For a long time, there was a deep need for a book on the knowledge of fiqh that would be concise yet meet every need in every aspect of a Muslim’s life. Praise be to Allah, Asan Fiqh, written in Urdu by Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Islahi, has fulfilled that need for us.
As the book has been translated by the distinguished Islamic thinker and litterateur Janab Abbas Ali Khan, we believe its translation is accurate. This volume contains three chapters, entitled Fasting, Zakat, and Hajj.
It is worth mentioning here that four schools of fiqh are currently followed in the Muslim world: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i, and Hanbali. There are also followers of another school who do not follow any of the above four schools. They prefer to follow the Qur’an and Hadith directly. They are known as Salafis or Ahl al-Hadith. All the above schools are correct. The basis of every school is founded upon the Qur’an and Hadith. Each sought to follow the Qur’an and Hadith comprehensively. To accuse one another because of these differences, to consider one another outside the religion, and to attempt to create divisions in the unity of the Muslim ummah cannot be the work of any sincere follower of the truth.
Followers of all the schools are found in the Subcontinent. However, since the followers of the Hanafi school are more numerous, this book has been compiled exclusively on the basis of the Hanafi school, avoiding differences of opinion, so that ordinary Muslims may follow their own madhhab with an undoubting heart and complete peace of mind. Nevertheless, the opinion of Ahl al-Hadith has also been included in many cases.
In different eras, the respected ulama, after extensive research on certain مسائل, recommended various opinions. The opinion considered correct among these has also been mentioned in the footnotes, so that whoever wishes may act upon it with an open heart. In addition, alongside the مسائل and rulings, the virtues and importance of worship and good deeds have been described in the light of Hadith, so that enthusiasm for worship may arise in the heart.
The readers themselves must judge our success. May Almighty Allah grant us the ability to follow His religion completely. Amin.
Bibliography
The following books were consulted in discussions concerning the virtues and wisdoms of the rulings:
1. Tafsir al-Nasafi 2. Tafsir al-Khazin 3. Tafsir al-Baydawi 4. Tarjuman al-Qur’an — Maulana Abul Kalam Azad 5. Tafhim al-Qur’an — Maulana Sayyid Abul A‘la Mawdudi (may Allah have mercy on him) 6. Translation and Tafsir — Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani 7. Sihah Sittah 8. Muwatta of Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) 9. Riyad al-Salihin 10. Al-Adab al-Mufrad 11. Hisn al-Hasin 12. Mishkat 13. Ihya Ulum al-Din 14. Kashf al-Mahjub.
The مسائل and rulings have been quoted from the following books without juristic discussion, and only those مسائل generally applicable according to the consensus have been adopted.
1. Al-Hidayah 2. Ayn al-Hidayah — Commentary on al-Hidayah 3. Fath al-Qadir 4. Quduri 5. Sharh al-Wiqayah 6. Nur al-Idah 7. Fiqh al-Sunnah 8. Ilm al-Fiqh 9. Ta‘lim al-Islam 10. Islami Ta‘lim 11. Alat-e Jadidah ke Shar‘i Ahkam — Mufti Muhammad Shafi‘ (may Allah have mercy on him) 12. Rasa’il-o-Masa’il — Maulana Sayyid Abul A‘la Mawdudi (may Allah have mercy on him) 13. Behishti Zewar 14. Fatawa of Darul Uloom Deoband, and others.
Chapter on Zakat
Description of Zakat
Salah and Zakat are, in reality, two important acts of worship representing the whole religion. In physical worship, salah represents the entire religion, while in financial worship, Zakat represents the entire religion. The rights imposed upon servants by the religion are of two kinds: the rights of Allah and the rights of His servants. Salah prepares a servant to fulfill the rights of Allah, while Zakat creates a deep feeling for fulfilling the rights of His servants. Islam is the name for properly fulfilling both these kinds of rights.
The Status of Zakat
Zakat is the third great pillar of Islam. In religion, Zakat comes immediately after salah. Indeed, throughout the Holy Qur’an, salah is mentioned after faith and Zakat after salah. This makes clear, on the one hand, the status of salah and Zakat in religion. On the other hand, it indicates that after salah, the status belongs to Zakat. This fact is also clear from the Hadith of the Holy Prophet:
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Mu‘adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) to Yemen, he gave him the following instruction: “You are going to a people who were given the Scripture. First invite them to testify to faith: that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah. When they acknowledge this truth, tell them that Allah has made five prayers obligatory for them during the day and night. If they accept this as well, tell them that Allah has made charity (Zakat) obligatory upon them. It will be taken from their wealthy and distributed among their poor and needy. When they accept this too, do not select their best property when collecting Zakat, and beware of the supplication of the oppressed. For there is no barrier between the oppressed and Allah.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
The Meaning of Zakat
Zakat means becoming pure, increasing, and flourishing. In the terminology of fiqh, Zakat means a financial act of worship. Every Muslim who possesses the nisab must set aside from his wealth the amount prescribed by the Shariah for those who are entitled, according to the Shariah, to receive Zakat.
When Zakat is given, wealth becomes pure and purified. Then Allah blesses the wealth. In the Hereafter, He grants the giver of Zakat such a great reward and recompense that a person cannot even imagine it. For this reason, this act of worship is called Zakat—that is, an act that purifies and increases.
The Essence of Zakat
When a believer spends his beloved and favorite wealth willingly in the way of Allah to attain His pleasure, a light and radiance arise in that believer’s heart. Material filth and love of the world disappear. Then vitality, purity, and the impulse of love for Allah arise within the heart. Thereafter, they continue to increase. Giving Zakat is itself an expression of love for Allah, as well as an effective and reliable means of increasing that love.
The essence of Zakat is not merely that it is a process for supporting the poor and needy and ensuring the proper distribution of wealth. Rather, it is also an important act of worship made obligatory by Allah Almighty. Without it, neither can the human mind and soul be purified, nor can a person become a sincere, virtuous servant of Allah. Zakat is, in reality, an outward expression of gratitude for Allah’s limitless blessings. Legally, Zakat means that when one year has passed over the wealth of a prosperous person, he must set aside a specific portion of it for those entitled to it. But the essence of Zakat is not limited to this. Rather, through this practice Allah Almighty wishes to remove every kind of material love of the world from the believer’s heart and install His own love there. In this way, He wishes to nurture the believer so that he may sacrifice his wealth, life, strength, and abilities in Allah’s path and attain spiritual peace and joy. He should distribute everything in the way of Allah and express gratitude, saying that Allah, through His grace and favor, has granted him the ability to sacrifice his life and wealth in His path. Therefore, the Shariah has set a legal limit for Zakat and declared that spending this amount is obligatory for every Muslim. Even failing to spend this minimum amount makes one’s faith questionable. At the same time, it has strongly encouraged the believer not to consider spending only this amount sufficient, but to develop the habit of spending more and more in the way of Allah. This truth is also clearly manifested in the lives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the presence of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him for something. At that time, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had so many goats that the valley between two mountains was filled with them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave all those goats to the petitioner. When he returned to his people, he said to them, “People, all of you become Muslims. Muhammad (peace be upon him) gives so generously that there is no longer any fear of poverty.” (Kashf al-Mahjub)
Once, a beggar came to Hazrat Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, “O grandson of the Prophet, I need four hundred dirhams.” Hazrat Husayn immediately brought four hundred dirhams from the house and gave them to him, then began to weep. When people asked the reason for his weeping, he said, “I am crying because why did I not give it to him before he asked, so that he would not have had to ask? Why did matters reach the point that this man came to me and extended his hand in begging?” (Kashf al-Mahjub)
Hazrat Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Once a goat was slaughtered at home. The Prophet (peace be upon him) came home and asked whether any of the goat’s meat remained. Hazrat Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “Only one shoulder remains; all the rest has been distributed.” The Prophet said, “No, rather, everything except that shoulder has remained”—that is, its reward or value may be hoped for in the Hereafter. (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) told her, “Relying upon Allah, continue to give generously in His path. Do not become caught up in counting and calculating what you give. If you give in Allah’s path by counting every amount, He too will give to you by counting every amount. Do not hoard wealth; otherwise Allah will treat you likewise, and abundant wealth will not come into your hands. Therefore, spend in Allah’s path with an open hand, as much as you have the courage to give.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah says to each of His servants, “O children of Adam, continue to spend in My path, and I will continue to give to you from My inexhaustible treasures.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Hazrat Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once I came to the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He was resting in the shade of the Ka‘bah. Seeing me, he said, “By the Lord of the Ka‘bah, those people are facing terrible loss.” I said, “May my parents be sacrificed for you; tell me who those facing terrible loss are.” He replied, “Those who are wealthy and prosperous. Yes, among them, those who spend their wealth freely in Allah’s path, in front and behind them, and to their right and left, are safe from loss. But there are very few such people among the wealthy.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
The Purpose of the Zakat System
The Zakat system seeks, in reality, to clear the believer’s heart of love for the world and all the undergrowth and jungle growing from its roots, and to produce love for Allah there. This is possible only when the believing servant is not content merely to give Zakat. Rather, he tries to absorb the life-giving spirit of Zakat within himself and believes that everything he possesses belongs entirely to Allah. His pleasure can be attained only by spending it all in His path. Without absorbing this spirit and purpose of Zakat, no one can love for Allah’s sake, nor can anyone, knowing Allah’s rights, remain alert and open-handed in fulfilling them.
The Zakat system actually purifies the entire Islamic society from miserliness, narrow-mindedness, selfishness, envy, hatred, hardness of heart, and the subtle tendency to exploit others. It instills and develops elevated and pure impulses such as mutual love, sacrifice, compassion, generosity, sincerity, goodwill, cooperation, and companionship. This is why Zakat was obligatory upon the communities of every prophet. Its nisab and the rulings of fiqh differed, of course, but the command of Zakat existed in every Shariah.
Zakat in Earlier Shariahs
Reflecting upon the essence and life-giving spirit of Zakat reveals that it is an indispensable practice and an indispensable quality for a believer. For this reason, the command concerning it is found in the Shariah of every prophet.
The Qur’an bears witness that Zakat was obligatory upon the communities of all the prophets just as salah was obligatory. In Surah al-Anbiya, in the account concerning Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and Hazrat Harun (peace be upon him), the thoughtful dialogue that took place between Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and his people is described in detail. In this same context, Hazrat Lut (peace be upon him), Hazrat Ishaq (peace be upon him), and Hazrat Ya‘qub (peace be upon him) are mentioned. Then it is said:
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And We made them all leaders. They guided people according to Our command. And through revelation We instructed them to do good deeds, establish salah, and give Zakat; and they were all worshipping servants.
At various places in the Qur’an, the covenant and oath taken from the Jews are mentioned. One of its important clauses was that they would establish salah and give Zakat.
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And remember when We took a firm covenant from the Children of Israel: “Worship none but Allah; treat parents well; and treat relatives, orphans, and the needy well; speak kindly to people; establish salah; and give Zakat.” (Surah al-Baqarah 83)
Elsewhere, Allah Almighty says to the Children of Israel themselves:
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And Allah said to the Children of Israel, “I am with you if you continue to establish salah and give Zakat.”
(Surah al-Ma’idah 12)
In praising Hazrat Isma‘il (peace be upon him), the son of Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and an ancestor of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Qur’an says that he used to urge his family members to establish salah and give Zakat:
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And Isma‘il used to enjoin his family to establish salah and give Zakat, and he was pleasing to his Lord. (Surah Maryam 55)
While presenting his identity, Hazrat Isa (peace be upon him) says that his being granted the rank of prophethood was for this very purpose: “My Lord instructed me throughout my life to establish salah and give Zakat.”
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And He has commanded me to establish salah and continue giving Zakat as long as I live. (Surah Maryam 31)
The Greatness and Importance of Zakat
The extraordinary greatness and importance of Zakat in Islam can be estimated from the fact that salah and Zakat are mentioned together in at least thirty-two places in the Holy Qur’an. After faith, the first demand is that of salah and Zakat. In reality, performing these two acts of worship means practicing the entire religion. How can a servant who surrenders his body and soul before Allah with deep emotion inside the mosque neglect Allah’s rights outside the mosque? Likewise, how can a person who gives his beloved wealth willingly in Allah’s path for His pleasure and feels deep peace in his heart violate the rights of other servants? Islam is, in reality, an expression of the rights of Allah and His servants. Therefore, the Qur’an regards salah and Zakat as signs of Islam and testimony to entering within the bounds of Islam. In Surah al-Tawbah, after declaring the severance of relations with the polytheists and expressing displeasure with them, Allah Almighty guides the Muslims that if they repent from disbelief and polytheism, establish salah, and continue giving Zakat, they will be regarded as brothers in religion. Thereafter, in Islamic society they will have the same position as the Muslims.
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If they repent from disbelief and polytheism, establish salah, and give Zakat, then they are your brothers in religion. (Surah al-Tawbah 11)
This verse says that salah and Zakat are clear signs and conclusive testimony of Islam. For this reason, the Qur’an has described failure to give Zakat as a sign and practice of the polytheists. Such people have been deemed deniers in the Hereafter and deprived of faith.
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Woe to those polytheists who do not give Zakat and deny the Hereafter. (Surah Ha Mim al-Sajdah 6–7)
When, during the caliphate of the first Caliph, Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), some people refused to give Zakat, he considered this equivalent to leaving Islam and becoming apostate. He declared, “If they refuse to give even a young goat from the Zakat they used to give in the time of the Prophet, I will fight them.” Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) tried to restrain al-Siddiq al-Akbar and said, “How will you fight them when they believe in the Kalimah?” He further said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that whoever says, ‘There is no deity except Allah,’ has his life and property protected by me.” Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), announcing his firm resolve, said:
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“By Allah, I will certainly fight those who distinguish between salah and Zakat.” (Bukhari, Muslim) (Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) cited verse 5 of Surah al-Tawbah as evidence for fighting those who denied Zakat:
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If they repent, establish salah, and give Zakat, then let them go. (Translator)
Salah and Zakat are two pillars of the religion; denying either of them or distinguishing between them is, in reality, equivalent to departing from Allah’s religion and becoming an apostate. It is the duty of the believer to fight against apostates.
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud said: We have been commanded to perform salah and give Zakat. Whoever does not give Zakat has no salah either. (Tabarani)
The Qur’an has described those who refrain from giving Zakat as deprived of guidance:
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This is guidance for the God-fearing: those who believe in the unseen, establish salah, and spend in Allah’s path from what We have provided them. (Surah al-Baqarah 2–3)
In the view of the Qur’an, those who give Zakat are truly sincere believers—
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Those who establish salah and spend in Allah’s path from what We have given them—they are the true believers. (Surah al-Anfal 2–3)
While describing the greatness and importance of Zakat, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
A generous person is close to Allah, close to Paradise, close to Allah’s servants, and far from Hell. On the other hand, a miser is far from Allah, far from Paradise, far from Allah’s servants, and close to Hell. In reality, an ignorant generous person is much more beloved to Allah than a miserly worshipper. (Tirmidhi)
The Terrible Consequences of Neglecting Zakat
Because of the extraordinary importance of zakat, the Qur’an has warned of an extremely painful punishment for those who do not pay zakat. They have been cautioned not to bring upon themselves a terrible fate by becoming consumed with love of perishable wealth. They should protect themselves from that dreadful punishment, the very thought of which makes one’s body shudder.
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Give those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah the tidings of a painful punishment. (That punishment is this:) A day will come when those gold and silver will be heated in the Fire of Hell, and then their foreheads, sides, and backs will be branded with them. (And it will be said,) “This is what you hoarded for yourselves. So taste now what you used to hoard.” (Surah al-Tawbah 34–35)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) was asked what was meant by the word used in this verse, indicated by “…..”. He said that “……..” refers to wealth on which zakat has not been paid. To warn those who do not pay zakat, the Prophet (PBUH) portrayed the terrifying punishment of the Hereafter in this manner.
When Allah Almighty grants someone wealth and he does not pay zakat on it, his wealth will be transformed on the Day of Resurrection into a venomous snake. Because of the intensity of its venom, the snake’s head will be hairless, and its two eyes will be black marks. On the Day of Resurrection, it will coil around the neck of the miser who did not pay zakat, sink its venomous fangs into his two jaws, and say, “I am your wealth; I am your accumulated riches.”
Then the Prophet (PBUH) recited the following verse:
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Those whom Allah has given wealth from His bounty should not think that their stinginess is good for them; rather, it is extremely bad for them. What they hoarded through their stinginess will be made into a collar and placed around their necks on the Day of Resurrection. (Surah Aal Imran 180)
Furthermore, the Noble Prophet (PBUH) advised the Companions to save themselves from the terrible consequences of neglecting zakat. He said:
On the Day of Resurrection, let none of you come to me with his goat loaded upon his neck and call me for help. I will then say, “Today I can do nothing for you. I conveyed Allah’s commands and injunctions to you.” Then beware lest any of you come to me on that day with his camel loaded upon his neck. He will call me for help, and I will say to him, “I can do nothing for you. I conveyed Allah’s command to you.” (Bukhari)
One day the Prophet (PBUH) saw two women wearing gold bangles on their hands. He asked them whether they paid zakat on them. When they said no, the Prophet said, “Do you then wish that, instead of these, you be made to wear bangles of fire?” They replied, “No, no, never!”
Then the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Continue paying zakat on them.” (Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) said that while delivering a sermon, the Prophet (PBUH) said, “O people! Keep away from greed and avarice. Those before you were destroyed only because of this greed and avarice. Greed created stinginess and narrow-mindedness among them. Consequently, they became miserly and worshippers of wealth. This prompted them to sever ties of compassion and affection with their relatives, and they committed the crime of severing such ties. This prompted them to commit sins, and they committed sins.” (Abu Dawud)
As a result of these warnings from the Qur’an and Sunnah, the Companions (RA) were extremely zealous regarding charity. Their feeling was so intense that they considered it unlawful to keep even a single coin beyond what they needed. It was Abu Dharr’s (RA) constant practice that whenever he saw a group of people gathered, he would draw their attention to zakat.
The Emphasis on and Encouragement of Zakat
Because of the extraordinary importance and excellence of zakat, it has been emphasized in eighty-two places in the Noble Qur’an. Usually, prayer and zakat are mentioned together. For example:
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And establish prayer and pay zakat.
The Qur’an and Sunnah have encouraged people in various ways by mentioning its great religious and worldly benefits. For example:
The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a grain that produces seven ears, each ear containing one hundred grains. Thus Allah multiplies for whom He wills, and Allah is All-Encompassing and All-Knowing. (Surah al-Baqarah 261)
A farmer entrusts his seed to Allah’s earth, counts the days in hope, and prays to Allah for rain. Then Allah grants him countless grains in place of a single seed. Presenting this faith-inspiring experience as an example, Allah wishes to explain that whatever a servant spends for Allah’s pleasure, Allah will multiply it so greatly that He will grant seven hundred grains in return for each grain. Indeed, He may grant even more than this. Allah acknowledges a servant’s profound sincerity and heartfelt enthusiasm. He gives in such abundance that the servant cannot even imagine it. This giving and …….. is not confined to the Hereafter; rather, in this world Allah Almighty grants ………. society goodness and blessings, prosperity and progress.
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The zakat you give for Allah’s pleasure truly increases the wealth of the one who gives it. (Surah al-Rum 39)
In reality, those who give zakat, charity, and the like are generous, charitable, mutually compassionate, and well-wishing people. Zakat and charity create these qualities. Goodness and blessing, peace, security, progress, and prosperity come to the lot of a society whose people generally possess these qualities, where wealth does not accumulate in the hands of a few selfish, narrow-minded misers. Rather, it is distributed fairly throughout society, everyone is free to earn and spend a livelihood according to their own courage and ability, and all receive equal opportunities and benefits.
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) said that the Prophet (PBUH) said, “When someone gives even a date in charity from his lawful earnings, Allah takes it in His own hand and continues to increase it, just as you raise your children, until it becomes like a mountain.” (Bukhari)
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) also said that the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Giving charity does not decrease wealth; it only increases it. Forgiving someone increases a person’s honor; it does not bring humiliation. And whoever adopts humility and gentleness solely for Allah, Allah grants him a high rank.” (Muslim)
The Qur’an clearly states that those who purify their hearts, follow the straight path, are endowed with wisdom, attain Allah’s pleasure, forgiveness, and mercy, and gain everlasting peace in the Hereafter and the nearness of Allah
are those who continually pay zakat wholeheartedly.
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(O Prophet,) take charity from their wealth, purify them through it, and advance them on the path of righteousness. (Surah al-Tawbah 103)
Satan threatens you with poverty and destitution and urges you to adopt obscene and shameful practices. On the other hand, Allah promises you His forgiveness and grace; and He is Generous and All-Knowing. He grants wisdom to whomever He wills. Whoever is granted wisdom has truly been granted immense wealth. (Surah al-Baqarah 268–269)
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And they make whatever they spend in the way of Allah a means of attaining nearness to Him and receiving the Messenger’s (PBUH) prayer for mercy. Indeed, it is a means of attaining nearness to Allah, and Allah will surely admit them into His mercy. Surely He is Forgiving and Merciful. (Surah al-Tawbah 99)
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And the person who fears Allah most will be kept far from the Fire of Hell—he who gives wealth to others for this purpose, so that his heart may be purified of stinginess, greed, and attachment to the world. (Surah al-Layl 17–18)
Hazrat Adi ibn Hatim (RA) said, “I heard the Prophet (PBUH) say, ‘O people! Save yourselves from the Fire of Hell, even if only with a piece of a date.’” (Bukhari)
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) said that the Prophet (PBUH) said, “On the Day of Resurrection, when there will be no shade anywhere except the shade of Allah’s Throne, seven kinds of people will be able to remain in the shade of the Throne. Among them will be a person who spends in the way of Allah so secretly that his left hand will not know what his right hand has spent.” (Bukhari)
Whenever someone came to the Prophet (PBUH) with charitable wealth, he would become extremely happy and pray for mercy for that person. Once, Hazrat Abu Awfa (RA) came to the Prophet with charity. The Prophet (PBUH) then made the following supplication for him:
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O Allah, send down Your mercy upon the family of Abu Awfa. (Bukhari)
Once, immediately after the afternoon prayer, the Noble Prophet (PBUH) went home and came outside again after a short while. When the Companions asked the reason, he said, “A piece of gold was lying in the house. I did not think it right for it to remain there until night. So I have distributed it among the needy.” (Bukhari)
Hazrat Anas (RA) said that the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Through charity and giving, Allah’s anger is cooled, and people are protected from an evil death.”
