Handbook 2008 Book 2 of 5: PREPARING FOR HAJJ/’UMRAH
Part 1: Spiritual Preparation 4

1.1 Correct Intent 4
1.2 Purification 5
1.3 Improving Solat 7
1.4 Reading The Qur’an 8
1.5 Making Supplications 9
1.6 Practicing Modesty 12
Part 2: Mental Preparation 14

2.1 Mental Conditioning 14
2.2 Study & Research 15
Part 3: Physical Preparation 25

3.1 Get fit, stay well 25
3.2 Check Medical & Dental Health 26
3.3 Manage Menstrual Cycle 26
Part 4: Financials 30
Part 5: Logistics 31
5.1 Who Will Accompany You? 31
5.2 Timing 32
5.3 Travel Agents & Services 33
5.4 Accommodation 34
Part 6: Social Obligations 36

6.1 For those Who Need Extra Care 36
6.2 Involve Others 37
6.3 Performing Hajj on Behalf of The Deceased 37
Appendices
1. So That Our HAJJ May Be Accepted 41
2. What To Do To Make Our HAJJ Be Accepted 42
3. Hajjee with No HAJJ 49
4. Ask Forgiveness from Your Lord 52
5. Supplications Before Departure for the Holy Land 62
6. A Quick Overview Checklist 64
7. Medical Preparation 66
8. Checklist for Packing/Purchasing 69
1
Narrated Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him): The
Prophet was asked, "Which is the best deed?" He said, "To
believe in Allah and His Apostle." He was then asked, "Which is

the next (in goodness)?" He said, "To participate in Jihad in
Allah 's Cause." He was then asked, "Which is the next?" He

said, "To perform Hajj-Mabrur. " (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book
26, Number 594)
1276. Àishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I said:

"O Messenger of Allah! We consider Jihad as the best deed, should
we not then go for Jihad?'' The Messenger of Allah said, "The

best Jihad for you women is Hajj Mabrur (i.e., one accepted by
Allah).''[Al-Bukhari].
The call to visit the Holy Land was made by Prophet Abraham (peace
be upon him) when Allah commanded him to do so. The call

reached all souls whether born or unborn. Not all, however,
answered to the call. Those who did are then selected to visit
Makkah, as many times as they had answered the call. The truth is
that those who are able to perform the Hajj or ‘Umrah are those
whom Allah has chosen to do so, whether they have the time,
health or money. Many without the financial means have been able
to make it to Makkah, yet many with the means were not able to do
2
so. Therefore, we need to beseech to Allah to permit us to

perform this Hajj or ‘Umrah.
The essence of Hajj, and thereby ‘Umrah, is humility and piety,
which is what is required of a slave of Allah . As such, as

Muslims, we need to pattern our lives after the model of the Hajj.
Apart from making du’a to make this significant journey, we can make
the necessary effort to prepare for the journey spiritually, mentally &
physically. As we go through the preparation and performance of
Hajj, find connections between the journey of Hajj and the journey of
life. InsyaAllah we can then gain a life-long vs. short term benefit of
our Hajj.
Source: To be identified
3
PART 1: SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
1.1 Correct Intent
Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Apostle said, "The reward of deeds depends upon the

intention and every person will get the reward according to what he
has intended. So whoever emigrated for Allah and His
Apostle , then his emigration was for Allah and His
Apostle . And whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a

woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for."
(Sahih Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 2, Number 51)
• Start with your intention (nawaitu) and constantly reaffirm it.
Remember that our goal is Allah ; everything and everyone

else are a means towards Him. Be completely sincere (solely for
the sake of Allah ) about this. Check for sincerity every now
and then because Satan will find ways to divert our intention.
Hajj/’Umrah is a form of sacrifice – a sacrifice of material and

emotions. The journey requires tolerance of less than comfortable
conditions and patience with others, to name a few. As a result of
such hardship, we are able to gain feedback about ourselves and
thus choose to improve. All this is to be done totally for the sake
of seeking Allah’s pleasure. Thus the intention for hajj or ‘Umrah is
to perform it totally for the sake of Allah and none other.
4
“Why I'm stressing on this point is because in a lot of

circumstances, there's always a hidden agenda. For example, en
route to Europe for a holiday; there's a wedding ahead and there's
some shopping to do (Makkah and Medinah are a shopping haven
for exquisite materials); to show off that we can afford the first
class trip, to name a few.”
“My husband wanted our hajj to be a “honeymoon” and it was.

Ironically, he who all these years has been strict in adhering to
non-mahram restrictions has become interested in another woman
several months after the hajj. On hindsight, perhaps his intent for
the hajj was not appropriate.”
“This time I made it clear to myself that I wanted to purify myself

and get closer to God. AlhamdulIllah, what became apparent to
me during my trip were the personal development areas I needed
to improve in. Additionally, I am very grateful to Allah for granting
me the ability to have more faith and confidence in Him.
SubhanAllah!”
1.2 Purification (please see Appendix 4)
• Learn how to purify yourself through istighfar, solat taubat, etc.

from your Ustaz/ah.
• If we have declared our intention to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah, we
need to repent and ask Allah to forgive us before

embarking on our journey.
Say: “O ‘Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against

themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the
Mercy of Allah: verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Az Zumar: 53).
5
• Call up or visit those you need to seek forgiveness from.
…and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sin of)
believing men and believing women... (Muhammad: 19)
• IMPORTANT! Know how to perform istinja’ (cleansing self after

going to the water closet) and perform the purification bath (mandi
hadas besar) the proper way. Please note that if these are not
done properly, then the wudhu’ is not acceptable and as such
none of the deeds thereafter may be acceptable, including solat
and tawaf. If tawaf is unacceptable, then the Hajj or ‘Umrah is
incomplete.
• Know how to perform ablution using a small cup of water and/or

using a spray bottle.
• “I filled the spray bottle with clean water (used Zam Zam in
Makkah/Medinah) and carried it with me everywhere – very
useful for ablution when there’s no tap conveniently available or
when there’s shortage of water.”
• Note doa to preserve wudhu' found on the wall of one of the

hotels in Medinah
Courtesy of Faziatone
6
1.3 Improving Solat

• Seek the advice of your Ustaz/ah on how to atone and make up
for years of missed solat fardhu, if any.
• Know the many types of solat sunat: tahajjud, witir, taubat, hajat,
tasbih, etc. Useful to bring a guidebook.
“I find the book by Mohd. Yusof Hj. Ismail, ‘Panduan Lengkap
Sembahyang Sunat, published by Percetakan Putrajaya Sdn Bhd,
extremely useful in guiding me to perform solat sunat especially
dhuha, tahajjud, taubat, hajat.”
“If we seldom perform solat tahajud, now is a good time to
practise, in preparation for Hajj.. For me.. I started to talk a bit less
than usual.. reduced loud laughter, did more of fasting, solat sunat
taubat.. doa.. for Allah to purify my soul.. and of course read the
Quran.. I’ve observed pilgrims not making the most & the best of
their limited time in the Holy Lands. I think we should prepare for
Hajj as if we’re taking an exam.”
• Know how to perform solat on a moving vehicle (e.g. the plane
and bus) or just about anywhere (we don’t know where we could
end up on transit), solat jama’/qasar, solat jemaah, solat jenazah,
what to do when entering/leaving masjid.
7
As the illustrations demonstrate, there is no excuse for not

performing solat anywhere, particularly so on the Hajj/’Umrah
journey.
“I noted that some of the male jemaah did not even solat in the
plane, thus missing their solat fardhu.”
1.4 Reading The Qur’an
• Begin to read the Qur’an and if you haven’t already, learn the
tajwid.
“This is the easiest act to do yet will bring great reward. If you are
the type who usually starts the Qur’an in Ramadan and then leave
it without “khatam”, try to make an effort to “khatam” before you
go. If not, try to khatam during pilgrimage. InsyaAllah, you may
be successful in continuing reading the Qur’an when you return to
Malaysia, compared to continuing to go for solat jemaah in
“suraus”.”
“I wasn’t so good at reading the Qur’an so I attempted to “khatam”

the English translation. Speaking of which, I found THE NOBLE
QUR’AN (available in the Masjids) very easy to read and helped
me tremendously in strengthening my faith and confidence in
Allah, alhamdulIllah! It was also useful to have my own pocket
size copy which I could highlight and mark.”
“Reciting the Qur’an is a PLUS in ibadah especially if you are able

to read it in Masjidil Haram or Masjid Nabawi. Learning how to
read it before embarking on the journey would help you not waste
8
a single minute of your time in the holy lands so that you can fill it
with solat, reading the Qur’an and other ibadah. But if unable to,
the supplications are provided with translation. Read the translated
part. I personally read both not just because I can read the Qur’an,
but because reading the translated version means more to me as I
understand every word that I am saying. Allah understands any
language we speak, even if it is in our heart.”
“It would be nice if we could learn to read Qur’an before we go as

a spiritual preparation. Qur’an is NUR – a gift from Allah to us, a
pity if we do not read it in our daily lives especially if we are going
to visit His place. I remember Ustaz Harun Din saying, if we want
to attain Hajj Mabrur, it begins from home from the time we
register.”
1.5 Making Supplications (please see Appendix 5)
• Start to make supplications with istiqomah as early as we

can.
Narrated Abu Huraira (Radhi Allah Anhu): Allah's
Apostle as saying: "The supplication of one of you is

granted if he does not grow impatient and say - I supplicated
my Lord but it was not granted." (Sahih Muslim: Book 35, Book
Name Kitab Al-Dhikr, Number 6594)
9
• For protection (e.g. the memorizing and understanding of the

potent Ayatul Kursi, etc.) We need to safeguard ourselves
against jinns and humans.
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said," Whoever says:

"La ilaha illal-lah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu-l-mulk wa lahu-
l-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadir," one hundred times will
get the same reward as given for manumitting ten slaves; and
one hundred good deeds will be written in his accounts, and
one hundred sins will be deducted from his accounts, and it (his
saying) will be a shield for him from Satan on that day till night,
and nobody will be able to do a better deed except the one who
does more than he." (Bukhari, Book 8, Volume 75, Hadith 412)
Ùthman bin Àffan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah said, "He who recites three times

every morning and evening:
Bismillahil-ladhi la yadurru maàs-mihi shai'un
fil-ardi wa la fis-sama'i, wa Huwas-Samiùl-Àlim
(In the Name of Allah with Whose Name there is protection
against every kind of harm in the earth or in the heaven, and He
is the All-Hearing and All-Knowing),
nothing will harm him.'' (Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi)
• For ease of ibadah

“Make Du'a during every solat once we are confirmed for Hajj. I
always made du'a to ask that Allah make the Hajj easy (mudah)
and complete (sempurna) and alhamdulIllah my wish was
granted.”
”My ustaz recommended reading the following supplication for
quality and ease of ibadah” (The first one was taught by
Rasulullah (saw) to Muadh bin Jabal. You may want to read it
with istiqomah at least once after every solat fardh.)
10
Courtesy of Fauziah Sanad
" Just speak in our own language. Remember we are talking to

Allah. The supplications in the books are merely suggested
readings. The danger is, you spend too much energy in
memorising, but lose the spiritual attainment which is more
important."
11
Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said that when the
Messenger of Allah was faced with a serious difficulty, he

would always supplicate,
"Ya Hayyu, ya Qayyumu, bi-rahmatika astaghithu
(O the Living, O the Eternal, I seek help in Your grace). (Tirmidhi)
1.6 Practising Modesty
• Learn how to cover our 'aurat properly and without tabarruj (i.e.
wanton display, e.g. attracting attention, showing off or going
“overboard” with colours, “frills”, accessories, etc.). It is imperative
to keep ‘aurat well covered especially while in ihram. We also
need to avoid clothes that look like those of the kuffaar or the
opposite gender.
• Check on the transparency of our clothes. You can stand in

front of a mirror with the sunlight behind you and ask a friend to
tell you. Ladies may want to bring loose camisoles and full
slips to wear underneath your garment. Note that a
jubah/abaya is usually transparent – it is meant to be your
“overcoat.”
“One thing that I observed to be very prevalent among

Malaysian female pilgrims was the use of very transparent
pantyhose-like socks. Sometimes I cringed when I passed
behind a row of Malaysian ladies who were in the 'sujud'
position as I could clearly see every single toe on their feet
through the transparent socks.”
• Check on the tightness of our clothes. If wearing pants, is it

loose enough not to reveal your body shape as you bend and
prostrate? If need be, ensure the shirt/telekung is long enough.
12
• For ladies, please check your sleeves to ensure that you are
covered all the way up to your wrist. Some sleeves tend to fall
when we raise our hands or are just too short, so be sure to
wear arm gloves, as in the picture below.
• Those who are well endowed need to plan for better coverage.
“I saw one female jemaah’s assets moving underneath her

‘telekung’ as she briskly walked down the steps. I thought to
myself that perhaps she needed a brassiere with better support
and/or a heavy outer garment”
13
PART 2: MENTAL PREPARATION
2.1 Mental Conditioning
The journey to the Holy Land requires mental conditioning – it is

likely that we will be given lessons before, during and even after the
journey, in becoming sincere "Abdullah" (Allah 's slaves).
We have to learn to control our tongues, suppress our egos and

get rid of arrogance. We are not expected to see ourselves as
better or having more than others, hence Hujjaj dress alike in
Ihram, regardless of who they might be in this world. All are slaves in
front of Allah, be they royalty, corporate executives, the poor: begging
for His mercy and forgiveness.
We will meet with people from various corners of the world, be in

close proximity with strangers 24/7, queue for food, transportation,
restrooms and encounter other physical inconveniences. These have
an impact on our mental well being. We must be prepared to
“shrug off” these challenges and focus on completion of the rites to
the best of our ability. We need mental discipline and will power.
Hajj, in general, has become easier physically due to the various

modern facilities and amenities. What is more elusive, however, is the
attainment of spiritual enlightenment and inner peace.
To get the highest rewards from Allah SWT, we need to aim to do our
very best and beseech Him to help us.
• Be prepared for challenges even before one reaches the Holy

