Hajj Ifraad Guide: Step-by-Step Sunnah Method

Hajj Ifraad: A Comprehensive Guide to the Sunnah Method

The Sunnah Method of Hajj Ifraad

Ihram and Intention:

During the months of Hajj (Shawwal, Dhu al-Qi’dah, and Dhu al-Hijjah), you will make the intention for Hajj only. The residents of Makkah, if performing Hajj Ifraad or Qiran, will wear their Ihram from their residence. It is Sunnah to take a bath and apply perfume before donning the Ihram. It should be noted that entering the state of Ihram for Hajj or Umrah is called Ihram, and the intention is made with the words:
اللهم لبّيك حجًا
There is no specific prayer for Ihram. If the time for prayer is due, one should perform the prayer and then put on Ihram, or one can pray two rak’ahs of the Sunnah after donning Ihram.
While reaching the Miqat (boundary), one should start the Talbiyah while proceeding towards the Haram. The words of the Talbiyah are:
لبيك اللهم لبيك، لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك، إن الحمد والنعمة لك والملك لا شريك لك لبيك.
(O Allah, I respond to Your call, I respond to Your call. You have no partner, I respond to Your call. All praise and blessings are for You, and the kingdom belongs to You, You have no partner, I respond to Your call.)

Women should recite the Talbiyah quietly, while men should say it aloud. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
Sayyiduna Saib bin Khalad Ansari (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
أتاني جبريلُ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليْهِ وسلَّمَ فأمرني أن آمرَ أصحابي ومن معي أن يرفعوا أصواتَهم بالإِهلالِ أو قالَ بالتَّلبيةِ يريدُ أحدَهما (صحيح أبي داود:1814)
Translation: “Jibril (AS) came to me and instructed me to command my companions and those with me to raise their voices in saying the Talbiyah.”

Haram al-Sharif (The Sacred Mosque):
Upon entering Makkah and stepping into the Haram, one should say the following prayer:
بسم الله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله أعوذ بالله العظيم وبوجهه الكريم وسلطانه القديم من الشيطان الرجيم, اللهم افتح لي أبواب رحمتك
After entering the Haram, one should perform Tawaf al-Qudum and offer two rak’ahs behind the Maqam Ibrahim, regardless of the time (this prayer can be performed even during the restricted times for prayer). This Tawaf is preferred for those performing Hajj Ifraad. For the residents of Makkah, neither Tawaf al-Qudum nor Tawaf al-Wada’ (farewell Tawaf) is required. If the person performing Ifraad skips Tawaf al-Qudum, it will not affect the validity of the Hajj. However, performing it brings greater reward. After Tawaf, one can perform the Saa’i for Hajj at this time, and on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah, only Tawaf al-Ifadah will be required without repeating the Saa’i. Hence, the one performing Hajj Ifraad has three options:

1. Perform only Tawaf al-Qudum.
2. Perform both Tawaf al-Qudum and Saa’i.
3. Skip both Tawaf al-Qudum and Saa’i.

Points to Keep in Mind During Tawaf:

• The act of Iztiba’ (exposing the right shoulder and covering the left shoulder) should be observed during Tawaf.
• Tawaf begins at the Hajar al-Aswad (Black Stone). Each time one reaches the Black Stone, raise your right hand and say Bismillah, Allahu Akbar.
• It is Sunnah to Raml (walk briskly) during the first three rounds of Tawaf.
• During each round, while passing the Rukn Yamani (the Yemeni Corner), one should touch it with the hand if possible; otherwise, skip it.
• Between the Rukn Yamani and Hajar al-Aswad, recite:
  رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
• There is no prescribed supplication at the other places of Tawaf; one may supplicate as one wishes. The specific prayers mentioned in books for each round of Tawaf are fabricated, and one should avoid following them.
• It is incorrect to raise your hands repeatedly or kiss your hands at the Hajar al-Aswad.

Points to Keep in Mind During Saa’i:

• The shoulders should not be exposed during the Saa’i.
• Begin the Saa’i from Safa and complete it at Marwah. Reaching Marwah completes one round.
• Men should walk briskly between the green markers.
• There is no prescribed supplication during the seven rounds of Saa’i; one may supplicate as they wish. At both Safa and Marwah, recite this prayer three times:
  لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰہُ وَحْدَہٗ لَا شَرِیکَ لَہٗ لَہٗ الْمُلْکُ وَلَہُ الْحَمْدُ یُحْیِي وَ یُمِیتُ وَھُوَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَيْئٍ قَدِیرٌ، لَا إِلٰہَ إِلَّا اللّٰہُ وَحْدَہٗ لَا شَرِیکَ لَہٗ أنْجَزَ وَعْدَہٗ وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَہٗ وَھَزَمَ الْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَہٗ
• There is no supplication at the last part of Marwah.

