1. Performing the Sa‘i of Hajj in advance through a voluntary tawaf
Performing tawaf and Sa‘i after entering ihram for Hajj on 8 Dhul-Hijjah. Many Tamattu‘ pilgrims perform a voluntary tawaf after entering this ihram for Hajj and then perform Sa‘i. There is no mention of doing this in the hadith. Nor is there any evidence that any of the noble Companions did this. Since there is no evidence for doing this in the hadith or during the era of the noble Companions and the righteous predecessors, it must be avoided. Otherwise, bid‘ah will be established in place of the Sunnah. Therefore, on that day, do not go to perform tawaf and Sa‘i, whether after entering ihram or without ihram. The Companions who performed Tamattu‘ with the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not even perform tawaf, let alone any kind of Sa‘i, either before or after entering ihram on 8 Dhul-Hijjah. ‘A’ishah (ra.) said, ‘In the year of the Farewell Hajj, we set out with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam... Those who had entered ihram for ‘Umrah performed tawaf and Sa‘i and then came out of ihram. Thereafter, after returning from Mina, they performed tawaf for Hajj.’[1] If there had been an opportunity to perform tawaf or Sa‘i on the 8th, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would certainly have informed the Companions of it, and the Companions would not have omitted it. It is written in Bada’i‘ al-Sana’i‘, a renowned book of Hanafi fiqh:
وَإِذَا أَحْرَمَ الْمُتَمَتِّعُ بِالْحَجِّ فَلَا يَطُوفُ بِالْبَيْتِ ، وَلَا يَسْعَى فِي قَوْلِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ ، وَمُحَمَّدٍ ؛ لِأَنَّ طَوَافَ الْقُدُومِ لِلْحَجِّ لِمَنْ قَدِمَ مَكَّةَ بِإِحْرَامِ الْحَجِّ ، وَالْمُتَمَتِّعُ إنَّمَا قَدِمَ مَكَّةَ بِإِحْرَامِ الْعُمْرَةِ لَا بِإِحْرَامِ الْحَجِّ ، وَإِنَّمَا يُحْرِمُ لِلْحَجِّ مِنْ مَكَّةَ ، وَطَوَافُ الْقُدُومِ لَا يَكُونُ بِدُونِ الْقُدُومِ ، وَكَذَلِكَ لَا يَطُوفُ ، وَلَا يَسْعَى أَيْضًا ؛ لِأَنَّ السَّعْيَ بِدُونِ الطَّوَافِ غَيْرُ مَشْرُوعٍ ، وَلِأَنَّ الْمَحَلَّ الْأَصْلِيَّ لِلسَّعْيِ مَا بَعْدَ طَوَافِ الزِّيَارَةِ ؛ لِأَنَّ السَّعْيَ وَاجِبٌ ، وَطَوَافُ الزِّيَارَةِ فَرْضٌ ، وَالْوَاجِبُ يَصْلُحُ تَبَعًا لِلْفَرْضِ ، فَأَمَّا طَوَافُ الْقُدُومِ فَسُنَّةٌ . وَالْوَاجِبُ لَا يَتْبَعُ السُّنَّةَ إلَّا أَنَّهُ رَخَّصَ تَقْدِيمَهُ عَلَى مَحَلِّهِ الْأَصْلِيّ عَقِيبَ طَوَافِ الْقُدُومِ فَصَارَ وَاجِبًا عَقِيبَهُ بِطَرِيقِ الرُّخْصَةِ ، وَإِذَا لَمْ يُوجَدْ طَوَافُ الْقُدُومِ يُؤَخَّرُ السَّعْيُ إلَى مَحَلِّهِ الْأَصْلِيِّ فَلَا يَجُوزُ قَبْلَ طَوَافِ الزِّيَارَةِ.
‘When a Tamattu‘ pilgrim enters ihram for Hajj, he will not perform tawaf of the House of Allah, nor will he perform Sa‘i. This is the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifah (rah.) and Imam Muhammad (rah.). This is because Tawaf al-Qudum is prescribed for the person who arrives in Makkah in the ihram of Hajj. In contrast, the Tamattu‘ pilgrim arrived in Makkah in the ihram of ‘Umrah; he did not arrive in the ihram of Hajj. A Tamattu‘ pilgrim enters ihram for Hajj from Makkah itself, whereas Tawaf al-Qudum does not take place without arriving from outside. He will also not perform tawaf and Sa‘i because performing Sa‘i without tawaf is not prescribed by the Shari‘ah. This is because the original place of Sa‘i is after Tawaf al-Ziyarah. Sa‘i is wajib, whereas Tawaf al-Ziyarah is fard. A wajib may be subordinate or ancillary to a fard. Tawaf al-Qudum, however, is Sunnah, and a wajib cannot be subordinate or ancillary to a Sunnah. Nevertheless, in the case of Tawaf al-Qudum, permission has been given to bring Sa‘i forward from its original place. Because of this permission, the “wajib” may be performed after Tawaf al-Qudum. Therefore, in the absence of Tawaf al-Qudum, Sa‘i must be deferred to its original place. Thus, it will not be permissible to perform Sa‘i before Tawaf al-Ziyarah.[2]’
In light of the above discussion, it may be said that the practice of our Bangladeshi pilgrims—entering ihram while setting out for Mina, performing a voluntary tawaf, and thereby completing the Sa‘i of Hajj in advance—is not at all prescribed by the Shari‘ah. This is because there is no evidence for it from the Qur’an, the Sunnah, or the practice of the Companions. Therefore, abandon this bid‘ah that contravenes the Shari‘ah.