Land. While on Hajj, we need to consciously give up the usual
pleasures and conveniences of life. We need to endure rigorous
obligatory disciplines. The ultimate aim of all this is to attain and
retain an intensified state of devotion (taqwa) to Allah.
14
“We arrived at about 3 a.m at Jeddah airport and were still waiting
to clear immigration 2 hours later which meant we needed to find a
place to solat Subuh ‘anywhere’. I was glad I had on covered
clogs so that it was easy for me to perform wudhu (did so at the
water cooler) and had my solat paraphernalia in my carry on.
Bringing bathroom slippers in a carry on is also helpful if you're
wearing shoes on the journey. On hindsight, I wish I had my
sejadah in my carry on, since I had to solat on the bare floor.”
“Pray for a smooth journey, accept rough moments with a smile.'
2.2 Study and Research
• It may be useful for you to make the following table as you go

through your study and research:
Do’s Don’ts
• Attend regular classes on Fardhu ‘ain, i.e. Tauhid, Tasawwuf

and Fiqh so that you are familiar with what is rukun, wajib, sunat,
harus, makruh. Should you feel overwhelmed at any point in time,
you know what you MUST do and what you CAN omit. It is
imperative that we study from a qualified and certified Ustaz/ah
whom we trust and have confidence in. If you have more than
one, better still, then you have resources to cross check teachings.
If you don’t have your own, you may be confused by the different
interpretations of the other pilgrims’ ustaz/ahs offering different
instructions/opinions regarding the tasks involved.
“The Ustaz advised us to not simply follow what others are doing
in Masjidil Haram – they may be following different mazhabs or
deviationist practice. I noticed that some were not even following
the imam as we performed solat!”
15
“Please use this opportunity to have most of your issues

addressed, preferably, by the same ustaz (teacher). From my own
experience, I tried to prepare myself as much as possible with
Ustaz A, then I use his information to proceed. This way, I avoid
confusion and minimize my doubts, uncertainties (“was-was”)
when I get to Makkah, with others offering “advice” based on what
they were taught. Nonetheless, we should not shut out others from
sharing with us what they have learned.”
• Attend specific classes provided by Tabung Haji/travel

agent/organizer on the rituals and meaning of what we will be
experiencing. Do read the books they provide and ask friends to
relate their experiences. Find out in detail how Rasulullah

performed his Hajj -- check out books on “Manasik Haji.”
Learn about Hajj Tamattu’, Ifrad and Qiran. Learn the do’s and
don’t’s when in ihram from your Ustaz/ah.
• Attend "Kursus Perdana Haji". Find out from Tabung Haji the
dates. This one-day and one-night (subject to change)
orientation cum simulation session can provide you with the
physical and mental readiness to begin your preparations for
the trip. If you are going with a group of 3-4 friends/relatives,
this is a good time to get to know one another.
“You'd be surprised to hear some comments made...like "O..I

was not informed of the condition in Arafah and Mina..I am
shocked!!" Another is "had I known the Hajj was like this...I
wouldn’t have come!!"
• Check out current publications and media that carry

articles/features on Hajj and ‘Umrah.
• Video (Note: You can download videos from You Tube by

purchasing Tube Sock at USD15)
16
• This one can get you in the mood for hajj. And if you watch
with an open heart, you can cry…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6t7_HLTRkk
• Join Yusuf Estes and Yvonne Ridley for a show which takes
you through different aspects of Hajj. Dec 12 & Dec 26, 2006
www.islamchannel.tv
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3580036049862740891
• A national geographic documentary on reverts to Islam and

a journey to Makkah for pilgrimage. This video can be
downloaded from the following link
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=75927WAT or viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuOjFjcWvM4
• Hajj seminar parts 1-4, by Abu Muneer Ismail Davids,

Lecturer and author of the book "Getting the best out of Hajj"
This one day seminar includes “everything you need to know
prepare, plan and perform your Hajj.”
Part 1
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6000419692844613048
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
• This film, produced by the Ministry of Hajj, helps the pilgrim

to perform the Hajj safely. It contains much useful advice
and explains the arrangements the Ministry has put in place
for the comfort and security of all pilgrims. It will also show
you the main rites and sites of the Hajj.
Hajj Safety - Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiqbQV4xejQ
Hajj Safety - Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGNAUUcDrRA
17
• Good tips in preparation for hajj. Also visuals of Raudhah as

well as significant places in Medinah.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An2c-7pDP5s
• Audio
Hajj & Umrah. This classroom is dedicated to lectures

covering both the inner and outer aspects of Hajj and Umrah,
from waiting for the days of Hajj, to preparing for the Hajj and
the journey, to the Hajj itself, to carrying over the benefits of
Hajj & Umrah in our lives. While these lectures were focused on
Hajj and Umrah, many of the lessons and principles discussed
are relevant to everyday life. All lectures are in MP3 format.
http://www.sacredlearning.org/classrooms/hajj/index.htm
“The CD by Ustaz Daud Che Ngah is very informative. I went

through the set for my preparation for Hajj 2002. I have found it
helpful as it explains the do's and don’ts.”
• Publications
• Ethics and Significance of Hajj -- excellent material which

includes fatwa issued by the prominent Muslim scholar
Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi and quote from Ibn Qudamah
Al-Maqdisi’s book Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qasidin
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1124781357691&p
agename=IslamOnline-English-Hajj_Umra%2FHajjE%2FHajjE
• Hajj - Not a two-week vacation

http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IC0612-3197
• An excerpt from 'Introduction to Islam' by Dr. M.

Hamidullah. Short and punchy article – read with an open
heart and let the points “hit home” http://muslim-
canada.org/hajj.htm
• The Book of Hajj Parts 1-4 with over 230 hadeeths on the
subject of Hajj. A useful reference point for those wishing
18
to return to the proofs for the Hajj rituals.
• Rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah From the book and Sunnah and
Narrations from the Pious Predecessors. An excellent
guide to Hajj and ‘Umrah. Concise and to the point with
full Arabic text of all supplications
http://sahihmuslim.com/sps/sp.cfm?secID=IBD&subsecID=IBD11&l
oadpage=displaysubsection.cfm
• “There is a set of books called FATAAWA ISLAMIYYAH,

the publisher is Darussalaam. This set contains fataawas
by the reknown late Grand Mufti of Saudi Sheikh Abdul
Aziz bin Baz, Sheikh Ibn Uthaimin, Sheikh Abdul Rahman
Al Jibreen together with the Permanent Committee &
Decision of the Fiqh Council Of Saudi. We suggest to buy
at least volume 4 of the set. Volume 4 of Fataawa
Islamiyyah contains many questions and also it explains
in great detail about how our Rasullullah performed

his ‘Umrah & Hajj.
Another book that we’d like to suggest is the award-
winning book of the biography of Rasullullah . This

book gives a detailed account of the last 7 days of our
Rasullullah ’s life & his last words, last breath before
he returned to Allah . The book is THE SEALED

NECTAR ( AR – RAHEEQ AL MAKHTUM) by the late
reknown Sheikh Safi-ur-Rahman Al- Mubarakpuri Of
University of Al Medinah Al Munawarah.
This book also gives a brief account of The Farewell Hajj
which is described on pages 538-546. It also has the
sermon of Rasullullah sallahualayhiwassalam at Arafah
and it is indeed heart warming to read it for it is an
19
amanah to us. Do copy & read it when you are in Arafah.

By the Grace of Allah, the Ustaz that led us for Hajj read
the sermon with utmost passion when we were in Arafah
and it made grown macho men cry sobbing... T h i s
chapter also mentions where & when Rasullullah

shortened & combined (jama’ & qasar) his prayer while
performing hajj and the night stay at Muzdalifah. Please
do not miss the overnight in Muzdalifah, it’s never the
same when one just stays for a few hours in the bus…the
ustaz that led us told us while in KL that we will sleep
under the “million star hotel”. Indeed it was a beautiful
night and to be there in Muzdalifah from Maghrib till Fajr –
an unforgettable experience indeed.
Lastly, a pocket size book, HAJJ, UMRAH & ZIYARRAH
in the Light of the Quraan & the Sunnah by His Eminence
Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz, the late Grand
Mufti Of Saudi.”
• “I wish I had read this EXCELLENT book FIRST: Hikmah

& Fadhilat Haji Umrah & Ziarah, Muhammad Zakariya,
Darul Nu’man ISBN 983-046-250-1”
• Hajj Pocket Guide by Dar Al Khair Publishing House.
• “Bought a very good book in Medinah which I would like

to recommend especially to those going for ‘Umrah the
first time or the first time with kids
Title: The Ultimate guide To ‘Umrah (based on the
famous book 'Getting The Best Out Of Hajj' With special
chapters on ‘Umrah in Ramadan and visiting Madinah.
Author: Abu Muneer Ismail Davids
Darussalam International Publication Ltd 03-77109750
109A Jalan SS21/1A, Damansara Utama, 47400 PJ”
• Check out “Renungan Sebelum, Semasa Dan Selepas
20
HAJI” by Hj Hanafi Hj Zainuddin & Lukmanul Hakim Hj

Hanafi
• Browse the following websites for more information and then

refer questions to your Ustaz/ah(s).
http://www.saudinf.com/main/b635.htm
Definitely worth exploring, for news, issues, facts, etc. on Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia.
http://www.hajinformation.com/
This website is designed to provide English-speaking Muslims with
comprehensive information about the Hajj, one of the five pillars of
Islam. Check out the FAQs for local info. There’s a flash
presentation on Hajj day by day at
http://www.hajinformation.com/flashdaybyday.htm
http://www.islamonline.net/English/hajj/
The newly revamped website containing a wealth of info related to
Hajj including news, fatwa, rulings, reflections, multimedia.
http://www.hajtips.com/
A site worth exploring – abundant tips, well organized format.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/saudi-arabia/sacred-sites.htm
Sacred Sites of Saudi Arabia – Lots of photos to accompany text
on Makkah, Medinah, Hajj, ‘Umrah & more
http://www.dalil-alhaj.com/en/travel.htm
Worth clicking on Preparing, Visiting Madina, Return Home,
Advice, Photo Gallery.
http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/virtualhajj.shtml
A simplified overview of hajj logistics.
http://www.geocities.com/al_hajj/AlHajj.html
21
A comprehensive. multimedia rich hajj & ‘Umrah info portal,

offering downloadable items – worth exploring!
http://hajj.al-islam.com/
Basic info, including those on the 2 Masjids, Also available in
various languages, including Bahasa Melayu. Includes details of
the Farewell Hajj -- a map of the route taken and an account of
Rasulullah’s journey from Medinah to Makkah and then back

to Medinah. Rich multimedia – picture album & videos
www.islamicity.com/mosque/hajj/
IslamiCity.com - Hajj Information Center. Offers guides, articles,
audio-visual resources, and accounts of the history of Hajj. Also
includes old photos of the Hajj sites to use as screensavers.
http://www.soundvision.com/info/hajj/
The free Handbook of Umra & Hajj is definitely worth printing. The
flow diagram for Hajj within it received 5 star rating from various
parts of the world.
• To help internalize the hajj/’Umrah experience, read the stories
about Prophets Muhammad , Ibrahim (as), Ismail (as),

Adam (as). You can obtain these from some of the websites
mentioned above.
• Obtain an understanding of how the
Prophet’s companions interacted with him and lived

their lives from “Hayatu Sahabah” by Sheikh Yusof
Qandalawi, available in English & Bahasa Malaysia.
22
• Get Familiar With The Territory
It may be stressful to encounter differences in language, food, and

social habits. In addition, attitudes of other hujjaj as well as officers,
agents, taxi/bus drivers, hotel staff, etc. can cause major stress. Be
prepared to face those who may be abrupt or commercial.
• To appreciate the Holy Lands, read about the history of Makkah

& Medinah. You can obtain those published by Darussalam
Publications for about SR20 each in Makkah.
• Ustaz Abdul Basit of Medinah has written two books:

“Makkah Al-Mukarramah Kelebihan dan Sejarah” &
“Medinah Munawwarah Kelebihan dan Sejarah”, in
Bahasa Malaysia. The publisher is Dar Al-Maathir.
almaathir@yahoo,com, tel: 00 966 4828 3864. You can
23
purchase them for SR15 each from the local bookstore or

your mutawif.
• In addition, you may want to look for these 2 books in

Medinah: “The Prophet’s Masjid” by Khaled Muhammad
Hamed, and “Memories of the Luminous City”. These
books contain colour pictures and are in Arabic & English.
• Learn at least some basic or conversational Arabic. Know

some simple words in Arabic.
24
PART 3: PHYSICAL PREPARATION

The duration of the Hajj, including its rites & rituals require much
strenuous physical activity. Coupled with harsh desert climate, this
intense exertion can take a serious toll on the body.
3.1 Get fit, stay well
• Do regular stretching exercises for flexibility and regular aerobic

exercises to build stamina. Develop your physical strength to
perform all the rituals by starting a daily habit of brisk walking prior
to departure. Seek professional advice if under medication or
medical treatment.
• Read “Getting Into Shape For Hajj” at

http://www.geocities.com/al_hajj/Hajj_Fitness.html
“a simple regular training activity that will give all of those
contemplating Hajj this year, an adequate level of fitness before
you embark on the Holy Pilgrimage” InsyaAllah.
• Seek prevention and prescription from a holistic perspective.