Remaining in Ihram After Tawaf al-Qudum and Saa’i (if performed):

After completing the Tawaf al-Qudum (and Saa’i if performed), one should remain in the state of Ihram until the 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah (Yawm al-Tarwiyah), and in fact, even for two more days until the Day of Sacrifice. Since adhering to the prohibitions of Ihram becomes difficult during this time, I advise the one performing Ifraad to enter into Ihram closer to the 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah so they do not have to endure the prohibitions of Ihram for too long.

8th Dhu al-Hijjah (Yawm al-Tarwiyah):

If someone performs Hajj Ifraad dons Ihram on the 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah, they should perform the Tawaf and Saa’i (or skip the Saa’i) and proceed to Mina by Dhuhr. If they had already entered Ihram before, they should proceed to Mina in the same state of Ihram. Upon reaching Mina, they will perform the prayers of Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr with shortened (Qasr) prayers (the residents of Makkah should also shorten their prayers). After Fajr, they should head towards Arafat.

9th Dhu al-Hijjah (Yawm Arafah):

If someone for any reason could not don Ihram on the 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah, they may still do so on the 9th. They should don Ihram from their Miqat (or from their residence if they are from Makkah) and proceed directly to Arafat. (Going to Mina on the 8th is a Sunnah; missing it does not invalidate the Hajj, but one should not intentionally skip it without a valid reason.)
Upon reaching Arafat, the pilgrim should perform Dhuhr and Asr prayers in congregation with one adhan and two iqamahs (shortened prayers), and after the prayers, they should remain engaged in supplication and remembrance of Allah until sunset. The best supplication for the Day of Arafah, taught by the Prophet (ﷺ), is:
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰہُ وَحْدَہٗ لَا شَرِیکَ لَہٗ لَہُ الْمُلْکُ وَلَہُ الْحَمْدُ وَھُوَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَيْئٍ قَدِیر
Once the sun sets, proceed to Muzdalifah.

The Night of Eid:

Upon reaching Muzdalifah, perform Maghrib (three rak’ahs) and Isha (two rak’ahs) with one adhan and two iqamahs (congregational prayers), then rest and sleep until the next day to perform the Hajj rituals with tranquility. After Fajr, continue your dhikr near Mash’ar al-Haram until dawn. Before sunrise, head towards Mina (Jamarat). A person with a valid excuse may leave for Jamarat at midnight.

10th Dhu al-Hijjah (Yawm al-Nahr)

Today is Yawm al-Nahr (the Day of Sacrifice). On this day, first, throw seven pebbles at the first Jamarah (Aqabah), which is located near Makkah. Throw the pebbles one by one while saying Allahu Akbar each time. The pebbles must hit the Jamarah or at least fall into the basin, otherwise, they will not be counted.

Then, either shave the head (for men) or trim the hair (for women) and remove the Ihram (this marks the first Tahallul, during which everything becomes permissible except for marital relations). Afterward, proceed to the Haram and perform Tawaf al-Ifadah. If you have already performed the Saa’i with Tawaf al-Qudum, then there is no need to perform the Saa’i again. However, if you have not yet performed the Saa’i, then perform it along with Tawaf al-Ifadah. This Tawaf and Saa’i are done in normal clothes, as after the Rami (throwing of pebbles) and Halaq/Taqseer (shaving/trimming), the pilgrim becomes lawful again.

By completing these three actions (throwing pebbles, shaving or trimming the hair, and performing Tawaf or Saa’i), the wife also becomes lawful for the pilgrim. If the order of these actions changes, for example, if Tawaf and Saa’i are performed first and then the pebbles are thrown and the hair is shaved later, there is no harm. If Tawaf al-Ifadah cannot be performed today, it can be done during the days of Tashreeq. After completing these actions, return to Mina.

Days of Tashreeq (Rami of the Jamarat)

It is obligatory to spend at least two or three nights in Mina. During these days, throw seven pebbles at each of the three Jamarat (Jamarah al-Sughra, Jamarah al-Wusta, Jamarah al-Aqabah), one by one. The time for throwing begins after Dhuhr and continues until Maghrib, but in case of necessity, one can throw the pebbles until Fajr. For someone who is excused or sick, another person can perform the Rami on their behalf.