Indeed, apart from being safe from Allah’s wrath and attaining khatimah bil-khayr (dying with faith), what greater and ultimate desire could a believer have?
The Ruling on Zakat
It is obligatory for every sahib-e-nisab (a financially solvent person) that if wealth equal to the nisab remains in his possession for one year, he must pay its zakat. Zakat is an indispensable obligation. Whoever denies this obligation becomes an unbeliever. As for one who does not deny its obligatory nature but does not pay zakat, he is sinful and a grave transgressor.
The Fundamental Difference between Zakat and Tax
Zakat is not something like the tax imposed on the public by the government. It is a financial act of worship and one of the foremost pillars of the religion of Islam. Prayer and fasting are pillars of Islam. The Qur’an generally mentions zakat immediately alongside prayer. It is an important pillar of Allah’s religion, which was the religion of the prophets in every age.
The tremendous moral and spiritual benefits that result from the zakat system in people’s hearts and in Islamic society can arise only when the fundamental difference between an act of worship and a tax is firmly established in the mind, and zakat is given with the belief that it is an act of worship of Allah.
Of course, the administration of collecting and distributing zakat has been entrusted to the Islamic state. This is one of its responsibilities in maintaining law and order. But this is not because zakat is a tax or any levy imposed by the government. Rather, it is the responsibility of the Islamic state to establish order in all the collective acts of worship in Islam.
Conditions for Zakat to Become Obligatory
There are seven conditions for zakat to become obligatory. (According to Ahl al-Hadith, the first five conditions are necessary. In their view, being sane and reaching maturity are not necessary for zakat to become obligatory. Their evidence is the Qur’anic statement …..Arabic…… Give zakat. And for every Muslim, male and female, and …….Arabic ……. (O Prophet,) take charity from their wealth and purify them and cleanse them. Purification and cleansing are obligatory for every Muslim. Therefore, zakat is obligatory upon every Muslim, male and female, whether sane and mature or not. Scholars other than Ahl al-Hadith also do not accept the last two conditions. That is, they do not regard being sane and reaching maturity as conditions for zakat to become obligatory.)
(1) Being a Muslim.
(2) Owning the nisab.
(3) The nisab being in excess of genuine needs.
(4) Not being in debt.
(5) The wealth remaining in possession for one year.
(6) Being sane.
(7) Reaching maturity.
An analysis of these conditions is given below:
1. Being a Muslim. Zakat is not obligatory upon a non-Muslim. Therefore, a person who accepts Islam does not have to pay zakat for his past life.
2. Owning the nisab. That is, one must own such an amount of wealth upon which the Shariah has made zakat obligatory.
3. The nisab being in excess of genuine needs. Genuine needs means all those things upon which a person’s livelihood and dignity depend, such as food and drink, clothing, a house for residence, the tools and machines of professionals, and the like. Animals used for transportation, bicycles, motorcycles, household equipment, books for study (not for sale)—all these are things of genuine need. Zakat is not obligatory on these. However, if surplus wealth reaches the amount of the nisab, zakat will be obligatory on it, provided the other conditions also exist.
4. Not being in debt. For example, a person may possess wealth amounting to the nisab, but owe a debt to someone else. In that case, zakat will not be obligatory. However, if he has enough wealth that, even after repaying the debt, wealth amounting to the nisab remains, zakat will be obligatory.
5. The wealth remaining in possession for one year. Zakat does not become obligatory merely because one possesses wealth amounting to the nisab. Rather, zakat becomes obligatory on it when that amount of wealth remains for one year.
Ibn Umar (RA) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: Whatever means a person acquires wealth through, zakat becomes obligatory upon it only when it remains for a full year. (Tirmidhi)
6. Being sane. Zakat is not obligatory upon a person deprived of reason and intelligence, such as an insane person.
7. Reaching maturity. Zakat is not obligatory upon a minor child, no matter how much wealth he possesses. It is not obligatory upon him, nor upon his guardian. (Regarding this, Allama Maududi expressed the following view. There is disagreement concerning minor children. One view is that zakat is not obligatory upon an orphan. The second view is that after the orphan reaches maturity, when his guardian transfers his property to him, the guardian should explain the rules of zakat to him. He must then pay all the zakat for the period during which he was an orphan. The third view is that if the orphan’s wealth has been invested in a business and is generating profit, his guardian should pay zakat. Otherwise, zakat is not obligatory. The fourth view is that zakat is obligatory on the orphan’s wealth, and the responsibility for paying it lies with the guardian. This fourth view is more correct. It is stated in a hadith:
That is, beware: whoever is the guardian of an orphan who possesses wealth should conduct some business with that wealth and not leave it lying idle, lest zakat consume all of it. (Tirmidhi, Darqutni, Bayhaqi)
A mursal hadith with the same meaning has been narrated by Imam al-Shafi‘i (RA), and a marfu‘ hadith has been narrated by al-Tabarani and Abu Ubayd. Support for it is also found in reports from the Companions and Tabi‘in, narrated from Umar (RA), Aishah (RA), Abdullah ibn Umar (RA), and Jabir ibn Abdullah (RA).
There is a similar difference of opinion concerning an mentally impaired person, as mentioned above. Here too, in our view, the correct opinion is that zakat is obligatory on an insane person’s wealth, and its payment is the responsibility of the guardian. Imam Malik (RA) and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri have explained this opinion. (Rasa’il wa Masa’il, Volume Two, pp. 130, 138)
Conditions for the Validity of Paying ZakatConditions for the Validity of Paying Zakat
There are six conditions for the payment of zakat to be valid. If these six conditions are fulfilled, zakat will be discharged; otherwise, it will not. They are:
1. Being a Muslim,
2. Forming the intention to pay zakat,
3. Spending it in the specified categories,
4. Transferring ownership,
5. Being sane,
6. Reaching maturity. An analysis and the benefits of all these are given below:
1. Being a Muslim. A condition for zakat to be valid is that the payer must be a Muslim, since zakat is not obligatory upon a non-Muslim. Therefore, if a non-Muslim pays zakat, it will not be valid. Thus, if someone pays the zakat due in the future before accepting Islam and then accepts Islam, the zakat paid previously will not be valid. He will have to pay zakat again after becoming a Muslim.
2. Forming the intention to pay zakat. It is necessary to intend to pay zakat when setting it aside or when giving it to an eligible recipient. If one does not form the intention of zakat when setting it aside, it will not be valid. For zakat, it is necessary that the wealth reach an eligible recipient.
3. When giving zakat, ownership must be transferred to the recipient. Ownership may be transferred to the eligible recipient or to an organization that collects and distributes zakat.
4. Spending it in the specified categories. The categories for giving zakat have been stated in the Qur’an. If it is spent in any category other than these, it will not be valid.
5. Being sane. If a mentally impaired or insane person gives zakat, it will not be valid.
6. Reaching maturity. If a minor child gives zakat, it will not be valid.
Some Issues Concerning Zakat Becoming Obligatory
1. If money set aside for genuine needs is needed to be spent during that same year, zakat does not have to be paid on it. But if it may be needed in the future after that year, zakat must be paid on it. —(Ilmul Fiqah, Volume Four)
2. Zakat is not obligatory on wealth on which another right, such as ushr or kharaj, is obligatory. (Ilmul Fiqah, Volume Four)
3. If someone pledges or mortgages something with another person, zakat will not be obligatory on it. Neither the person who pledges it nor the person who receives it will be obligated to pay zakat. —(Ilmul Fiqah, Volume Four)
4. If someone’s property or money is lost and, after some time, it is found by Allah’s grace and the lost money comes into his possession, zakat will not be obligatory for the period during which it was lost. This is because, for zakat to become obligatory, the wealth must remain within one’s possession and ownership.
5. If someone possesses wealth amounting to the nisab at the beginning of the year, but it is lost or exhausted for some time during the year, and then, by Allah’s grace, he possesses wealth amounting to the nisab toward the end of the year, zakat will be obligatory on that wealth. The period during which he did not possess wealth in the middle of the year will not be taken into consideration. —(Ilmul Fiqah)
6. If someone is arrested, zakat must be paid on his wealth. In his absence, the person who conducts his business or manages his wealth shall pay the zakat. (Rasail o Masail, Vol. 2)
7. Zakat is obligatory on the wealth of a traveler if he possesses the nisab. At the same time, because he is a traveler, he is also entitled to receive zakat. But if he is wealthy and sahib-e-nisab, zakat is obligatory upon him. His journey makes him eligible to receive zakat, while his wealth makes zakat obligatory upon him. (Behishti Zewar, Vol. 3)
8. If someone gives another person a gift, and it is equal to the nisab and one year passes, zakat will become obligatory on it. (The same source)
9. No zakat is obligatory on household furnishings, such as utensils made of copper, brass, aluminium, steel, and other materials; clothing worn or used for covering; rugs, carpets, furniture, and so forth; ornaments made of metals other than gold and silver; pearl ornaments, pearl necklaces, and the like, no matter how valuable they may be. (The same source)
10. If someone buys a large quantity of grain for a festival and then sells it for profit, zakat will not be obligatory on it. Zakat is not obligatory on property purchased with the intention of trading in it. (The same source)
11. Someone had one thousand taka. After a year had passed, five hundred taka was lost, and he gave the remaining five hundred in charity. Zakat therefore remains obligatory only on the money that was lost; zakat on the money given in charity has been discharged. (According to Imam Shafi‘i, zakat is obligatory on the entire amount. If the total capital in a business reaches the nisab or exceeds it, zakat is obligatory even if each partner’s individual share does not reach the nisab.)
12. If, after zakat becomes obligatory, all of a person’s supporting assets are destroyed, zakat will no longer be obligatory upon him.
13. Several people are partners in a business, and all their money has been invested. If each partner’s individual share is less than the nisab, zakat will not be obligatory upon any of them, even if their combined share reaches or exceeds the nisab.
14. A person paid zakat on two thousand taka in Ramadan, and this two thousand remained in his possession. Then, by Allah’s grace, he acquired another two thousand in Rajab. After a year had passed, he would have to pay zakat on four thousand. He cannot say that the money acquired in Rajab had not completed a year. Any money or property acquired during the year—whether through business profit, the birth of animals’ offspring, a gift, or an inheritance—in short, however the property or money is acquired, zakat must be paid on all of it. Thus, zakat must also be paid on property or money acquired later even if it has not completed a year.
Zakat: Relevant Issues
1. When giving zakat, it is not necessary to tell the eligible person or zakat recipient that this is zakat. Rather, it is permissible to give it as a gift, a present for children, or an Eid gift. It is sufficient for the zakat payer to form the intention of giving zakat.
2. It is not permissible to give zakat to a laborer as his wages, or to an employee or servant as his salary. However, the salaries of those appointed by the Bayt al-Mal to collect and distribute zakat may be paid from zakat funds.
3. It is permissible to pay zakat in advance before the year is completed, and it is also permissible to pay it in monthly installments, provided that the donor is sahib-e-nisab. If someone pays zakat in advance hoping that he will become sahib-e-nisab, his zakat will not count. Once he becomes sahib-e-nisab and a year is completed, he will have to pay zakat again. (Behishti Zewar)
Hazrat Ali said that when Hazrat Abbas asked the Prophet about paying zakat in advance, he gave permission. (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)
4. Zakat should be paid from property of an average quality. It is not right for the zakat payer to give ordinary property as zakat, nor is it right for the zakat collector to take the finest property as zakat. The donor should try to give good things in the way of Allah, and the collector should not act oppressively toward anyone.
5. The person collecting zakat may, if he wishes, take the actual item on which zakat has become obligatory, such as gold or an animal, or he may take its value. Zakat will be discharged in either case. It must be remembered that if its value is paid, the value at the time of payment must be paid, not its value when zakat became obligatory. For example, suppose a person raises goats. After a year, zakat becomes obligatory on one goat, whose value is then fifty taka. For some reason, zakat is paid several months late. If during that time the goat’s value rises to sixty taka or falls to forty taka, sixty or forty taka, respectively, must be paid as zakat.
6. Zakat is supposed to be deposited in the Bayt al-Mal of an Islamic state. It is the responsibility of the Islamic state to arrange for the collection and distribution of zakat. Where Muslims are living a life of servitude because of their negligence—in other words, where there is no Islamic system of government—it is the duty of Muslims to establish a Bayt al-Mal for Muslims through their own efforts and spend all zakat there on the specified categories. If Muslims are deprived of such collective administration, they should deliver zakat to eligible recipients themselves and continue striving through education and practical efforts to establish an Islamic system of government. For without an Islamic system of government, it is simply impossible to follow many of Allah Almighty’s commands and laws.
7. Those who are temporarily or permanently eligible for zakat—such as the disabled, sick, unhealthy and weak, poor and destitute, miskins, widows, orphans, and others—may be given assistance from the Bayt al-Mal temporarily, and arrangements may also be made permanently for their maintenance or allowances.
8. Zakat from the Bayt al-Mal may be given to an individual eligible for zakat or to an organization or institution. An institution of this kind may itself be established for purposes on which zakat may be spent, such as an orphanage or free education and medical care for the destitute.
9. It is also permissible to give interest-free loans from zakat funds to the needy. Indeed, giving them such loans to improve their condition and enable them to stand on their own feet is an excellent act.
10. Giving zakat to relatives to whom zakat may be given brings a double reward: first, the reward for giving zakat, and second, the reward for maintaining family ties. If friends or relatives feel embarrassed to accept zakat, or consider it improper to take zakat despite being needy, they should not be told that the money or goods are zakat. It is not a condition to tell an eligible person that it is zakat. The best way is to deliver the zakat to them before an Eid, at a wedding as assistance or a gift, or in some other manner.
11. It is preferable to calculate and pay zakat according to lunar months, but this is not essential. Zakat may also be paid according to solar months. Nor is it essential to pay zakat in any particular month. However, since Ramadan is a blessed month and a month of increased good deeds, in which greater rewards are received, it is best to pay zakat in this month. That does not make it obligatory, nor is it a condition for the validity of zakat.
12. In general, it is just that the zakat of one region be spent or distributed in that same region. However, it may be given to another region in cases of special need—for example, if friends or relatives live there and are needy, or if a natural disaster has occurred there. Care must be taken, however, that no needy person in the first region or locality is deprived.
13. For zakat to be discharged, it is also a condition that the person receiving it be made its owner and that the zakat come into his possession. If someone prepares food and feeds an eligible person, his zakat will not be valid. But if he prepares the food, hands it to him, and gives him the choice to eat it himself, feed it to someone else, or do whatever he wishes with it, zakat will be discharged. Giving zakat to an institution or the Bayt al-Mal also fulfills the condition of transferring ownership. The same condition is fulfilled by handing it to a zakat collector or administrator. Responsibility then passes to the Bayt al-Mal or the zakat collector. The zakat payer is not responsible for making the eligible person an owner again.
14. If someone pays zakat on behalf of a relative, friend, or any other person, it will be valid. For example, if a husband pays zakat from his own funds on his wife’s jewelry and similar property, his wife’s zakat will be discharged.
Once, the Prophet’s uncle, Hazrat Abbas, did not give zakat to Hazrat Umar, the zakat collector appointed by the Prophet. The Prophet then said, “His zakat is my responsibility—indeed, even more than that. Umar, do you not understand that an uncle is equivalent to a father?” (Muslim)
The Issue of Transferring Ownership
According to Hanafi scholars, an indispensable condition for zakat to be valid is that it will not be discharged unless ownership is transferred to another person. In this connection, Allama Maududi wrote a detailed note that is extremely helpful for understanding the issue of transferring ownership. His far-sighted note or comment is given below:
Allah Almighty says:
********** Arabic ************
Alms are only for the poor and the needy, and for those who work on them, and for those whose hearts are to be won over. (Surah al-Tawbah: 60)
Observe that here the function of the lam is not limited to the poor and destitute. Rather, it also applies to the miskins, the employees managing the zakat system, and the mu’allafatu qulubuhum—those whose hearts are intended to be won over. This lam is for conferring ownership, granting entitlement, or making a specific designation; whatever meaning it carries in relation to the poor and destitute, it carries the same meaning for the other three categories. Now, if according to the Hanafi interpretation the lam requires tamlik, or transfer of ownership, then giving zakat and obligatory charity funds to any of these four categories fulfills the requirement of transferring ownership. From where, then, does the command to transfer ownership repeatedly arise? Once zakat funds have reached the ownership of the faqirs and miskins, is there any restriction on spending them? If not, then once zakat has reached the hands of the employees managing zakat and the requirement of transferring ownership has been fulfilled, what justification can there be for requiring ownership to be transferred again? If the lam is understood to mean transfer of ownership, then when a person hands zakat and obligatory charity funds to the employees of the zakat department, he has, so to speak, made them their owners, and the funds have entered their ownership just as fay’ and spoils become the property of the government, or Islamic state. They are then no longer obliged to spend those funds on eligible recipients in the form of ownership. Rather, they have the right to spend them in whichever of the remaining seven zakat categories they deem suitable and necessary. From the perspective of the lam of tamlik—the condition of conferring ownership—no restriction can be imposed upon them. The only restriction that may be imposed is that whoever performs the work of collecting and distributing zakat may take remuneration for his work, while the remaining funds must be spent on other eligible recipients. This is because these people are made owners of those funds by virtue of being employees of the zakat department, not because they are themselves eligible recipients. The words ‘employees for collecting and distributing zakat’ themselves express the purpose for which zakat is handed to them. These words also determine what portion of the funds they may legitimately spend on themselves as employees.
After this analysis, let us consider the hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad from Hazrat Anas ibn Malik. Hazrat Anas said that a man came into the presence of the Prophet and said:
********** Arabic ************
“When I have given zakat to the collector whom you sent, have I been discharged from my obligation before Allah and His Messenger?”
The Prophet replied:
********** Arabic ************
“Yes. When you handed it to the collector whom I sent, you were discharged from your obligation before Allah and His Messenger. This reward is yours. Whoever spends it unlawfully will bear the sin.”
This makes it clear that the zakat payer is discharged from his obligation by handing his zakat to the zakat collector. In other words, just as the condition of transferring ownership is fulfilled when zakat is given to a faqir or miskin, it is likewise fulfilled when it is given to ………….
It must also be understood to whom the words ………… mentioned in the Qur’an apply. Some people consider them limited to employees appointed by an Islamic government. But the words of the Holy Qur’an are general and may apply to anyone who undertakes the collection and distribution of zakat. I find no justification, to the best of my understanding, for using these words—which are general in application—in a restricted sense. If there is no Islamic government, or if one exists but is negligent of its responsibility, and a group of Muslims steps forward to undertake this work, on what basis can it be said, “No, you ********** Arabic ************”
In my view, it is a mercy from Allah that ********** Arabic ************
Instead of restricting the zakat employees to the government, He expressed His command in such general terms that Muslims may establish various arrangements for collecting and distributing zakat in the absence of an Islamic government or even when a negligent government exists. If this general command of Allah Almighty is allowed to remain general, then the managers of institutions working to educate poor students, care for orphans, look after elderly, incapacitated and disabled people, treat needy patients, and perform similar services would quite properly fall within the category of ********** Arabic ************. Consequently, they would have the right to receive zakat and spend it as needed. Similarly, it would be permissible to establish institutions specifically for collecting and distributing zakat. Their managers would also be considered ********** Arabic ************. There would be no need to bind their hands in distributing zakat by applying the ruling of tamlik.
In my view, if the Qur’anic words are retained in their general sense, they would not apply only to the aforementioned ********** Arabic ************ (zakat employees and managers). Rather, many other workers would also fall within this definition. For example, the guardian of an orphan, the person caring for a sick or disabled individual, and the person serving and caring for a helpless person would also be amil, or zakat workers. They would have the right to collect zakat to meet the needs of those people. They could also take remuneration for their work according to customary practice.
If zakat funds need to be transported from one place to another, postal charges and bank fees may also be paid from them. This is because, while performing this service, they too will be regarded as ********** Arabic ************ (zakat employees).
Any expenses for trains, buses, horse-drawn carriages, handcarts, and whatever else is used to collect zakat, transport zakat property from one place to another, or meet the various needs of zakat recipients may be paid from zakat funds. This is because, while performing these services, all such means will be counted among ********** Arabic ************ (zakat employees).
The salaries and wages of all kinds of employees and laborers engaged for the benefit of zakat recipients may be paid from zakat funds. This is because they will all be counted among ********** Arabic ************ (zakat employees).
The salaries and wages of all kinds of employees and laborers engaged for the benefit of zakat recipients may be paid from zakat funds. This is because they will all be counted among ********** Arabic ************. A person who carries sacks of grain to a railway station, a person who drives a vehicle to serve poor patients, and a person who cares for orphaned children would also fall within this category.
The question now is whether there is any restriction on the expenses incurred by ********** Arabic ************ (zakat employees), such that they may not build houses for serving zakat recipients or purchase necessary items such as vehicles, medicines, equipment, clothing, and so forth. I say that, according to the Hanafi interpretation of this verse, this restriction applies only to those who pay zakat. They themselves certainly may not incur such expenses. Their duty is to transfer zakat, according to Allah Almighty’s command, into the ownership of those for whom it is intended, or of some among them. As for ********** Arabic ************ (zakat employees), no such restriction may be imposed upon them. They are, in their capacity, the guardians or agents of all zakat recipients. Whatever expenses the actual recipients may incur from these funds, they may incur as their guardians or agents. When they build a house or purchase a vehicle for the needs of faqirs and miskins, it is just as if many faqirs and miskins, after each receiving zakat separately, jointly built a house or purchased a vehicle—expenses over which there is no restriction. Allah Almighty has prescribed the method of giving zakat to zakat employees through ********** Arabic ************, and the Messenger of Allah declared those who give zakat into their hands free of the obligation because giving the funds to them amounts to giving them to all eligible recipients. They collect zakat on behalf of the eligible recipients and spend it as their representatives and custodians. Their expenses may certainly be challenged on the grounds that they incurred a particular expense unnecessarily, spent more than necessary, took remuneration above the customary rate, or paid an employee more than the customary rate. But, as far as I know, there is no rule of the Shariah on the basis of which it can be said that some particular expenses are permissible and others are not. The Shariah has authorized them to undertake any work necessary for zakat recipients. (Tarjuman al-Qur’an, December 1954)
The Nisab of Zakat
The nisab of zakat means the minimum amount of capital on which the Shariah makes zakat obligatory. A person who possesses capital equal to the nisab is called sahib-e-nisab.
