Hajj is a journey to Allah the Almighty:
Dear noble brothers, this is the first meeting in which we are explaining the rituals of Hajj (pilgrimage) insha' Allah (Allah willing).
First of all, Hajj is a journey of a special nature to Allah the Almighty, so if the Haaj (pilgrim) has no idea about the sublime objectives of Hajj and its basic rulings, his Hajj might be invalid. To clarify, suppose that a student travels to a western country where there are night clubs, libraries, and parks, so if he doesn't act upon his only mission in that country, which is pursuing his studies, he may not succeed or achieve his major goal.
Accordingly, the deadly mistake the Haaj commits is forgetting that he takes this journey as a Haaj and not as a tourist or as an ordinary traveler. What makes a Haaj commits such a mistake is that when he reaches a country that he has never been to, he will be amazed by its streets, bridges, malls, and buildings, and he will be impressed by the services he receives at the airport. As a result, he will spend an hour telling you about what he has seen, forgetting about the main purpose of such a journey.
Hajj is an obligatory act of worship, and it is a lifetime journey to Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He. Thus, if the Haaj does not understand the main purpose, and the sublime objective of performing this act of worship and this journey to Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, his performance of Hajj may not be as it should be.
Dear brothers, all of you know that the acts of worship are ordained for the best interests of Allah's servants. For instance, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.) and the remembering (praising, etc.) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising, etc.) Allah in prayers, etc.]. And Allah knows what you do.﴿
This is the main objective and the main purpose of performing Salah. So, whose performance of Salah does not prevent him from Al-Fahsha' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.), he will get remoter from Allah the Almighty, because he does not achieve the main purpose of it.
Similarly, one should know the main purpose of observing Siyaam as mentioned in the following Hadith:
(( Abu Hurairah reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "If one does not abandon falsehood and action in accordance with it, God had no need that he should abandon his food and his drink."))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Abi Hurairah]
Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ …Because they have disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad PBUH). And Allah guides not those people who are Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah). ﴿
The Almighty also says:
﴾ Say: "Spend (in Allah's Cause) willingly or unwillingly, it will not be accepted from you. Verily, you are ever a people who are Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)." ﴿
Likewise, if the purpose of Zakat is not known, it loses its values and the wisdom behind it, so does Hajj.
You should not have sexual relation (with your wife), nor should you commit a sin during Hajj. Well, this journey costs you tens of thousands of Liras, it keeps you away from your family for many days, and it makes you face thousands of hardships, so what a regret to have it unaccepted at the end! By Allah, this is a serious problem.
Unfortunately, during Hajj, we saw serious deviations, insults caused to others, idle talks, and indulgence in the pleasures of the worldly life.
One of the funny incidents that happened in Hajj was depicted in an Egyptian magazine, showing a pilgrim who returned to his country with many things he had bought from there including gifts and appliances. However, the minute he reached his country he hit his forehead and said, "O my Allah, I forgot to perform Hajj"!! This is how man travels to Makkah as a tourist, forgetting about performing Hajj.
I wonder about the circumambulation of such a Haaj. Is it reasonable that Allah says to you: "Come to Me, O My servant, from your distant country in order to circumambulate the Ka'abah", while you are heedless and distracted? Is this reasonable? Is it logical that Allah the Almighty commands you to come to His Sacred House, to circumambulate the Ka'abah, and stand at Arafat, while you talk during Hajj about matters that have nothing to do with this act of worship at all? Is it reasonable to congratulate a hundred pilgrims, but all you hear upon visiting them is about what they ate in Arafat, the people they met there, the scenery they admired, and how organized the system is in the kingdom?
Bear in mind that Allah the Almighty does not need an act of worship that is performed physically only. Allah is in no need of an act of worship that starts in the morning by abstaining from food and drinks and ends at the sunset by breaking Siam. This is not what worship is about.
Hajj is about knowing its wisdom, essence and purpose:
Some pilgrims repeat these words "Labbayka, Allahumma, Labbayk (I am at Your service, O Allah, I am at Your service)", without paying attention to their meaning. You hear them saying, "We uttered these words upon climbing a high place, upon entering a city, and upon descending a valley.", but what is the meaning of Labbayk? It is a response to the Call of the Divine Entity Who seems to have said to you: "Come, O My servant, so that I may relieve you of the worries that weighed down your chest. Come, O My servant, so that I may let you move from your menial work to the horizons of knowing Allah the Almighty. Come, O My servant, to taste the sweetness of getting close to Me." As a response, you say, "Labbayka, Allahumma, Labbayk (I am at Your service, O Allah, I am at Your service" over and over again during Hajj.