Allah’s ‘ilm is not limited to the medical sciences. Check out
various forms of alternative treatments (e.g. reflexology,
acupressure, iridology) and alternative medicines.(e.g.
homeopathy, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements).
“Contrary to what we were told, last year (2005) the immigration

wasn't strict about the medications we brought with us. They had
no problem with the panadols, cough and cold medications, gastric
and diarrhea medications that I kept in the sling bag Tabung Haji
had given us. Although Tabung Haji medical teams are equipped
with all the necessary, up to date and expensive drugs, the line
you have to put up with just to see the doctor can be very
discouraging and exhausting. (I had to see the medical team
because I did not bring antibiotics -- only over the counter drugs.)
25
By the way, I found the vitamins at the pharmacies in Medinah and

Makkah to be more expensive than those in Malaysia.”
3.2 Check Medical & Dental Health

(for more details on medical health, please refer to
Appendix 7)
• Obtain the Medical booklet from Tabung Haji and make sure to
follow up on issues per the compulsory medical check up required
for Hajj pilgrims.
• Visit your dentist three months before going.
3.3 Manage Menstrual Cycle

• Ladies need to know the do’s and don’ts of Hajj/’Umrah should
menstruation occur before or after passing the meeqat. It’s also
important to learn how to stipulate a condition when entering ihram
such that if something happens to prevent us from completing
Hajj/’Umrah, we can exit ihram without blame. Please review with
certainty the rules with your Ustaz/ah.
• For ladies, we must know how to handle our menstrual cycle and
do seek advice from the medical profession. Please note in some
cases even after taking the prescribed medication, you may still
menstruate. We make plans but Allah decides what is best for us.
Discuss alternatives with your gynaecologist so that you can at
least PLAN to be able to perform your ‘Umrah/hajj in a state of
purity.
“I was overconfident and paid dearly for it. I was on the pill the
last 3 times I visited the Holy Lands and had no problem. So this
time around I didn’t make extra effort to stock up on provera and
wasn’t very conscientious about taking the pill on time everyday.
At the same time, I verbalized to a friend that I had no problems so
far with the pill. To cut the story short, I was not able to solat for
the better half of my stay and needed to consult the mutawif to
determine which portion of the time was “istihadah” and which
portion was “haid.”
26
“ I would like to share my experience on the payment of dam. Two

years before performing the Hajj, my sister joined me on a special
‘Umrah trip, which was meant to prepare me for my true journey.
Even though we were both experiencing the onset of the
menopausal period of our lives, we were hoping that we would be
blessed with full dry season, to enable us to smoothly perform the
‘Umrah. I had been more fortunate than my sister, whose anxiety
may have caused the reverse effect, with the flow being erratic
and uncontrollable.
When we were in Medinah, a kind soul offered her some

medication intended to temporarily halt the flow which allowed her
to solat in the beautiful Masjidil Nabawi, the Prophet’s Masjid and
resting place of our beloved prophet (saw). From Medinah we
proceeded to the holy City of Makkah. Upon arrival and after a
short rest we visited Masjidil Haram and immediately after solat,
performed the Tawaf, the Sa’ie the Tahallul, completing our 1st
‘Umrah. Unfortunately, the very next day her flow returned and I
guess with vengeance, as it was suppressed by the medication. It
was quite a challenge to her, to keep on cleansing herself long
enough to have a solat window in Masjidil Haram between the
flow. One evening she was happy to note that the flow had
stopped and after performing the cleansing bath the next morning
we visited Miqat Al-Taneim, wearing our Ihram, with the objective
of performing another ‘Umrah, the second for her. We returned to
the Masjidil Haram in time to hear the Iqamat to begin the dawn
solat. Hurriedly we found a space to join in and as I solat I was
looking forward to continue with the performance of the ‘Umrah
immediately after.
We then proceeded to Baitullah to perform the Tawaf. At the end

of the 6th round of the Tawaf, my sister whispered to me that she
was feeling uncomfortable. Although she continued to accompany
me to complete the 7th round, she knew that her Tawaf had to be
aborted. She waited for me to complete my Sa’ie and Tahallul
before we returned to the Hotel. At the hotel she related her
condition to another pilgrim, who assured her not to worry and that
27
she should wait a while, and when the flow stop to immediately
take her bath and to revisit Baitullah to re-performed the Tawaf.
This was exactly what she did and I accompanied her to complete
the Tawaf. However, whilst performing the Sa’ie she experienced
a slight flow but she was able to proceed and complete the Sa’ie
and then the Tahallul. We were happy that she completed her 2nd
‘Umrah, and as the next day was time for us to leave for Malaysia,
she once again cleansed herself and managed to perform the
Tawaf Wida’, to say goodbye and solat that one day we would
return with better health. Regretfully the flow continued on the
flight until she returned to Malaysia.
Even though she completed the ‘Umrah, both of us felt that

something was not right but we were not able to identify it. Before
my departure for the Hajj, she visited me, and offered RM350.00 to
pay a Dam on her behalf. I could not accept the money as we
were both unsure what the payment was for. Dam could only be
paid for specific reason and infringement of the key rites.
During my recent Hajj trip I asked my pilgrim friend why she could
not just take a bath and join us to solat and perform a mini Tawaf
(tawaf sunat). She then told me that to perform a Tawaf she
should wait for at least 24 hours after her flow had dried to
ascertain that it truly ended before taking the cleansing bath. She
could solat in between but the waiting period is a condition for
performing the Tawaf. At that instance I thought of my sister and
what happened during the ‘Umrah trip. I then consulted our
group’s Ustaz, who reluctantly opined that my sister may still be in
her Ihram. He however advised me to seek the opinion of Tabung
Haji nearest to her home.
Upon my return to Malaysia, I immediately visited my sister in Kota

Bahru and related to her the doubt that was looming in me. We
went to Tabung Haji’s office in Kota Bharu and as the Director had
some doubt, he contacted the Mufti at Pusat Islam in Kuala
Lumpur. Dato’ Mufti confirmed that she needed the 24 hours
waiting period for complete stop to the flow and given the account
28
of her story, she was still in Ihram. Therefore, she needed to

immediately adhere to the rules of Ihram and to pay the Dam by
slaughtering a full-mature goat. In addition she should, if
circumstances allow, return to Makkah to complete the ‘Umrah.
Fortunately, she is a widow, otherwise the Dam would have been
a camel.
All this while, we did not know why we had the feelings of
uncertainty and doubt and Alhamdullillah, events happened to
clear the air and release her from the serious weight of still being
in Ihram after leaving the Holy City of Makkah”.
• If and when you menstruate, all is not lost! Some of the ibadat you
can do when menstruating are as follows:
o Read the translation of the Qur’an – this can have a powerful
effect on you – not to be underestimated!
o Do dhikrullah, e.g. read up the 99 names of Allah and the
meaning of each name.
o Find those deserving of charity and do sadaqah.
o During Ramadhan, stand near the gate/door just before
adhan maghrib and hand out dates/rutob to those coming
into the masjid.
• Use Zam Zam as another means to manage your menses -- make

supplication regarding your period and ability to perform the
necessary rites without interruption when you drink Zam Zam.
Face the qiblat when you drink Zam Zam.
“My period was due anytime around wuquf, so upon advice, I took
a miswak stick, broke it into pieces and soaked it in zam zam.
I drank the water a few times daily, asking Allah to delay my period
until I’ve completed my tahallul. I repeated this when I went for
‘Umrah later in the year. With Allah’s permission it worked both
times!”
Editor’s note: You can also do the above to shorten the duration
of menstruation, InsyaAllah.
29
PART 4: FINANCIALS
• Check and Cleanse Our Personal Assets
• Ensure that the money you use for this journey is HALAL!
• Settle the amount due for zakat, which can offset income
tax. Pay all dues.
• Make adequate provision for the journey
• Ensure you have savings in Tabung Haji. Please note

that ONLY DURING THE HAJJ SEASON you can
withdraw from Tabung Haji in Makkah and Medinah. What
you withdraw in Saudi Arabia is transacted in Saudi
Riyals. Usually there are Tabung Haji counters at various
hotels housing those on the Tabung Haji package or
muassasah.
• If you are coming for ‘Umrah, then bring adequate cash

for dam, sadaqah & small retail items
• Make adequate provision for the period of our absence
• Sort out all debts and clear them.
• Prearrange for payment of bills: electricity, water, internet,

phone, house rent, school/tuition & related fees,
groceries, healthcare.
• Prepare an Islamic will.
30
PART 5: LOGISTICS
5.1 Who Will Accompany You?
• Decide who to go with as well as rooming arrangements (eg. 4 to a

room is less expensive than a suite of 2 rooms, 2 to a room).
“It is good to go with a group of friends. Try to listen to others

before deciding what you think is best for yourself. Please bear in
mind that in Makkah, friends also need time to be alone and you
cannot demand much from them. Spouse and children, however,
have a direct obligation vis-à-vis the spouse or parent, so if you
are traveling with close relatives, you are expected to be inter-
dependable.”
• Plan for Male Mahrams. Obtain information from an established
travel agent specializing in ‘Umrah/hajj. Stay close to your
mahram, especially at Immigration.
“A single parent-female can perform ‘Umrah or Hajj if

accompanied by 2 trusted female companions. In Saudi, the
authorities strictly adhere to this rule, as they do not wish a female
jema'ah to be stranded in Saudi. For ‘Umrah, however, travel
agents normally arrange for someone within the group to act as
temporary ‘Mahram’ to accompany the single female to enter
Makkah. This is checked at Immigration point in Jeddah/Medinah”
“I learnt from a few Ustaz/ahs that it's okay to go with female

thiqah if you're going to perform hajj/’Umrah wajib; but for
hajj/’Umrah sunat, you must have a male mahram accompanying
you.”
“My girlfriend was my thiqah and I was hers when we performed

our Hajj in 2003. We did, however, obtain the blessings and
written approvals from our respective husbands for the journey.
For ‘Umrah you need to be accompanied by a male Mahram.
Personally I agree that we should plan our trip well to ensure that
31
we have a true Mahram – as I feel that the temporary Mahram as

assigned by the travel agents would cause us to start our journey
on the left foot. The reasoning given was that this is an
immigration requirement….but still the willingness to perjure
oneself on a holy journey may not be a good choice.
5.2 Timing
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)

said: He who intends to perform hajj should hasten to do so.
(Sunan Abu Dawud Book 10, Number 1728)
Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas: …..

He said: She has also requested me to ask you: What is that action
which is equivalent to performing hajj with you?
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Convey my
greetings, the mercy of Allah and His blessings to her and tell her that
‘Umrah during Ramadan is equivalent to performing hajj along
with me. (Sunan Abu Dawud Book 10, Number 1985)
• Decide on the timing. If you’d like to stay in the Holy Lands for the
whole of Ramadhan, you may need to inform your travel agent 5
months in advance.
“Going among the last flights for Hajj has its advantages:
- We can perform Haji Ifrad (around 10 days in Ihram before
Tahallul Awal)
- We don’t have to rush back to Makkah while in Mina since we
have many days more after 13th Zulhijjah in Makkah..
- Decrease in the volume of people (people leaving for home or
people going to Medinah), we can perform tawaf ‘Umrah/sunat
and Sa’ie with ease. Even kissing HajarulAswad, insyaAllah.”
• Obtain information on weather conditions in Medinah and Makkah
“Weather will depend on which month you are performing your

‘Umrah or Hajj. December & January are cold at night in Medinah
32
and Makkah (including Mina and especially Muzdalifah). The hot

season starts in June and temperatures can exceed 40 deg C.
During winter, the cold can sometimes go to negative degrees at
night. Bring along your cardigan & thick socks to wear during night
solat.”
5.3 Travel Arrangements & Services
• Select your travel agent. Check with your family and friends their
experience.
“An agent with 20 years of experience cannot guarantee that he

will deliver. Watch for signs. If you can, shop around for people
who make the promises with “InsyaAllah”. From my own personal
experience, my group had it tough without “InsyaAllah”.
• Choose the travel option that suits your needs. You may want to
perform solat istikharah on this.
a. Muassasah (please refer to personal accounts in Book 5)
“You need to be more tolerant as it is often very cramped. But it is

a good way to test your patience and you'll appreciate your hajj
more as you go through some "hardship". Amongst the hardship
is having to walk about 6 km to and fro passing through tunnels.
You'll get to mix with people who are very old and who have
never traveled before, and often you end up taking them to clinics
(which is a form of amal jariah).”
“Although I did not go under the package, I must admit that the
"Maha Susah [Muassasah] was not necessarily “susah”. Food
was always available. At Masjidil Haram, however, I met a few
teary-eyed ladies who claimed that when they went back to the
hotel (NOT muassasah) a little late, there was no more food.”
33
b. Package:
" This can be comfortable but it is not a guarantee for comfort

during ‘Umrah/Hajj. During my Hajj, I saw the happy faces of the
pilgrims in their tents/open air abode by the streets in Mina, and
the less than happy faces of the pilgrims in what was then the
most expensive package.”
• Decide on the carrier. Saudi Air operates the direct route. Check
with your travel agent if any other carrier does the same.
• Check out your Mutawif (Guide) and their responsibilities:

- What does a group Ustaz/ah do or is supposed to do?
- Is he in the group with you i.e. in the same
apartment/hotel or do you have to get to him, i.e. he stays
apart from the group?
“The travel agent will normally assign a Mutawif who can help you
in performing your ‘Umrah//Hajj and serve as a resource for things
you need clarification on. During Hajj, a group of Ustaz/ah(s) is
assigned at every Maktab to assist the jema'ah and they provide
talks almost every night.”
5.4 Accommodation
• Select hotel/apartment and find out their proximity to which part of

the Masjid – some parts are air-conditioned. Hotels or apartments
near the two Holy Masjids (Masjid Nabawi in Medinah and Masjid
Al Haram Ash-Sharif in Makkah) are more expensive than those
further away. For the hotel in Makkah, ensure that there is little
gradient, if any, when you are bringing the elderly or children. It is
possible to stay at 4-star hotels at reasonable rates.
Please note, however, that the farther you have to walk to the
masjid, the more pahala you get, insyaAllah. Every step you take,
you gain reward and your sins are forgiven, insyaAllah.
34
• If you are sharing more than 2 to a room, do find out the

number of sinks or WCs available in the room. It may be
worthwhile to pay more for convenience.
"Consider hotel distance to Masjidil Haram and Masjid Nabawi.

