Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is a religious duty for Muslims, which is undertaken by millions annually. Hajj has a spiritual significance, which focuses on fostering unity and submitting to Allah. Get a chance to seek forgiveness of Allah to grow closer to him by following the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). In this blog, we will be discussing the seven steps that are to be followed in Hajj. Check out the content below and learn about the steps that are followed to complete the Hajj ritual by the pilgrims.
What is Hajj?
Hajj is a fundamental pillar of Islam that offers a spiritual experience to Muslims when one seeks forgiveness from Allah. Muslims set on the path of pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for every financially and physically able Muslim. Hajj takes place in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah. On different days of Dhul Hijjah, different rituals take place, starting from entering the state of Ihram to performing “Tawaf al-Wada”.
7 Steps of Hajj
Hajj is completed within a tenure of 5 to 6 days. In order to complete this holy ritual, specific steps need to be followed. The seven steps of Hajj are stated below:
Step 1 - Entering Ihram
The first step for starting the Hajj is for the pilgrims to enter into the state of Ihram by making pure intentions while wearing the dress of Ihram. Men wear an Ihram, two unstitched sheets of cloth, and women wear a loose-fitting Abaya, covering their bodies except their faces and palms. The pilgrims are advised to recite Talbiyah and refrain from any sinful thoughts and actions after entering the state of Ihram.
The pilgrim must recite the following Tabiyah in a loud voice, “لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إنّ الحمد، وَالنِّعْمَةَ، لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لا شَرِيكَ لَكَ”, meaning Here I am, O God, here I am. Here I am, you have no partner, here I am. Indeed, all praise and blessings are yours, and all sovereignty, you have no partner. Some Muslims are also seen to combine the practice of Umrah with Hajj and are seen to walk around the Kaaba in an anti-clockwise direction 7 times.
Step 2 - Mina (8th of Dhul-Hijjah)
The second step in the Hajj ritual is heading to Mina, “The City of Tents”, located at a distance of about 6 km from Mecca. Here, the pilgrims are asked to rest and prepare themselves spiritually for the next morning. They perform their five prayers from noon (Zuhr) to dawn (Fajr) the next day. During their stay in the tents in Mina, Muslims must pray both compulsory and non-compulsory prayers.
Step 3 - Arafat (9th of Dhul-Hijjah)
The third step is to head to Arafat from Mina, the next day after reaching Mina. On this day, the pilgrims start to walk from Mina to Arafat in the morning while reciting Talbiyah at the top of their voices. Upon reaching Arafat, the pilgrims observe Zuhrain, a mix of Zuhr and Asr prayer, along with Qasar prayer. During the entire day, Muslims are seen to pray to commemorate Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) final sermon. Starting from noon till sunset, Wuquf is being performed, meaning the act of standing before Allah (SWT).
Step 4 - Muzdalifah
The fourth step in the Hajj ritual is to travel to Muzdalifah, which is a small town situated between Mount Arafat and Mina. Upon arriving at Muzdalifah, the pilgrims must recite Maghribaen, a combined prayer of Isha and Maghrib. After praying, rest through the night until the time of Fajr prayer. During your stay in Muzdalifah, you need to collect pebbles that resemble the size of dates, as they will be required to perform Rami over the next three days.
During your stay at Muzdalifah, it is advised to collect around 70 stones, as 49 of them will be used during the phase of throwing stones at the Jamarat and 21 stones will be kept for precautionary reasons. Before sunrise, the Muslim pilgrims need to leave for Mina to perform the acts of Rami, Nahr and Halq.
Step 5 - Stoning the Jamarat (Rami)
The fifth step is Rami, meaning stoning the Devil, which occurs after you arrive in Mina. On the 10th Dhul-Hijjah, the longest day during the pilgrimage, the pilgrims throw seven pebbles at the columns present, called Jamaraat. In history, Mina was the place where the Devil tried to persuade Prophet Ibrahim from heeding the command of Allah. Then Angel Jibreel instructed Prophet Ibrahim to throw seven stones at Iblis, which made him flee immediately.
Rami occurs for three straight days, on the 10th, 11th and 12th days of Dhul Hijjah. In each of the three days, the following breakdown of throwing pebbles shall occur:
| 10th of Dhul Hijjah | 7 Pebbles |
| 11th of Dhul Hijjah | 21 Pebbles |
| 12th of Dhul Hijjah | 21 Pebbles |
On the first day of Rami, you will throw stones only at the largest of the three pillars, Jamarat al-Aqaba and throw seven pebbles. Every time you throw a stone, you need to say the takbir, “اللهُ أَكْبَرُ”, meaning Allah is the greatest. Also, Iblis is not contained within the three pillars; hence, do not get angry and throw your sandals and other belongings at the pillars, only to lose them.
Step 6 - Eid al-Adha Rituals
The sixth step is performing Eid al-Adha, which Muslims around the world conduct. It is a festival celebrated by the Muslims, where they offer a sacrifice of an animal, either a goat, a cow or a camel. This sacrifice (Qurbani) marks the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Isma’il on the command of Allah.
Step 7 - Farewell Tawaf
The seventh step comes to the end of the Hajj journey by performing Farewell Tawaf, also called “Tawaf al-Wada”. Pilgrims return to Mecca to perform the Farewell Tawaf ritual in the Masjid al- Haram to end the Hajj ritual. Muslims are seen to perform halq, which means shaving their head or clipping their hair, and women can get a lock or strand of their hair cut.
Conclusion:
Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed by every Muslim at least once in their lifetime, provided they are financially and physically stable. So, if you are planning on setting out on your Hajj journey, then make sure to follow the seven steps that have been stated above in this blog.
FAQs
Yes, a Muslim can perform Hajj more than once in their lifetime.
The dress code for Hajj for men is Ihram, and for women is loose-fitting Abaya.
No, the rewards for performing Umrah and Hajj are different. However, performing Umrah during Ramadan offers the same reward from Allah as performing Hajj.