The most important thing about Hajj is to realize the wisdom of Hajj, its essence, and its purposes. Namely, you leave your country and people as a response to the Call of Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He.
Actually, I explained this introduction in many previous lessons, and insha' Allah, I will give a sermon on the wisdom of Hajj, not about its rituals.
Why is it obligatory for us to perform Hajj? Why has Allah the Almighty commanded us to perform this Faridah (obligation)? All of you know that Salah is a physical exercise, Zakat is a financial act of worship, and Du'a (supplication) is a verbal act of worship, but as for Hajj, it is a ritual act of worship that is verbal, financial and physical altogether. Hence, it is the act of worship that embraces all other acts of worship.
Hajj is an act of worship that is performed once in a lifetime, Syiaam in Ramadan is an act of worship that is observed once every year, Jumu'ah Salah is performed once every week, and the daily fives prayers are performed five times every day.
Since Hajj is an act of worship that is performed once in a lifetime, this means it is of a great importance.
Pray Istikharah (seeking the Counsel of Allah) and consult people:
Today, we begin with the etiquette of travel in Islam, because going to perform Hajj is a travel. Actually, the matter of travel is broader than Hajj, and the main thing in travel is consulting someone whose faith and Islamic knowledge are trusted.
Dear noble brothers, whoever consults other people makes benefit of their thoughts. In other words, when you consult someone who has a 40 or 50-year-experience in a certain field, you benefit from all his knowledge and experience.
Regarding this point, the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us two things; He taught us to consult people and to seek the Counsel of Allah the Almighty (by praying Istikharah Salah). Whom should we consult? We should only consult experienced believers; those who have enough experience to give you advice. So, apply this rule in your daily life activities, like your trade, your travels, and any business you are about to start.
Before you start doing something, consult the people of experience among the believers and seek the Counsel of Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He. However, keep in mind that when it comes to Fara'id (plural of Faridah), no counsel is needed to be sought. This is an important fact, and so you can just consult people and seek Counsel of Allah the Almighty in permissible matters, and the matters you may or may not do. As for the matters that Allah Almighty Commanded you to do, they need neither Istikharah Salah nor consultation.
Concerning traveling, it is essential that you consult someone whose religion, knowledge, reason and experience are trusted. The advisor is entrusted, and it is said, "Whoever is consulted, let him say what he himself will do with the matter he is being consulted for."
Before you travel and reside in a foreign country, before you move your trade to another place, and before you become an agent or a representative of something that can be a turning point in your life, you should consult only the people of experience among the believers. If you consult them on your travels, and they advise you to do so, you should seek the Counsel of Allah the Almighty.
What draws my attention regarding Istikharah is what a lot of Muslim brothers say. One of them would say, "I prayed Istikharah, but I dreamed about nothing." Well, who told you that dreaming is one of the necessities of Istikharah? Listen to the Hadith of Istikharah Salah:
(( Narrated Jabir: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikharah for each and every matter as he used to teach us the Suras from the Holy Qur'an. (He used to say), "If anyone of you intends to do something, he should offer a two-rak'at prayer other than the obligatory prayer, and then say: "O Allah, I seek the counsel of Your Knowledge, and I seek the help of Your Omnipotence, and I beseech You for Your Magnificent Grace. Surely, You are Capable and I am not. You know and I know not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter [then mention the thing to be decided] is good for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, then bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then distance it from me, and distance me from it, and ordain for me what is good wherever it may be, and help me to be content with it." Then he should mention his matter (need). ))
[ [Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Jabir] ]
Some people know but they are not capable, and some of them are capable but they do not know, but Allah the Almighty has the Infinite Knowledge and the Infinite Omnipotence.
Allah is man's Companion in his travel and the Protector of his family and money:
By the way, in the entire universe, there is only One Companion Who can accompany you in your travel, and Who can be the Protector of your family and money at the same time. This Companion is Allah the Almighty. To elaborate, the closest person to you will not be able to protect your family and money if he accompanies you in your travel, and he will not be able to be your companion in your journey if you leave your money and family in his care.
The Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, used to make this Du'a whenever he intended to travel:
(( You are my companion in the journey and the Khalifah (the One in Whose care we leave our family and money)…))
Most likely, whoever makes this Du'a before he travels will not receive any bad news about his family when he returns to his country. In some cases, the father will be deeply hurt when he sees the deformed face of his daughter who was burnt by tea when he was in his journey. This is what happens sometimes, right? Accordingly, I am pretty sure that whoever makes this Du'a before he travels, will be at ease and in peace during his journey.
Goodness is facilitated to whoever seeks the Counsel of Allah:
I would like to repeat the Du'a of Istikharah Salah:
(("O Allah, I seek the counsel of Your Knowledge, and I seek the help of Your Omnipotence, and I beseech You for Your Magnificent Grace. Surely, You are Capable and I am not. You know and I know not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter [then mention the thing to be decided] is good for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, then bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then distance it from me, and distance me from it, and ordain for me what is good wherever it may be, and help me to be content with it." Then he should mention his matter (need).))
[ [Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Jabir] ]
Suppose that I intend to travel to a certain country and before I get out of my house I make this Du'a, "O Allah, if You know that this matter [then mention the thing to be decided] is good for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, then bless me in it", and while I am in my journey, I find out that the way is blocked, then I am told that, for unexpected reasons, there are many risks awaiting whoever comes to that country. This is an example of how Allah the Almighty helps you when you seek the Counsel of His knowledge.
The believer's life is amazing; he knows that Allah the Almighty is The Best Disposer of affairs for him. He is Allah Who knows, but you do not, and He is Capable, but you are not, and thus the best thing you do is to seek the counsel of His Knowledge, and the help from His Omnipotence.
The Du'a goes as follows:
((O Allah, if You know that this matter [then mention the thing to be decided] is good for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, then bless me in it.))
[ [Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Jabir] ]
Making things easy for you proves Allah's Approval:
The question is; how would you know that Allah the Almighty likes or does not like you to do so and so matter? You know this when you see how things are made either easy or difficult for you. For instance, when you notice how easy it is for you to travel to a certain country, this means that Allah the Almighty would like you to travel. On the other hand, when travelling is made difficult for you, given you pray Istikharah sincerely before hand, this means that Allah the Almighty would not like you to travel. Hence, making things easy for you manifests the Divine Approval, whereas making them difficult reflects the Divine Disapproval.
As I have just said, when man prays Istikharah before he travels, and then he notices how things are made easy for him to start his journey, this mean he is given the green light to go on, and Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, would like him to travel.
The Du'a goes as follows:
(( (And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then distance it from me, and distance me from it…) ))
If we assume that a person admires a young woman and he intends to get married to her, but she is not suitable for him because she is not religiously committed, and so Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, distances her from him, is this enough? No, this is not enough. He should be distanced from her as well, lest he will suffer seriously if he remains attached to her. Notice, how accurately this issue is included in the Du'a:
(( (…Then distance it from me, and distance me from it, and ordain for me what is good wherever it may be, and help me to be content with it.") ))
You may meet someone who suffers a lot in his marriage, because he never seeks Counsel of Allah's Knowledge. You will hear him saying, "May Allah curse the hour when I was introduced to this woman"!!!
At the end of the Hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
(( (…Then he should mention his matter (need).) ))
When man intends to travel somewhere, may be to perform Hajj, or when he is about to make a trade, to get married, to sign a partnership contract, or to start a new project, it is necessary for him to memorize this Du'a by heart.
Before you go for Hajj I, insha' Allah, I will give you a booklet, containing basic things, to keep it with you during Hajj.
As I have just said, you should make this Du'a before you start any project.
The tasks entrusted to man the minute he travels to Hajj:
Dear noble brothers, after you consult the believing people of experience and you seek Istikharah of the Knowledge and Omnipotence of Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, and after you intend to travel to perform Hajj, you should know what are the tasks entrusted to you from the beginning of your journey to perform Hajj until the performance of Hajj.
Dear noble brothers, you should know for sure that it is a serious problem to misunderstand this Hadith:
((Whoever performs Hajj (pilgrimage) and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commits sin, nor disputes unjustly (during Hajj), then he returns from Hajj as pure and free from sins as on the day on which his mother gave birth to him ))
I assure you, dear noble brothers, that the sins that Allah the Almighty forgives during Hajj are exclusively those that are between you and Him, but as for the sins that are between you and Allah's servants, by Allah, they will not be forgiven except by giving back people's rights, and by asking them for their forgiveness. How come that the one who takes other's house unjustly says, "Well, I will perform Hajj, and so Allah the Almighty will forgive all my wrongdoing"? This is a satanic way of thinking.