Economic Balance
One of the fundamental objectives of zakat is to create economic balance. Zakat is collected from the wealthy and capitalists and distributed among the needy so that wealth remains in circulation and all classes of society may benefit. The Noble Prophet said: “Allah Almighty has made charity (zakat) obligatory upon people. It will be taken from the wealthy and distributed among the needy.” (Bukhari, Muslim, and others)
According to the Shariah, the wealthy and affluent are those who possess property equal to the nisab and still possess it after a year has passed. In the Prophet’s time, people who possessed date orchards, gold, silver, and domesticated animals were considered wealthy and affluent. The Shariah specified an amount for these things and stated that anyone possessing at least that amount would be considered affluent according to the Shariah. Charity would be taken from his property and given to the needy of society. The Prophet said: “There is no zakat on fewer than five wasaqs of dates, fewer than five uqiyyahs of silver, or fewer than five camels.” (Bukhari, Muslim). See the glossary for the terms wasaq and uqiyyah.
The Question of Changing the Nisab
Since the value of money has fallen greatly in the present age, and there has also been a tremendous difference in the value of the nisab of gold, silver, and domesticated animals fixed in the Prophet’s time, some people have argued that the nisab of zakat should be reconsidered in light of present circumstances. In response to such a question, Allama Sayyid Abul A‘la Maududi said:
No change was made during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs to the nisab and zakat rates fixed by the Prophet, and no need for such a change is felt now either. Our view is that after the Prophet, no one has the authority to change the nisab he fixed. A change in the gold nisab is, of course, possible, because the chain of transmission of the report stating its nisab as twenty mithqals is extremely weak. (Rasail o Masail, Vol. 2, pp. 144–145)
In response to another question, while discussing the wisdom and significance of not changing the nisab and zakat rates, Allama Maududi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We have no right to alter, even to a limited extent, the boundaries निर्धारित by the Lawgiver. If this door is opened even once, it will not only affect the nisab and amount of zakat; rather, the process of revision and abrogation will begin in many matters such as prayer, fasting, Hajj, marriage, divorce, and inheritance, and its consequences will never end. Moreover, once this door is opened, the balance established by the Lawgiver in society for the sake of justice will be destroyed. Then a struggle will begin between individuals and society. Individuals will want changes in the nisab and rates according to their interests, while the community or society will want them according to its own interests. This will become a problem at the time of selection. If a law is enacted by reducing the nisab and increasing the rate, those whose interests are harmed will not pay it willingly, which is the true spirit of paying zakat. Rather, they will pay it considering it a penalty like a tax, and will then make various excuses and show negligence in paying it. Now, every person bows his head in submission, regarding it as the command of Allah and His Messenger, and willingly gives out the zakat money with the motivation of worship; that will no longer remain. If the majority of the members of the legislature impose any nisab and rate upon others according to their own wishes. (Rasail wa Masail, vol. 2, p. 157)
The Nisab of Gold and Silver
The nisab of silver is two hundred dirhams, weighing thirty-six tolas and five and a half mashas of silver. Whoever possesses this amount of silver and one year passes over it must pay zakat. Zakat is not obligatory on a lesser weight of silver. (This nisab is based on the research of Mawlana Abdush Shakur Sahib (see Ilmul Fiqah); Mawlana Abdul Hayy Firangi Mahalli’s research reaches the same conclusion. According to some scholars, however, the nisab of silver is fifty-two and a half tolas. This is the more commonly accepted view.)
The nisab of gold is twenty talai miskals, weighing five tolas and two and a half mashas of gold. (This nisab too is the result of the research of Mawlana Abdus Shakur Sahib (Ilmul Fiqah), which Mawlana Abdul Hayy Firangi Mahalli supports. It is generally believed, however, that the nisab of gold is seven and a half tolas. (Behishti Zewar.) Whoever possesses gold of this weight and then one year passes over it must pay zakat. Zakat need not be paid on a lesser weight of gold.
Zakat on Coins and Banknotes
Zakat is obligatory on government currency, regardless of what metal it is made of, as well as on paper money and the like. Their value does not derive from their being metal or paper; rather, it has been legally assigned to them because of their purchasing power. Thus, they take the place of gold and silver. Therefore, whoever possesses coins or banknotes equal in value to thirty-six tolas and five and a half mashas of silver must pay zakat.
If a currency is no longer in circulation, has deteriorated, or has been withdrawn by the government, and contains some amount of gold or silver, zakat will be obligatory on it according to the amount of silver or gold it contains.
If foreign currency can readily be exchanged for the local currency in its country of origin, it has the ruling of cash. If it cannot be exchanged, zakat will be obligatory on it only if it contains gold or silver amounting to the nisab. If it contains neither gold nor silver, zakat will not be obligatory.
Verification of the Weight of the Dirham
The dirham mentioned in connection with zakat means a dirham weighing two mashas and one and a half ratis. During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), dirhams had different weights. Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) thought that the differing weights of dirhams caused disputes among people and created complications regarding zakat. Therefore, he took one dirham of each weight, combined and melted them, and divided the result into three parts, adopting the weight of one part. This came to fourteen qirats, and the Companions reached consensus on this weight. Thereafter, this weight came into use throughout Arabia, and the obligations of the Shariah continued to be fulfilled accordingly. (Bahr al-Ra’iq and others.)
The dirham mentioned in the chapter on taharah and najasah (purity and impurity) is equal to one miskal, that is, one dinar. According to the research of Allama Ibn Abidin Shami, one hundred barley grains make one dinar, four barley grains make one rati, and eight ratis make one masha. According to this calculation, one dinar weighs three mashas and one rati. Based on this research, in the first volume of Asan Fiqah we wrote that one dirham weighs three mashas and one rati.
Zakat on Business Merchandise
The nisab for business merchandise is the same as the nisab for gold and silver. That is, zakat must be paid on the basis of the nisab of either gold or silver. For example, suppose you have a total of four hundred taka in stock. This is not enough to constitute the gold nisab, but it does constitute the silver nisab; therefore, zakat must be paid according to that nisab.
The method of calculating zakat on business merchandise is as follows: when one year has passed since the day the business began, the value of the stock in trade must be calculated. Then one must determine the cash in hand. Zakat must be calculated on the total of the two. If the stock and cash in hand together are less than the nisab, and then suddenly reach the nisab or more because the prices of the business goods rise, the zakat year will begin from the date on which the prices rose.
If a business has several partners, zakat is not obligatory on the business’s total stock and cash in hand. Rather, it is obligatory on each partner’s share and profit. If that share and profit amount to the nisab, zakat will be obligatory; otherwise, it will not.
Likewise, if some property is jointly owned by several people, zakat will be due only when each partner’s share reaches the nisab. For example, suppose two people jointly own forty goats, or sixty tolas of silver. Zakat will not be obligatory on it.
Zakat is not obligatory on the equipment, machinery, furniture, stationery, buildings—in other words, the means of production—needed for business. It is obligatory only on the value of the business merchandise and cash in hand combined. (Imam Shafi‘i held that if the total stock and cash in hand of a business reach the nisab, zakat must be paid, whether or not each partner’s share reaches the nisab. Imam Malik likewise held that zakat must be paid from the collective property, but partners who do not possess the nisab or who have owned their share for less than a year must be excluded from the calculation. This opinion is more appropriate and practical.) At the time of paying zakat, money involved in transactions conducted during the course of business must also be included in the calculation. Hazrat Samurah ibn Jundub said, ‘The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed us to pay zakat on business merchandise.’ (Abu Dawud)
Zakat on Jewelry
Zakat is obligatory on gold and silver in whatever form they may be. Whether they are coins, bars, or wire, gold embroidery on cloth, fine gold or silver thread woven into fabric, or jewelry used by women, zakat is obligatory on every such item.
A woman from Yemen came to the Prophet (peace be upon him), accompanied by her daughter, who was wearing two thick gold bracelets. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, ‘Do you pay zakat on these?’ She replied, ‘No, I do not pay zakat.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Would you like Allah to make you wear bracelets of fire on the Day of Resurrection because of this?’ Hearing this, the woman removed the two bracelets and handed them to the Prophet, saying, ‘I offer these for the pleasure of Allah and His Messenger.’ (Nasai)
Hazrat Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, ‘I used to wear bracelets, and one day I asked the Prophet (peace be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah, will this be considered kanz (hoarded wealth on which zakat is not paid)?” He said, “Any wealth that reaches the amount on which zakat is due and on which zakat is paid is not kanz.”’ (Abu Dawud)
In response to a question about zakat on jewelry, Allama Maududi said: There are several opinions concerning zakat on jewelry. One opinion is that zakat is not obligatory on it; giving it as a loan constitutes its zakat. This was the view of Anas ibn Malik, Saeed ibn al-Musayyib, and Shabib. The second opinion is that paying zakat on jewelry once in a lifetime is sufficient. The third is that there is no zakat on jewelry that is used constantly, while zakat is obligatory on jewelry that is kept stored most of the time. The fourth opinion is that zakat is obligatory on every kind of jewelry. In our view, this last opinion is correct. First, the wording of the hadiths prescribing zakat on gold and silver is general. For example, zakat on silver is two and a half percent, and there is no zakat on less than five uqiyyahs. Various hadiths and reports show that zakat is obligatory on jewelry. It is reliably narrated in Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Nasai that a woman came to the Prophet (peace be upon him), accompanied by her daughter, who had gold bracelets on both hands. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, ‘Do you pay zakat on these?’ She said, ‘No.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, ‘Would you like Allah to make you wear bracelets of fire instead on the Day of Resurrection?’
Furthermore, the statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is quoted in the Muwatta, Abu Dawud, and Dar al-Qutni: ‘The jewelry on which you have paid zakat is not kanz.’ Ibn Hazm says that the decree Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent to his governor Abu Musa al-Ashari contained the instruction: ‘Order the Muslim women to pay zakat on their jewelry.’
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the ruling on jewelry. He said that when it reaches the amount of two hundred dirhams, zakat must be paid on it. Similar statements have been attributed among the Companions to Hazrat Ibn Abbas, Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar, and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with them), among the Tabi‘in to Saeed ibn al-Musayyib, Saeed ibn Buhayb, Ata, Mujahid, Ibn Sirin, and Zuhri, and among the jurists’ imams to Sufyan al-Thawri, Abu Hanifa, and his companions.
Zakat Rates
1. Zakat is obligatory at the rate of two and a half percent on gold, silver, business merchandise, metal coins, banknotes, jewelry, and the like.
2. One-fortieth of gold, silver, or jewelry must be given as zakat. However, it is not necessary to give gold or silver itself as zakat; its value may be calculated and paid in cash. Clothing or other items may also be given. If the cash and the value of the business merchandise reach the nisab of either gold or silver, zakat must be paid at the rate of two and a half percent.
3. If, after the nisab of gold or silver has been completed, someone possesses some additional gold, silver, or business merchandise, zakat will be obligatory on it if the additional amount is one-fifth of the nisab. If it is less than that, zakat is waived. (Ilmul Fiqah)
4. If an item of jewelry, a lump, or cloth contains both gold and silver, it must be determined which is present in the greater amount. The greater amount must be used for the calculation. If gold predominates, the entire item will be treated as gold and zakat will be paid according to the gold nisab. If silver predominates, the entire item will be treated as silver and zakat will be paid according to the silver nisab.
5. If another metal is mixed into gold or silver jewelry and its amount is less than the gold or silver, it will not be taken into consideration. The item will be treated as gold or silver and zakat will be paid accordingly. If the gold and silver together constitute the lesser portion, only the gold and silver will be calculated. If they amount to the nisab, zakat must be paid; otherwise, it need not be paid.
6. If someone possesses some gold and some silver, and either one reaches the nisab, its value must be combined with the value of the other and zakat paid at the rate of two and a half percent.
7. If someone has gold below the nisab and silver below the nisab, the silver must be combined with the gold, or the gold with the silver, and zakat paid at two and a half percent when the combined amount reaches the nisab. Likewise, if someone has some cash, some silver, and some business merchandise, zakat must be paid if their combined value reaches the nisab of silver or gold.
8. There is no zakat on pearls, gems, and the like set in jewelry. They must be deducted by weight, and two and a half percent zakat paid on the remaining gold and silver.
Things on Which There Is No Zakat
1. There is no zakat on houses made of bamboo, regardless of how valuable they are.
2. There is no zakat on pearls, gems, or the like of any kind.
3. There is no zakat on animals raised for agricultural irrigation, such as cows, buffaloes, and camels. The basic principle in this matter is that the means of production a person uses in his business are exempt from zakat. It is stated in a hadith that there is no zakat on camels used for agricultural work, because their zakat is taken from the crops produced by the land. There is likewise no zakat on such production equipment.
4. There is no zakat on the machines and equipment of factories. Moreover, there is no zakat on factory buildings, furniture used in business, shop premises, and such things.
5. There is no zakat on the animals of a dairy farm, because they are among the means of production. Zakat is, however, obligatory on the products produced by the dairy.
6. If someone keeps a valuable item at home as a hobby, there is no zakat on it. If it is kept for business, however, zakat is due on it, as on business merchandise.
7. If someone keeps ornamental fish in a tank or pond, there is no zakat on them. If he conducts a business with them, however, zakat must be paid.
8. There is no zakat on domesticated animals kept for personal use, such as cows for milk, cows and buffaloes for carrying loads, or horses, elephants, and camels for transport, regardless of their number.
9. There is no zakat on motorcycles, cars, or buses kept for personal transportation.
10. If a duck or chicken farm is established for selling eggs, there is no zakat on the ducks and chickens. Zakat is, however, obligatory on the eggs sold, as it is on other business merchandise.
11. There is no zakat on chickens or birds kept as a hobby.
12. There is no zakat on items leased out, such as bicycles, rickshaws, taxis, buses, furniture, and carts. If the profit earned from them reaches the nisab, zakat must be paid after one year has passed. There is no zakat on the value of those items themselves.
13. There is no zakat on the rent received from shops and houses, regardless of their value.
14. There is no zakat on clothing, coats, trousers, sheets, blankets, caps, shoes, watches, household furnishings, pens, and the like, regardless of their value.
15. There is no zakat on donkeys, mules, or horses if they are not kept for business.
16. There is no zakat on animals dedicated as waqf. Likewise, there is no zakat on horses raised for jihad or on weapons kept for jihad and the service of the religion.
Zakat on Animals
Domesticated animals that graze freely in open fields and are raised for breeding and milk are technically called sa’imah. Zakat is obligatory on them. There is no zakat on animals raised for meat or on wild animals such as deer, nilgai, and leopards. If these wild animals are kept for business, however, zakat is obligatory on them just as it is on business merchandise. That is, if the business capital amounts to a dirham or more at the beginning and end of the year, zakat is due; otherwise, it is not.
Zakat is obligatory on an animal produced by the mating of a domesticated and a wild animal, provided that among the mating animals the female is domesticated and the male is wild. For example, zakat is obligatory on an animal born from the mating of a goat and a male deer.
There is no zakat on sa’imah animals dedicated as waqf. Likewise, there is no zakat on horses dedicated as waqf or raised for jihad.
If sa’imah animals are raised for zakat, zakat will be obligatory on them in the same manner as on business merchandise.
If someone raises sa’imah animals for breeding and then decides in the middle of the year to conduct business with them, zakat will not be obligatory for that year. However, the business year will begin on the day he forms the intention to trade them, and when the year is complete he must pay business zakat.
The Nisab and Zakat Rates for Sheep and Goats
Sheep, goats, and rams all have the same ruling regarding zakat. Their nisab and zakat rates are the same. If someone possesses both rams and goats and their number reaches the nisab, zakat must be paid separately on each. If the nisab is reached by combining them, the animal whose number is greater must be given as zakat. If their numbers are equal, either may be given.
Payment of the Nisab and Zakat Rates
For forty sheep or goats, one sheep or goat is due.
From forty-one to one hundred twenty, no additional zakat is due.
When there are one hundred twenty-one, two goats must be given as zakat.
From one hundred twenty-two to two hundred, no additional zakat is due.
When there are two hundred one, three goats are due.
From two hundred two to three hundred ninety-nine, no additional zakat is due.
When there are four hundred, four goats or sheep must be given as zakat.
After four hundred, for every complete hundred, zakat is due at the rate of one goat or sheep. In other words, one percent. For sheep and goats, a one-year-old or older animal must be given as zakat.
The Nisab and Zakat Rates for Cows and Buffaloes
Cows and buffaloes have the same ruling regarding zakat. Hazrat Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) treated buffaloes as cows and imposed on them the same zakat that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had prescribed. Their nisab and zakat rates are the same. If someone possesses both kinds of animals, zakat becomes obligatory when their combined number reaches the nisab. Zakat must be given from the kind present in greater number. If their numbers are equal, either kind may be given.
The Nisab and Zakat Rates
Zakat becomes obligatory on anyone who owns thirty cows or buffaloes. If there are fewer, there is no zakat.
For thirty cows or buffaloes, one calf that has completed one year must be given.
From thirty-one to thirty-nine, no additional zakat is due. For forty cows or buffaloes, one calf that has completed two years must be given as zakat.
From forty-one to fifty-nine, no additional zakat is due. For sixty cows or buffaloes, two one-year-old calves must be given as zakat. After sixty, for every thirty cows or buffaloes, one one-year-old calf must be given, and for every forty, one two-year-old calf.
For example, suppose someone has seventy cows or buffaloes. Seventy contains two nisabs: one of thirty and one of forty. If there are eighty cows or buffaloes, there are two nisabs of forty each; therefore, two two-year-old calves are due. If there are ninety, there are three nisabs of thirty each, so zakat must be paid for every thirty at the rate of one one-year-old calf.
The Nisab and Zakat Rates for Camels
Whoever owns five camels becomes a possessor of the nisab, and zakat becomes obligatory upon him. There is no zakat on fewer camels than that.
Details of the Nisab and Zakat
For five camels, one goat is due, and the same one goat remains due up to nine camels.
For ten camels, two goats are due, and the same two remain due up to fourteen camels.
For fifteen camels, three goats are due, and the same three remain due up to nineteen camels.
For twenty camels, four goats are due, and the same four remain due up to twenty-four camels.
For twenty-five camels, one she-camel is due that has begun its second year.
Nothing additional is due from twenty-six to thirty-five. For thirty-six camels, one she-camel is due that has begun its third year.
There is no additional zakat from thirty-seven to forty-five.
For forty-six camels, one she-camel is due that has begun its fourth year.
There is no additional zakat from forty-seven to sixty.
For sixty-one camels, one she-camel is due that has begun its fifth year.
There is no additional zakat from sixty-two to seventy-five.
For seventy-six camels, two she-camels are due that have begun their third year.
There is no additional zakat from seventy-seven to ninety.
For ninety-one camels, two she-camels are due that have begun their fourth year.
Up to 120, the above-mentioned two she-camels remain due.
Then the calculation begins again: that is, one goat for five camels and two goats for ten camels.
An Important Explanation Regarding Giving Zakat
The zakat due on gold, silver, and livestock may be given in the form of gold, silver, or livestock, and it may also be given in cash. It is not necessary to give gold or silver as zakat on jewelry; its value may be calculated according to the prevailing market rate and paid in cash.
The Categories in Which Zakat May Be Spent
In the Holy Qur’an, Allah Most High did not merely emphasize the importance and excellence of zakat; rather, He also specified in detail the categories in which it is to be spent.
Arabic text
These charities are for the poor, the needy, those appointed to administer charity, and those whose hearts are to be won over; for freeing people from bondage; for helping those in debt; in the path of Allah; and for travelers. This is an obligatory duty prescribed by Allah, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Surah al-Tawbah: 60)
Eight categories of zakat are mentioned in this verse:
1) The faqir, or poor person; 2) the miskin, a needy person who does not ask; 3) employees engaged in collecting and distributing zakat; 4) those whose hearts are to be won over; 5) freeing people from bondage; 6) those in debt; 7) fi sabilillah, or in the path of Allah; and 8) the traveler.
Zakat may be spent only in these eight categories, and nowhere else.
Hazrat Ziyad ibn al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated an incident. He said: A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “Give me something from the zakat.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah did not leave the categories for spending zakat to the discretion of any prophet. Rather, He Himself decided them and specified its eight categories. If you fall within one of these categories, I will certainly give you zakat.”
Detailed Explanation of the Categories
1. Faqir:The faqir refers to men and women who depend on the help and support of others to sustain their lives. This includes the destitute, needy, incapable, and helpless persons who are entitled to financial assistance temporarily or permanently. Those unable to earn a livelihood, the disabled, orphaned children, widows, the unhealthy, the weak, the unemployed, and those affected by accidents and natural disasters may be temporarily assisted from zakat funds, and permanent allowances may also be fixed for them.
2. Miskin:The miskin refers to those poor, respectable people who, despite being extremely destitute and needy, do not ask anyone for help out of fear for their honor and shame. Even after making every effort and working hard to earn a livelihood, they cannot obtain two handfuls of rice, yet they do not tell anyone of their hardship. The definition of the miskin is described in the hadith as follows:
Arabic text
A person who does not have enough wealth to meet his needs, and whose condition cannot be recognized so that people could give him financial assistance because of his self-respect, nor does he go out to ask people for anything. (Bukhari, Muslim)
3. Employees of the Zakat Department — These are the people who collect zakat and ushr, safeguard and distribute it, and maintain its accounts and records. It makes no difference whether they possess the nisab or not. Their wages may be paid from zakat.
4. Those Whose Hearts Are to Be Won Over — These are people whose hearts it is intended to win. It may be necessary, in the interest of Islam and the Islamic state, to gain their support and stop their opposition. Such people may be unbelievers, or Muslims whose Islam is not sufficient to motivate them to serve Islam and the Islamic state. Zakat may be given to them even if they possess the nisab.
