Prophet Muhammad (s:) Hajj

The obligation of Hajj in a specific year has various opinions. Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) prioritized the opinion that Hajj became obligatory in the 10th year of Hijri. He reasoned that if it had been obligatory earlier, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have delayed performing it. Allama Ibn al-Qayyim also supported this view as correct.

General Announcement of the Hajj Journey

In the 10th year of Hijri, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to perform Hajj and made a general announcement. Many groups devoted to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah to accompany him in Hajj. Before departing, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed Hazrat Abu Dujana (RA) as his deputy to manage the state affairs of Madinah. In some narrations, Hazrat Siba ibn Urfuta is also mentioned.

Departure from Madinah Tayyiba

On the 25th of Dhul-Qa’dah, in the 10th year of Hijri, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out from Madinah Tayyiba for Hajj. Hazrat Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) departed, there were five days left in Dhul-Qa’dah. On that day, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the four Rak’ahs of Dhuhr in Madinah Tayyiba and then groomed his hair with oil.

Stay at Dhul-Hulaifa.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began his journey from Madinah Tayyiba between Dhuhr and Asr. Upon reaching Dhul-Hulaifa, he performed the Qasr (shortened) Asr prayer of two Rak’ahs and stayed overnight. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also performed Maghrib, Isha, Fajr, and Dhuhr prayers in Dhul-Hulaifa. All of the Prophet’s virtuous wives were with him on this journey.

Bath for Ihram

According to a narration in Sunan al-Tirmidhi, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) bathed before donning the garments of Ihram. After bathing, Hazrat Aisha (RA) applied perfume to his blessed body and head, leaving his beard and head shining with fragrance. The perfume was made of musk and “Zareer” (a type of aromatic powder).

Marking of Sacrificial Animals

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) adorned the sacrificial animals with leather necklaces (‘Qilada’). He slightly cut the right side of the hump of the camels, causing blood to flow, and smeared it on their bodies as a sign. This act is called “Ish’ar” in terminology, and its purpose is to identify the animals as sacrificial.

Ihram and Talbiyah

After performing two Rak’ahs of Nafl prayer for Ihram, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mounted his ride facing the Qiblah. He made the intention for Ihram and recited the Talbiyah:

لبَيْكَ اللَّهمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ.

“Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am. There is no partner to you; here I am. Verily, all praise, blessings, and sovereignty belong to You. There is no partner to you.”

The Talbiyah’s words reveal the immersion of a person in the ocean of Tawheed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the Talbiyah aloud and encouraged his companions to do so as well. After offering the Nafl prayer for Ihram, he first recited the Talbiyah, then while mounted, recited it again, and upon reaching Baida hill, recited it for the third time. Witnessing companions considered each of these the first Talbiyah they heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Scholars have explained this sequence in this manner.

Entering Makkah Mukarramah

Under the leadership of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the caravan of believers continued proclaiming Allah’s Oneness and their servitude aloud. On the 4th of Dhul-Hijjah, they reached the valley of “Zu-Tuwa,” close to Makkah Mukarramah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Fajr prayer there. To enter the Haram of Makkah, he took a bath and entered Makkah Mukarramah through the upper entrance of Thaniyyat al-Ulya.

Entering Masjid al-Haram

In the early morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered Masjid al-Haram through Bab al-Salam. Upon seeing the Kaaba, he exclaimed, “Allahu Akbar,” and made this supplication:

اللهم أَنْتَ السَّلامُ، وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ، فَحَيِّنَا رَبَّنَا بِالسَّلَامِ، اللهم زِدْ هَذَا الْبَيْتَ تَشْرِيفًا وَتَعْظِيمًا وَمَهَابَةً، وَزِدْ مَنْ حَجَّهُ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَهُ تَكْرِيمًا وَتَشْرِيفًا وَتَعْظِيمًا وَبِرًّا.

“O Allah, You are the Source of Peace, and from You comes peace. So, bless us, our Lord, with peace. O Allah, increase the honor, reverence, and awe of this House and enhance the dignity, honor, reverence, and piety of those who perform Hajj or Umrah here.”