I advise you, dear brothers, to pay your debts, liabilities and to give back people's rights. I remember that once before I went to perform Hajj, I returned the borrowed books to their owners. I even returned the magazines I had borrowed. I had an old magazine which I borrowed from someone who lived in Maydan (a neighborhood in Damascus), and I had not seen him for a while, so paid him a visit and gave it back to him.
Ponder over the situation of man when he is about to leave the worldly life; you will notice how he make amends with others. He gives others' the rights he owe them, such liabilities, debts, and rights. It is said, "If you have made your decision to travel to perform Hajj, then hasten to repent, give others their rights, pay your debts, and ask for the forgiveness of those whom you have wronged or harmed." You should remain down to earth and do these things.
If you wronged someone whom you used to hire, look for him and ask him to forgive you, because he owes you that! Moreover, how nice it is to give him a gift. Hence, if you want to feel how close you are to Allah the Almighty during Hajj, if you want to have your Hajj accepted, and if you want to feel the sweetness of circumambulation, then you have a more difficult task than only performing Hajj. It is to give back people's rights, such as money, liabilities, things you had borrowed, and the compensations whose owners have forgotten with the passage of time, or they got tired of asking you to give them back. It is time to do all these things in addition to fulfilling your duties towards others, and most importantly, you should return to Allah with sincere repentance. In brief, before you travel to Hajj, make sure that you turn over a new page with Allah and start anew
Concerning the woman who intends to perform Hajj, she should please her husband, so if there is a problem between her and her husband and it is not settled, and she performs Hajj with her brother, then her Hajj is not accepted. Therefore, the wife should please her husband before she performs Hajj. Regarding this point, woman's faith is divided into four quarters, and one of these quarters is to please her husband. Listen to this Hadith, please:
((Anas reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "When a woman observes the five times of prayer, fasts during Ramadan, preserves her chastity and obeys her husband, she may enter by any of the gates of paradise she wishes. [A way of saying nothing will prevent her from entering paradise.]"))
[ [Al-Albani, on the authority of Anas] ]
The wife who disobeys her husband, gets him angry with her, and displeases him, should know that being with her brother during Hajj is not what matters, but rather what matters is to have her Hajj accepted by Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, and to feel the closeness to Him in Hajj.
It is Sunnah for man to let his wife accompany him on Hajj. Some men say, "I like to be by my own, because women are unbearable to accompany." Well, if your wife misses the chance to perform Hajj with you, with whom will she perform Hajj? I am addressing those who are financially able to perform Hajj.
It is not permissible for the parents to prevent their son from performing Hajj if it is the first time he performs Hajj. Hence, if your parents say to you, "If you want us to be pleased with you, do not perform Hajj", it is not permissible to obey them, because it is the Hajj of Islam (the performance of Hajj for the first time). Yet, if it is not the first time you perform Hajj, and they say to you, "If you want to please us, do not go to perform Hajj, because we need you to stay with us", you should obey them.
I repeat this point, if you want to perform Hajj for the first time, there will be no need to ask for the counsel and permission of your parents, because it is obligatory. However, the son should strive to please his parents.
If someone's money is not purely Halal (lawful), and part of his income is from Haram (unlawful) sources, his Hajj will not be accepted if it is performed with this ill-gotten money. It is reported in the Hadith:
(( As soon as a pilgrim sets out for Hajj with a provision which is unlawfully gained, and puts his foot in the stirrup (rides his mount) and calls out: 'O Allah! Here I am in response to Your call,' an announcer from the heavens above answers him back, saying: 'Your call is not accepted; nor are you welcome; your food is unlawful; your provisions are unlawful; and your pilgrimage is not free of sin and is unacceptable.))
Accordingly, you should perform Hajj using lawful money you have earned from your hard work.
Whoever goes to perform Hajj, let him take with him more provisions than what he needs, in order to give those in need. Also, let him take more medicines than what suffices him, so that he would be able to give other brothers some of them. I remember that once I needed a certain medication, and it cost 50 Riyals, which is equivalent to 700 Liras, whereas it was only 16 Liras in here!