We went with UTAS Travel & Tours, which to me, offered the most
reasonable rates. Their location is very near to Masjidil Haram.
Although our hotel in Medinah was about 8-10 minutes from
Masjid Nabawi, we didn’t mind it because the length of stay in
Medinah was only 9 days.
As Ustaz Hj Daud Che Ngah once mentioned "Expect the worst,

hope for the best!!" My husband paid for a room for 4 persons.
Instead he got the room to himself. That somewhat provided us
the privacy when we needed it and of course the space to put our
stuff. Which was also nice for me who paid for a 5-person room.
And after Jema’ah on early flights left, we got a room for 2 with the
bathroom all to ourselves. That was a blessing!!”
“In Makkah I stayed at Hilton Towers apartment three times and it

was very convenient for families.”
“What I like about Makkah Hilton is the glass bubble lifts – I get a
sense of security in case I end up to be the only female in the lift.”
"In Medinah, if you stay in a hotel of some distance the road is

level so walking is not much of a problem. The reason for getting a
hotel near the Masjid is to allow you to go back after every solat to
rest or freshen up. If your hotel is far, it would be wiser to stay in
the masjid and the solat times are quite near to one another.”
35
PART 6: SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS
6.1 For those who need extra care
• Children, the physically challenged, the elderly, those with heart,

respiratory & other critical ailments will need able-bodied & healthy
caretakers so as not to unnecessarily burden strangers.
• If you are accompanying any of the above, discuss this with your
travel agent.
• Request for the following (it's better to pay more for convenience.)
 A direct flight to Saudi Arabia, if possible, direct to

Medinah. Make sure your travel agent does not arrange
your flight through airlines which need to make stopovers
and transits.
“Some agents simply go for whatever's cheaper in cost.

They will only inform you of the details when things are
already confirmed. The group I went with recently had to
go via Yemen Air, stopover in Dubai, transit at Sana’a,
then only to Jeddah. There were many elderly people in
our group. Needless to say, by the time we got to
Makkah, most of them were too tired to immediately
complete their ‘Umrah.”
 Travel from Medinah to Makkah by plane via Jeddah.

From Jeddah, you will need to travel by road to Makkah,
which takes about one hour.
 Please note that many travel agents now arrange for bus-
trips for the Medinah-Makkah route. This may take 6
hours or even up to 8 hours during peak season. (If you're
going for Hajj, most likely you will have to travel by bus).
While the younger ones may not find this a problem, the
36
elderly people may be too tired by the time they get to

their destination.
Alternatively, you could arrange to travel by GMC (an 8-

cylinder, 4-wheel drive), which could get the trip reduced
to about 4 hours. A GMC can seat up to 7 pax.
• Arrange for hotels near the two Masjids and convenient enough for
elderly people/young children. There are hotels, which are
considerably quite near but are built on hilly areas which may not
be too convenient for elderly people, especially those with back or
knee problems.
6.2 Involve Others
• Inform family, relatives and friends and request for them to

supplicate to Allah for the journey.
• Offer to make supplications for family and friends, and if so

entrusted and accepted, we need to perform and fulfill it.
• Anything in our possession that belongs to others or anything that

has been entrusted to us need to be returned to the rightful
owners.
6.3 Performing Hajj on Behalf of The Deceased
A Duty Owed To Allah — An Outstanding Debt

Commentary by Adil Salahi — Arab News
http://ourdialogue.com/answers/articles.php?action=show&showarticl
e=1132
When the pilgrimage is mentioned in the Qur'an, it is described as a

duty owed to God. Thus the relevant verse goes: "Pilgrimage to this
House is a duty owed to God by all people who are able to
undertake it." (3: 97) This is a special form of phrase which is not
associated with any other act of worship, not even prayers which we
37
offer everyday at specific times. Why is the pilgrimage given such a

status?
To start with, the pilgrimage is the fifth pillar of Islam. This

applies to all Muslims wherever they live, including the people of
Makkah who, needless to say, find it easier to perform the
pilgrimage than all other Muslims. Nevertheless, when they offer
the pilgrimage, they receive its reward in full. We must not forget
that a person may live in Makkah for 70 years and still not perform
the pilgrimage once. Hence, a resident in Makkah who offers the
pilgrimage acknowledges its status in Islam. People may suggest that
a person who comes from a remote area spends more time and
money in performing the pilgrimage: Will he receive the same
reward? We can only say that God is the most just of judges. While
the basic reward for the pilgrimage is earned by all pilgrims, God may
multiply the reward of any one He chooses. None will be treated
unfairly.
Yet why is the pilgrimage owed to God? God gives His message in
the clearest of terms. He has described the pilgrimage in a way that
makes it similar to a debt. Since the pilgrimage can be offered only at
a particular time every year, a delay in offering it once it becomes a
duty is similar to the delay in settling a debt when a person has the
money to repay it. The Prophet, peace be upon him, says:
"Deliberate delay of settling debt by someone who has the
means is an act of injustice." Moreover, if one dies without
offering the pilgrimage when he has been able to do so in his
lifetime, it remains outstanding in the same way as a loan given
to the deceased which must be settled after his death.
It is important to know first of all that once anyone is able to

undertake the duty of pilgrimage, he or she must do it without delay.
If, however, a person dies before he offers the pilgrimage when
the conditions of ability have been met during his lifetime, then
before his estate is divided among his heirs and indeed before
the execution of his will, if any, a portion of his money should be
set aside which must be sufficient to meet the expenses of the
38
pilgrimage and Umrah, so that someone else may do these

duties on his behalf. This applies whether the deceased had been
too lax about the fulfillment of his duty or had every intention to fulfill it
but was prevented by circumstances or by an illness or some other
legitimate reason.
A person who offers the substitute pilgrimage on someone

else's behalf should have already performed his own personal
duty of pilgrimage. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, did his
own pilgrimage, he heard one of his companions saying that he
intended the pilgrimage on behalf of Shibrimah. The Prophet, peace
be upon him, asked him who Shibrimah was? "A brother of mine," the
man said. The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked him whether he
had already offered the pilgrimage on his own behalf. When the man
answered in the negative, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"Offer the pilgrimage for yourself first, then offer it again on
behalf of Shibrimah."
It is perfectly acceptable that a close relative, such as a brother

or a sister, does the pilgrimage on behalf of a deceased person,
man or woman. It is also acceptable that someone is hired for
the purpose. Some scholars maintain that what should be paid to a
person who is doing a substitute pilgrimage is only the expenses
incurred in doing so. He cannot have a fee for doing the pilgrimage.
Yet, this is a point over which scholars have differed, with some of
them maintaining that if a fee is paid, it is perfectly legitimate earning.
On the other hand, if the relatives of the deceased tell the person
undertaking the substitute pilgrimage that they will pay him an agreed
amount of money to cover his expenses, but he is entitled to take for
himself what he saves of that amount by spending less. It is also
perfectly acceptable that a man does the pilgrimage on behalf of
another man, or on behalf of a woman. The opposite is also true: A
woman may do the pilgrimage on behalf of another woman or a man.
The pilgrimage is binding only on those who can afford it. If the
deceased was never able to pay for his pilgrimage throughout
his life, due to his poverty, then such a duty was not applicable
39
to him. Nevertheless, if one of his children does the pilgrimage, or

arranges with another person to do it on his behalf, it is perfectly
acceptable and greatly rewarding to that child of the deceased. It
counts as an exceptional act of dutifulness to parents. It ensures the
reward of the pilgrimage to the parent as well as a most gratifying
reward for the child.
We often speak about substitute pilgrimage as undertaken by a

close relative on behalf of a deceased person. The question
arises whether we can do it on behalf of someone who is
unrelated to us. The answer is that we can. We have already said
that the relatives of the deceased may hire someone for the purpose.
The person thus hired need not be a relative. Should someone who is
unrelated to the deceased volunteer to do the substitute pilgrimage,
this is perfectly acceptable.
Someone wrote to me that his fiancée died and he wanted to do the

pilgrimage on her behalf. No formal relationship existed between the
two. There was only a firm declaration of intent to be married, made
with the consent of her family. The engagement is a real relationship,
even though it was not formalized with a marriage contract. This was
the next stage which the two would have reached had she remained
alive. There might have been much discussion between them about
their future and the family they would raise. Now that she is no longer
alive, thinking of doing something to please God on her behalf and
ensure His forgiveness of her sins is highly commendable. If her
fiancé does the pilgrimage or the Umrah, or give money in charity on
her behalf, or pray for her to be admitted into heaven, God will accept
what he does and answer his prayers, if He so pleases. He will also
reward him according to his intention.
When we undertake some act of worship on behalf of someone
else, all we need to do is to declare at the beginning of the
action that we want it credited to that person. If it is a pilgrimage
or Umrah, we declare it so at the time when we enter into the state of
consecration, mentioning the name of the person on whose behalf it
is intended. God will accept it that way and will credit it to that person.
40
Appendix 1
So That Our HAJJ May Be Accepted
By Faysal bin ‘Ali Al-Ba’dani
Al Bayan magazine, Translated by Islaam.com
<http://www.islaam.com/>
_______________________________________________________
Allah subhanahu wa taàla has assigned a great reward for Hajj

Mabroor, as evidenced by the saying of the Messenger, sallallahu
àlayhi wa sallam,
“…There is no reward for Hajj Mabroor except Paradise.” (1)
The meaning of birr (from which the word “mabroor” is derived)

involves the following:
1. Good behaviour towards people, fulfilling one's duties towards

others and giving them their rights. In the hadeeth, “Al Birr is
good behaviour.” (3) In the Musnad, from Jabir, marfoo`
narration states, “They said: 'What makes Hajj mabroor, O
Rasulullah – sallallahu àlayhi wa sallam?' He said, 'Providing
food to people and spreading (the greeting of) salam'.” (4)
2. Doing much worship and the trait of taqwa, as opposed to

sinfulness. Allah taàla says, “Do you order people towards al-
birr (righteousness) while you forget (it) yourselves?” (2:44) Al-
Qurtubi said, “Sayings mentioned in tafseer of this verse are
close in meaning, that is, (birr is) performance of Hajj in which
its rules are fulfilled and which is done in the most complete
manner.”
Not everyone who makes Hajj will have his Hajj accepted. As Ibn
Ùmar, radhiallahu ànhu, said to Mujahid, when he said, "How many
Hujjaj", "How few. Rather say, how many riders." (6)
41
Appendix 2
What To Do To Make Our HAJJ Be Accepted
By Faysal bin ‘Ali Al-Ba’dani
Al Bayan magazine, Translated by Islaam.com
http://www.islaam.com/
_______________________________________________________
I will highlight here some matters that help one ensure that his or her
Hajj will be accepted, in shaa' Allah.
First: Sincerity and Following of the Sunnah
Sincerity to Allah and seeking His reward and pleasure alone. Allah
says in the hadeeth qudsi, "Whoever does an action for other than
me, I will leave him and his shirk." (7) The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam, supplicated, "Allahumma hajjatan la riyaa'a feeha wa la
sumà" (O Allah, (enable me to make) hajj with no riya' (show-off in
the sense of desire that others witness one's good acts) or sumà
(show-off related to desire that others hear about one's good acts) in
it." (8)
Following of the Messenger, sallallahu àlayhi wa sallam, in all

matters. He said, "Whoever does an action not in accordance with
our matter (Deen), it will be rejected." (9) Also, “Take your rituals
(from me), for I do not know whether I will perform Hajj after this one.”
(10) The Sahaba, radhiallahu ànhum, comprehended this matter
well. Ùmar said when he kissed the black stone, "By Allah, I know
that you are a stone, you neither bring harm nor benefit, and if I had
not seen the Messenger of Allah - sallallahu àlayhi wa sallam, kiss
you, I would not have kissed you.” (11)
Second: Preparation for Hajj
A servant's preparation for Hajj is one of the most important factors in

helping him perform the pilgrimage in the legislated manner and
ensuring that one's hajj is insyaa' Allah accepted. To prepare for
Hajj, emphasis is given to the following:
42
a. Examining and rectifying one's relationship with Allah Taàla, by

sincerely repenting and fulfilling the well-known conditions of
repentance.
b. Seeking His help and guidance, manifesting one's need of Him,

fear of Him and hope in His reward. This is most important, for it is
not permissible for a person to rely solely on his material means.
c. Relieving oneself of one's obligations towards others, one's trusts

and debts.
d. Writing of one's will, as travel exposes one to various dangers.
e. Preparation of provisions for those the pilgrim is responsible for

until he returns, advising them with good and appointing someone to
take care of their matters, so that his concern and attention be
devoted to performance of the pilgrimage.
f. Taking a convenient journey and good, halal provision. For

provision obtained through haram is from matters that cause one's
worship not to be accepted. It is related from At-Tabarani in a marfoo`
tradition, “When a person leaves for Hajj with good provision, places
his foot in the stirrup (of his mount) and calls, “Labbayka Allahumma
Labbayk” Here I am at Your service, O Allah! Here I am at Your
service], he is called from the heavens: “Labbayka wa Sa`dayk [may
your call be replied and happiness be your reward], your sustenance
is halal, your journeying is halal, and your Hajj is accepted.” And
when he leaves with corrupt provisions and places his foot in the
stirrup (of his mount) and says, “Labbayk”, he is called from the
heavens, “La Labbayka wa la sa`dayk dayk [may your call not be
responded to and happiness not be your reward], your provision is
haram, your sustenance is haram and your Hajj is not accepted.” (13)
Today we live at a time when haram earnings have become

widespread, and when questionable wealth has increased, except for
those that Allah has mercy upon. So let every servant fear His Lord
43
and remember his saying, “Allah is Good (Tayyib) and does not
accept except what is good.” (13)
It is recommended for a servant to increase one's halal provisions

according to his abilities, so that one does not depend on others and
in order to show kindness to the weak (by giving money in charity).
g. Selection of a righteous company that will help one in moments of

weakness, remind him when he forgets, teach him when he does not
know, order him to good and forbid him from evil. So let the servant
be aware of the following two types of companies: a corrupt company
that leads to sinfulness and falsehood, and a company that spends its
time in what brings no benefit in the hereafter.
h. Learning rules of Hajj and its manners, as well as rules related to