2. Going to al-Masjid al-Haram to enter ihram
Going to al-Masjid al-Haram to enter ihram.[3] During the Farewell Hajj, the noble Companions entered ihram from their respective places of residence. If there had been a ruling requiring ihram to be entered from a specific place inside or outside al-Masjid al-Haram, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would have instructed them regarding it, and the noble Companions would have given priority to acting upon it.
3. Delaying ihram until reaching Mina on the 8th. This is permissible, but not preferable. This is because, during the Farewell Hajj, the Companions entered ihram from their respective places of residence and then set out for Mina.[4]
4. Some pilgrims think that it is not permissible to wear for Hajj the ihram garments they wore during ‘Umrah without washing them. This is a mistaken notion. This is because it is not a condition that the ihram garments be new and clean. It is good if they are clean, but it is not wajib.
5. Many pilgrims do not recite the Talbiyah aloud when setting out for Mina, whereas reciting it aloud is Sunnah. This is because:
a. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ ، فَقَالَ : إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَأْمُرَ أَصْحَابَكَ أَنْ يَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَهُمْ بِالتَّلْبِيَةِ ، فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ شِعَارِ الْحَجِّ .
‘Jibril came to me and said: Indeed, Allah commands you to instruct your Companions to recite the Talbiyah aloud, for it is among the slogans of Hajj.’[5]
b. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was asked, ‘Which Hajj is best?’ He replied, ‘Al-‘Ajju wa al-Thajju.’[6] Al-‘Ajju means raising the voice with the Talbiyah, while al-Thajju means causing the blood of the Hady or sacrificial animal to flow.
c. The noble Companions carried out this instruction. They recited the Talbiyah aloud. They recited it in very loud voices, so much so that their voices became hoarse as a result.[7] Regarding raising the voice when reciting the Talbiyah, Imam al-Nawawi (rah.) said, ‘This is the unanimous opinion. However, the condition is that the voice should be raised moderately so that one does not cause oneself hardship.’
Women should recite it in a voice audible to themselves, because there is a fear of fitnah if they raise their voices.’[8] Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr narrated, ‘The unanimous opinion on this matter is that women should not recite the Talbiyah in a very loud voice. Rather, they should recite it in a voice audible to themselves.’[9] Reports regarding this have also been narrated from the noble Companions. Ibn ‘Abbas (ra.) said, ‘Women should not recite the Talbiyah aloud.’[10] Ibn ‘Umar (ra.) said, ‘Women are not permitted to recite the Talbiyah aloud.’[11]
6. Some pilgrims combine two prayers in Mina. Others do not shorten the four-rak‘ah prayers. Yet it is narrated from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that in Mina he shortened the prayers and performed them separately, without combining two prayers. Following the Sunnah is absolutely necessary in all the affairs of Muslims.
[1]. Al-Bukhari: 1556; Muslim: 1112.
[2]. Al-Kasani, Bada’i‘ al-Sana’i‘: 2/347.
[3]. Remember that there are two Sunnahs regarding entering ihram. First: entering ihram from your place of residence located within the boundaries of the Haram in sacred Makkah. Second: entering ihram at any time on the 8th after sunrise and before the sun begins to decline.
[4]. However, if for some reason someone has to go to Mina on the 7th, it is preferable for him to enter ihram on the 8th from wherever he is staying, even if that is Mina. This is because the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam entered ihram on the 8th, not before it.
[5]. Ahmad: 21722; Ibn Hibban: 3803.
[6]. Al-Hakim: 1655; Al-Bayhaqi: 3974.
[7]. Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 4/464.
[8]. Sharh Muslim li al-Nawawi: 4/351.
[9]. Al-Istidhkar: 4/57; Bidayat al-Mujtahid: 1/467.
[10]. Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 4/416; Sunan al-Bayhaqi: 5/46.
[11]. Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 4/416; ‘Umdat al-Qari: 9/171.