Medicines for diarrhea, analgesics, fever reducers, and anti-cold tablets are the most needed ones. It is recommended to take a good number of medicines, so that you can give whoever needs any of them. Verily, the most enjoyable job one can do is serving people, by giving them some food, medicine and equipment. This is a great righteous deed during the performance of an act of worship.
If someone has plenty of provision, and he gives others food, he will be extremely happy. Giving others food is Sunnah. I remember last year when I was the head of a mission to Hajj, I took a large amount of provision, and those who saw it noticed that it was plenty. In fact, it helped us a lot during our trip, as it lasted for eight days, and we gave others some.
The problem is that there are difficult circumstances there. I mean, you will arrive tired, and going out to bring your basic needs is exhausting. Besides, asking a taxi driver to get you what you need may not help, so you will be pleased there to have your need of food and medicine with you.
During Hajj, avoid argument and quarrelling:
﴾ So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein by assuming Ihram), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj. ﴿
As for arguing and objecting, avoid saying, "How expensive!" You are on Hajj, so it is impermissible for you to react like this.
Dear brothers, write your will in the legal way before you travel. I will give all of you a will template so that you may study it and sign it. Doing this is Sunnah.
Exhaustion in Hajj is not required for its own:
In fact, exhausting oneself in Hajj is not required for its own, and so you are mistaken and deluded if you say, "If I remain worshipping in the sun, I will be more rewarded." Travelling to perform Hajj by plane is more comfortable than travelling by land, which in turn is less tiring than travelling on foot. I mean exhaustion is not required for itself, so do not say, "if I go somewhere by bus, which has AC, will be less rewarding." The tent which has an air conditioner port is better for you than standing in the sun, because the temperature may increase to such a degree that may properly prevent you from worshipping and approaching Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He. Therefore, keep this rule in mind: Exhaustion is not required for itself, and thus whoever assumes that the more he exhausts himself, the more rewarded he will be, is definitely mistaken. However, if exhaustion is inevitable in Allah's Cause, then it is welcomed.
The marble tiles around the Ka'abah absorb heat, and it is cold although the sun shines on it for ten hours. On the other hand, the marble in the halls are as hot as heated iron, but do not think that if you exhaust yourself and stand in the sun, you will be more rewarded by Allah the Almighty. The following Hadith is right to the point:
(( Anas said that the Prophet saw an old man being supported between his sons, and on asking what was the matter with him and being told that he had taken a vow to walk, he said, "Allah most high has no need that this man should punish himself," and he ordered him to ride. In a version by Muslim on Abu Hurairah's authority he said, "Ride, old man, for God is not in need of you and your vow." ))
Is it obligatory to perform all prayers in the Haram? Well, it is recommended if the house is close to the Haram, but if it is far away, and you have to get into a car twice, and then to walk in the sun for an hour, due to which you will have a painful sunstroke, then do not go out during the day unless it is necessary. You can just pray Maghrib, Isha' and Fajr, but other than these prayers, do not take risks by coming to the Haram, because your life is precious, and it is not yours alone.
By the way, the sunstroke can be fatal. By Allah, I used to go to the Haram at 10.PM, and the weather used to be very hot like an oven, so how about coming to the Haram during the day?! I do not mean to scare you, but I just wanted to explain to you the Shari'ah ruling on the issue of exhaustion. Based on this ruling, do not leave your house during the day, and this is unanimously agreed upon by the scholars. Yet, if you live next to the Haram, this is another matter. I remember that once I used to stay next to the Haram. I was 20 meters far from it, so I used to pray the five daily prayers in the Haram, praise be to Allah.
You can leave the house, and go to the Haram, provided that you do not cause harm to yourself. The sunstroke causes harm to your health, and the minute you feel that you are dizzy, and about to faint, the first thing you should do is to eat salty food, because upon eating it, your body will need water. Actually, there are hospitals for sunstroke.
Understanding the rulings on Hajj before travelling to perform it:
It is obligatory for the one who intends to perform Hajj to understand its rulings. He should understand the ruling on every action, and should avoid imitating the common people, so that his performance of Hajj would be accepted.
I saw shameful things done during Hajj. For instance, some of the pilgrims did not enter the state of Ihram when they were on the plane, so when we reached Jeddah, they said, "When can we enter the state of Ihram?" In such a case, they should sacrifice an animal in order to have their Hajj accepted.