travel, including al qasr (shortening solat), al jam` (joining solat), at
tayammum, al mash (wiping) etc. The Prophet, sallallahu àlayhi wa
sallam, said, “Whoever Allah wishes good, He gives him
understanding of the Deen.” (14)
What helps a person in this is obtaining books and tapes by people of

knowledge, and accompanying them while performing pilgrimage.
Likewise, accompanying people who are familiar with places and
times of different Hajj rituals.
Third: Servant's awareness of the true reality of Hajj and

wisdoms for which the Hajj rituals have been legislated.
This is similar to khushoo` (humble submission) in Solat, for whoever

has greater khushoo`, chances of his solat being accepted are
greater. Likewise with Hajj, the more a person comprehends the
reality and spirit of Hajj, the wisdom and goals for which it has been
legislated, and takes that as a means of correcting one's creed and
way, the more likely his Hajj is to be accepted and the greater his
reward. One will not be able to achieve this except by preparation
and drowning in contemplation and research about true realities and
44
wisdom of Hajj. As for one who is not like this, it is feared that his
action is a mixture of tourism and hardship.
Fourth: Warning against sinfulness and falling into error
A servant does not earn Hajj Mabrur except by leaving sins. While
falling into sin is prohibited at all times, Allah taàla gives a specific
order to the pilgrims to leave sins. He says, “Hajj is [during] well-
known months, so whoever has made hajj obligatory upon himself
therein [by entering the state of ihram], there is [to be for him] no
sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during hajj.”
(2:197) This is due to nobility of the time and greatness of the place.
Allah taàla says, “Whoever intends [a deed] therein [i.e. in the
Haram] of deviation [in religion] or wrongdoing – We will make him
taste of a painful punishment.” (22:25) How could there be reward for
one who commits sins?!
Contemplation about the state of people during Hajj causes one to

realize the many evil deeds and mistakes, which are the result of:
weak fear of Allah, lack of consideration of the sacredness of the time
and place, ignorance of the Shariàh and following of customs.
Perhaps from the most widespread evil actions and mistakes in Hajj
are the following: intentionally committing prohibited acts while in the
state of ihram without a valid excuse, harming Muslims with one's
sayings and actions, leaving of mutual advising and ordering of good
and forbidding evil, delaying solat from its due time, backbiting,
slander, vain talk, argumentation, hearsay, extravagance, miserliness
in spending, wasting food, bad behaviour towards others, negligence
with regards to sins, such as listening to what is not allowed,
uncovering what is not allowed to be uncovered, hurry or delay in
performance of rituals, lack of observance of spatial limits which may
not be overstepped in performance of actions of Hajj, etc.
Who is more deprived than one who sacrifices his soul, his wealth
and leaves his previous state and his adornment and then returns
with forbidden actions and the anger of the Merciful?
45
A poet said,
He went to Hajj so that Allah forgives his sins
And returned with even more sins
Fifth: Striving hard in obedience of Allah and proper use

of time
In the verses about Hajj there are signs that exhort the servant to
make a lot of righteous actions while performing the pilgrimage. From
it is the saying of Allah àzza wa jall, “And whatever good you do –
Allah knows it.“ (2:197) Perhaps from the most important righteous
actions which the servant should do plenty of and keep busy with
while at Hajj are the following:
a) Actions of the heart
Sincerity, love of Allah, relying on Him, fear of Him, hoping in His

reward, glorification and respect of Him, submission and surrender,
expressing one's need of Him, truthfulness in supplication,
repentance, patience, being pleased with Allah, tranquility etc. are
from the most important actions of the heart that the servant should
occupy himself with in his Hajj, for Islam is centered around them. Ibn
ul Qayyim said, “Whoever contemplates the aims and means of the
Shareeàh will know the correlation between actions of the body and
actions of the heart and (will understand) that the former are of no
benefit without the latter.” (19)
b) Recitation of the Qur'an, remembrance of Allah and seeking

forgiveness
Allah has ordered the pilgrims in the verses about Hajj to engage in
remembrance (dhikr) and seeking of forgiveness. It is related that the
Prophet, sallallahu àlayhi wa sallam, was asked, “What Hajj is the
best? He said, “That in which there is most dhikr (remembrance
of Allah).” (20)
c) Goodness towards people

46
In the hadeeth, “It was said, 'O Messenger of Allah, which people
are dearest to Allah?' He said, 'Dearest people to Allah are those
who are the most useful to (other) people.'”
d) Calling to Allah àzza wa jall
Ignorance, innovations, evil actions and mistakes have widely spread

among the pilgrims, and from what is obligatory upon scholars and
callers is guiding and advising others, ordering them to good and
forbidding them from evil with wisdom, good exhortation and arguing
in a better way. Shuja` bin al Waleed said, “I was making Hajj with
Sufyan, and his tongue hardly ceased to enjoin good and forbid evil,
both while going and coming back.” (21)
e) Supplicating to Allah and asking Him
Hajj is one of the great occasions to ask Allah Taàla and to

supplicate to Him, it is an occasion that requires usage of the
opportunity and submissiveness before Allah. The Prophet, sallallahu
àlayhi wa sallam, said, “The best supplication is supplication on
Àrafat.” (22) “Those making Hajj and `’Umrah are delegates
(guests) of Allah, He called them and they answered, they ask him
and He gives them.” (23)
Sixth: Steadfastness…Steadfastness (after Hajj)
The evidence of Hajj Mabrur is steadfastness of the servant after

Hajj, his practice of righteous acts and leaving of the sins. Al-Hasan
al-Basri said, “Al-Hajj al-Mabrur is to return abstinent from this world
and desiring the hereafter. This is witnessed to in His saying, “And
those who are guided – He increases them in guidance and gives
them their righteousness (taqwa, fearful awareness of Allah, care to
avoid His displeasure).” (47:17)
47
So beware, my brother, of destroying what you build, dispersing what

you gather, eliminating what you gain, regressing after guidance, and
deterioration after refinement.
Remember that Hajj nullifies what precedes it from sins, and that
because of Hajj you return in a state like that on the day your mother
bore you. So beware of opposing Allah with sins after this blessing.
Open a new page in your life and fill it with righteous actions in
steadfastness upon His Deen.
References:
1. Al Bukhari, 1773
2. Lata'if al Maàrif, p 410
3. Muslim, 2553
4. Fath al Bari 4/446
5. Fath al Bari 3/446
6. Musannaf Àbdur Razzaq 8836. See al Hajj by al Qari, p. 55
7. Muslim, 2985
8. Ibn Maajah, 2890. See Saheeh Sunan ibn Maajah 1718
9. Muslim 1718
10. Muslim 1297
11. Al Bukhari 1610
12. Al Mu`jam al-Awsat by at-Tabarani 5224. Majma` az-Zawa'id, in it
is Sulayman bin Dawud al-Yamami and he is Daèef, 10/292
13. Muslim 2/703
14. Al-Bukhari 71
15. Al Bukhari 1549
16. Al Bukhari 1671
17. See Lataìf al-Maàrif, 411
18. at-Tirmidhi, 902
19. Badaaiùl Fawaa'id 3/330
20. Al-Mu`jam al-Awsat by at-Tabarani, 7775; declared Hasan by al-
Albani in Saheeh al Jaami` 5569
21. Siyar A`lam an-Nubala' 7/259
22. At-Tirmidhi 3585; see Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhi, 837 and al-
Jawab al-Kafi, p. 101
23. See Saheeh al-Jaami`, 3173; al-Albani said: Hasan.
48
Appendix 3
Hajjee with No HAJJ
Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation
_______________________________________________________
THE HAJJEE WITH NO HAJJ!!
That is the Hajjee who crossed the oases or the airspace or the
waters but did not purify his intentions to Allah azza wa jall. Instead
he came either to be named Hajjee So and So or because his
acquaintances performed Hajj or to ask people for money or some
worldly desire.
That is the Hajjee that called and sacrificed but whose funds were
haram in whole or in part or who did not avoid the questionable and
did not familiarise himself with those things which concern the pious.
That is the Hajjee who knows that the Prophet (Saw) said, "Take from
me your Hajj duties" but in reality did not require himself to follow the
one who said that, 'alayhis-salaam, so he does not pursue his sunnah
nor the characteristics of his Hajj but rather settles for what his
companions are familiar with, even if they are lay people, with no
knowledge and perhaps even when a question arises he does not
carefully consider whom he asks about it. Some even will ask a good
person, even if he does not possess the required knowledge, and
Allah taàla says, "Ask those with knowledge if you do not know."
That is the one saying, "Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayk la

shareeka laka labbayk." {Here I am at Your Service O lord, here I am.
No partner do You have, Here I am}, however, despite that does not
observe His Oneness properly and is not moved to purify himself
from misdeeds and perhaps he takes blessings from where they
49
should not be taken or seeks refuge in a human when refuge must be

sought from its grantor, subhaanahu wa taàla, or he swears by other
than Allah, taàla, as swearing by the Prophet (Saw) or swearing by
other than Allah has been forbidden by the Prophet (saw) as he said,
"Whoever swears by other than Allah has disbelieved or become a
mushrik, attributed partners to Allah, subhaanahu wa taàla".
That is the Hajjee who does not protect his Hajj from dirty, false, evil
and vain talk and sexual desire and committing sins so he releases
his tongue from its bridle and does not harness his eyes and does not
even give up any of the sinful acts that should be eliminated by
performing hajj.
That is the one who does not protect the Muslims from his shoving
and aggression and perhaps even aggresses the rights of his
brothers in their lodgings or their parking places, or aggresses with
odours or garbage as if proper manners are not required at certain
times or places.
That is the one who says There is no God but Allah and Muhammad
is His Messenger, which requires him to worship Allah only by the
means revealed and by what the Prophet (Saw) has shown, but he
worships Allah subhaanahu wa taàla by means not revealed:
Perhaps he ascends the mountain in Arafat and tires himself thinking
he is in worship is not the case, or perhaps he expends great effort in
stoning or used wood or his shoes to stone thinking he is doing the
right thing whilst in fact he is abusing his worship and his brothers’
rights.
That is the one in the state of ihram whose day of Hajj coincided with
his day of recreation and his day of ihram with his normal day and did
50
not feel the worship and did not lower himself to Allah, subhaanahu
wa taàla, and did not struggle to avoid even on the day of Arafat
when Allah subhaanahu wa taàla approaches His creation in a
manner which is worthy of His Highness and Greatness,
subhaanahu, when He Boasts to the Angels and He Saves from
Hellfire whomever He Wishes by His Grave and Generosity.
51
Appendix 4
Ask Forgiveness from Your Lord
Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Majallat al-Buhooth, issue no. 34, p. 142
From As-Sunnah Bimonthly Islamic Newsletter
_______________________________________________________
Shaddaad Ibn Aws (radhi allahu anhu) reported: "The Messenger of

Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "The (Sayyid al-Istigfar)
noblest and the most excellent manner of seeking forgiveness is
that the servant says:
"O Allah, You are my Lord. None has the right to be worshiped
except You.
You created me, and I am Your slave/worshipper.
And I am faithful to my covenant and my promise, as far as I am
able.
I seek Your refuge from the evil of what I have done.
I acknowledge before You all the favors that You have bestowed
upon me.
And I confess all my sins to You.
So forgive me, since none can forgive sins except You."
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Whoever says it in

the day, with firm conviction in it, and dies in that day before
evening then he is from the people of Paradise. Whoever says it
in the night, with firm conviction in it, and he dies before the
morning then he is from the people of Paradise." [Saheeh al-
Bukhari]
The scholars count this hadeeth as a Dhikr (remembrance of Allah)

that should be said in the day, as well as in the night; in the early
morning between dawn and sunrise, and at the start of the evening.
Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) records this Hadeeth in two different
places, once under the chapter: 'The most excellent manner of
seeking forgiveness' and 'What to say when one gets up (early) in the
morning?' It is also reported in the Sunans, like Nisa'ee and at-
Tirmidhi etc. with wordings which show the importance of learning
52
this manner of seeking forgiveness, for example in the above

mentioned Hadeeth the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-
sallam) entitled it 'Sayyid al-Istigfar', which literally means, 'the Chief
of all Seeking Forgiveness.'
One of the most important aspects of a Muslim's life Is to seek al-

Istagfar (ask forgiveness for one's sins) from Allah. Various texts of
the Qur’an and the Sunnah command and encourage al-Istagfar,
show its excellence and the excellence of those who are constant in
it, from them is the saying of Allah: "O My servants who have
transgressed greatly against themselves through sins! Do not despair
of the Mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins to those who
repent. Indeed, He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful." [Soorah
az-Zumar (39): 54] Some pious predecessors commented on this
verse saying, this verse gives the most hope to the one who seeks
forgiveness.
Allah encouraged seeking forgiveness and clarified its excellence and

rewards in this worldly life and said: "Ask forgiveness from your
Lord. Indeed, He is the Oft-Forgiving. He will send rain to you in
abundance and He will give you increase in wealth and children,
and bestow on you gardens and rivers." [(71): 10-12]
Thus, this verse promises numerous benefits for those who seek
forgiveness constantly. In the Hereafter, the benefits are much
greater. Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Allah
the Most High says: 'O son of Adam! As long as you supplicate
to Me and hope in Me, I will forgive you what you have done. O
son of Adam! If your sins were to reach the lofty regions of the
sky, then you ask Me for forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son
of Adam! If you were to come to Me with enough sins to fill the
earth, but you met Me not associating anything with Me I would
bring you the like of it of forgiveness." [Saheeh al-Bukhari, vol: 8,
no: 319]
The great importance of al-Istagfar is seen from the practice of

Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) that all his past and
53
future sins were forgiven even though, he would make al-Istagfar

more than 70 times a day. Abu Hurayrah (radhi allahu anhu)
reported: "The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
"By the One in Whose Hands is my soul, I certainly ask
forgiveness more than a seventy times each day." [Saheeh al-
Bukhari] Umar (radhi allahu anhu) said: "We used to count that in a
single gathering he (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) would say: 'I ask
Allah's forgiveness and I repent to Him', more than seventy times."
[See as-Saheeh, no: 556] The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam) said: "By Allah! If you did not commit sins, Allah
would have taken you away and brought a people who seek
Allah's forgiveness and He would forgive them." [Saheeh Muslim
vol: 4, no: 6522] This Hadeeth shows the extent to which Allah loves
that His slaves ask forgiveness from Him and He loves those who ask
forgiveness from Him.
Allah loves that we call upon Him by His Beautiful Names And
worship Him by that which His Names demand: "And Allah has the
most excellent and perfect names, so worship and invoke Him
by them" [Soorah al-A'raaf (7): 180] The Messenger of Allah
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Allah has ninety-nine names, a
hundred except one. Whoever memorizes and is mindful of them
(ahsaaha) will enter Paradise." [Saheeh al-Bukhari and Saheeh
Muslim] Here, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)
uses the word 'ahsaaha' coming from the root-word 'ihsaa', which
does not only means to recite these names, as is the practice of
some, Scholars have explained that 'ihsaa' of the names comprises
of three levels:
• (A) The first is to memorize the Names of Allah.
• (B) The second is to understand their meanings and
• (C) The third is to call upon Allah by these names and act as they
demand.
Let us understand with an example, At-Tawwaab is from the

names of Allah, it means 'He who guides His servants to repent and
accepts their repentance.' Thus we understand that Allah accepts His
servant's repentance, guides them to repent and grants forgiveness
54
to them. We also understand that He Alone is the One to grant

forgiveness. Having understood this, we act as the name demands by
repenting to Allah alone from all our sins. Similarly, the Names 'al-
Ghafoor' - 'the Oft-Forgiving' and 'al-Afuww' - 'The One who pardons',
demand that we should constantly turn to Allah in repentance. This is
how we should understand and memorize all the Names of Allah,
away from the corrupted innovated ways.
Explanation of Sayyid al-Istagfar:

The supplication starts with the word: "Allahumma..." means 'O
Allah!', It is a word whose meaning is found frequently in both the
Qur’an and the Sunnah.
The scholars have explained that Tawheed (the Oneness of Allah)

falls in two categories:
• (a) Tawheed al-Ma'rifah wal-Ithbaat - To know and affirm the
Oneness of Allah and,
• (b) Tawheed al-Iraadah wat-Talab - Establishing the Oneness of
Allah in one's intention and acts of worship.
The initial words of the supplication: "O Allah, You are my Lord.
None has the right to be worshiped except You. You created me,
and I am Your slave/worshiper", comprises both these meanings.
Let us first analyze in brief the meaning of Tawheed al-Marifah wal-
Ithbaat, it comprises of:
(a) Tawheed ar-Ruboobeyyah: The Oneness of Allah's Lordship. It

is to affirm that Allah is the Creator, the Provider, the One Who grants
all blessings and the One Who controls all affairs of His Creation.
(b) Tawheed al-Asma wa-Sifaat: The Oneness of Allah's Names

and Attributes. It is to affirm all the Names and Attributes of Allah as
mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
Thus, one must know and affirm that Allah is the Creator, the
Provider, One Who grants all blessings, and the One Who controls all
affairs of the creation. One must know and affirm all the Names and
55
Attributes of Allah mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This

knowledge and affirmation is illustrated in the saying: "O Allaah,
You are my Lord…. You created me…"
The second aspect, Tawheed al-Iraadah wat-Talab, is the Oneness

of Allah's Worship, which demands that all worship is performed
sincerely and purely for Allah, the saying: "…None has the right to
be worshipped except You, You created me, and I am Your
slave/worshipper" proves the Oneness of Worship.
If the servant knows that Allah is the sole Creator, then it is binding
upon him to worship Him alone, this occurs in several Qur'aanic
verses: "I am your Lord, therefore worship Me alone." [Soorah al-
Ambiya (21): 92]
"O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and
those who were before you so that you may become al-
Mutaqoon. Who has made the earth a resting place for you, and
the sky as a canopy, and sent down water (rain) from the sky
and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then
do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know."
[Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 21-22] Ibn Abbas (radhi allahu anhu)
commented on the last words of the verse: "…while you know.",
saying: "So do not set up partner with Allah in your worship
while you know that you have no Creator other than Allah.", and
this defines the meaning of the supplication: "You created me,
and I am Your slave/worshipper."
Thus, since Allah is the sole Creator, we do not direct any worship to
anyone besides Him. We supplicate to Him alone. But today, we see
some who claim to be the followers Islam, and apparently
acknowledge, "La ilaha illa Allah" (i.e. none is worthy of worship
except Allah) still to be found at the shrines and tombs, supplicating
and requesting the engraved to fulfill their needs. They worship those
regarding whom Allah says: "Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam), to those who invoke those besides Allah): 'Call upon
those besides Him whom you pretend (to be gods). They have
56
neither power to remove the adversity from you nor even to shift
it from you to another person." [Soorah al-Isra (17): 56] And: "Say
(O Muhammad r): "Call upon those whom you assert (to be
associate gods) besides Allah, they possess not even the weight
of an atom, - either in the Heavens or on the Earth, nor have they
any share in either; nor there is for Him any supporter from
among them." [Soorah Saba (34): 23]
Thus, this declaration which is also the first pillar of Islam (La ilaha illa
Allah - None has the right to be worshiped except Allah) comes at the
beginning of the supplication and states the purpose of the creation,
which is servitude (Uboodiyyah), Allah says "I did not create Jinn
and mankind except for my worship" [Soorah ad-Dhariyaat (51):
56]
Servitude is also the right of Allah on His slaves, this affirmation of

Allah's right and that the creation is His slave is mentioned in the
statement, "You created me and I am Your slave/worshipper."
Servitude of the creation is of two types; servitude to Allah's

Lordship and servitude in worship to him.
1 - Servitude of Lordship means that the whole creation is brought

into existence by Allah alone; He created them and He provides them
with their needs, He causes life and death and none shares with Him
any of His Dominion. Therefore, none in the creation can escape this
servitude of Allah, and Allah says: "All (Angels) in the Heavens,
and all (men and Jinn) upon the Earth will come to the Most
Merciful on the Day of Judgement as submissive slaves."
[Soorah Maryam (19): 93]
2 - Servitude in Worship is something, which Allah has granted to

some of His creation in particular. They are those whom He has
guided to the obedience of His Commands, and upon whom He has
bestowed Eemaan. So these are slaves of Allah who worship Allah,
obey Him, comply with what He has legislated, and carry out His
orders and obey His Messenger… Therefore, Allah ascribed them to
57
Himself, like His saying: "Ibaad ar-Rahmaan - the slaves of the

Most Merciful…" [Soorah al-Furqaan (25): 63]
In this supplication, the servitude of Lordship was mentioned in the

previous statements: "O Allah, You are my Lord… You created
me."
"I am Your slave/worshipper", confirms the servitude of worship

meaning; I am a worshipper of You, one who carries out Your
Commands and one who complies with what You have legislated.
Thus, the supplication commences with these great and
comprehensive matters pertaining to Tawheed.
"And I am faithful to my covenant (to You) and my promise (to

You) as far as I am able…",
By this statement, the servant makes a covenant with Allah to abide

by everything he previously said (i.e. Tawheed) meaning he will truly
believe and remain upright upon the obedience to Allah, just as he
makes a promise in every Rak'aah of his prayer saying, "You alone
do we worship, and You alone do we seek help"
The saying, "As far as I am able…" makes worship dependant upon

the slave's ability and this is from the Mercy of Allah to us. Some
scholars explain that this statement is an acknowledgment of one's
weakness and deficiency, whose meaning is; 'I am not fully able to
complete Eemaan and attain its highest level and most perfect form. I
acknowledge my weakness and shortcomings, I am not able, so do
not hold me to account for my weakness, deficiency and
shortcomings' and Allah says in His Book: "Allah does not place a
burden on any soul greater than it can bear." [Soorah al-Baqarah
(2): 286] And it occurs in a Hadeeth of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam): "If I command you with something then do as
much of it as you can, and whatever I forbid you then leave it
(altogether)." [Saheeh al-Bukhari, vol: 9, no: 391] Here, the scholars
explain that when he (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) mentioned the
command (al-Amr), he made it dependant upon the ability, since
58
there may be some commands that a person may not be able to carry
out, or which he may not be able to carry out fully. So, the
performance of the command is made dependant upon the ability.
Therefore, the supplication is: "As far as I am able…"
However, when he (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) mentioned the

forbiddance, he said: "… and what I have forbidden you from,
then leave it (altogether)." He did not say "…as far as you are
able" and as the scholars say, forbiddance means to refrain from
doing something and it is within the ability of everyone. Everyone is
able to refrain from fornication, theft, murder and all matters, which
Allah has forbidden. Therefore, leaving forbidden matters are not
made conditional on one's ability.
Next the saying, "I acknowledge before You all the favours that
You have bestowed upon me. And I confess all my sins to You" ,
is both affirmation and confession, "I acknowledge…", here the
statement is not restricted to any specific favor of Allah, rather, it is
left unrestricted meaning, I acknowledge and affirm all favors with
which You have blessed me with, the blessing of Eemaan, the
blessings of health and children, the blessings of crops, the blessings
of house - all blessings. He, the Perfect and the Most High, is the
One Who grants and bestows them: "Whatever blessings you
have are from Allah." [Soorah an-Nahl (16): 3]
After having acknowledged the blessings, it is necessary for the

servant to give thanks to Allah for them by his heart, his tongue and
his actions : "And remember when Your Lord proclaimed, 'If you
give thanks, I will give you increase in blessings, but if you deny
the favors and are thankless, then I shall punish you severely."
[Soorah al-Ibrahim (14): 7]
Then the supplication mentions, "I confess all my sins to You…"

This sentence, since it immediately follows, "I acknowledge before
You all the favours that You have bestowed upon me.", it means,
'I admit that I fall short in giving thanks to Your Favors.' Some
scholars explain saying, "I confess all my sins unrestrictedly, that is
59
all my acts of disobedience and every sin that I have committed" By

this admission, the servant acknowledges that he has fallen short
with regard to Allah's Right upon him, which is 'worship' This
acknowledgment of the servant is the beginning of the road to
repentance. However, if he commits acts of disobedience and yet
does not feel that he is a sinner, then repentance is something far
away from him. Thus, the servant's being sinned must lead him to
seeking forgiveness and this is the core of the meaning of the
Hadeeth.
The pattern of the statements, "I acknowledge before You all the
favors that You have bestowed upon me. And I confess all my sins to
You", indicate to another wisdom; it is that the servant, in this life
continuously passes back and forth throughout the day between two
affairs; these are either blessings granted to him by Allah, which
require that he gives thanks to Allah, or he falls into a sin and this
requires him to repent and to seek forgiveness. Therefore, some of
the Salaf used to say, 'I enter the morning in between blessings and
sins, so I want to put forth thanks for the blessings and seek
forgiveness for the sins.'
Another point which is manifest from this Hadeeth is that, whatever

sin the servant committed, if he acknowledges the fact that he has
sinned and then truly repents, Allah accepts his repentance, whatever
his sin may be, and forgives him.
The supplication ends with, "none can forgive sins except You",
indicating that Allah alone is the Forgiver. Therefore, the servant
turns to Allah in repentance, obedience and seeks His forgiveness.
Explanation and clarification of this Hadeeth testify that Tawheed and

al-Istagfar are from the most important aspects of a Muslim's life.
These two matter are combined in a number of Qur'aanic verses and
the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), Allah
says: "Then know that none deserves the right to be worshiped
except Allah, and ask for forgiveness for your sins and also for
believing men and believing women, for Allah knows well your
60
actions whilst awake and whilst in your places of sleep." [Soorah

Muhammad (47): 19]
Likewise, it is mentioned: "None has the right to be worshiped but

You (Allah), far removed are You from imperfection! I have been
one of those who have wronged themselves!" [Soorah al-Ambiya
(21): 87] "So make your worship purely for Allah and seek His
forgiveness for your sins." [Soorah Fussilat (41): 6]
To Summarize
The supplication comprises of:

(1) Knowing Allah's Lordship and His sole right to be worshiped.
(2) Affirmation that Allah is the sole Creator and thus He alone
deserves to be worshipped
(3) The hope for Allah's Mercy
(4) Seeking refuge with Allah from being transgressed
(5) Attributing all blessings to Allah alone and
(6) Attributing all sins and mistakes to one's oneself
(7) And this supplication contains the slave's desire for forgiveness
and his acknowledgment that none can forgive except Allah.
61
Appendix 5
Supplications Before Departure for the Holy Land
By Ustazah Maimun Ali
_______________________________________________________
Start your supplications with the praises to Allah & Rasulullah