After throwing the pebbles at the first Jamarah, face the Qiblah and make a long supplication. Then, throw the pebbles at the second Jamarah and make a long supplication while facing the Qiblah. For the third Jamarah, throw the pebbles and leave without making any supplication.

If someone wishes, they can throw the pebbles on the 11th and 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah and then return, provided they leave Mina before sunset. It is also better to throw the pebbles on the 13th.

After throwing the pebbles on the 13th, the entire Hajj is complete, and the only remaining act is the Tawaf al-Wada’ (farewell Tawaf) when returning to Makkah, which is obligatory. Additionally, one should offer two rak’ahs of Sunnah after the Tawaf al-Wada’. (For women in menstruation or postnatal bleeding and for the residents of Makkah, Tawaf al-Wada’ is not required.)

If Tawaf al-Ifadah could not be performed on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah, it can be done on any day during the Tashreeq days. If there is no opportunity even during these days, one can combine it with the Tawaf al-Wada’ when leaving.

The Rites, Obligations, and Prohibitions of Hajj

The Pillars of Hajj:

1. Ihram (making the intention for Hajj)
2. Standing at the plain of Arafat
3. Performing Tawaf al-Ifadah
4. Performing Saa’i between Safa and Marwah

The Obligatory Acts of Hajj:

1. Entering Ihram from the Miqat
2. Staying in Arafat until sunset
3. Spending the night in Muzdalifah on the night of Eid
4. Spending the nights of Tashreeq in Mina
5. Throwing pebbles at the Jamarat
6. Shaving the head or trimming the hair
7. Performing Tawaf al-Wada’ (which is not required for menstruating or postnatal women or residents of Makkah).

The Prohibitions of Ihram:

There are nine things that are prohibited while in the state of Ihram, known as Mahzurat al-Ihram:

1. Cutting hair
2. Cutting nails
3. Wearing sewn clothes for men (such as shirts, pants, etc.)
4. Applying perfume
5. Covering the head for men
6. Contracting a marriage
7. Engaging in sexual relations
8. Engaging in intimate physical contact with one’s spouse
9. Hunting animals

For women, wearing gloves, a niqab (face veil), or burqa is prohibited, although they must still observe the requirement of covering their faces from non-mahram men.

Rites, Obligations, and Prohibitions of Hajj (continued)

• If a person neglects one of the four pillars of Hajj, the Hajj is not valid.
• If any of the mentioned obligations are missed, the Hajj remains valid, but one must offer a Dam (atonement). If one is unable to afford a Dam, they should fast for ten days—three days during Hajj and seven upon returning home.
• If someone unknowingly violates a prohibition of Ihram, they are not required to offer any atonement. However, if the violation is deliberate, a Fidyah must be offered (for violations from one to five prohibited acts). The atonement is either:
  • Fasting for three days,
  • Slaughtering one animal, or
  • Feeding six poor people.

If hunting is committed, the pilgrim must sacrifice an animal equivalent to the one hunted. If the pilgrim contracts a marriage, the Hajj becomes invalid.

If sexual relations occur before the first Tahallul (the first break in the prohibitions of Ihram), both the husband and wife’s Hajj becomes invalid. However, if sexual relations occur after the first Tahallul but before Tawaf al-Ifadah, the Hajj is still valid, but their Ihram is invalidated. In this case, they must leave the boundaries of the Haram, renew their Ihram, and offer a Fidyah by slaughtering a goat.

Warnings for Pilgrims

• Some people mistakenly believe that residents of Makkah can only perform Hajj Ifraad, but this is incorrect. They can perform any type of Hajj (Ifraad, Qiran, or Tamattu’), but if they perform Hajj Qiran or Tamattu’, they will not be required to offer a sacrifice.
• Residents of Makkah should enter Ihram for Ifraad or Qiran from their homes.
• Those performing Hajj Ifraad do not have to offer a sacrifice.
• The method for Hajj Qiran is the same as that for Hajj Ifraad, except for the intention. For those performing Hajj Qiran, they should make the intention as follows:
  اللهم لبّيك حجًا وعمرۃ (O Allah, I respond to Your call for Hajj and Umrah). In addition, those performing Hajj Qiran are required to offer a sacrifice.
• Visiting Madinah is not obligatory for Hajj, as the visit to Madinah is not a part of the Hajj rituals. However, if pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia wish to visit Madinah, it is recommended as it is a rare opportunity for them.