Other pilgrims did not perform Tawaf al-Ifadah (Tawaf al-Ifadah is the Tawaf performed by the pilgrim on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah as the last formal rite of Hajj in Makkah after changing into street clothes), which is a Rukn (an integral part of Hajj). A Haaj once asked others when he was in al-Madinah, "Where is the grave of Muhammad, peace be upon him?"! There is serious ignorance about Hajj. Another Haaj once asked, "Where is the Qiblah? They said to him, "The Ka'abah is just before you." Then he said, "I am asking you about the Qiblah, not the Ka'abah."! A Haaj was told to stone Iblis, but he said, "He did not harm me, so why should I do this?" Such a Haaj wasted his money, and his time, due to his ignorance!
When I was at Arafat, one of the pilgrims opened the tent door, so another pilgrim cursed religion, because he did that! I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaitan. How did he dare doing this at Arafat! Another Haaj kissed his wife on the bus, saying to her, "I miss you". How vulgar! Man should understand rulings on Hajj before he performs it.
Man should accompany whoever helps him obey Allah:
It is Sunnah for the pilgrim to look for a companion who is knowledgeable, pious, and good deeds seeker. As if the reward of Hajj is doubled if you accompany a pious and knowledgeable man.
The religiously committed scholar or Da'iyah (Islamic missioner) teaches you the rulings on Hajj, its rituals, and its etiquette. It is important to accompany whoever helps you obey Allah the Almighty, such as a scholar, a Da'iyah or an experienced person who has good morals. Do not look for friends to have fun with, but rather look for the companion whose Islamic knowledge is better than yours, because you intend to perform an act of worship which requires accompanying people of Islamic knowledge and not having fun with common people.
Man should intend to make his travel for Allah's Sake:
It is Sunnah for the Haaj to make his travel purely for Allah's Sake. In other words, he should not consider his travel to perform hajj an opportunity for trade, even if this is permissible within the limits of Shari'ah.
When you get out of Haram, you find wonderful malls which are full of amazing products, and some pilgrims go shopping there due to the cheap prices. As a Haaj, you should not care about these products and their prices, because this is not your mission there.
Unfortunately, you find pilgrims who become customers during Hajj, other pilgrims visit their relatives in Jeddah, for instance, and spend a couple of days enjoying the lavish city, its high buildings and its beautiful resorts by sea shore. As a result, they will be distracted by these civilized places from the main purpose of performing Hajj.
You should remain within the limits of the Haram, because you travel to perform Hajj, not for tourism. It is recommended for the Haaj to visit his relatives after he finishes performing Hajj, because he may spend his time with them joking and laughing.
It is desirable that he travels early in the morning, and to make his travel on Thursday or Monday. However, the day is decided based on the timing of Hajj.
Things to be done after intending to travel to perform Hajj:
What is the Haaj supposed to do after he intends to travel to perform Hajj? It is Mustahabb (an action or thing that recommended and favored) to offer two Rak'at prayer before going out, in times other than the disliked times which are as follows: From sunrise until the sun has fully risen (20 minutes), at the time of Nişf al-Nahār – Midday (commonly known as Zawāl), and 20 minutes before sunset till sunset.
During his Salah, he recites Surat Al-Kafirun after Al-Fatihah in the first Rak'ah, and Surat Al-Ikhlaas in the second. This Salah is the Nafil Salah of travelling, and after giving Salam, the traveler reads Ayat al-Kursi and Surat Quraish, and then he makes Du'a to Allah submissively asking Him to facilitate his travel and to forgive him. When he stands up he makes this Du'a:
(( O Allah! By You have I covered myself and to You have I turned and with You have I sought protection and upon You have I put my trust. O Allah! You are my Reliance and You are my Hope. O Allah! Suffice for me that which concerns me and that which I do not give importance to and what You know more about than me. Revered is the one who is close to You, exalted is Your Glory and there is no god other than You…))
Sometimes for a silly reason the flight is delayed for 10 hours! A Haaj once told me that he waited in the bus for 24 hours, because one of the pilgrims could not find his passport.
The Du'a goes as follows:
(( O Allah! Grant me the provisions of taqwa and forgive my sin and turn me towards good wherever I turn.))
It is out of Sunnah that you farewell your family and not vice versa, but when you come back from Hajj, they are the ones who congratulate you. As I have just said, you should go to the members of your family or relatives to say goodbye - of course to those who are older than you, like your father, and your uncle - and when you return from Hajj, they are the ones who welcome you and congratulate you.