Circumambulation of the Kaaba

After entering Masjid al-Haram, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed Tawaf. He did not perform two Rak’ahs of Tahiyyat al-Masjid since Tawaf itself serves as the greeting for Masjid al-Haram. Facing the Black Stone, he kissed it and began his Tawaf. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, he recited this supplication:

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.

“O our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 201]

In the first three rounds of Tawaf, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed “Raml,” walking briskly with short steps, moving his shoulders like a warrior. He also performed “Idtiba,” keeping his right shoulder uncovered by passing the upper part of his sheet under his right armpit and over his left shoulder.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not kiss the Yemeni Corner but only touched it with his hand. Upon reaching the Black Stone, he either kissed it, gestured towards it with his hand, or used a stick to touch it and then kissed the stick. Thus, he completed seven rounds of Tawaf.

Two Rak’ahs of Tawaf

After completing the Tawaf, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to Maqam Ibrahim, standing in a position where it lay between him and the Kaaba. There, he recited this verse:

وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلَّى.

“Take the station of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 125]

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed two Rak’ahs of Tahiyyat al-Tawaf here, which are obligatory after every Tawaf.

Safa-Marwah Sa’i

Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, turned toward Safa. Upon reaching near the Safa hill, he recited this verse—

إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالمَروَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ

“Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, verse no. 158].

Then he said, Allah, from that which You have begun in the verse, we shall also begin our Sa’i. (That is, since the verse first mentions Safa and then Marwah, we shall begin our Sa’i from Safa.)

Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ascended the Safa hill to such a point from which the Kaaba became visible. Facing the Kaaba, he recited the praise and glorification of Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and, saying Allahu Akbar, he recited these words—

لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ، أَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهُ، وَنَصَرَ عبده، وَهَزَمَ الْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهُ.

“There is no deity except Allah; He is One and He has no partner. The dominion is His, and all praise is due to Him. He gives life and causes death, and He is over all things competent. There is no deity except Allah; He is One. He fulfilled His promise, aided His servant, and defeated the confederates alone.”

He recited these words three times and offered further supplications. Then he commenced the Sa’i and proceeded from Safa toward Marwah. He quickly traversed the intermediate space and proceeded through the remaining area in an ordinary manner. Thus, when he reached the Marwah hill, facing the Kaaba, he proclaimed Takbeer and described the greatness and majesty of Allah. He recited the supplications in Marwah just as he did in Safa. Then he again proceeded toward Safa. In this way, he completed seven circuits. That is, one circuit from Safa to Marwah and one circuit from Marwah to Safa. Thus, the seventh circuit at Marwah was concluded.

Station at Makkah Mu’ajjama

After completing the Sa’i, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, did not remove his Ihram. Because the Hajj of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was of the Jiran type. However, he ordered the noble Companions to let their hair fall or trim it when exiting Ihram and said, “Had I known what would happen later, I would not have taken the Hadi (i.e., the sacrificial animal).” From the 4th of Dhul-Hijjah to the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, remained stationed at Makkah Mu’ajjama. During his stay here, he also delivered a sermon at the door of the Kaaba.

Journey from Makkah Mu’ajjama to Mina

On the morning of the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, after the sun had risen, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, set out towards Mina with the noble Companions. At Mina, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, performed the Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha prayers and remained there for the night. It is understood from the narration that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, delivered a Khutbah on Yaum al-Tarwiyah—that is, on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah—to instruct the people in the rules and regulations of Hajj.

Station at Arafat on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah

On the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, after performing the Fajr prayer and once the sun had risen, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, set out from Mina towards Arafat. The noble Companions, while reciting the Talbiyah and Takbeer, reached the Arafat plain along with the leader of the two worlds, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. There is a place in the eastern part of Arafat called “Namira.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, instructed that his bier be placed there. (Currently, an expansive and grand mosque has been constructed there, which is known as Masjid Namira. It is from here that the Imam of Hajj delivers the khutbah. After the sun had set, that is, until the time of the Dhuhr prayer, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, remained here. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, mounted his saddle and proceeded to Batn al-Wadi and delivered that historic sermon, which has become famous in history as Khutbah-e-Hajjatul Bida or the farewell Hajj address.