The Hanafi view is that, at the beginning of Islam, zakat was spent on winning over the hearts of such people. However, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) refused to give zakat to such people during the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). The actual incident was that, after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Uyaynah ibn Hisn and Aqra ibn Habis demanded a piece of land from Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He wrote them a grant document. They wanted the other Companions to sign it as witnesses to strengthen the matter, and some did sign it. Then, when they went to Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) for his testimony, he read the document and tore it up before their eyes. He said to them, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to give you such things to win your hearts, but that was during the period when Islam was weak. Now Allah has not made Islam dependent on you.” They then complained to Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), saying, “Are you the caliph, or is Umar?” But neither Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) paid any attention to the matter, nor did the other Companions differ from Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). From this, the Hanafis argue that when the Muslims became the majority and acquired such strength that they could stand on their own feet, the condition for which a share had been reserved to win hearts no longer existed. Therefore, on the basis of the consensus of the Companions, that share was abrogated permanently, and this provision was permanently annulled.
Imam Malik also held this view. However, according to some jurists, this category still remains, and zakat funds may be spent on winning hearts when necessary. (Allama Maududi, expressing his view on this matter, says: “In our view, the correct position is that there is no basis for saying that the share of mu’allafatu qulub was abrogated until the Day of Resurrection. Undoubtedly, whatever Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said was correct. If an Islamic state does not feel the need to spend money on winning hearts, no one has made it obligatory for it to spend something in this category. But if it becomes necessary at any time, Allah has left this concession open for it, and it should remain. The consensus of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and the noble Companions concerned only the fact that, under the circumstances then prevailing, they did not consider it necessary to give anyone anything to win hearts. There is no sound reason to conclude from this that the consensus of the Companions abrogated forever a category that the Qur’an retained for an important and desirable purpose. (Tafhim al-Qur’an, volume two, p. 207; this is also the view of Imam al-Shafi’i.)
5. Freeing from Bondage (Freeing Slaves):This refers to a slave who has made an agreement with his master that he will be freed upon payment of a specified amount. Such a slave is called a mukatab. Zakat may be given to a mukatab to pay the price of his freedom. It is not permissible to free an ordinary slave with zakat funds. If slaves no longer exist at any time, this category will become inapplicable.
6. Those in Debt:Those crushed under the burden of debt who cannot repay it after meeting their essential needs. Whether unemployed or earning, they do not possess enough wealth to retain the nisab after repaying the debt. This category also includes those who have suffered an unexpected accident, had to pay compensation or a fine, whose business has been ruined, or whose entire wealth has been destroyed by some other disaster.
7. Fi Sabilillah (In the Path of Allah):This means jihad in the path of Allah. The word jihad is generally used in a broader sense than qital, or armed warfare. Jihad fi sabilillah includes all efforts made by the mujahidin to eradicate the system of unbelief and establish the Islamic system. Whether these efforts are made with the pen, by hand, speech, and the sword, or through strenuous exertion, its scope is not so narrow that it means only armed warfare, nor is it so broad that it includes every daily social-welfare activity. In the past, the scholars of Islam unanimously understood jihad fi sabilillah to mean all efforts made to establish the religion of truth, propagate and spread it, and defend the Islamic state. Zakat funds may be spent on the travel expenses, transportation, weapons, and equipment of those who undertake these efforts.
8. The Traveler:Regardless of how much wealth a traveler or expatriate has at home, if he becomes needy while traveling or away from home, he must be given money from zakat.
Some Points Regarding the Expenditure of Zakat Funds
1. It is not necessary to spend zakat funds in every category mentioned in the Qur’an. Rather, according to need and circumstances, they may be spent in whatever categories and amounts are considered appropriate. If necessary, the entire amount may even be spent in a single category.
2. The categories in which zakat may be spent are also the categories for ushr and sadaqat al-fitr. Voluntary charity, however, is at the discretion of the donor.
3. If members of Banu Hashim are appointed to collect and distribute zakat, it is not permissible to pay them remuneration from zakat. If the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself, or members of Banu Hashim, wish to perform this service without remuneration, they may do so, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself collected and distributed zakat.
4. Under normal circumstances, a person’s zakat should be spent among the needy and destitute of his own locality. It is not appropriate for the people of that locality to remain deprived while zakat is sent elsewhere. However, if the need elsewhere is more urgent or a religious necessity requires it—for example, if an earthquake, famine, sudden disaster, or devastating storm has occurred somewhere; if a religious madrasa elsewhere needs financial assistance; or if relatives live there—then it is permissible to send zakat elsewhere. Care must nevertheless be taken that the people of one’s own locality are not completely deprived.
Those to Whom It Is Not Permissible to Give Zakat
It is not permissible to give zakat to seven categories of people. If it is given to them, the zakat will not be discharged.
1. Fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, maternal grandparents, and their parents.
2. Children and descendants in the downward line, such as sons and daughters, grandsons, great-grandsons, grandchildren, and so on.
3. Husband.
4. Wife.
Giving zakat to these people would mean benefiting one’s close relatives. However, this does not at all mean that a person should not assist them from his own wealth. Rather, from the perspective of the Shariah, providing for and caring for them is an essential duty of every Muslim. Apart from the four types of relatives mentioned above, giving zakat to all other relatives is not merely permissible; it is highly virtuous and brings greater reward.
5. It is also impermissible to give zakat funds to an affluent person who possesses the nisab. Nor is it permissible to give a poor and needy person so much that he becomes a possessor of the nisab. However, if he is in debt or has many children, he may be given more according to his need. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Charity is not permissible for a wealthy person except for these five types: (1) one striving in the path of Allah; (2) one in debt; (3) one collecting and distributing charity; (4) one who purchases charity goods with his own money; and (5) a person whose neighbor is a miskin, and the miskin presents the charity he received as a gift to his wealthy neighbor.” (Muwatta of Imam Malik)
6. It is also impermissible to give zakat to a non-Muslim.
7. It is not permissible to give zakat to the following three clans among the descendants of Banu Hashim.
(a) The descendants of Hazrat Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him).
(b) The descendants of Harith.
(c) The descendants of Abu Talib.
The children of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) belong to the third clan mentioned above.
Nowadays, it is difficult to verify who is genuinely a descendant of Banu Hashim. Therefore, every needy person should receive assistance from the public treasury. However, if it is certain that someone is a Hashemi, he should not accept zakat.
Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Charity funds are not permissible for the descendants of Muhammad (peace be upon him), because charity is the dirt of the people.” (Muwatta of Imam Malik)
Various Issues Concerning Zakat
1. Suppose you lent money to someone, but his condition is extremely miserable. If you deduct the loan from your zakat, the zakat will not be discharged. However, if you give him an amount equal to the loan as zakat and then recover it from him as a loan, the zakat will be discharged.
2. It is not permissible to give zakat to household servants, maids, wet nurses, and others employed for domestic work as payment or wages for their services.
3. Zakat may be spent on making clothes for the destitute and needy, providing quilts and blankets in winter, and meeting their needs for weddings.
4. If a woman who has breastfed a child is poor and destitute, she may be given zakat money. After the child grows up, he may give zakat to his foster mother.
5. Zakat was given to someone believed to be entitled, but it was later discovered that he possessed the nisab, was a Hashemi Sayyid, or that zakat had been given in the dark and it was later discovered that he was one’s mother, daughter, or another relative to whom zakat may not be given. In such a case, the zakat will be discharged, and it is not necessary to give it again. However, if the recipient is not entitled to it, he should not accept it, and after accepting it, he should return it.
6. If, after giving zakat to someone believed to be entitled, it is discovered that he is a non-Muslim, the zakat will not be discharged and must be given again.
7. Zakat is obligatory on notes, coins, and merchandise whenever their value reaches the nisab of gold or silver. For example, if someone has notes and various coins totaling 400 rupees, or merchandise worth that amount, then even if the gold nisab is not reached, the silver nisab is reached; therefore, that person becomes a possessor of the nisab and zakat becomes obligatory upon him. This is because 400 rupees are worth more than 36.5 tolas of silver. (It should be remembered that the prices of gold and silver have now risen considerably. At present (1983), 36.5 tolas of silver cost approximately three thousand rupees. There is also disagreement concerning the nisab. According to many, the zakat nisab is 52.5 tolas of silver and 7.5 bhari of gold. In any case, the zakat nisab will be determined according to the market prices of gold and silver. Translator)
9. Zakat is obligatory on deposits kept in a bank.
10. A person continued giving charity in various ways throughout the year but did not intend zakat. After the year ends, those charitable donations cannot be counted as zakat. Therefore, intending zakat when giving it is a condition for discharging zakat.
11. Zakat money may be sent by money order, and the money-order fee may be deducted from the zakat.
Details of Ushr
The Meaning of Ushr
The lexical meaning of ushr is one-tenth. In terminology, however, ushr is the zakat on agricultural produce: one-tenth of the produce from some land and one-twentieth of the produce from other land.
The Shariah Ruling on Ushr
Arabic text
O believers! Spend the best of what you have earned in the path of Allah, and from what We have brought forth for you from the earth. (What We have produced.) (Surah al-Baqarah: 267)
It is said elsewhere:
********** Arabic ************
And give Allah His due on the day you harvest it. (Surah al-An’am: 141)
The Qur’an commentators are unanimous that this means zakat on agricultural produce, that is, ushr.
The above verses of the Holy Qur’an show that one-tenth of agricultural produce is obligatory, and there is an emphatic instruction regarding it in the Hadith. The Prophet said:
From land irrigated by rainwater, springs, rivers or canals, or naturally fertile and watered because it lies along a riverbank, it is obligatory to give one-tenth of the produce as ushr. From land cultivated by drawing water from a well, one-twentieth is obligatory.
The Rate of Ushr
It is obligatory to give one-tenth as zakat from the produce of land watered by rain, rivers or canals, or naturally fertile and supplied with water because it lies along a riverbank. From land whose produce is obtained through artificial irrigation by various means, it is obligatory to give one-twentieth as zakat.
Ushr (zakat on agricultural produce) is a right of Allah, and it is precisely one-tenth or one-twentieth of the total produce. Therefore, when grain or fruit becomes usable, its ushr must first be set aside, and only then may the grain or fruit be used.
It is not permissible to use it before giving the ushr; whether it is one-tenth or half of that, it must be given in the way of Allah.
On Which Things Is Ushr Obligatory
Ushr is obligatory on everything produced from the land. This includes crops that are stored, such as food grains, mustard, sesame, sugarcane, dates and dried fruits, as well as crops that cannot be stored, such as vegetables, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, turnips, watermelons, mangoes and oranges. (According to some jurists, ushr is not obligatory on vegetables, produce and fruits that cannot be stored. However, if a farmer sells them in the market, trade zakat will become obligatory on them if their value reaches the nisab—that is, if at the beginning and end of the year the trade goods amount to two hundred dirhams or more.)
Ushr is also obligatory on honey. The Prophet said: ********** Arabic *********** Give the ushr of honey. —(Bayhaqi)
Hazrat Abu Sayyadah said, “I told the Prophet that I kept bees. The Prophet then said, ‘Give its ushr.’” (According to Imam Malik and Hazrat Sufyan al-Thawri, there is no ushr on honey. This is also the famous view of Imam al-Shafi’i. Imam Bukhari said that no sound hadith has been narrated concerning zakat on honey. In Bayhaqi it is reported that a man brought the ushr of honey to the Prophet and requested him to arrange protection for the Sabala forest. The Prophet arranged protection for that forest. Later, during the caliphate of Hazrat Umar, Sufyan ibn Wahb asked him to ascertain the truth of the matter. He wrote to him that if he came to you with what he used to give the Prophet, accept it from him and arrange protection for the Sabala forest. Otherwise, it is something produced by bees, like rainwater from the sky; whoever wishes may use it.
Allama Maududi’s view is that there is no zakat on honey. However, zakat on its trade will be like that on other trade goods.)
Rules Concerning Ushr
1. Ushr must be paid from the total produce. After paying the ushr, all agricultural expenses must be borne from the remaining produce. For example, if thirty maunds of produce are obtained from someone’s land, three maunds, one-tenth, must be given as ushr; the agricultural expenses must then be borne from the remaining seven maunds.
2. Ushr becomes obligatory as soon as the crop becomes usable. For example, chickpeas, peas and mangoes must be used before they ripen. Therefore, ushr must be given on the quantity present at that time. It is not proper to use it before giving the ushr.
3. If someone sells fruit from his orchard before it ripens, ushr will be obligatory upon the buyer. If he sells it after it ripens, ushr will be the responsibility of the seller.
4. Ushr is obligatory upon whoever cultivates the land, whether he cultivates it as a tenant or under a sharecropping arrangement.
5. If two people cultivate land together, ushr is obligatory upon both, even if the seed belongs to only one of them.
6. Nisab is not a condition for ushr to be obligatory. (According to Imam Azam and Imam al-Shafi’i, there is no ushr if the produce is less than five wasqs—thirty maunds. This is also the view of Ahl al-Hadith. One condition for ushr to be obligatory is that the produce must amount to at least five wasqs, or thirty maunds. The following hadith is evidence of this: …………….. Arabic …………
There is no zakat on produce amounting to less than five wasqs. —Bukhari) Ushr must be paid whether the produce is small or large. However, a mere two or two and a half kilograms of produce is not to be considered.
7. There is no question of a year passing for ushr. Rather, if land produces two crops in a year, ushr must be paid on each crop.
8. Ushr is also obligatory on the produce of minor children and mentally ill persons.
9. If waqf land is cultivated, ushr is obligatory upon the cultivator.
10. If artificially irrigated land that is fertile because of rainwater is irrigated, then, in determining its ushr, attention must be paid to whether the land gained greater fertility because of natural rainfall or because of irrigation.
11. Ushr may be given either in the form of produce or its value.
12. Land owned by Muslims in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan is ushr land, and its ushr must be paid.
13. Paying land revenue does not exempt one from ushr.
14. Ushr must be spent on the same categories on which zakat is spent.
Rules Concerning Buried Treasure and Minerals
The rules concerning buried wealth and minerals are as follows:
1. One-fifth of wealth found buried underground is designated for the Bayt al-Mal. It is stated in the Hadith: …………….. Arabic ………… That is, it is obligatory to give one-fifth of buried treasure to the Bayt al-Mal as well.
2. Whether a mineral is metallic, such as iron, silver, gold or tin, or nonmetallic, such as sulfur, one-fifth of it belongs to the Bayt al-Mal. The remaining four-fifths go to the owner of the mine.
3. Minerals that do not soften when burned, such as jewels, or liquids such as kerosene and petrol, have no share designated for the Bayt al-Mal. (According to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, zakat at the rate of two and a half percent is obligatory on minerals, whether metallic, nonmetallic or liquid, if they reach the nisab and are privately owned. This view was acted upon during the time of Hazrat Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz.)
Discussion of Sadaqat al-Fitr
Meaning of Sadaqat al-Fitr
Lexically, fitr means breaking the fast. Sadaqat al-Fitr means charity for breaking the fast. Technically, Sadaqat al-Fitr is the obligatory charity given after Ramadan ends and the fast is broken. In the very year in which fasting in Ramadan was made obligatory upon Muslims, the Prophet ordered that Sadaqat al-Fitr be paid.
Significance and Benefits of Sadaqat al-Fitr
During Ramadan, those who fast strive according to their ability to honor Ramadan and to observe fully the limits, rules, procedures and conditions that the Shariah emphasizes should be followed. Nevertheless, people make many errors and shortcomings knowingly or unknowingly. One significance of Sadaqat al-Fitr is that a person spends his earned wealth willingly in the way of Allah, so that his shortcomings may be compensated for and his fast may be accepted by Allah. In addition, one significance of giving Sadaqat al-Fitr on Eid is that the poor and needy members of society may confidently and properly meet their needs for food and clothing and attend the Eidgah with other Muslims, so that the Eidgah gathering may be large and Islam’s influence and prestige may be manifested through the great gathering of Muslims along the roads.
Hazrat Ibn Abbas said, “The Prophet prescribed Sadaqat al-Fitr so that this fitrah would purify those who fast from the shortcomings of idle activities and obscenity, and so that the needy would have food and drink. Thus, whoever pays Sadaqat al-Fitr before the Eid prayer, it will be an accepted charity; and whoever pays it after the prayer, it will be a charity like ordinary voluntary almsgiving.” (Abu Dawud)
Shah Waliullah said, “The day of Eid is a day of joy. On this day, Islam’s grandeur and glory are displayed through the great gathering of Muslims, and this purpose is fulfilled through Sadaqat al-Fitr. Moreover, Sadaqat al-Fitr is also a cause of completing the fast.” (Hujjatullah al-Balighah)
Ruling on Sadaqat al-Fitr
Sadaqat al-Fitr is obligatory upon every financially solvent Muslim man or woman, whether a minor or an adult. (According to Ahl al-Hadith, Sadaqat al-Fitr is obligatory, like zakat. Therefore, it is obligatory upon every rich and poor person, male and female, free person and slave, young and old. Their argument is that the Prophet sent people through the streets and lanes of Makkah to announce: Be attentive. Sadaqat al-Fitr is obligatory upon every Muslim, male and female, free person and slave, young and old. (Tirmidhi) Furthermore, Ibn Umar said that the Prophet made Sadaqat al-Fitr obligatory: one sa’ of dates and one sa’ of barley for every male and female, free person and slave, young and old, and ordered that it be given before going to the Eidgah.) Whoever possesses wealth, beyond his genuine needs, equal in value to that on which zakat becomes obligatory must pay Sadaqat al-Fitr, whether or not zakat is actually obligatory on that wealth. For example, if someone owns, besides his residence, additional houses that are vacant or built for rent, and their value reaches the nisab, Sadaqat al-Fitr is obligatory upon their owner even though zakat is not obligatory on the houses. However, if he earns his livelihood from renting out the houses, they will be included among his genuine needs and Sadaqat al-Fitr will not be obligatory upon him. Similarly, if someone has, besides household necessities, furnishings such as copper utensils and valuable furniture whose value reaches or exceeds the nisab, Sadaqat al-Fitr is obligatory upon him, although zakat need not be paid on those possessions.
For Sadaqat al-Fitr to be obligatory, there is no condition other than the nisab mentioned above. Neither being free, nor being an adult, nor possessing sanity is a condition. It is also obligatory upon a slave, but his master will pay it. The father, mother or guardian will pay the fitrah of minor and insane children.
It is also not a condition for Sadaqat al-Fitr to be obligatory that the wealth remain in one’s possession for a year. Rather, if someone becomes wealthy even shortly before sunrise, Sadaqat al-Fitr will also be obligatory upon him.
When Sadaqat al-Fitr Becomes Obligatory
The time when Sadaqat al-Fitr becomes obligatory is dawn on the day of Eid. (According to Ahl al-Hadith, Sadaqat al-Fitr becomes obligatory from sunset on the last day of Ramadan until before the Eid prayer. It is called charity for breaking the fast. Therefore, it becomes obligatory from the breaking of the last fast of Ramadan, although it is permissible to pay it earlier.) Thus, it is not obligatory upon someone who dies or loses his wealth before dawn. Nor is it obligatory upon a child born after dawn. However, it is obligatory upon one born on the night of Eid. Similarly, if someone embraces Islam or becomes wealthy before dawn, Sadaqat al-Fitr becomes obligatory upon him.
When to Pay Sadaqat al-Fitr
Although Sadaqat al-Fitr becomes obligatory at dawn, its significance and purpose require that it be delivered to the needy several days before Eid, so that the poor and needy may obtain food and clothing with peace of mind and go to the Eidgah with everyone else. It is stated in Sahih Bukhari that the Companions used to distribute Sadaqat al-Fitr one or two days beforehand. If it cannot be given two to four days in advance, it should certainly be given before the Eid prayer. The Prophet said:
********** Arabic ************
Whoever gives Sadaqat al-Fitr before the prayer, it will be an accepted charity in the sight of Allah. Whoever gives it after the prayer, his charity will be like ordinary voluntary almsgiving.
On Whose Behalf Sadaqat al-Fitr Must Be Paid
1. A financially solvent person must pay Sadaqat al-Fitr not only for himself but also on behalf of his minor children. If the minor children are wealthy, it should be paid from their wealth; otherwise, he should pay it himself.
2. Sadaqat al-Fitr must be paid on behalf of children who have lost their sanity, whether or not they possess wealth, and whether or not they are adults.
3. Those who support and maintain their servants or employees should pay charity on their behalf.
4. A father must pay on behalf of adult children if they are needy and poor. If they are wealthy, it is not obligatory.
5. It is not obligatory to pay it on behalf of one’s wife. However, if the husband pays it, it will count on behalf of his wife.
6. If the father dies, all the responsibilities that belonged to him fall upon the grandfather.
7. If a woman is financially solvent, Sadaqat al-Fitr is obligatory only for herself. It is not obligatory for her to pay on behalf of her husband, children or parents.
Amount of Sadaqat al-Fitr
The amount of Sadaqat al-Fitr is, according to the eighty-tola seer measure, one seer and three chhataks of wheat flour. (According to Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi, the amount of Sadaqat al-Fitr for one person is one seer and twelve and a half chhataks. For caution, it is better to give two seers.) If barley or barley flour, or dates or raisins, are given, twice the quantity of wheat must be given. (In the time of the Prophet, the value of barley and dates and raisins was probably equal.)
Various Rules Concerning Sadaqat al-Fitr
1. Sadaqat al-Fitr must also be given by someone who, for any reason, was unable to fast in Ramadan. Fasting is not a condition for Sadaqat al-Fitr to be obligatory.
2. Sadaqat al-Fitr may be given in the form of food grains or their value. When giving it, food grains or their value should be provided according to what is most beneficial for the poor and needy.
3. If one wishes to give something other than wheat, such as sorghum, millet, chickpeas or peas, its amount should equal the value of wheat or barley.
4. The Sadaqat al-Fitr of one person may be given to one poor person or several people. Similarly, the fitrah of several people may be given to one person or several people.
5. If someone possesses some wheat and some barley, he should calculate them and complete the amount of Sadaqat al-Fitr.
6. If necessary, fitrah may be sent to another place. However, it should not be sent elsewhere without a valid reason.
7. The categories for spending Sadaqat al-Fitr are the same as those for zakat.
The Chapter on Fasting
Discussion of Fasting
The fast of Ramadan is the third important pillar of Islam. The Qur’an does not merely command fasting; it also explains its rules and procedures. The greatness and blessings of Ramadan are discussed. We will first describe the merits and blessings of the month whose fast the Shariah has made obligatory.
The Virtues of Blessed Ramadan
The Greatness and Virtues of Ramadan in the Qur’an
The Holy Qur’an mentions three reasons for the greatness and virtue of Ramadan:
1. The revelation of the Qur’an—that is, the Qur’an was revealed in this month.
2. Laylat al-Qadr—that is, in this month there is a night that is better than a thousand months in goodness and blessing.