Upon bidding farewell, both you and the one you bid farewell to say: I entrust Allah with your religion, your trusts, and your last deeds. May Allah grant you the provisions of Taqwa and forgive your sin and turn you towards good wherever you might be."
Upon leaving your house, make this Du'a:
(( In the Name of Allah, I have placed my trust in Allah, there is no might and no power except by Allah. O Allah, I seek refuge in You lest I misguide others , or I am misguided by others , lest I cause others to err or I am caused to err, lest I abuse others or be abused, and lest I behave foolishly or meet with the foolishness of others. ))
When you get in the car make this Du'a:
(( In the Name of Allah. Praise be to Allah. Glory be to Him Who has provided this for us though we could never have had it by our efforts. Surely, unto our Lord, we are returning. Praise be to Allah. Praise be to Allah. Praise be to Allah. Allah is the Most Great. Allah is the Most Great. Allah is the Most Great. Glory be to You. O Allah, I have wronged my own soul. Forgive me, for surely none forgives sins but You. ))
You can find these Du'as in books of religion, and I intend to provide you with some of them before you travel insha' Allah.
The last Du'a the traveler makes is the following:
(( O Allah, we ask You on this our journey for goodness and piety, and for works that are pleasing to You. O Allah, lighten this journey for us and make its distance easy for us.))
Making Du'a is necessary on your travels. A group of pilgrims stayed at the airport for 7 days. So always remember to make Du'a:
(( (O Allah, You are our Companion on the road and the One in Whose care we leave our family. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from this journey's hardships, and from the wicked sights in store and from finding our family and property in misfortune upon returning. (Upon returning recite the same again adding :) We return repentant to our Lord, worshipping our Lord, and praising our Lord.) ))
Mustahabb (recommended) acts to do during Hajj:
It is Mustahabb for the Haaj to avoid luxury and extravagance in food. During Hajj, eat light meals as much as you can. I also advise our noble brothers to avoid soft drinks. Instead, you may drink water or yogurt.
It is Mustahabb for the Haaj to avoid quarreling, arguing and competing. You find passengers on the plane competing with one another in an aggressive manner while getting to their seats. Had they stopped pushing one another to get first into the plan, they would have sat in their seats.
It is Mustahabb for the Haaj to watch his language and avoid backbiting, gossip and badmouthing. By Allah, I have heard dozens or even hundreds of people backbiting Muslims at Arafat, and in the Haram. Where is discipline?!
It is not recommended to travel alone or with one person only, for the Prophet, peace be upon him, said in the following Hadith:
(( A single rider is a devil and a pair of riders are a pair of devils, but three are a company of riders. ))
[ [Malik, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it, on the authority of Amr bin Shu'aib's father] ]
If they are three pilgrims, let them appoint someone to be their leader, which is Sunnah. We used to have a leader when we went to perform Hajj, and if he asked us to walk, we would obey him without arguing or objecting his orders.
If you are about to reach a village, remember to make this Du'a:
(( O Allah, I beg of You its good, of the good of its people and the good of that which it contains, I seek Your Refuge from its evil, the evil of its people and the evil of that which it contains. ))
If you get into a dwelling, make this Du'a:
(( I seek refuge in the Perfect Words of Allah from the evil of what He has created. ))
If it is evening and you dwell in a tent at night, make this Du'a:
(( O land, my Rubb (Lord) and your Rubb is Allah, I seek refuge in Him from your evils, the evils of what you contain, the evils of what has been created in you, and the evils of what walks upon you. I seek refuge in Allah from lions, black serpents, scorpions and from the inhabitants of the place, and from the parent (i.e., Satan) and his offspring who inhabit a settlement (i.e., helpers from amongst the devils)] ))
Wild animals and scorpions can be found in tents:
If you are afraid of someone, make this Du'a:
(( (O Allah, we ask You to restrain them by their necks, and we seek refuge in You from their evil.) ))
Make the following Du'as abundantly:
(( (There is none worthy of worship but Allah, the Mighty, the Forbearing. There is none worthy of worship but Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne. There is none worthy of worship but Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne.) ))
(( (O Ever-Living One, O Eternal One, by Your mercy I call on You to set right all my affairs.) ))
It is Mustahabb for the Haaj to be constantly in a state of Wudu, since Wudu will be his weapon there. If you do not perform Wudu before you get into the Haram, you will need more than an hour to perform Wudu (because of the crowds). So, be always on a state of purity during Hajj.