SAW in Arabic
Segala pujian bagi Allah, Tuhan semesta alam kerana dia

banyak mengurniakan ni'mat dan membalas baik lebih daripada
kadar amal yang dikerjakan.
Ya Allah kami datang kepadamu dengan tangan-tangan yang
penuh dosa, hati yang berbolak balik, amal yang sedikit,
kealpaan, kejahilan yang banyak, namun kami sesungguhnya
menggantungkan sepenuh harapan dengan segala keikhlasan
kepada rahmah, maghfirah kasih sayangMu memohon Engkau
menerima taubat nasuha kami, mengampunkan segala dosa
dan kesalahan kami yang terdahulu dan yang terkemudian,
yang nyata dan yg kami sembunyikan serta yang kami tidak
tahu.
Ya Allah tiada Tuhan melainkanMu yang Terawal & Terakir

sesungguhnya kami sentiasa menzalimi diri dengan dosa yang
banyak, ampunilah kami kerana tiadalah pengampun selain
Engkau, kurniakanlah maghfirah dari sisiMu dan rahmatilah
kami wahai Yang Maha Mengasihani lagi Maha Penyayang.
Ya Allah kami mensyukuri ni'mat terpilih menjadi tetamu Mu

keBaitullah dan kami memohon kepada Tuhan yang Maha
lemah lembut, lemah lembutlah kepada kami dengan
perjalanan yang mudah dan sejahtera, pekerjaan serta akhlaq
Haji yang sempurna yang melayakkaan kami menerima Haji
yang Mabrur, Dosa yang diampuni, usaha yang disyukuri dan
perniagaan yang tidak rugi.
62
Ya Allah sesungguhnya aku memohon kepadamu diadakan

perjalanan kami kepadamu, hidayah yang berterusan serta
takwa penuh keimanan dah adalah yang diredhai.
Ya Allah jadikan perjalanan ini mudah seolah-olah satu

perjalanan yang dekat dan menyenangkan.
Kaulah teman diperjalanan dan wakil yang memelihara serta

melindungi anak-anak, harta dan kaum keluarga. Ya Allah
cukuplah bagi kami Kau sebagai Penyaksi, Penolong,
Pemelihara dan Yang Maha Mengetahui yang terbaik bagi
kami. Sesungguhnya kami redha Engkau sebagai Tuhan kami
dan kami berserah diri kepadaMu
Ya Allah. Semoga Allah merahmati kita semua, salaam dan
do'a.
A shorter version………
Ya Allah Ya Tuhan!
Limpahkanlah rahmat dan kesejahteraan keatas junjungan

Kami Nabi Muhammad (saw)
Rahmat yang dengan Nya menyampaikan Hajat Kami

menunaikan Haji kerumahmu BaitulHaram dan mengunjungi
Makam kekasih mu junjungan Kami Nabi Muhammad. (saw)
Kepada Nya dipohonkan kelimpahan rahmat dan sejahtera

semoga Kami dikekalkan didalam sihat walafiat, selamat dan
lemah lembut serta kesopanan segala hajat kami dan
kurniakanlah rahmat dan sejahtera keatas keluarga serta
sahabat sahabat Baginda
63
Appendix 6
A Quick Overview Checklist
(please see attached mind map)
By Haizara Ismail
_______________________________________________________
Below is a short checklist you may want to use for your trip
Set Date:
Set package…..Set budget
Spiritual Literature:
Read anything…….read on rituals…...read on history so as to better
appreciate the historical sites
Physical:
Workout and exercise to be fit before trip
Medical:
Check menstrual cycle… timing………Prepare oneself with
vitamins….bring ample supplements and medication
Vaccinations:
Menses…influenza (get advice from doctor)
Visa:
Have agent in charge to obtain photos…ladies only with black tudung
and males no headgear in photo……ensure the size of photo is in
accordance with Saudi Govt regulations……..Tabung Haji will issue
letter…..Tabung Haji will prepare HAJJ visa. For ‘UMRAH can use
international passport and Visa done by agent.
Toiletries/Medication:
Get panadol…..medicinal oils…..Band aids…..Vitamin C for children
medications…..Toothpaste…..Brush…..Shampoo…..Soap…..Deodor
ant…..Cream……Face cream….. Pumice stone……Ladies may
require period pills…..Keep calendar handy
64
Clothing for ladies:

Jubah(3)…..sleeping attire(2)…..Cotton Long pants
(3)…..Undergarments(3)
Socks (3)…..Shoe bag/pouch …..See through bags
…..Telekong and mini telekong (2/2)…..Gloves and half
gloves…..Towel (2)…..Batik sarong(1)…..Underwear…..Panty liner (1
small box)…..Pads (1 box)…..hair accessories (1 pack)…..Small
mirror/brush to bring everywhere to ensure aurat fully covered.
Men:
Ihram cloth…..…unsewn pulicat ….. Shaver
Food:
Rendang…..3 in one Milo, Cocoa, Nescafe …..Plastic mugs…..Buy
thermos if needed
Toiletries
Detergent powder…..Plastic string with hooks at the end for clothes
line/hangers…..brush for washing clothes……Rubber slippers for
masjid, the ones that are easy to slide …..Small air
spray……Hairdryer…..Hair Brush…..Shaver
Nail clippers…..Small scissors…..Chapstick…..Alarm clock…..Small
face mirror…..Small packs of tissue to bring to masjid for sneezes
and nose bleeds due to dry weather
Miscellaneous:
Sunglasses with string for convenience…..Sewing kit (small travel
type)…..Charger…..Notebook/post it notes…..Pens…’Umrah Doa
book…..Marker/masking tape…..String to wrap stuff…..Plastic bag to
bring everywhere -- it comes in handy…..Small Tupperware for drinks
with compartments for food and meal times when there are a lot of
people…..Plastic for food…..Tissue paper/toilet paper…..Small
padlock and key…..Umbrella optional…..Clear plastic bag which is
easy to see when entering masjid to facilitate door inspection
…..Money change in Malaysia…Bring small change, more convenient
65
Appendix 7
Medical Preparation
By Dr. Tg. Zurina Binti Tg. Ubaidillah
_______________________________________________________
1. For ‘Umrah (10-14 days except Ramadhan maybe more than 2 weeks)
Recommended vaccination:
a. Quadrivalent Meningococcal vaccination (ACYW-135)
b. One dose for either adult or child (above 2 years of age)
Provides period of immunity between 2-3 years
(Mencevax by GlaxoSmithKline vs. Menomune by Aventis
Pasteur)
2. For Hajj (duration of stay is usually longer than 2 weeks)
Recommended vaccinations:
a. Meningococcal ACYW -135 vaccination (see notes above)
b. Influenza vaccination (VAXIGRIP)
For high risk individuals: above 60 years of age, other chronic/long
term medical illnesses, lower immune status (body resistance)
Provides period of immunity of only 1 year
c. Pneumococcal vaccination (PNEUMOVAX 23)
For high risk individuals (see notes above)
Provides period of immunity for 5 years
Tabung Haji provides medical booklets for pilgrims wanting to

perform their Hajj. They are required to undergo a medical
examination and to record their medical information systematically. It
would also be useful for those who intend to perform ‘Umrah to do the
same especially if they have significant medical conditions.
A family GP/friendly physician or a medical officer in a government

medical outpatient clinic would be able to assist you with the medical
66
examinations, your needed vaccinations or fill in a prescription note

for you.
Medical Drugs/Supplements
All pilgrims are advised to bring their prescribed drugs for their
present medical condition. Always bring extra supply/and or a
prescription note for refills. They can also get other extra drugs from
their regular doctor.
Condition Suggested cures

• Fever Paracetomol (Panadol/Dumin/Uphamol,
etc.)
• Flu Non sedative antihistamines e.g.
Clarinase/ Cirrhus, Clarityne/Zyrtec
• Cough Kistures are usually for a dry (no
phlegm) or wet (with phlegm) cough
• Stomach upsets Antacids for gastric e.g. Gelusil, Maalox,
MMT
• Antidiarrhoea Imodium, Lomotil
• Gas & nausea Maxalon
• Constipation Dulcolax, etc.
• Travel sickness/giddiness Stemetil
• For pain (musculo-skeletal)NSAIDS e.g. Ponstan Voltaren, Brufen,
Feldene, Mobic, Vioxx, etc.
Also bring:
- Ointments for rubs, plasters & bandages/guards may also be
useful
- Rehydration salts/Lozenges/Gargles
- ANTIBIOTICS: Please get your regular doctor to advise you
on this as it proves to be useful and usually necessary. It would
help you save time and money as it can be very costly to get them
in Makkah and Medinah.
Although there are many pharmacies (APOTEK) available at every

corner from your place of stay, the cost of drugs is not cheap.
67
TABUNG Haji clinics, though easily accessible, are usually

crowded and they have a limited supply of drugs.
Please remember your drug allergies before consuming a new or

unfamiliar drug.
Special Notes for Women
There are usually various categories of women involved when it

comes to our menstrual cycle. If we choose to especially be free
of any menstruation during critical periods of our Hajj/’Umrah
rituals, the safest guide is to consult your own doctor or
gynaecologist.
However, these general principles apply if you have decided to

commit to the prescription:
a. You are best advised to take progestogen only pills as

opposed to the combined pill (oral contraceptive pill)
b. Never MISS your pills………..danger is there will be
breakthrough bleeding, do not panic. When you remember,
take them; then do it immediately. If not, take double the
dose. You maintain this until your critical time is over.
Remember, we can only plan but our destiny is determined by our

Almighty God, Allah SWT.
68
Appendix 8
Checklist for Packing and Purchasing
_______________________________________________________
Caveat: Please note that the top priority is to prepare yourself

inwardly and spiritually for Hajj/’Umrah, for “the best provision is
taqwa.” The following items do not make the real equipment for
Hajj/’Umrah. The real equipment lies in getting oneself ready with all
the information needed to perform the rites and in the acquisition of
inner fitness which insyaAllah facilitates one to receive the rich
spiritual benefits accruing from the Hajj/’Umrah.
Travel documents
 Tickets (ALWAYS keep in a safe place – hotel better than on
your person)
 Passport or Hajj passport, if performing hajj (if in your
possession, keep at the hotel, unless you are travelling to
Jeddah, Medinah, etc.)
 Health booklet (meningitis shot, etc.)
Financial documents
(please check on foreign currency limits with your bank)
 Saudi Riyal – have at least SR650 to pay for ‘dam’ and qurban,
several hundred for wheelchair service, and enough cash if

coming during other than hajj months
 Some Malaysian Ringgit (money changers are plentiful in
Makkah & Medinah)

 Charge/credit cards
“I find card with VISA sign as the most reliable because I can
easily obtain Saudi Riyals from Cashpoint ATMs”
 Tabung Haji savings book
Communications Paraphernalia
 Hand phone with new battery (arrange for international
roaming)
69
NOTE: Hand phone with camera may be confiscated if you

bring into the Holy Masjid, especially Masjid Nabawi. The
female guard may do a body search.
 Hand phone charger with 2-prong adapter (Saudi Arabia uses
same voltage as that in Malaysia. You can also purchase a
charger locally for SR5.)
 Extra battery
 Telekom’s Ring Ring or iTalk card
 Address book containing contact numbers/e-mails
 Notepad/post it notes
 Pen
 Business/personal contact cards
Medication/Supplements (please see Appendix 7)

Check with Tabung Haji for their panel doctor list, as some doctors
do provide a medicinal package, depending on your needs and
ailments.
“I bring a lot of medicine not so much for myself but to dispense to
whoever around me who seem to need it. The VICKS inhaler is
very rare in Makkah, so I bring extra to give to people who suffer
from flu.”
 Prescription items (bring more than actually required in case of
flight delays.)
 Doctor’s Prescription note, in case you need refills
 Vitamins and supplements you normally take, especially
Vitamin C.
 Paracetamol or other pain/fever medication
 Dehydration tablet/salts
 Small first aid kit including plasters and bandages
 “minyak angin” or your regular rubbing ointments for aches and
pains, muscle cramps

 Cream for skin irritation
 eye drops
 Anti-bacteria lozenges, e.g. Diflam for sore throat (some people
use raw honey and apple cider vinegar, others tamarind and
sugar).
 Small container of salt for gurgling and prevention of sore throat
70
 Fisherman’s Friend. “Price rather steep but by far the best

cough tablets. Share in the masjid and maktab. InsyaAllah you
yourself would not be needing it.”
 Cough syrup
 Something for purging/vomiting
 Surgical masks if you are allergic to dust – also available in the
pharmacies in Makkah/Medinah
 Diarrhea tablets
Editor’s note: You can reduce items to pack by getting

habbatussauda oil, easily obtainable in Makkah & Medinah,
insyaAllah, which can be used internally for general health & to
relieve other ailments. It can also be used externally for
headaches, sinus, skin disorders.
Solat/’Umrah/Hajj Paraphernalia
 spray bottle to take wudhu’ on plane or where place for wudhu’
is inconvenient
 telekong (at least 2, labeled Malaysia if available, and
preferably with a colored ribbon tied at the back of the head so
that family/group members can spot you)
 opaque socks, especially if you intend not to wear the sarong,
i.e. wear telekong with jubah
"The airline socks are good"
 Small mirror (for ladies) to check if any hair is showing through
the “telekong” especially when in solat, tawaf & ihram.
" May be confiscated if you bring to Masjidil Haram or Masjid
Nabawi, unless part of your powder compact.”
 Face towel/small towel, preferably white. Carry it wherever you
go. It comes in handy for catching drips when performing
wudhu’ on the plane, bus, at your solat area.
" My Ustaz said it’s sunat to sujud on plain white material. In
addition, my doctor advised to sujud on a damp towel to
prevent inhalation of dust. So I brought along a small white
towel everywhere.”
 Solat mat, the one with plastic lining. Some prefer a small
sejadah or thin cotton sejadah – one that is convenient to wash
and dry easily and does not take too much space in your bag.
71
 Counter/tasbeeh
 Qiblat compass (in case you get stranded where there is no
direction given for Qiblat)
 Small pocket size Qur’an (you can purchase this in
Makkah/Medinah)
 Regular supplications, surahs, dhikr
 Book on solat sunat
 Ihram cloth, at least 2 sets
 Ihram belt
 Hajj/’Umrah guidebooks to read on the plane
 Foldable scissors for tahallul (in luggage and not carry on)
 Tote bag. “Very handy to carry all sorts of things to and from
masjid.”
 Small packs of non-perfumed tissue – “handy to bring to
masjid”
Clothing
"Whatever clothing you bring make sure it is light and easy to wash,
crease-free, 'airy' and hassle free when taking ablutions/wudhu"
 Jacket/sweater/cardigan to wear on the plane, air-conditioned
tent at Mina and if the weather is cold. “You may never know
when it gets cold. If you do not need to use it, it can always be
folded up to be used as pillow in Mina. You can get a good
jacket at the 'bundles'.”
 Change of clothes including undergarments
 Maxi/abaya/jubah/baju kurung (sufficient quantity in white,
sunnah to wear white in ihram). Note that you can buy

maxis/abayas in Makkah & Medinah for as low as SR30 or less,
fancy ones for about SR70 or more.
“I went to Munawarah, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (TTDI), to check
out what they have and was pleasantly surprised that they
really have some good designs. Also good quality arm gloves”
 Long cotton pants with preferably zippered pockets to wear
underneath jubah/abaya (plentiful in Medinah & Makkah,

insyaAllah)
 Cotton t-shirts with zippered pocket in front to keep cash and
cards (available in Klang Valley shops selling ‘Umrah/hajj wear)