3. Fasting becoming obligatory—that is, fasting was made obligatory upon Muslims in this month.
Because of these virtues, the Prophet called this month ********** Arabic ************, or the month of Allah, and called it the best of all months. A brief analysis of this is given below:
Reasons for the Virtue of Ramadan
1. The Revelation of the Qur’an: The Qur’an says—********** Arabic ************
Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed—a source of guidance for all humanity; a guide to the true path, connected with clear teachings, and presenting the truth and falsehood distinctly. (Surah al-Baqarah: 185)
It is not enough to understand the greatness and virtue of Ramadan merely by knowing that the final Book of Allah’s guidance was revealed in it. The real matter is that if humanity had been deprived of the source of guidance, then this vast workshop of the existence of the entire universe would have been reduced to ruins despite the sunlight and the pure rays of the moon and stars. Despite its exquisite artistry and beauty, the universe would have become meaningless, incomplete, and purposeless. Consequently, despite kufr, atheism, and shirk, human beings would have become even more degraded than the ferocious beasts of the forest. The Qur’an, too, is the sole source of the light of guidance on earth. Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of guidance and goodness.
2. Laylat al-Qadr: It is clearly stated in the Qur’an that it is included in the month of Ramadan and that it was revealed on Laylat al-Qadr. The inevitable meaning of this is that Laylat al-Qadr is one of the nights of Ramadan, which is better than a thousand months. Hazrat Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Seek Laylat al-Qadr among the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.” (Bukhari)
3. Fasting made obligatory: Allah Almighty designated this month for an important act of worship such as fasting and made fasting throughout the month obligatory for Muslims:
********** Arabic ************ Therefore, whoever among you reaches this month must fast throughout it.
Hadith concerning the greatness and virtue of Ramadan
While describing the greatness and virtue of Ramadan, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that when the first night of Ramadan arrives, the devils and rebellious jinn are chained, and all the gates of Hell are closed. Not a single one of its gates is left open. All the gates of Paradise are opened, and not a single one of its gates is closed. Then a caller from Allah continues to proclaim: “O seekers of goodness and welfare, come forward. O those who wish to commit evil and sin, stop.” Then many disobedient servants are released from Hell by Allah, and this is done every night of Ramadan. (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
- This is a month in which the provision of the believers is increased. (Mishkat)
- The month of Ramadan is the chief of all months. (Ilmul Fiqah)
- The first part of this month is mercy, the second part is forgiveness, and the third and final part is deliverance and freedom from the fire of Hell. (Mishkat)
- If anyone voluntarily performs a nafl good deed in this month to attain Allah’s pleasure, he will receive a reward equal to the obligatory acts of worship of other months. And whoever performs one obligatory act will deserve a reward equal to seventy obligatory acts of other months. (Mishkat)
The greatness and importance of Ramadan in history
History bears witness that the first decisive battle between truth and falsehood took place in this month. The day that separated truth from falsehood, which the Qur’an calls Yawm al-Furqan, was one of the days of this month. On this day, the first victory of truth began, and falsehood was defeated. History also says that the conquest of Makkah took place in this month. Reflect on these facts, and you will understand.
- The guidance of truth was revealed in this month.
- The initial victory of Islam took place in this month.
- The complete victory of Islam took place in this month.
Ramadan comes every year to remind us of these truths. The Shariah has made fasting obligatory in this month and arranged for the night prayer and Qur’anic recitation so that the spirit of jihad within the believer does not become lifeless. At least once a year, in Ramadan, one may listen to or read the Qur’an and translate it in one’s heart with a responsible sense of one’s position and duty. The revelation of the Qur’an, its study, and the mujahid-like training of fasting are intended so that the children of Islam live to make the religion victorious and established, and so that they never become heedless of their responsibilities and duties.
The meaning of fasting
Fasting is called sawm or siyam in Arabic. It means refraining from something and abandoning it. In the terminology of the Shariah, the meaning of sawm is
to abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual activity from true dawn until sunset.
The ruling on the obligation of fasting
Fasting in Ramadan was made obligatory for Muslims one and a half years after the Hijrah.
********** Arabic ************
O believers, fasting has been made obligatory upon you. Fasting is an individual obligation; whoever denies it is a kafir, and whoever does not fast without a valid excuse is a fasiq and a grievous sinner.
The importance of fasting
The Qur’an bears witness that fasting was obligatory under all the heavenly laws. It was an indispensable part of the worship of every ummah.
********** Arabic ************
Just as fasting was made obligatory upon those before you.
This verse is not merely meant to relate a historical event; rather, it highlights the important truth that fasting has a special relationship with the purification of human nature. It has a natural right to the purification of the self. Indeed, it seems that the process cannot be completed without training and purification. No other act of worship can serve as its substitute. That is why fasting was obligatory in the Shariah of all the prophets.
While describing the importance of fasting, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that whoever misses one fast of Ramadan without a valid Shariah excuse or illness, even if he fasts for the rest of his life, he will not be able to make up for that loss. (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
In other words, the greatness, goodness, blessing, and importance of the Ramadan fast are such that if a heedless person deliberately breaks or does not observe a fast, the loss he suffers as a result cannot be compensated for even by fasting throughout his life. However, its legal make-up fast may be performed.
Fasting’s purpose
The true purpose of fasting is to produce taqwa ……. Arabic …… so that taqwa may develop within you. Taqwa is actually a provision that arises from love and fear of Allah. Faith in Allah’s Essence and a deep awareness of His attributes of mercy and grace create the motivation of love, while awareness and belief in His other attributes—anger, displeasure, and the power to punish—awaken a feeling of fear. This mental state of love and fear is called taqwa. It is the source of all righteous deeds and the true means of avoiding all sinful deeds.
Fasting creates firm faith in Allah’s Essence and a deep awareness of His grace and displeasure. Because a person refrains continuously for several hours throughout the day from fulfilling the most basic and essential demands of his nature, he is affected in such a way that he becomes utterly powerless, helpless, and dependent. For every moment of his life, he becomes a beggar of Allah’s mercy and grace. Then, when he sees his life enriched by Allah’s blessings, he is inspired by the emotional fervor of love for Allah and eagerly engages in obedience and servitude to Him. When, in seclusion, he restrains his intense sexual desire where no one except Allah is watching, the fear of Allah in his heart becomes increasingly intense. Consequently, such an impression of Allah’s greatness and supremacy is left upon his heart that his body trembles even at the thought of sin.
True fasting
This noble purpose of fasting can be achieved only when the fast is observed with full awareness and is protected from those prohibited acts whose effect is to leave the fast lifeless. True fasting is that by which a person keeps his heart, mind, and all his faculties safe from disobedience to Allah and tramples down the demands of his nature.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: When you fast, it is your duty to restrain your ears, eyes, mouth, hands, feet, and all your limbs from actions displeasing to Allah. (Kashful Mahjub)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: Whoever does not refrain from false speech and false conduct while fasting, Allah has no need of his remaining hungry and thirsty. (Bukhari)
There are many fasting people who gain nothing in the scale of their good deeds except the experience of hunger and thirst during the fast. (Mishkat)
The virtue of fasting
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The reward for every good deed is increased from tenfold up to seven hundredfold. But Allah says: The matter of fasting is different. It is exclusively for Me, and I Myself will give its reward. My servant gives up his sexual desire and food and drink for My sake. The fasting person has two joys. One is at the time of breaking the fast, when he enjoys Allah’s blessings with emotional delight, inspired by the knowledge that Allah has granted him the ability to perform an obligatory act.
The second joy will be in meeting his own Lord, when he is granted permission to appear before Allah, and his eyes will be cooled by beholding Him.
The smell from the mouth of a fasting person is more excellent to Allah than the fragrance of musk. Fasting is a shield for protecting oneself from sin. When any of you fasts, let him keep away from obscene speech and commotion. If someone abuses him or comes to quarrel with him, he should think to himself that he is fasting. (Bukhari, Muslim)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: Whoever fasts with faith and in hope of reward in the Hereafter will have all his previous minor sins forgiven. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Instructions Regarding Sightings of the New Moon
1. It is a communal obligation upon Muslims to try to sight the Ramadan moon on the twenty-ninth of Sha’ban. (Collectively, it is obligatory upon Muslims to make arrangements for sighting the Ramadan moon. If the entire community does not recognize its importance and neglects the matter, everyone will be sinful.) It is absolutely not permissible to fast based on calendars and the like while disregarding the sighting of the moon. Even experts in astronomical calculation who are righteous and pious may not act according to their own calculations. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Fast upon sighting the moon and end the fast upon sighting it. If the moon is not sighted on the twenty-ninth of Sha’ban, complete thirty days of Sha’ban. (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim)
2. It is not permissible to accept a moon sighting based on any experience and fast accordingly. For example, there is a saying that the day which is the fourth of Rajab is the first day of Ramadan, and this has been tested repeatedly.
3. It is recommended to try to sight the moon and make arrangements for doing so on the twenty-ninth of Rajab. This is because knowing the dates of Sha’ban is necessary for knowing the first day of Ramadan. For example, suppose the moon appeared on the twenty-ninth of Rajab, but people made no arrangements to sight it. They then continued calculating, considering the first of Sha’ban to be the thirtieth of Rajab. In this way, the thirtieth of Sha’ban arrived, but the moon could not be sighted because of clouds or dust in the sky. Since it was being considered the twenty-ninth of Sha’ban, the people consequently took the first of Ramadan to be the thirtieth of Sha’ban. As a result, one Ramadan fast was missed through negligence.
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not carefully remember the days and dates of any month as he carefully considered, calculated, and remembered those of Sha’ban. Then he would fast upon sighting the Ramadan moon. (Abu Dawud)
4. Whoever sees the Ramadan moon with his own eyes must inform all the people of the locality, the persons responsible for the Muslims, or an institution, whether that person is a man or a woman.
5. If the western horizon, where the moon rises, is clear, then the appearance of the Ramadan moon will not be established solely by the testimony of two religious people, nor will the Eid moon be established thereby. In such a situation, the testimony of at least as many people is required as will provide certainty regarding the appearance of the moon through their statement.
6. If the horizon where the moon appears is not clear, the testimony of only one person is sufficient to establish the new Ramadan moon, whether that person is a man or a woman, subject to the following conditions:
a) The witness must be an adult, sane, religious Muslim.
b) He or she must state that the moon was seen with his or her own eyes.
7. If the sky is clear, the testimony of one person is not sufficient for the new Eid moon, regardless of how trustworthy that person may be. For the Eid moon, the testimony of two religious, God-fearing men must be accepted, or that of one religious man and two religious women. Even if four women testify that they saw the moon, the Eid moon will nevertheless not be established by their testimony.
8. In places where there is no Muslim qadi or ruler, the Muslims should themselves arrange for sighting the moon, publicize it, and act accordingly.
9. If word spreads throughout the city that the moon has been sighted, but after extensive inquiry no person can be found who will admit to having seen the moon himself or herself, the appearance of the moon will not be established in this situation.
10. If a person is said to have seen the Ramadan moon, but his testimony is not permissible according to the Shariah, and no one besides him saw the moon, the people of the city or locality will not fast on the basis of his statement. However, he himself must fast, as fasting is obligatory for him. After he has completed thirty fasts, if the Eid moon is still not sighted, he will fast on the thirty-first day and celebrate Eid with the people of the locality.
11. If the moon is not sighted in a place for some reason and news of its sighting comes from another place, then if that news is acceptable according to the Shariah, both the Ramadan moon and the Eid moon will be established by it. The Muslim authorities responsible must verify such reports, and if a report is acceptable according to the Shariah, they must arrange for it to be publicized in the city.
12. If the sighting of the moon is established through the testimony of two reliable and trustworthy people and people fast accordingly, but after completing thirty fasts the Eid moon is not sighted, they will celebrate Eid on the thirty-first day. Fasting on that day will not be permissible.
Fasting After Sighting the New Moon
Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw the new moon, he would say:
********** Arabic ************
Allah is the Greatest. O Allah, make this moon rise for us as a moon of security, faith, and Islam. Grant us the ability to do what You like and love. O moon, your Lord and our Lord is Allah alone. (Tirmidhi and Darimi)
Categories of Fasting and Their Rulings
Fasting is of six types, whose details and rulings it is necessary to know.
(1) Obligatory, (2) wajib, (3) Sunnah, (4) nafl, (5) makruh, (6) haram.
1. Obligatory fasts—The Ramadan fasts alone (thirty or twenty-nine, according to the moon) are obligatory upon Muslims each year. There is clear evidence from the Qur’an and Hadith that the Ramadan fast is obligatory. The Muslim ummah has consistently acted upon it throughout history. Whoever denies that the Ramadan fast is obligatory will be a disbeliever and expelled from Islam. Whoever abandons fasting without a valid excuse will be sinful and a grave sinner. If the Ramadan fasts are not performed for any reason or through negligence, making them up is also obligatory. This obligation is not restricted to any specific time; it must be fulfilled whenever the opportunity arises. Indeed, it should be done as soon as possible.
2. Wajib fasts—Fasts vowed as vows and expiatory fasts are wajib. If someone vows to fast on a specific day, fasting on that day is necessary. If no day is specified, it may be done on any day one wishes. It is not proper to delay it without reason.
3. Sunnah fasts—A fast that the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself observed and instructed others to observe is Sunnah. There is great reward for observing it. However, it is not Sunnah mu’akkadah, and failure to observe it is not sinful. The Sunnah fasts are as follows:
- The fast of Ashura—that is, two fasts on the ninth and tenth of Muharram.
- The fast of the Day of Arafah—that is, fasting on the ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah.
- The Ayyam al-Bid fasts—that is, fasting on the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days of the lunar month.
4. Nafl fasts—All fasts other than obligatory, wajib, and Sunnah fasts are nafl or mustahabb. Nafl fasting is such that observing it regularly brings great reward. For example:
- Six fasts in the month of Shawwal.
- Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.
- Fasting on the fifteenth of Sha’ban.
- The first eight fasts of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah.
5. Makruh fasts—
- Fasting only on Saturday or Sunday.
- Fasting only on the day of Ashura.
- Fasting without the husband’s permission.
- Fasting continuously without omitting any day in between, which is called sawm al-wisal.
6. Prohibited fasts—Fasting on five days of the year is prohibited.।
- Fasting on the day of Eid al-Fitr.
- Fasting on the day of Eid al-Adha.
- Fasting during the Days of Tashriq—that is, on the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah—is prohibited.
Conditions of fasting
There are two types of conditions for fasting:
- Conditions for a fast to be valid.
- Conditions for fasting to be wajib.
The things required for fasting to be wajib are called the conditions of obligation, while those required for it to be valid are called the conditions of validity.
Conditions for fasting to be wajib
1. Islam. Fasting is not wajib for a disbeliever.
2. Reaching puberty. Fasting is not wajib for a minor.
However, minors should be instructed to fast in order to develop the habit, just as the hadith urges them to develop the habit of praying. Similarly, they have been encouraged to fast. Only those who can endure hunger and thirst should be told to fast. Excessiveness in this matter is not good.
3. Knowing that the Ramadan fast is obligatory.
4. Not being excused or incapable; that is, not having an excuse permitting one not to fast, such as travel, old age, illness, or jihad.
Conditions for a fast to be valid
1. Islam. A disbeliever’s fast is not valid.
2. Women being pure from menstruation and postnatal bleeding.
3. Making the niyyah—that is, intending in one’s heart to fast. If someone abstains all day from the things from which one has been instructed to abstain without intending to fast, the fast will not count.
The obligatory acts of fasting
During the fast, it is obligatory to abstain from three things from true dawn until sunset.
1. Abstaining from eating anything.
2. Abstaining from drinking anything.
3. Abstaining from fulfilling sexual desire.
Fulfilling sexual desire includes all sexual intercourse that causes ejaculation, whether through intercourse with one’s wife, sexual activity with any person or animal, or masturbation. In short, one must abstain from all these things. However, it is not obligatory to abstain from looking at, caressing, embracing, or kissing one’s wife, because these do not cause ejaculation.
Sunnah and mustahabb acts of fasting
1. It is sunnah to arrange suhur, even if it consists of a few dates or a sip of water.
2. Eating at suhur is mustahabb, when only a little time remains before true dawn.
3. It is mustahabb to make the niyyah to fast during the night.
4. It is mustahabb to hasten the iftar; that is, to break the fast after sunset without delaying.
5. It is mustahabb to break the fast with dates or water.
6. It is sunnah to refrain from backbiting, tale-bearing, lying, anger, and excessiveness. These acts are not proper at other times either, but during the fast one should make an even greater effort to avoid them.
What causes the fast to become invalid
While fasting, it is obligatory to refrain from three things, namely:
(1) eating anything, (2) drinking anything, and (3) fulfilling sexual desire. Abstaining from these is obligatory.
Therefore, the fast becomes invalid as soon as any of the above three obligations is violated. The things that invalidate the fast are of two types: first, those that make only qada wajib; and second, those that make both qada and kaffarah wajib.
Some principles concerning when kaffarah becomes wajib
1. If something is deliberately made to enter the stomach, and it is believed to be beneficial, whether it is food, medicine, or an act whose pleasure is like that of intercourse, both qada and kaffarah become wajib in these circumstances.
2. If something enters the stomach on its own and is not believed to be beneficial, or if an act is performed whose pleasure is not like that of intercourse, only qada becomes wajib.
3. Kaffarah becomes wajib only when a Ramadan fast is invalidated. If a fast other than a Ramadan fast is invalidated, kaffarah is not wajib, whether it was invalidated accidentally or deliberately.
4. If a qada fast of Ramadan is invalidated, kaffarah does not become wajib. Kaffarah becomes wajib only when a fast during the month of Ramadan is invalidated.
5. If the conditions making fasting wajib are not found in someone, kaffarah does not become wajib even if that person’s fast is invalidated. Examples include a traveler’s fast and the fast of a woman menstruating or experiencing postnatal bleeding, even if the traveler made the intention before beginning the journey and the woman made the intention before menstruation or postnatal bleeding began.
6. If an act occurs unintentionally—for example, someone eats something by mistake, engages in sexual activity, water unexpectedly enters the throat while rinsing the mouth, or someone is forced to engage in sexual activity—kaffarah is not wajib in these circumstances.
7. It is not a condition in sexual activity that both the active participant and the one acted upon be sane. Kaffarah becomes wajib for whichever of the two is sane and does the act voluntarily. If the woman is sane, she must give kaffarah, not the man. If the man is sane, he must give kaffarah; kaffarah is not wajib upon an insane woman.
8. If a woman engages in sexual activity with a minor boy or an insane person, both qada and kaffarah become wajib upon her.
9. If someone eats or drinks during Ramadan without having made the intention to fast, kaffarah does not become wajib; only qada becomes wajib. Kaffarah becomes wajib only if the person invalidates the fast after making the intention to fast.
10. If someone invalidates the fast because of doubt, kaffarah is not required.
Cases requiring only qada of the fast
1. Someone wakes up late and eats, thinking that there is still time for suhur, then discovers that dawn has come. It is wajib for that person to perform qada of the fast.
2. Someone breaks the fast before sunset, thinking that the sun has set. Qada will then be required.
3. Something enters the stomach unintentionally—for example, water enters the throat while rinsing the mouth; medicine put in the nose or ear reaches the stomach; or medicine applied to a wound in the stomach or head enters the stomach or head. In these cases, qada becomes wajib.
4. If someone forcibly feeds a fasting person, only qada is required.
5. If someone forcibly has intercourse with a woman, or has intercourse with a woman while she is sound asleep or unconscious, only qada becomes wajib upon the woman.
6. If an ignorant person engages in sexual activity with a dead woman, a young girl, or an animal, or embraces or kisses someone, or masturbates, and ejaculation occurs in any of these circumstances, only qada becomes wajib.
7. If someone does not make the intention to fast but abstains from eating and drinking, or makes the intention only after noon, the fast will not count and qada will be wajib.
8. If tears or sweat enter someone’s mouth while fasting, the person tastes their saltiness, and swallows them, the fast becomes invalid and qada must be performed.
9. If someone falls asleep with betel leaf in the mouth and wakes after true dawn, only qada is required; kaffarah does not become wajib.
10. If someone vomits enough to fill the mouth during the fast, the fast becomes invalid and qada must be performed.
11. If someone fasting swallows a stone, a piece of iron, or something that is used neither as food nor as medicine, the fast becomes invalid and qada must be performed.
12. If a woman applies medicine or oil to her private part during the fast, only qada is required.
13. If someone fasting accidentally eats something, then deliberately eats and drinks because they think the fast has become invalid, the fast becomes invalid and qada becomes wajib, but not kaffarah.
14. If someone fasting puts oil in the ear or takes a laxative, the fast becomes invalid and only qada must be performed.
15. If a woman inserts a finger into her private part for medical purposes or has a midwife insert one, then withdraws all or part of the finger and inserts it again, the fast becomes invalid and qada becomes wajib. If she does not insert it again but the finger becomes wet with something, the fast becomes invalid and qada becomes wajib upon the first insertion. Similarly, if a woman places cotton or something similar in her private part and it enters completely, the fast becomes invalid and qada becomes wajib.
16. If someone engages in an act of sexual pleasure other than intercourse that normally causes ejaculation, and ejaculation occurs, the fast becomes invalid and only qada becomes wajib. For example, if someone masturbates; inserts his penis into his wife’s navel, thigh, or armpit and ejaculates; does this with an animal; or if a woman seeks sexual pleasure with another woman and ejaculation occurs, the fast becomes invalid and only qada becomes wajib.
17. If blood comes from the teeth while using a miswak or otherwise, and someone swallows it with the saliva while fasting, the fast becomes invalid and qada becomes wajib. However, if the blood is less than the amount of saliva and cannot be sensed in the throat, the fast does not become invalid.
Cases in which both qada and kaffarah become wajib
1. If someone, overcome by desire, engages in sexual activity during the fast, whether the person is a woman or a man, or if a man engages in homosexual activity, both qada and kaffarah become wajib.
2. If a woman becomes a man’s bed partner and the head of the penis enters her private part, both qada and kaffarah become wajib, whether or not ejaculation occurs.
3. If an ignorant person lies beside his wife and inserts his penis into her anus, the fasts of both become invalid, and both qada and kaffarah become wajib.
4. If someone fasting eats or drinks something that is normally eaten or drunk, or eats something not used as food but used as medicine, the fast becomes invalid and both qada and kaffarah become wajib.
5. If the wife is asleep or unconscious and the husband has intercourse with her, qada and kaffarah become wajib upon the husband.
6. If someone does something that does not invalidate the fast, but thinks that the fast has become invalid and then eats and drinks, the fast becomes invalid, and both qada and kaffarah must be performed.
For example, someone applies kohl, puts oil on the head, embraces or kisses a woman, then thinks that the fast has become invalid and deliberately eats and drinks. In this case, both qada and kaffarah become wajib.
Things that make fasting makruh
That is, a description of things that do not invalidate the fast but do make it makruh. These are makruh tanzihi, not makruh tahrimi.
1. Tasting something. However, if a woman is compelled to taste food, tastes it when buying it in the market because her husband is very ill-tempered and strict, or a maid tastes it out of fear of her master, the fast will not be makruh.
2. Chewing something in the mouth or merely keeping it there. For example, if a woman chews something in her mouth to feed a small child, or keeps it in her mouth to soften or cool it, the fast will not be makruh. This is permissible when necessary. For example, if a child is hungry, eats only something that must be chewed before being given to the child, and there is no non-fasting person available, chewing it for the child will not make the fast makruh.
3. Taking a woman’s lips into the mouth or embracing her while unclothed is makruh, whether or not there is fear of ejaculation or intercourse.
4. While fasting, doing anything that makes the body so weak that there is fear of breaking the fast is makruh.
5. Using more water than necessary when rinsing the mouth or putting water in the nose.
6. Collecting saliva in the mouth and swallowing it without reason.
7. Showing restlessness, becoming alarmed, and displaying mental imbalance.
8. If ghusl becomes necessary and there is an opportunity to perform it, but one does not perform ghusl without reason until after true dawn, the fast will be makruh.
9. Brushing the teeth while chewing tooth powder, toothpaste, charcoal, or similar substances makes the fast makruh.
10. If someone backbites, lies, abuses or fights, or behaves excessively toward someone while fasting, the fast becomes makruh.
11. Deliberately taking smoke or dust into the mouth is makruh. But if someone burns incense and inhales its fragrance, or smokes a hookah, bidi, or cigarette, the fast becomes invalid.
Things that do not make fasting makruh
1. If someone eats and drinks forgetfully while unaware that they are fasting, even if they repeatedly have intercourse with their wife forgetfully or eat until full forgetfully, the fast will neither become invalid nor makruh.
2. If a nocturnal emission occurs during the daytime while fasting and ghusl becomes obligatory, the fast will nevertheless not be makruh.
3. Applying kohl during the day, putting oil on the head, massaging the body with oil, and using fragrance are permissible. Even if traces of kohl appear in the phlegm after applying it, the fast will not become invalid.
4. Lying with one’s wife, embracing her, and kissing her are all permissible. However, if there is fear of ejaculation or of intercourse due to sexual excitement, these become makruh.
5. Spitting and swallowing saliva are not makruh.
6. If a fly enters the throat, or dust or smoke enters on its own, the fast will not become makruh. However, if one deliberately takes these into the stomach, the fast becomes invalid.
7. If ejaculation occurs after looking at a woman’s private part or after sexual desire arises in the mind, the fast will not become makruh.
8. Even if ejaculation occurs after touching the female organ of an animal, the fast will not become invalid.
9. It is permissible to put oil, water, or medicine into the opening of a man’s private part, to deliver these with a syringe, or to insert a matchstick or a kohl applicator; this does not make the fast makruh.
10. If someone inserts a finger or a dry piece of wood into the anus, and the dry wood does not go inside, the fast will not become invalid.
11. If someone thinks that it is still night and engages in intercourse with his wife, or begins intercourse unaware that he is fasting, then suddenly realizes that true dawn has come or remembers the fast and immediately stops intercourse, the fast will not become invalid even if ejaculation occurs after separating from his wife. This ejaculation will be regarded like an ejaculation during a nocturnal emission.
12. If water enters the ear, whether accidentally or deliberately, the fast will not become makruh.
13. If food, a piece of meat, a fiber, or a piece of betel nut remains between the teeth and is swallowed without being removed, the fast will not become invalid if the amount is less than a chickpea.
14. If someone vomits involuntarily until the mouth is full, whether the amount is small or large, the fast will not become makruh. Even if some of it enters the stomach on its own, the fast will not become makruh.
15. Using a miswak at any time while fasting—whether it is dry, wet, or fresh—does not make the fast makruh, even if the bitter taste of a fresh neem miswak is felt.
16. In excessive heat, rinsing the mouth, putting water into the nose, washing the hands and face, bathing, and wearing wet clothes will not be makruh.
17. After eating betel leaf, if one has rinsed and gargled thoroughly but a reddish tinge is still visible in the saliva, the fast will not be makruh.
18. If one deliberately vomits, but the vomit is slight and does not fill the mouth, the fast will neither be invalidated nor become makruh.
19. If blood comes out of the mouth while using a miswak or spontaneously, and it is swallowed, the fast will not be invalidated if the amount of blood is less than the saliva and no taste of blood is felt in the throat.
The Rules Concerning the Intention for Fasting
1. Making the intention means resolving it in one’s heart. It is not necessary to pronounce the intention verbally; merely intending it in the heart is sufficient. Rather, eating sehri itself takes the place of the intention, since sehri is eaten precisely for the fast. However, those who are normally accustomed to eating at that time, or those ignorant people who regularly eat sehri but do not fast, must make the intention.
2. A separate intention is necessary for each fast of Ramadan. Making one intention for the whole of Ramadan is not sufficient.
3. For the current Ramadan fast, it is not necessary to specify in the intention that it is obligatory. Intending to fast is sufficient. However, if a sick person fasts during Ramadan, he must intend a qada fast, because the Ramadan fast is not obligatory upon him. If he merely intends to fast or intends a supererogatory fast, his fast will not count as a Ramadan fast.
4. It is necessary for a traveler not to intend any other obligatory fast during Ramadan. Intending the obligatory Ramadan fast or a supererogatory fast will not be valid.
5. For a Ramadan qada fast, it is necessary to specify the intention before dawn.
6. If someone forgets to make the intention for the fast at night and remembers during the day, then making the intention before noon will be valid for three types of fasts.
a. The current Ramadan fast.
b. Vowed fasts whose dates have been specified.
c. Supererogatory fasts.
7. For the following four types of fasts, the intention must be made between sunset and true dawn. Making the intention after true dawn is not sufficient.
a. A Ramadan qada fast.
b. Vowed fasts whose dates have not been specified.
c. Expiatory fasts.
d. The qada of a supererogatory fast that was invalidated for some reason after it had been begun.
8. Someone had not intended at night to fast, nor had he thought in the morning that he would fast. Then, before noon, he suddenly remembered that nothing would be valid except the Ramadan fast and hastily made the intention. His fast would then be valid. However, if he had eaten anything in the morning, there would be no opportunity left to make the intention.
9. If, during Ramadan, someone intends a supererogatory fast instead of the obligatory fast, thinking that he will make up the obligatory fast later, his fast will nevertheless count as the Ramadan fast, not as a supererogatory fast. Likewise, if he intends an obligatory fast instead of a supererogatory fast, it will still count as the Ramadan fast. The principle is that during Ramadan only the obligatory Ramadan fast counts; no other fast counts.
10. The fast begins at true dawn. Therefore, before true dawn, all acts from which abstention is obligatory during the fast are permissible. Some people think that after making the intention to fast, eating and drinking are no longer permissible. This is incorrect. Eating, drinking, and the like are permissible before true dawn, even if the intention for the next day’s fast was made immediately after sunset.
11. Once one makes the intention for a supererogatory fast, it becomes obligatory. If, after making the intention in the morning, the fast is broken, its qada becomes obligatory.
12. Someone intended at night to fast the following day, but changed his mind before morning and did not fast. In this case, qada will not be obligatory.
13. If the intention is made at night, one says: ….. Arabic …….. I intend to fast tomorrow for the month of Ramadan. If the intention is made during the day, one says: ………. Arabic …….. I intend to fast today for the month of Ramadan. However, it is not necessary to make the intention in Arabic; it may be said in any language.
Sehri and Iftar
The food and drink consumed before true dawn for the purpose of fasting is called sehri. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself arranged for sehri and urged others to eat sehri. Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “At the time of sehri, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would say to me, ‘Give me something to eat, for I intend to fast.’ I would then give him some dates and a bowl of water.”
While urging people to eat sehri, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Eat sehri, for there is great blessing in it.”
The blessing means that one will not feel weakness in the day’s work and acts of worship, and the fast will be easy.
The Prophet once said: “Seek help for fasting during the day by eating sehri, and seek help for worship at night by taking a midday nap.”
Eating sehri is Sunnah. The difference between the fasting of Muslims and that of the Jews and Christians is that they do not eat sehri, whereas Muslims do. If one is not hungry, one should eat something sweet, or drink milk or water, because eating sehri carries immense reward.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Eating sehri is manifest blessing. Do not neglect sehri, even if it is only a sip of water. For Allah bestows mercy upon those who eat sehri, and the angels seek forgiveness for them.”
Delaying Sehri
It is mustahabb to delay sehri until only a short time remains before true dawn. Many people eat sehri much earlier as a precaution. This is not good. There is reward in delaying it.
Hastening Iftar
It is mustahabb to hasten iftar. That is, after sunset, delaying it as a precaution is not appropriate; rather, one should break the fast immediately. Unnecessary caution of this kind causes religious-mindedness to disappear. It is not piety for a person to burden himself needlessly. Rather, piety means obeying Allah’s command without hesitation or expense.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Three matters are among the practices of the prophets:”
1. Delaying sehri.
2. Hastening iftar.
3. Placing the right hand over the left hand in prayer.
Hazrat Ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Once we were traveling with the Prophet (peace be upon him). He was fasting. When the sun disappeared from view, he said to someone, ‘Get up and prepare sattu for me.’ The man said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, wait a little longer; it would be better once evening had arrived.’ He said, ‘Get down from the mount and prepare sattu for us.’ The man again said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, it still seems to be daytime.’ He again said, ‘Get down from the mount and prepare sattu for us.’ The man then got down and prepared sattu for everyone. After eating it, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘When you see the darkness of night spreading from that direction, the fasting person should break his fast.’” (Bukhari)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah has said: Of My servants, I most love the servant who hastens to break his fast.” (Tirmidhi) (That is, do not delay at all after sunset.)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “People will remain in goodness as long as they continue to hasten iftar.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
What Is Mustahabb to Use for Iftar
It is mustahabb to break the fast with dates or dried dates; otherwise, it is mustahabb to break it with water. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself would break his fast with these.
Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Before the Maghrib prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would break his fast with several soaked dates. If they were unavailable, then with dried dates. If those too were unavailable, he would drink a few sips of water.” (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged the noble Companions to break their fast with these things. He would say, “When any of you fasts, let him break his fast with dates; if unavailable, then with water. Indeed, water is extremely pure.” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
Dates were a delicious food in Arabia, and both rich and poor could readily obtain them. Water, of course, was abundant everywhere. The significance of encouraging people to break their fast with these things is that the community should not face hardship or difficulty, but should be able to break the fast easily at the proper time. Regarding one quality of water, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that it is so pure that everything can be purified with it. Its outward purity is evident, and it also brings spiritual purity. When a fasting person remains thirsty throughout the day with conscious faith for Allah’s pleasure, then quenches his thirst with cool water at sunset, an instinctive desire to give thanks arises within him, through which he may be blessed to illuminate his inner or spiritual self.
However, it must be kept in mind that exaggerating in this matter and considering it contrary to taqwa to break the fast with something else is entirely wrong. It is likewise wrong to believe that breaking the fast with salt brings especially great reward.
The Iftar Supplication
*******Arabic*********
O Allah, I fasted for Your sake and broke my fast with the sustenance You provided.
The Supplication After Iftar
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Thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is assured, if Allah wills. (Abu Dawud)
The Reward for Providing Iftar
Providing iftar for someone else is also a praiseworthy act, and the person who provides it receives as much reward as the fasting person. This applies whether he feeds the fasting person two mouthfuls of food or provides iftar with just one date.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever provides iftar for a fasting person will receive the same reward as the fasting person.” (Bayhaqi)
Fasting Without Sehri
If one does not wake up at night for sehri, one should nevertheless fast. Not fasting because one did not eat sehri is cowardly. Giving up the fast because one did not eat sehri is a major sin.
If one ever wakes up late and thinks that night still remains, eats and drinks something, and then discovers that it was after true dawn, the fast will not count. Nevertheless, one must remain like a fasting person and may not eat or drink anything.
If one wakes so late that there is doubt whether true dawn has arrived, eating and drinking at such a time is makruh, and eating and drinking after the doubt has arisen is sinful. If it later becomes certain that true dawn had already come, qada will be obligatory. But if the matter remains uncertain, qada will not be obligatory; nevertheless, one should perform qada as a precaution.
Excuses Permitting One Not to Fast
There are ten excuses that permit one not to fast. They are described below:
(1) Travel, (2) illness, (3) pregnancy, (4) breastfeeding, (5) extreme hunger and thirst, (6) old age and weakness, (7) fear for one’s life, (8) jihad, (9) loss of consciousness, (10) mental disorder.
1. Travel
The Shariah has taken ease for the servant into consideration in all its rulings. In no matter has he been subjected to unnecessary hardship or difficulty. Indeed, when the Holy Qur’an announces the obligation of fasting, it takes into consideration the inability of travelers and the sick and grants permission not to fast.
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Therefore, whoever among you is present during this month must fast. But whoever is ill or traveling shall complete the prescribed number on other days. (Surah al-Baqarah: 185)
1. Regardless of the purpose of the journey, and whether it involves every convenience or requires enduring hardship, a traveler is permitted not to fast in all circumstances. However, when the journey involves no difficulty, it is mustahabb to fast so that one may attain the virtues and blessings of Ramadan. But if there is distress and difficulty, it is better not to fast.
2. If someone sets out on a journey after making the intention to fast or after the fast has begun, qada of that day’s fast is necessary. However, if he breaks the fast, he will not have to offer kaffarah.
3. If a traveler becomes a resident somewhere before noon and has not done anything up to that time that would invalidate the fast, it is also necessary for him to fast that day. However, if he invalidates the fast, he will not have to offer kaffarah.
4. If a traveler intends to become a resident at a place, even if he intends to stay for fewer than fifteen days, he should nevertheless fast; not fasting on those days is makruh. If he intends to stay for fifteen days, then not fasting is not permissible.
2. Illness
1. If fasting is likely to cause an illness, or if it is thought that the illness will worsen because medicine or food is unavailable, or if it is thought that recovery will be delayed, then it is permissible not to fast in these circumstances. However, there must be a sound reason for holding such a belief. For example, a pious and experienced physician may advise it, one may have repeatedly experienced it oneself, or there may be a strong likelihood of it. It is not permissible not to fast merely on the basis of an unfounded suspicion.
2. If someone merely thinks that fasting might cause or worsen an illness, without any previous experience of this, and without consulting an experienced doctor or hakim, and therefore does not fast, he will be sinful and must also offer kaffarah.
3. It is also not correct to follow the advice of an irreligious physician who does not recognize the honor and importance of the Shariah.
3. Pregnancy
1. If a woman strongly believes that fasting will harm the child in her womb or harm her herself, she is permitted not to fast.
2. If, after making the intention to fast, a woman learns that she has become pregnant and clearly believes that fasting will harm her, she is permitted to break the fast. She must then perform qada, but kaffarah will not be necessary.
4. Breastfeeding
1. If a breastfeeding woman strongly believes that fasting will cause serious harm, such as her milk drying up and the baby suffering from hunger, or that the baby’s life will be endangered, she is permitted not to fast.
2. If the child can be fed milk for payment and will also take someone else’s milk, it is not valid for the mother not to fast. But if the child will not take anyone else’s milk, it is permissible for her not to fast.
3. If a woman who breastfeeds for payment also strongly believes that fasting will harm her child or herself, she may leave the fast.
4. If a woman begins breastfeeding precisely during Ramadan, she is permitted not to fast that day even if she had made the intention to fast. She must perform qada for breaking the fast; kaffarah will not be obligatory.
5. Extreme Hunger and Thirst
A person may not be ill, but may have become so weak because of a previous illness that there is a strong fear of becoming ill again if he fasts. In that case, he is permitted not to fast.
6. Weakness and Old Age
A person may become extremely weak due to old age. He is permitted not to fast. Nor can it be expected of such a person that he will recover and perform qada. Therefore, it is obligatory for him to pay fidyah for the fasts, whether immediately or later. The amount of fidyah is equal to sadaqat al-fitr.
7. Fear for One’s Life
If one’s life is endangered because of strenuous labor, or if someone forces a person by threatening to kill him, beat him brutally, or cut off one of his limbs if he fasts, then he too is permitted not to fast.
8. Jihad
If one intends to engage in jihad against the enemies of the religion and believes that fasting will make him weak, he is permitted not to fast.
*Even when jihad is actually under way, it is permissible not to fast.
*Even when jihad is not actually under way, but a confrontation is feared soon, it is also permissible not to fast.
*If one faces such a situation after beginning the fast, it is still permissible to break the fast. No kaffarah will be required.
9. Loss of consciousness
If someone becomes unconscious and remains so for several days, making up the fasts that would have been observed during this period will be wajib. However, if, on the day after the night on which he became unconscious, he did nothing that would invalidate the fast, and it is also known whether or not he had made the intention to fast, that day’s fast will be counted and he will not have to make it up. He must certainly make up the fasts of the following days.
10. Mental derangement
If someone becomes insane and is unable to fast, there are two possibilities:
First—if the insanity never improves at any time, the fasts are completely excused; neither making them up nor giving fidyah is required.
Second—if the insanity improves at some time, the fasts must be made up.
Situations in Which It Is Permissible to Break the Fast
1. It is permissible to break the fast if someone suddenly becomes unconscious; suffers an illness that places his life in danger; is injured in a motor accident; or falls from a high place and is in a critical condition.
2. If someone suddenly becomes ill without his life being in danger, but there is a fear that the illness will become much worse if he does not break the fast, he is permitted to break the fast.
3. If someone experiences such intense hunger or thirst that there is a danger to his life unless he eats or drinks something, it is permissible for him to break the fast.
4. If a pregnant woman suffers an accident such that there is fear for her life or the life of the child in her womb, she has the option of breaking the fast.
5. If someone is bitten by a snake and requires immediate medication, he should break the fast.
6. Someone may bravely begin fasting despite being weak, but then feel that if he does not break the fast his life will be endangered or his illness may become dangerously worse. In such a situation, he is permitted to break the fast.
Rules Concerning Make-Up Fasts
1. The missed Ramadan fasts should not be unnecessarily delayed. The sooner they are made up, the better.
2. Whether they are Ramadan fasts or other fasts, it is not necessary to make them up consecutively. Nor is it necessary to make them up immediately after the excuse ends. It is sufficient to make them up when convenient.
3. It is not fard to make up the fasts in sequence. For example, one may observe the current Ramadan fasts without first making up missed fasts.
4. It is not necessary to specify the dates for making up the fasts. One must observe as many fasts as were missed.
5. If missed fasts from two Ramadans remain, it is necessary to specify which year’s fasts are being made up. Therefore, one must intend, “I am observing the make-up fasts of such-and-such a year.”
6. The intention for a make-up fast must be made during the night. If the intention for a make-up fast is made after true dawn, it will not be valid; that fast will become a nafl fast. The make-up fast must be observed again.
7. Some Ramadan fasts were missed, but there was no opportunity to make them up before another Ramadan arrived. In that case, the current Ramadan fasts must be observed first, and the make-up fasts afterward.
8. Someone fasted during the day of Ramadan because of uncertainty, and later it became known that the day was the thirtieth of Sha‘ban. That fast will become a nafl fast, although it will be makruh. If the fast is broken, making it up will not be wajib.
Rules Concerning Kaffarah
If a Ramadan fast is invalidated, its kaffarah is to fast for sixty consecutive days. If any fast is missed in between, sixty consecutive fasts must be begun anew. The fast missed in between will not be counted.
If someone is unable to fast for any reason, he must feed sixty needy people to their fill twice a day.
1. For women, there is the concession that if a fast is missed during the sequence because of menstruation, the continuity will not be broken. However, fasting must resume as soon as menstruation ends.
2. If, while observing kaffarah fasts, a woman enters the state of nifas, the continuity will be broken. Sixty fasts must be begun anew.
3. If Ramadan arrives while the kaffarah fasts are being observed, the Ramadan fasts must be observed. Then sixty consecutive fasts must be observed again.
4. If several fasts are invalidated during the same Ramadan, one kaffarah will be wajib for all the invalidated fasts.
5. If one kaffarah becomes wajib upon someone, and before it is fulfilled another kaffarah becomes wajib, a single kaffarah will be wajib for both, even if the two kaffarahs relate to two different Ramadans. This applies provided the fasts were not invalidated through sexual intercourse. For every fast invalidated through sexual intercourse, a separate kaffarah will be wajib.
6. Regarding the sixty needy people, they must be adults. If a young boy is fed, an adult needy person must be fed again in his place.
7. Instead of feeding them, it is also permissible to give food grains, or their monetary value.
8. The food given to the needy should be of average quality—not very good and not poor.
9. It does not matter if continuity is not maintained in feeding the needy; the kaffarah will be fulfilled.
10. Feeding the same person for sixty days will not be valid; the same applies to giving food grains or their value.
Fidyah
If someone becomes extremely weak due to old age, or suffers from such a severe illness that recovery is apparently not expected and he lacks the strength to fast, permission has been given for such a person to refrain from fasting. For each fast, he must give fidyah to one needy person. Fidyah may be given by providing food, giving the appropriate amount of food grains, or giving their monetary value.
Amount of Fidyah
Food grains equivalent to the amount of sadaqat al-fitr, or their value, should be given to one poor person. It is also permissible to feed a needy person twice a day in place of each fast. The food must be of average quality.
Rules Concerning Fidyah
1. If a sick person recovers despite having paid fidyah, making up the fasts will become wajib. Allah will grant separate reward for the fidyah that was given.