72
 Long shirts and pants for men

 2 Batik/pulicat sarongs (for the men, at least one unsewn) 1 for
hand carry. “Can be used in place of all sorts of thing – pillow,
mat, blanket. Can also be worn to masjid.”
"The batik sarong plays a very important part when we need
something to cover our modesty when we change and also to
take in the water sprays when we go to the toilet".
 Nightwear/pyjamas
 bathrobe
Undergarments
 Suspenders/boxers
 3 Brassieres or “3 vests instead of bras – keeps you
comfortable and can be slipped on and off more easily, can
also sleep in them.”
 Knickers
“ Bring plenty of cheap cotton panties (12). Watch out for offers
at Makro, Giant or Carrefour. These sometimes cost less than
disposables. They can, however, still be washed and re-used if
necessary and can also be disposed of since they are cheap.”
 Camisoles to reduce transparency of clothes
 2 Full length slips/ petticoats to reduce transparency of clothes
 Disposables (available in pharmacies)
Accessories
 Sunglasses
 Reading glasses (if necessary and also available in
Makkah/Medinah for SR5-10)
 Mini telekong/large scarves
 Skull cap/’serkop’
 Serban/songkok/kopiah
 hair tie-backs (also available in the “2 Riyal” outlets)
 comfortable scarf to wear indoors
 Arm gloves for women (good ones at Munawarah, TTDI)
"Make sure they are of cotton material to avoid itchiness"
 Watch, preferably waterproof, so that you do not need to
remove when performing wudhu’
73
 Minimum jewellery (remember ultimate intent of the journey) “I

removed all forms of jewellery before going.”
 6 pairs of 100% cotton sports socks and not the thin, slippery
kind (thick socks if going during winter)
"I find that wearing an extra pair of dark coloured socks over my
white socks when doing tawaf, etc. keeps my white socks clean
for solat"
 Sandals (preferably “well worn”, without straps, for ease of wear
and preferably waterproof so that you can use them when
performing wudhu’)
 comfortable walking shoes (especially helpful in Mina and
crowded areas) - Covered Bata canvas shoes are
recommended so that your feet/socks do not get dirty/dusty
Toiletries/hygiene items
(Remember to bring unscented items, such as “Simple” brand. Label
your toiletries.)
 Small holder with hook to place your toiletries in the
bathroom/over the toilet door

"Check out the Deuter toiletry case – it’s compact, has many
compartments and comes with a hook for hanging – I bought
mine from a shop selling backpacks in KLCC."
 Something to wear while bathing/in the shower, e.g. a mini slip.
 Non-perfumed tissues - the ones in other countries may be
rough
 Wet wipes “Handy for Mina when you cannot take a bath.”
 Towel, if not provided by the hotel or if you want to take with
you to Arafah, Muzdalifah, Mina. Alternatively, Cheap towels (3

for RM10) that can be washed and dried easily.
 Shaver (do shave body hair just before you don your ihram)
 Non-perfumed soap (liquid soap may be convenient to bring
around.)
 Non-perfumed body lotion. “Use daily to avoid drying up.”
 Cotton puffs
 Cotton buds
 Shower cap (especially useful to keep head covered when
going to the toilet)

74
 Shampoo
 Comb/hair brush
 Moisturiser (get the water soluble kind so that you can easily
remove it for wudhu’)

 Cleanser
"I find those baby wipes very useful in removing make-up.

Check out those that are alcohol free and unscented."
 Powder
 Facial blotter (especially useful if you don’t want to use powder)
 Non-perfumed water based sunscreen
 Floss
 Toothbrush (alternatively, you can use miswak – fresh ones
about SR2 in blister pack at bookstores, department stores,

some retail shops; dry ones much cheaper and sold on the
street outside the Masjids)
NOTE: MISWAAK - twigs of certain trees that are used on a
regular basis by Muslims for centuries (and all Prophets, Peace
Be upon Them) to maintain oral hygiene and gain the pleasure
of Allah SWT. It is a "natural toothbrush." Not only does it
provide spiritual benefits, but it is also beneficial to the everyday
maintenance of one's mouth, gums, and teeth. See
http://www.islam.tc/Miswaak/
 Toothpaste (make sure you are confident the brand is HALAL)
 Non-perfumed chapstick
 Non-perfumed deodorant
 Nail clipper, nail file
 Waterless non-perfumed hand wash liquid
 Sanitary pads/panty liners
 Toilet tissue*
 Small “gayong” or large plastic mug to wash oneself in WC
 Bathroom slippers (soles at least 1 inch thick, to protect feet
from najis) or wooden clogs

Editor’s note: You can reduce items to pack by getting
habbatussauda oil, easily obtainable in Makkah & Medinah,
insyaAllah, which can be used for external application as
moisturiser for face & body.
75
Foodstuff & Paraphernalia

(Food is normally easily available around the masjids)
 Water bottle carrier and plastic cup/small bottle (e.g. 500ml or
375ml) of water for drinking, to be taken with you everywhere.

(It is better to sip 1000x rather than have a big glass and then
needing to go to the washroom often.)
 Plastic tumbler to store Zam Zam water and take back to hotel
daily
 Water flask if you want to keep drinks hot/cold.
 “serunding”, “sambal ikan bilis”, bread, etc.
 Biscuits, nuts, chocolates, goat milk tablets, drinks, etc.
 Plastic bowl with lid, spoon, fork
 Small electric kettle, cup, teaspoon, coffee, especially for those
who need a hot drink before Subuh.

"We stayed at 5-star hotels, yet there was no hot drink making
facility"
 Fruits, etc. to purchase locally to take to Arafah, Muzdalifah,
Mina
 Ziploc bags to store leftovers, etc.
 Plastic bag for trash
 Small knife (with cover/case, or the “Swiss Army” type) to cut
fruits (knife to be packed in luggage for checking in)

 Water jug. “In Mina I used this (a large Tupperware actually) to
get hot water for tea in the morning and midday. Saves
everyone, especially senior citizens, from collecting hot water
individually. Can scald them.”
Miscellany
 Wish list of what you would like to ask Allah for
 Small backpack (check out the foldable Travelpak brand) for
solat mat, snacks, tumbler, shoe bag to take to the masjid
(leaves arms free)
 Ear plugs
"I find these very helpful when I want to go into retreat and
silence and need full khusyu' They are also helpful when there
are uncontrollable crowds, fighting, swearing, etc at Arafah,
Mina and the Jamrahs."
76
 Shoe bag (preferably waterproof and flexible. Some prefer batik

design for ease of recognition). If performing Hajj, your shoe
bag will probably be given by the sponsors. Otherwise, check
out the Travelpak brand.
 Highlighter, if you wish to highlight items in the books you
purchase.
 Post-it bookmarks, if you wish to mark your books.
 Paper to line shelves in cupboard
 Small torch light, especially useful for picking pebbles
 Small pouch for pebbles at Muzdalifah & Mina
 Umbrella
 Camera + film + battery (keep this out of the 2 Holy Masjids)
 House key
 Alarm clock, alternatively “Can also set your hand-phone.” (Or
you can purchase the “Al Fajr” alarm clock in Makkah or
Medinah.)
 Straw mat, in case you need to need to sit/lie down on the
ground at Mina & Muzdalifah. You can also purchase plastic
“hajj mats” in Makkah/Medinah
 Small folding chair with back (SR15-20) for those who are not
used to sitting a long time on the floor.
 Needles and thread of a few colours (Never know when your
buttons might snap). You can also get them from the “2 Riyal”
shops.
 battery-operated personal fan
 Note book.
Laundry
(please note that you can opt to send your clothes to the small
laundry shops located among the regular retail shops in
Makkah/Medinah)
 String for tying things/hanging clothes
 Small umbrella-like hanger with clips for hanging clothes
 Foldable hangers* (very useful for drying clothes in your room)
 'clippies' to dry your socks and underwear.
 Travel iron, if preferred
77
 Washing detergent (you can also buy this at the 2 RIYAL shop
or local minimarket.)
 Small pail/basin (you can get this in Makkah) or get a strong
plastic bag to soak dirty clothes.
Luggage
Identify Luggage Clearly -- label all on the inside and outside with
your name and contact number
Courtesy of Faziatone
How our bags are stacked every time we move
“Most of the time we won't be able to hold on to our bags when we

move from one place to another. To make it easier and faster for the
workers to send the bags to our rooms and faster for us to retrieve
them, have rolls of masking tape ready with you, The tapes are so
easy to stick on your bags and can be labelled with a pen or marker.
This is especially convenient for the bags that Tabung Haji gave us --
everybody had one, exactly the same colour and design!!!!”
 Luggage bag, preferably with rollers and one that is flat and can
be easily opened up for Customs inspection. Luggage with
rollers would be most helpful when you need to walk to find
your camp in Arafat & Mina.
78
 Luggage label – you can print your name, etc. in BOLD in A4

size paper and laminate or add plastic cover.
 Colourful/luminous luggage labels or ribbons, for ease of
identification. Useful to tag your boxes and Zam Zam water
with the same type and colour too.
 Luggage key/combination locks
 Hand luggage (Note: Tabung Haji normally provides a good
size hand luggage. Be sure to clearly mark your hand luggage -
something not too big but visible from far because everyone
else will be using the same looking bag -- suggest luminous
ribbons or tags.
 Permanent marker for marking items/luggage
 Masking tape for labeling items/luggage
 Extra empty bag or two for your souvenirs. Note that luggage is
low priced there. Alternatively, you can obtain boxes, tie with
string and at the airport get them safety wrapped.
Camping Paraphernalia*
 Tent that can be easily set up and put away*
 Sleeping bag*
 Pillow
 camp stool
Linens
 Light cotton sheet/rug rather than plastic mat (sweat sticks on
your back)
 Blanket (may be applicable to all if using air conditioned tents)*
 Towels*
 Small/neck pillow
 Pillow cases*
* Needed if you are going under muassasah. Please check with
Tabung Haji if there’s anything else to pack
Note:
1. Items UNDERLINED are recommended for hand carry. Note
that you may not reach your ultimate destination as scheduled.
79
Do carry an extra set of clothing. Be prepared to solat

ANYWHERE appropriate.
2. Bring as few pieces of clothing as possible because you can
purchase them relatively inexpensively in Medinah/Makkah,
insyaAllah.
Source; http://www.jannah.org/hajj/
80

Hajj & Umrah Handbook (2008) - Book 2 of 5: Preparing For Hajj & Umrah

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Hajj & Umrah Handbook (2008) - Book 2 of 5: Preparing For Hajj & Umrah

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BOOK 2 of 5: PREPARING FOR HAJJ/’UMRAH

Compiled and Edited by

InsyaAllah this free handbook is updated yearly, so please e-mail

Disclaimer: This compilation is based on the experiences, opinions and limited

Part 1: Spiritual Preparation 4

Part 2: Mental Preparation 14

Part 3: Physical Preparation 25

Part 6: Social Obligations 36

Narrated Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him): The

Prophet was asked, "Which is the best deed?" He said, "To

believe in Allah and His Apostle." He was then asked, "Which is

Allah 's Cause." He was then asked, "Which is the next?" He

1276. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I said:

we not then go for Jihad?'' The Messenger of Allah said, "The

be upon him) when Allah commanded him to do so. The call

so. Therefore, we need to beseech to Allah to permit us to

The essence of Hajj, and thereby ‘Umrah, is humility and piety,

which is what is required of a slave of Allah . As such, as

PART 1: SPIRITUAL PREPARATION

1.1 Correct Intent

Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him):

Allah's Apostle said, "The reward of deeds depends upon the

has intended. So whoever emigrated for Allah and His

Apostle , then his emigration was for Allah and His

Apostle . And whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a

• Start with your intention (nawaitu) and constantly reaffirm it.

Remember that our goal is Allah ; everything and everyone

Hajj/’Umrah is a form of sacrifice – a sacrifice of material and

“Why I'm stressing on this point is because in a lot of

“My husband wanted our hajj to be a “honeymoon” and it was.

“This time I made it clear to myself that I wanted to purify myself

1.2 Purification (please see Appendix 4)

• Learn how to purify yourself through istighfar, solat taubat, etc.

• If we have declared our intention to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah, we

need to repent and ask Allah to forgive us before

Say: “O ‘Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against

• Call up or visit those you need to seek forgiveness from.

• IMPORTANT! Know how to perform istinja’ (cleansing self after

• Know how to perform ablution using a small cup of water and/or

• Note doa to preserve wudhu' found on the wall of one of the

1.3 Improving Solat

As the illustrations demonstrate, there is no excuse for not

1.4 Reading The Qur’an

“I wasn’t so good at reading the Qur’an so I attempted to “khatam”

“Reciting the Qur’an is a PLUS in ibadah especially if you are able

“It would be nice if we could learn to read Qur’an before we go as

1.5 Making Supplications (please see Appendix 5)

• Start to make supplications with istiqomah as early as we

Apostle as saying: "The supplication of one of you is

• For protection (e.g. the memorizing and understanding of the

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said," Whoever says:

`Uthman bin `Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah said, "He who recites three times

• For ease of ibadah

Courtesy of Fauziah Sanad

" Just speak in our own language. Remember we are talking to

Messenger of Allah was faced with a serious difficulty, he

1.6 Practising Modesty

• Check on the transparency of our clothes. You can stand in

“One thing that I observed to be very prevalent among

• Check on the tightness of our clothes. If wearing pants, is it

“I saw one female jemaah’s assets moving underneath her

PART 2: MENTAL PREPARATION