2. If someone has missed fasts due upon him and, at the time of death, leaves instructions that fidyah be paid from his wealth, fidyah will be wajib if the total fidyah for the missed fasts equals one-third of his estate. “Estate” means what remains after burial and shrouding expenses have been paid and debts, if any, have been settled; one-third of that remainder is meant. If the value of the fidyah is greater and the one-third share is smaller, fidyah exceeding one-third of the estate will be permissible only if the heirs willingly consent. The consent of minor children is not required.
3. If the deceased left no instructions and the heirs pay the fidyah voluntarily, it will nevertheless be valid. It is hoped that Allah Most High will accept the fidyah.
4. The fidyah for each prayer is the same as the fidyah for a fast. It should be remembered that there are five daily prayers, plus the witr prayer—that is, six prayers per day.
5. If someone instructs at the time of death that fidyah be given for his prayers, its ruling will be the same as the fidyah for fasting.
6. If an heir prays or fasts on behalf of the deceased, it will not be valid.
7. It is not correct to miss Ramadan fasts because of a minor illness, to assume that they will be made up later, or to think that giving fidyah fulfills the right of the fast.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If someone leaves even one fast without an excuse or illness, making up for it by fasting throughout his entire life will not compensate for it. (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
Various Rulings and Regulations Concerning Fasting
1. A person who is unable to fast for some reason must not eat or drink publicly, and should outwardly remain like a fasting person.
2. If a person who meets all the conditions for fasting to be fard and valid has his fast invalidated for some reason, it is wajib for him to remain like a fasting person for the rest of the day and refrain from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse.
3. If a traveler reaches home after midday or intends to become a resident somewhere, it is mustahabb for him to remain like a fasting person for the rest of the day and refrain from eating and drinking. Likewise, if a woman becomes pure from menstruation or nifas after midday, it is mustahabb for her to refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day.
4. If someone intentionally invalidates the fast, or eats after true dawn believing that it is still night, it will be wajib for him to spend the entire day like a fasting person and refrain from eating and drinking.
5. If a child reaches puberty after midday, or someone becomes Muslim, it is mustahabb for them to spend the remainder of the day like fasting people.
6. If menstruation begins after a woman has started fasting, the fast will be invalidated. Nevertheless, she should then refrain from eating and drinking like a fasting person.
Virtues and Rules of Voluntary Fasting
The Six Fasts of Shawwal
Many virtues of these fasts have been mentioned in hadith. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever fasts Ramadan and then fasts six consecutive days of Shawwal, it is as though he has fasted forever. (Muslim, Abu Dawud)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: Whoever fasts Ramadan and then fasts six days of Shawwal will be purified of sins as though his mother had given birth to him that very day. (Muslim, Abu Dawud)
It is not necessary to observe these fasts all together after Eid. They may be observed consecutively or with days omitted in between.
It is preferable to begin these fasts on the sixth of Shawwal, but this is not necessary. They may be observed at any convenient time during the month.
The Fast of Ashura
The tenth of Muharram is called Yawm Ashura, or the Day of Ashura. On that day, the Quraysh of Makkah also used to fast and cover the Kaaba with a new cloth covering. This fast was attributed to Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself also observed this fast. Then, when he migrated to Madinah, he found that the Jews also fasted on that day. He too fasted on that day and strongly urged all the Companions to fast.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Prophet (peace be upon him) migrated to Madinah, he saw the Jews fasting on the Day of Ashura. He asked them, “What distinction does this day have for you that you fast on it?” They replied, “It is a very significant day. On this day Allah rescued Moses (peace be upon him) and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his army. Therefore, Moses fasted on that day in gratitude for Allah’s favor, and we also fast on this day for that reason.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Our connection with Moses is greater than yours, and we have more right to fast on this day.”
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself fasted on that day and instructed the Ummah to fast as well. (Bukhari, Muslim)
It is preferable to fast either the ninth or the eleventh along with the tenth, so that one may attain the virtue of that day and avoid resembling the Jews.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) began observing this fast himself and strongly urged the Companions to fast as well. The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, the Jews and Christians treat that day as a great day. If we fast on that day, we will resemble them.” He replied, “Next year, if Allah wills, we will fast on the ninth.” Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: However, the following year came before the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away. (Muslim)
The Fast of Arafah
The ninth of the month of Hajj is called Yawm Arafah, or the Day of Arafah. Many virtues of fasting on this day have been mentioned in hadith. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I hope from Allah that fasting on the Day of Arafah will be counted as an expiation for both the coming year and the previous year.” (Tirmidhi)
The reward for fasting on the Day of Arafah is equal to the reward for fasting one thousand days. (Tirmidhi)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) took care to fast on this day. The fasts of the eight days preceding the Day of Arafah also carry great reward.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No days are more beloved to Allah than the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Fasting these ten days is equal to fasting the entire year, and voluntary prayer during these nights is equal to the voluntary prayer of Laylat al-Qadr.”
The Fast of the Ayyam al-Bid
The thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth of every lunar month are called the Ayyam al-Bid. These are special days of the waxing moon. They are called the Ayyam al-Bid—the dates flooded with bright moonlight. The Prophet (peace be upon him) strongly urged fasting on these days.
Qatadah ibn Milhan (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) urged us to fast on the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth of the lunar month. He would say, “These three fasts are equal in reward to fasting perpetually.” (Abu Dawud, Nasa’i)
The Fasts of Monday and Thursday
The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays and urged the Companions to do so. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. (Tirmidhi, Nasa’i)
To encourage the Ummah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Deeds are presented before Allah on Mondays and Thursdays. I wish to be fasting on the day my deeds are presented.” (Tirmidhi)
Once, when the Companions asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about fasting on Monday, he replied: “That was the day I was born, and on that day the revelation of the Quran to me began.” (Muslim)
Various Rules Concerning Voluntary Fasts
1. After beginning a voluntary fast, it becomes wajib. If it is missed or invalidated for any reason, making it up becomes wajib.
2. It is not permissible to break even a voluntary fast without an excuse. However, a voluntary fast may be broken for a lesser excuse than a fard fast.
3. If someone invites a fasting person to a meal and it is thought that the host will be displeased if the guest does not eat, or that the guest will refuse to eat without the host, or that the host will be hurt if he does not eat, it is permissible to break the fast. However, the fasting person should make it up.
4. For women, observing any fast other than a Ramadan fast without the husband’s permission is makruh tahrimi. If she is fasting and her husband tells her to break it, she must break it. She must then make up that fast with her husband’s permission.
5. If someone vows to fast on days on which fasting is haram, such as the two Eid days, he must fast on another day.
6. If someone is observing a voluntary fast and a guest arrives at his home, but the guest will be displeased if he does not eat with him, it is permissible to break the voluntary fast.
7. If someone intends to fast and fasts on an Eid day, he should break the fast and make it up.
8. It is not correct to fast one or two days before Ramadan. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “None of you should fast one or two days before Ramadan.” However, if someone regularly fasts on that day, he may fast. (Bukhari)
Explanation of the Tarawih Prayer
Tarawih is the plural of tarwihah. It means sitting briefly to rest. In terminology, it refers to sitting to rest after every four rakahs of the sunnah prayer performed at night during Ramadan al-Mubarak. Since five tarwihahs are performed during the twenty-rakah prayer, this sunnah prayer is called Tarawih.
Ruling on the Tarawih prayer
The Tarawih prayer is Sunnat mu’akkadah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) made special arrangements for it, as did the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Whoever abandons Tarawih without a valid excuse will be sinful. It is Sunnat mu’akkadah for both men and women. It must also be remembered that the Tarawih prayer is not dependent on fasting. In other words, it is incorrect to think that Tarawih is obligatory if one fasts that day. These are two separate acts of worship. Those who cannot fast due to an excuse or incapacity—for example, someone who is ill or travelling, or someone who did not fast, or a woman who did not fast because of menstruation or postnatal bleeding but became pure by the time of Tarawih—should perform Tarawih. If they do not, they will necessarily incur the sin of abandoning a Sunnah.
The Virtue of the Tarawih Prayer
On the last day of Sha‘ban, welcoming the arrival of Ramadan, the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered an important sermon. He said: In this month there is a night that is better than a thousand months. During the nights of this month, Allah Most High has made the Tarawih prayer nafl. (That is, it is not obligatory but Sunnah. This is because, in comparison with obligatory acts, all Sunnah and mustahabb acts are called nafl.) Whoever performs any deed in this month willingly and gladly will receive a reward equal to that of obligatory worship in other months. (Mishkat—narrated by Salman al-Farsi, may Allah be pleased with him. This is a lengthy narration; only part of it is reproduced here.)
In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) described it as a means of forgiveness. He said: Whoever performs the Tarawih prayer during the nights of Ramadan with faith and intending the reward of the Hereafter will have all his previous sins forgiven. (Bukhari, Muslim)
The Time of the Tarawih Prayer
Tarawih begins on the night when the Ramadan crescent is sighted. When the crescent of Eid al-Fitr is sighted, Tarawih ends. The time for Tarawih begins after the ‘Isha prayer and lasts until the beginning of Fajr. If someone performs Tarawih before the ‘Isha prayer, it will not count as Tarawih. If someone performs Tarawih after ‘Isha and, for some reason, has to repeat the ‘Isha prayer, Tarawih must also be repeated. (Durr al-Mukhtar)
It is mustahabb to perform the Tarawih prayer after the first third of the night but before midnight. Although performing it after midnight is permissible, it goes against the practice of performing it early. (In answering the question of which is the best time for Tarawih, Allamah Sayyid Abul A‘la Maududi (may Allah have mercy on him) presented an important argument. He said: There is disagreement regarding the best time for Tarawih—is it the time of ‘Isha or the time of Tahajjud? Arguments exist in support of both. However, greater inclination is seen toward the later time. Yet the important argument for giving preference to the earlier time is that Muslims can perform Tarawih collectively at that time. If the later time is adopted, the overwhelming majority of the Ummah will be deprived of this reward, which would be a great loss. If some pious people do not join the congregation at the first time in order to attain the virtue of the later time, there is a danger that the general public may develop negative feelings toward them, or may themselves stop performing Tarawih because those people do not join the congregation. Alternatively, those pious people may have to publicize their Tahajjud. (Rasa’il wa Masa’il, vol. 3, p. 231)
Congregation for the Tarawih Prayer
The Prophet (peace be upon him) led the Tarawih prayer in congregation on three nights of Ramadan—the nights of the 23rd, 25th, and 27th. Then, when he saw great enthusiasm, excitement, and devotion among the Companions, he did not come to the mosque. The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) thought that he had perhaps fallen asleep. They began calling out at his door. He then said: May Allah increase the blessing in your enthusiasm and excitement. I did not go out because I feared that this prayer might become obligatory for you and that you would then be unable to perform it continually. Therefore, continue to perform this prayer in your homes, for offering nafl prayers at home brings greater reward and blessing. (Bukhari)
This hadith proves that the Prophet himself (peace be upon him) led Tarawih in congregation for three nights. Eventually, the second Caliph, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), formally established its congregation, and the noble Companions accepted it obediently. No later Caliph opposed this Sunnah. Therefore, the scholars have called this congregation Sunnat mu’akkadah kifayah. (A person asked Allamah Sayyid Abul A‘la Maududi (may Allah have mercy on him) about the congregation of the Tarawih prayer. He gave a detailed answer and discussed the matter thoroughly. The question and answer are given below:
Question: The scholars generally say that it is better to perform Tarawih at the beginning of its time (with ‘Isha), and that Tarawih in congregation is Sunnat mu’akkadah kifayah. That is, if Tarawih is not performed in congregation in a neighborhood, the residents of the neighborhood will be sinful. But if even two people perform Tarawih in the mosque, the sin of abandoning the congregation will be lifted on behalf of everyone. Is this correct? If so, why did this not occur during the time of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)? What ruling applies to the Muslims of that time? Were they sinful because they did not perform Tarawih in congregation?
Answer: From the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) until the early period of Umar’s caliphate (may Allah be pleased with him), the practice of all the people performing Tarawih in one regular congregation had not been established. Rather, people would either perform it in their own homes or in separate small congregations in the mosque. What Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did was remove this fragmentation and order everyone to pray in a single congregation. He had a decisive justification for this: the Prophet (peace be upon him) had ended the practice because he feared that it might one day become obligatory. After the Prophet (peace be upon him) had passed away, there was no longer any fear that an act would thereby become obligatory. Thus Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) instituted it as a Sunnah. This was another shining example of Umar’s profound insight into religion: he correctly understood the intention of the Lawgiver and consequently established a proper method among the Ummah. The fact that none of the Companions objected to this, but rather accepted it obediently, proves that he correctly fulfilled the intention of the Lawgiver—that it should not be made part of the obligatory acts.
There is evidence that at least once he did not join the Tarawih. On one occasion, he went out with Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd and, seeing people performing Tarawih in the mosque, praised them. On this basis the scholars say that if Tarawih is not performed in congregation at all in a settlement, all the people of that neighborhood will be sinful. This is because Tarawih is a Sunnah of Islam that has been practiced throughout the Ummah since the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphate. Abandoning such an Islamic practice, and abandoning it collectively as a settlement, is a sign of indifference to the religion. If this is tolerated, there is a danger that all Islamic customs and practices will gradually disappear.)
The Number of Rak‘ahs in the Tarawih Prayer
It is established by the consensus of the Companions that the Tarawih prayer consists of twenty rak‘ahs. The twenty rak‘ahs should be performed in such a way that salam is given after every two rak‘ahs, and after every four rak‘ahs one should sit for rest for as long as it takes to perform four rak‘ahs. Sitting for this amount of time for rest is mustahabb. However, if it is felt that the followers find sitting for that long difficult, it is better not to sit that long. Consideration should be given to the feelings of the followers in this matter.
According to the Ahl al-Hadith, performing eight rak‘ahs of Tarawih is Sunnah. In their view, performing twenty rak‘ahs is not established from the Sunnah. They hold that the narrations mentioning eight rak‘ahs, and the narration of Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioning twenty rak‘ahs, are weaker than the other hadiths. The opinion expressed by Allamah Maududi (may Allah have mercy on him) on this subject is given below:
When the practice of performing Tarawih in congregation began during the time of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), twenty rak‘ahs were performed by the unanimous agreement of the Companions. This practice continued during the time of Uthman Ghani and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them). The agreement of the three Caliphs on this matter, without any disagreement, proves that people had been accustomed to performing twenty rak‘ahs since the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). For this reason, Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) expressed the opinion in favor of twenty rak‘ahs. A statement of Imam Malik supporting this is also found. Dawud al-Zahiri (may Allah have mercy on him) accepted it as an established Sunnah.
Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) and Aban ibn Uthman initiated the practice of performing thirty-six rak‘ahs instead of twenty. This was not because their research and investigation contradicted that of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Rather, their aim was to enable people from outside Makkah to equal the people of Makkah in reward. The people of Makkah used to perform tawaf around the Ka‘bah after every four rak‘ahs of Tarawih. In place of each tawaf, these two eminent men began performing four rak‘ahs. Since this practice became established among the people of Madinah, and since Imam Malik regarded the practice of the people of Madinah as authoritative, he later issued a legal ruling for thirty-six rak‘ahs instead of twenty.
What May Be Done During the Rest After Every Four Rak‘ahs
During Tarawih, or the rest period, one may sit quietly, recite tasbih, or perform nafl prayers if one wishes. The people of Makkah Mukarramah used to perform tawaf instead of sitting. The people of Madinah would perform four rak‘ahs of nafl. Some jurists say that the following supplication should be recited during Tarawih:
*******Arabic*********
Allah, the King and Sovereign, is pure and free from every defect, shortcoming, and incapacity. Pure and exalted is the Being who possesses all honor, reverence, majesty, awe, power, greatness, and might. Glorified is the Being who is eternally living, who is not subject to sleep or death. He is pure and free from all defects and shortcomings. He is our Lord, and the Lord, Master, and Sustainer of the angels and Jibril. O Lord, deliver us from the fire of Hell.
Congregation for the Witr Prayer
It is established that the Witr prayer is performed in congregation only during Ramadan. It is not permissible to perform Witr in congregation in other months besides Ramadan.
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Performing Witr in congregation is not permissible in any month other than Ramadan. There is consensus among the Muslim Ummah on this. (Hidayah)
Those who performed the prayer alone may also perform Witr in congregation. But those who performed Tarawih in congregation must perform Witr in congregation, because after performing the Sunnah prayer of Tarawih in congregation, it is not proper to perform the wajib Witr prayer alone. Nor is it correct to perform Tarawih with the congregation, go to sleep, and then perform Witr with Tahajjud later.
Completing the Qur’an in Tarawih
Completing the entire Qur’an once in sequence during the blessed month of Ramadan is Sunnat mu’akkadah. (Ilm al-Fiqh)
The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) would recite the entire Qur’an to Jibril Amin (peace be upon him) every month. In the year he departed from this world, he recited the Qur’an to Jibril twice. He encouraged the Ummah as follows:
Fasting and the Qur’an will intercede for the believer. Fasting will say: O my Lord, I kept this person away from food, drink, and other pleasures during the day, and he remained abstinent. Therefore, O my Lord, accept my intercession on behalf of this person. The Qur’an will say: I kept him away from sleep and rest during the night, and he left his sweet sleep and continued reciting the Qur’an, standing before You. Therefore, O my Lord, accept my intercession on behalf of this person. Allah will accept the intercession of both. (Mishkat)
The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) observed this Sunnah carefully. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) made special arrangements for Tarawih to be performed in congregation and for the entire Qur’an to be recited in it. This Sunnah must not be abandoned because of general indifference to the religion, people’s laziness, or their lack of attention. At least once, arrangements should certainly be made for the entire Qur’an to be recited and heard during Tarawih. Where enthusiasm and excitement are seen among the people, where there is interest in worship and Qur’an recitation, and where it is certain that the Qur’an can be recited with full attention and reverence, slowly and distinctly, so that the rights of recitation are fulfilled, completing it more than once has also been described as desirable. However, it is not proper to complete the Qur’an in less than three days, because in that case the rights of Qur’an recitation cannot be fulfilled.
The hadiths describe the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) manner of recitation as follows: he would pronounce each letter clearly and recite each verse separately. While explaining to the Ummah the virtue of reciting with tartil and pausing between passages, he said: On the Day of Resurrection, those who recited the Qur’an will be told: Recite as you used to recite in the world, slowly, with a beautiful voice and in an orderly manner, and continue ascending one level for every verse. Your dwelling will be near the last verse you recite. (Tirmidhi)
Important Guidance
If somewhere there is exceptionally little interest in prayer and the Qur’an, and because of the followers’ laziness and negligence there is a fear that arranging for the entire Qur’an to be completed in Tarawih would not merely burden the people but would also cause them to avoid coming to the mosque and praying in congregation, then it is better not to arrange a completion of the Qur’an. In that case, Tarawih should be performed with short surahs so that people are not deprived of the Sunnah of Tarawih. Due to limited knowledge, some people consider listening to and reciting the Qur’an in Tarawih to be the primary objective. They pay no attention at all to tranquility, balance, and concentration in the Tarawih prayer. When such people hear the entire Qur’an recited extremely quickly in Tarawih, they neither take care to perform Tarawih again nor consider it necessary to come to the mosque to perform Tarawih in congregation. Such thinking is extremely dangerous. Even if there is no opportunity to hear the entire Qur’an, or even after the Qur’an has been completed, the Tarawih prayer remains an established Sunnat mu’akkadah. It should never be neglected.
Various Issues Concerning the Tarawih Prayer
1. The intention for Tarawih should be made as follows: I intend to perform two rak‘ahs of the Sunnah of Tarawih. Then make the intention for two rak‘ahs each time. In this way, twenty rak‘ahs should be completed with ten salams.
2. It is best to perform Witr after Tarawih. However, if for some reason Witr is performed before Tarawih or before completing all the Tarawih prayers, it will be permissible.
3. If a follower arrives late and the imam stands to perform Witr while some of his Tarawih remains, he should perform Witr with the imam. He should then complete the remaining Tarawih afterward.
4. After performing four rak‘ahs, it is mustahabb to rest for as long as it took to perform those four rak‘ahs. However, if sitting for a long time is difficult for the followers, it is better to sit only briefly.
5. If someone joins Tarawih without having performed the obligatory ‘Isha prayer, his Tarawih will not be valid.
6. If someone performed the obligatory ‘Isha prayer in congregation but did not perform Tarawih in congregation, it is still proper for him to perform Witr in congregation.
7. Even if someone did not perform the obligatory ‘Isha prayer in congregation, he may perform Witr in congregation.
8. Performing Tarawih while sitting without an excuse is makruh. However, if there is an excuse, it is valid to perform it sitting.
9. If someone was unable to perform the obligatory ‘Isha prayer in congregation, it is permissible for him to perform the Tarawih prayer in congregation.
10. One imam may lead the obligatory prayers and Witr, while another imam may lead Tarawih. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) himself led the obligatory prayers and Witr, while Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) led Tarawih.
11. If several rak‘ahs of Tarawih become invalid for some reason, they must be repeated. The portion of the Holy Qur’an recited in those invalidated rak‘ahs should also be recited again, so that the completion of the Qur’an takes place in a valid prayer.
12. If, instead of sitting in the second rak‘ah of Tarawih, the imam stands, and remembers this before prostrating in the third rak‘ah, or a follower reminds him, the imam should sit down, recite the tashahhud, give one salam, perform sajdah sahw, then complete the prayer and give salam. In this way, those two rak‘ahs will be valid. If he remembers only after prostrating in the third rak‘ah, he should add one rak‘ah to it and complete four rak‘ahs. These four rak‘ahs will take the place of two rak‘ahs.
13. If the imam sits for qa‘dah in the second rak‘ah, then stands for the third rak‘ah, and completes four rak‘ahs in this manner, all four rak‘ahs will be valid.
14. Those who did not perform the ‘Isha prayer in congregation may not perform Tarawih in congregation. This is because if one performs the obligatory prayer alone and the nafl prayer in congregation, preference is given to the nafl over the obligatory prayer. This is not valid.
15. If someone reaches the mosque when the obligatory ‘Isha prayer has begun, he should first perform the obligatory prayer and then join Tarawih. The Tarawih rak‘ahs he missed should either be performed during the rest period or after performing Witr in congregation.
16. Some people perform the obligatory ‘Isha prayer in congregation and then perform Tarawih in congregation. Those who did not perform the obligatory prayer in congregation may also join them, because they are following people who performed the obligatory prayer in congregation and are now performing Tarawih with the congregation.
17. Those who performed the ‘Isha prayer alone rather than in congregation may also join the Witr congregation with those who performed the obligatory prayer in congregation and are performing Witr in congregation.
18. The practice of Shabina that has become common nowadays is in no way permissible. The person reciting Shabina reads extremely rapidly and carelessly. He has no concern for reciting correctly or incorrectly, nor does he pay attention to the etiquette of recitation. Such recitation produces no feeling of receiving influence or guidance. The reciter’s only objective is to complete the Qur’an somehow. Then the condition of the followers is that although a few stand behind the imam, most perform only a few rak‘ahs with him. Many sit at the back and chat. They praise the imam for reciting quickly and engage in various kinds of gossip. This is not the night prayer and recitation that the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught and that the noble Companions regularly observed as a Sunnah. In reality, it is ظلم and excess against the Qur’an and a mockery of Tarawih.
The Qur’an says:
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This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you so that people may contemplate its verses and those endowed with understanding may take heed. (Surah Sad: 29)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever completes the Qur’an in less than three days has understood nothing of the Qur’an. (Tirmidhi)
The Qur’an says: When the Qur’an is recited, listen to it with full attention.
19. The rule for reciting the Qur’an in Tarawih is that Bismillah must be recited aloud in one of the surahs, because it is a verse of the Qur’an. The person completing the Qur’an must recite Bismillah, and the listeners must hear it. Therefore, the hafiz must recite it aloud. Usually Bismillah is recited at the beginning of Qul Huwa Allahu. This is not necessary; it may be recited at the beginning of any surah. It should be recited at the beginning of any surah so that people’s mistaken notion that it must be recited at the beginning of Qul Huwa Allahu may be removed. Those who hold that it is a verse in every surah should recite it at the beginning of every surah in the Tarawih prayer. According to the Hanafi school, Bismillah is one verse of the Qur’an Majid. But according to Imam al-Shafi‘i and the reciters of Makkah and Kufah, it is a verse of every surah.
20. It is makruh for some people to recite Qul Huwa Allahu three times during Tarawih. (Some say that reciting Qul Huwa Allahu three times is mustahabb, but not in the prayer—rather, outside the prayer.)
21. It is Sunnah to begin the Qur’an a second time immediately after completing it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah Most High loves it when someone completes the Qur’an and immediately begins it again, reciting up to …………………
Rules for Reciting the Qur’an
1. Taharah—ritual purity
The Holy Qur’an is the pure and great Word of Allah. Complete purity and cleanliness are necessary for touching it and reciting it. If one does not have ablution, performing ablution is obligatory; and if ghusl is required, performing ghusl is indispensable.
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Only one who is completely pure may touch it. (Surah al-Waqi‘ah: 79)
It is permissible to listen to the Qur’an while in the state of menstruation, postnatal bleeding, or janabah (requiring ghusl), but reciting and touching it are forbidden. Reciting without ablution is permissible, but touching it is not proper. Hazrat ‘Aishah (RA) said that the Prophet (SAW) would recite in all states, even without ablution, but he never recited while in the state of janabah. Hazrat ‘Umar (RA) said that a menstruating woman and one required to perform ghusl should not recite anything from the Qur’an. (That is, reciting the Qur’an in such a state is forbidden.) (Tirmidhi)
2. Sincerity of intention during Qur’an recitation
The intention during recitation should be pure. The purpose of recitation should be only to seek Allah’s pleasure and guidance. To attract people through the Qur’an, to take pride in one’s melodious voice, to boast about one’s religiousness, or to wish for people’s praise are all forms of the most despicable mentality. Likewise, those who recite the Qur’an to show off before people or to achieve worldly interests will never receive guidance from the Qur’an. Despite reciting the Qur’an, such people remain far from it. In reality, a person who harbors such despicable mentality, corrupt tendencies, and dishonest motives can neither develop any feeling regarding the greatness and dignity of the Qur’an nor attain knowledge of the Qur’an and its profound truths.
3. Regular recitation and considering it indispensable
The Qur’an should be recited regularly every day. It is mustahabb to recite it daily without missing a day. Recitation may be done at any time, but the appropriate time is in the morning after Fajr. Those whom Allah has blessed with memorizing the Qur’an must recite it daily, because if they do not, they will not retain it. Forgetting the Holy Qur’an after memorizing it is a grave sin. The Prophet (SAW) said: Whoever memorizes the Holy Qur’an and then forgets it will be afflicted with leprosy on the Day of Resurrection. (Bukhari)
The Prophet (SA) also said:
Reflect on the Qur’an, otherwise it will leave your hearts. By Allah, just as a camel runs away when its rope is loosened, so the Qur’an escapes from the heart because of the slightest negligence and careless attitude. (Muslim)
To encourage regular recitation, he said: The example of one who reads the Qur’an and continues to recite it regularly every day is like a pouch filled with musk whose fragrance spreads everywhere. And the example of one who has learned to read the Qur’an but does not recite it is like a bottle filled with musk that is sealed with a cork or stopper. (Tirmidhi)
While describing the great reward for reciting with a melodious voice, the Prophet (SAW) said: On the Day of Resurrection, the reciters of the Qur’an will be told, “Recite as you used to recite in the world, slowly and melodiously, and continue ascending one level for each verse. Your abode will be near the last verse you recite.” (Tirmidhi)
Reciting the Qur’an with musical modes is makruh tahrimi. One must refrain from it.
4. Arrangements for listening to the Qur’an
Arrangements should also be made for listening to the Qur’an with enthusiasm and eagerness. Hazrat Khalid ibn Ma‘dan said: The reward for listening to the Qur’an is double that of reciting it. (Darimi)
The Prophet (SA) greatly loved listening to others recite the Qur’an. Once he said to Hazrat ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA), “Recite the Qur’an to me.” Hazrat ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA) said, “O Messenger of Allah, shall I recite the Qur’an to you? The Qur’an was revealed to you.” The Prophet (SA) said, “Yes, recite it. I greatly enjoy listening when someone recites.” Hazrat ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA) then began reciting Surah al-Nisa’. When he recited—
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“Consider what the situation will be when We bring one witness from every nation and appoint you as a witness over them.” (Surah al-Nisa’: 41)
Then the Prophet (SA) said, “Stop, stop.”
Hazrat Ibn Mas‘ud (RA) said: I saw tears flowing from both of the Prophet’s (SA) eyes. (Bukhari)
Hazrat Abu Musa (RA) recited the Qur’an very beautifully. Whenever Hazrat ‘Umar (RA) met him, he would say, “Abu Musa, remind me of my Lord.” Abu Musa would then begin reciting the Qur’an. (Sunan al-Darimi)
5. Reflection and contemplation
The Qur’an should be recited with understanding, its verses should be pondered over, and one should develop the habit of mastering its message and wisdom. One should recite with the resolve to obey its commands and stay away from its prohibitions. The Book of Allah was revealed precisely so that it would be read with understanding and its injunctions acted upon.
Allah says:
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“This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you, so that they may ponder over its verses and people of understanding may take heed.” (Surah Sad: 29)
Reading a small amount with reflection and understanding is much better than hurriedly reading several surahs. Hazrat ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (RA) said: Reading and understanding short surahs such as al-Qadr and al-Qari‘ah is much better than hurriedly reading Aal ‘Imran and al-Baqarah.
In a nafl prayer, it is permissible to recite the same surah or the same verse repeatedly. One may reflect on its meaning and inner significance and recite it repeatedly with love. Once the Prophet (SA) continued reciting the same verse throughout the night, and morning came in this way. The verse was—
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“O Lord! If You punish them, they are indeed Your servants; and if You forgive them, then You are the Almighty, the All-Wise.” (Surah al-Ma’idah: 118)
Of course, there is also a great reward for reciting the Qur’an without knowing its meaning and import. However, recitation that purifies and refines the heart and inspires action is recitation with understanding.
The Prophet (SA) said: Just as iron rusts in water, the heart also rusts. The Companions asked, “O Messenger of Allah, then what is the means of removing this rust?” The Prophet (SA) said, “Remembering death frequently and reciting the Qur’an.”
It is mentioned in the Torah that Allah says: “My servant! Do you not feel ashamed that when your brother’s letter reaches you while you are traveling, you stop or move aside from the road and sit down, continuing to read each of its letters and reflect upon it? And this Book—the Torah—is My command that I have sent to you so that you may always reflect upon it and follow its injunctions. Yet you refuse to accept it and delay acting upon its commands; and if you do read it, you do not reflect upon it.” (Kimiya-ye Sa‘adat)
Hazrat Hasan Basri (RA) said: The people of the early period of Islam firmly believed that the Qur’an was Allah’s command, revealed from Him. In fact, they recited the Qur’an at night with deep concentration and followed its injunctions during the day. But your condition is that you merely read its words and correctly pronounce the vowel marks of its letters. As far as practice is concerned, however, it must be said that you are far behind in this regard. (Kimiya-ye Sa‘adat)
6. Sincerity and humility
The Qur’an should be recited facing the qiblah with complete concentration, eagerness, humility, and devotion. During recitation, looking here and there carelessly and heedlessly, speaking with anyone, or doing anything that destroys concentration are all makruh, or undesirable acts.
7. Ta‘awwudh and tasmiya
At the beginning of recitation, *******আরবী****** should be recited. If one turns one’s attention to some other task or speaks with someone in the middle, *******আরবী********* should be recited again. Outside prayer, it is mustahabb to recite *******আরবী********* at the beginning of every surah. Only at the beginning of Surah al-Tawbah should *******আরবী********* not be recited.
8. During recitation, it is mustahabb to be affected by the contents of the Holy Qur’an and to express that effect. (However, one must be extremely cautious and alert in this matter, because riya destroys all of a person’s good deeds.) When the rewards and limitless blessings of Paradise are mentioned, and believers are given the good news of mercy, forgiveness, prosperity, salvation, Allah’s pleasure, and the vision of Him, one should feel happy. When verses mentioning Allah’s anger and wrath, the terrible punishment of Hell, and the cries of the inhabitants of Hell are recited, one should weep out of fear. If tears do not come, one should try to cry. During recitation, when the Prophet (SA) recited verses concerning punishment, he would supplicate, and when he recited verses concerning forgiveness, he would recite tasbih.
9. Balance in the voice
The Qur’an should be recited neither in an excessively loud voice nor in an excessively low voice, but in a moderate voice between the two, so that one’s own heart is drawn toward it and the listeners become eager to hear. In this way, the mind will be drawn toward reflection.
The Qur’an says:
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“And do not recite your prayer too loudly, nor too quietly; rather, follow a way between the two.” (Surah Bani Isra’il: 110)
10. Special care in recitation during Tahajjud
Whenever recitation is performed, it brings reward and recompense and becomes a cause of guidance, but the virtue of reciting the Qur’an in Tahajjud prayer is greatest. A believer should aspire to attain ever-higher ranks. The pleasant time of Tahajjud is free from riya, display, and artificiality; it provides the finest environment for sincerity and turning wholly toward Allah, especially when a person stands before Allah and recites His Word with devotion and sincere eagerness. The Prophet (SA) would recite at length during Tahajjud.
11. Special care in reciting while looking at the Holy Qur’an
Reciting while looking at the Holy Qur’an at times other than prayer brings greater reward and a better recompense. First, there is the reward for recitation; second, there is the reward and recompense for touching the Word of Allah with one’s hands and seeing it with one’s own eyes. (Etkal)
12. The purpose of the sequential order
The surahs should be recited in the sequential order found in the Qur’an. However, to make lessons easier for children, it is permissible not to follow this sequence. For example, in Ampara, children are taught from Surah al-Nas backward to Surah al-Naba’. Nevertheless, reciting contrary to the Qur’an’s sequential order is unanimously prohibited.
13. Deep concentration of the heart
Many people perform wazifa and zikr and adhkar with deep concentration and spend hours doing so. But they do not recite the Qur’an with equal concentration. Yet no zikr or wazifa can be superior to reciting the Qur’an. There can be no better means of tazkiyah al-nafs (spiritual purification) than this. Giving preference to any other wazifa over the Qur’an is the result of failing to understand the religion properly, and it is also a sin. The Prophet (SA) said: Through recitation, a servant can draw closest to Allah by means of the Qur’an. (Kimiya-ye Sa‘adat)
The Prophet (SA) said: The best worship for my ummah is reciting the Qur’an.
14. Supplication after recitation
It is Sunnah to recite the following supplication after recitation:
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O Allah! Through the Qur’an, have mercy upon me, and make it my guide, light, guidance, and mercy. O Allah! Remind me of whatever I forget from it, teach me what I do not know, and grant me the ability to recite it during portions of the night and in the morning and evening. O Lord of the worlds, make it a proof and evidence in my favor.
The exposition of prostration of recitation
The ruling on prostration of recitation
There are fourteen verses in the Qur’an (fifteen according to Ahl al-Hadith; they also prostrate at verse 77 of Surah al-Hajj, and this is also the view of the Shafi‘is) whose recitation or hearing makes prostration obligatory. (According to scholars other than Imam Abu Hanifah, prostration of recitation is Sunnah.) Whether the entire verse is recited or the words of prostration are recited together with the preceding and following words (those verses are marked with a line), prostration becomes obligatory. This is called prostration of recitation.
The Prophet (SA) said: When someone recites a verse of prostration and prostrates, Satan withdraws to one side and laments, saying, “Alas! The children of Adam were commanded to prostrate, so they prostrated and became deserving of Paradise. I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused and became deserving of Hell.” (Muslim, Ibn Majah)
The places of prostration of recitation
Verse 206 of Surah al-A‘raf; verse 15 of Surah al-Ra‘d; verses 49 and 50 of Surah al-Nahl; verse 109 of Surah Bani Isra’il; verse 58 of Surah Maryam; verse 18 of Surah al-Hajj; verse 60 of Surah al-Furqan; verses 25–26 of Surah al-Naml; verse 38 of Surah Ha-Mim Sajdah; verse 62 of Surah al-Najm; verses 20–21 of Surah al-Inshiqaq; and verse 19 of Surah al-‘Alaq.
Conditions of prostration of recitation
Conditions of prostration of recitation:
(That is, the conditions of prostration of recitation are the same as the conditions of prayer. The things that invalidate prayer also invalidate the prostration of recitation.)
1. Taharah
Purity of the body. That is, one must be pure from major impurity and from ritual impurity. If one does not have ablution, one must perform ablution; and if ghusl is required, one must perform ghusl.
- Purity of the clothing.
- Purity of the place of prayer.
- Covering the awrah.
- Facing the qiblah.
- Making the intention for prostration of recitation.
This is the view of most scholars. However, some scholars hold that ablution is not necessary for prostration of recitation. According to Ahl al-Hadith, performing prostration of recitation with ablution is preferable, but it is permissible without ablution.
Allama Maududi (RA) expressed the following opinion on this matter:
For this prostration, most scholars uphold the conditions required for prayer. However, among all the hadiths found concerning prostration of recitation, there is no evidence for these conditions. It therefore appears that after hearing a verse of prostration, a person should prostrate wherever and in whatever state he may be, whether he has ablution or not, and whether facing the qiblah is possible or not. Among the Muslims of the early period there were people who acted in this way. Imam Bukhari says regarding ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (RA) that he would recite the Qur’an while walking. Whenever he came across a verse of prostration, he would simply bow his head, whether he had ablution or not and whether he was facing the qiblah or not. For these reasons, we believe that if someone acts contrary to the view of most scholars, he should not be condemned. This is because there is no established Sunnah supporting the general scholarly view, and among the early Muslims there were also people whose practice differed from that view. (Tafhim al-Qur’an, volume 2, Surah al-A‘raf, note 157)
It is not a condition to intend that this is the prostration for a particular verse. If a verse of prostration is recited during prayer and one prostrates, intention is not a condition.
Method of prostration of recitation
One should stand facing the qiblah, make the intention for prostration of recitation, and go into prostration while saying “Allahu Akbar.” After prostrating, one should rise while saying “Allahu Akbar.” There is no need to recite the Tashahhud or offer salam.
Hazrat ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA) said: When you reach a verse of prostration, go into prostration while saying “Allahu Akbar,” and say “Allahu Akbar” when raising your head. (Abu Dawud)
Prostration of recitation may also be performed while sitting, but it is mustahabb to stand before going into prostration.
In the prostration of recitation, one may recite, besides “Subhana Rabbiyal A‘la,” other prescribed tasbihs. However, when performing prostration of recitation during an obligatory prayer, it is better to recite “Subhana Rabbiyal A‘la.” In a nafl prayer or outside prayer, any tasbih may be recited during prostration of recitation. For example, the following tasbih may be recited:
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My face prostrates to the One who created it and gave it ears and eyes. All of this has occurred through His power. Allah Most High is the source of majesty and blessing, the Best of creators.
Rulings concerning prostration of recitation
1. Prostration of recitation is obligatory for those for whom prayer is obligatory. It is not obligatory for women experiencing menstruation or postnatal bleeding, nor for minors. It is also not obligatory for a person who has remained unconscious for more than a day and a night.
2. If a verse of prostration is recited in prayer, prostration becomes immediately obligatory and delay is not permitted. If a verse of prostration is recited outside prayer, it is better to prostrate immediately, though there is no harm in delaying it. However, delaying it excessively without reason is makruh.
3. If a verse of prostration is recited in prayer, that prostration must be performed in that same prayer. If someone recites a verse of prostration and performs the prostration in another prayer, it will not be valid. If someone recites a verse of prostration and forgets to prostrate during the prayer, there is no alternative but to repent and seek forgiveness. However, if that prayer becomes invalid, the prostration may be performed outside prayer.
4. If someone is praying or leading the prayer and hears a verse of prostration from someone else, whether that other person recites it during prayer or outside prayer, prostration of recitation does not become obligatory for the listener who is praying or for the imam.
5. If a follower recites a verse of prostration, prostration does not become obligatory either for the imam or for the follower.
6. If someone hears a verse of prostration near the imam but joins the congregation after the prostration has been performed, then if he catches the rak‘ah in which the imam performed the prostration, his prostration will also be fulfilled. But if he joins in the following rak‘ah, he must perform the prostration after the prayer.
7. If someone recites a verse of prostration silently in his mind without uttering it, or merely writes it, or reads only its individual letters, prostration does not become obligatory.
8. If a verse of prostration is recited repeatedly in the same place, only one prostration is required. If several verses of prostration are recited, one must perform as many prostrations as the number of verses recited. If one verse is recited in several places, one must prostrate as many times as the number of places in which it was recited.
9. During recitation, if all the listeners have ablution, it is better to recite the verse of prostration aloud. But if they do not have ablution or there is no opportunity for them to prostrate, it is better to recite it quietly, because they may forget to prostrate later and become sinful.
10. It is makruh to recite the verse before and the verse after a verse of prostration while omitting the verse of prostration, or to recite the entire surah while omitting its final verse of prostration.
11. Some ignorant people, when they reach a verse of prostration while reciting the Qur’an, prostrate directly onto the Qur’an. Prostration is not valid in this way. Prostration of recitation should be performed in the manner described above.
12. In prayers recited silently, one should not recite a surah containing a prostration verse. Likewise, it should not be recited in Friday and the two Eid prayers when there is a large congregation. Otherwise, it will cause confusion among the followers and invalidate the prayer.
Prostration of Gratitude
When one hears [good news], receives a great blessing through Allah’s mercy, achieves success in some matter, has a hope or desire fulfilled, or is relieved of some calamity or hardship, it is mustahabb to perform the prostration of gratitude for Allah’s grace and kindness. However, this prostration should not be performed immediately with the prayer. Otherwise, ignorant people may continue to regard it as part of the prayer or perform it believing it to be a Sunnah. This is a prostration separate from the prayer. Therefore, it should be performed in such a way that no one has any doubt. Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) says that when the Prophet (SAW) became happy about something or heard good news, he would prostrate in gratitude to Allah. (Tirmidhi)
Some people perform two prostrations after the Witr prayer and regard them as Sunnah. This is incorrect. It is wrong to perform them believing them to be Sunnah, and they should be abandoned.
The Meaning of I‘tikaf
Lexically, remaining confined in a place or stopping at a place is called i‘tikaf. In Shariah terminology, i‘tikaf means a person remaining in a mosque after separating himself from worldly involvement, relationships, and wife and children.
The Essence of I‘tikaf
I‘tikaf means that a person cuts off worldly dealings and relationships, separates himself from domestic occupations and the desires of the lower self, and devotes his intellectual and practical abilities to the remembrance and worship of Allah. Then, becoming detached from everything else, he becomes Allah’s neighbor. Through this practice, on the one hand he can remain safe from all kinds of idle talk and evil deeds, and on the other his relationship with Allah will grow stronger. He will attain His nearness and find peace of mind in His remembrance and worship. This practice of several days of spiritual training will leave such a deep impression on his heart that, even after seeing the world’s amusements and alluring attractions all around him, he will be able to maintain a strong relationship with Allah. He will be able to avoid disobedience to Allah and feel joy in obeying His commands. In this way, he will spend his entire life in Allah’s servitude.
Types of I‘tikaf
I‘tikaf is of three types: wajib, mustahabb, and Sunnat Mu’akkadah.
Wajib I‘tikaf
I‘tikaf undertaken as a vow is wajib. If someone vows to perform i‘tikaf without qualification, or makes a conditional vow—for example, saying, “If I pass my examination, or if such-and-such matter is completed, I will perform i‘tikaf”—then this i‘tikaf becomes wajib and must be fulfilled.
Mustahabb I‘tikaf
Any i‘tikaf performed outside the last ten days of Ramadan is mustahabb, whether it is performed during the first or second ten days of Ramadan or in any other month.
Sunnat Mu’akkadah I‘tikaf
Performing i‘tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan is Sunnat Mu’akkadah Kifayah. That is, the Muslims should collectively ensure that this Sunnah is observed, because the Hadiths strongly emphasize it.
The Qur’an says:
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Do not have relations with your wives while you are performing i‘tikaf in the mosques. (Surah al-Baqarah: 187)
The Prophet (SAW) regularly performed i‘tikaf every year and continued it until his death. Once, when he was unable to perform i‘tikaf for some reason, he performed it for twenty days the following year. Therefore, if the Muslims collectively abandon this Sunnah, they will be sinful. If even some people in a locality arrange to observe this Sunnah, then, since it is Sunnat Kifayah, the i‘tikaf of these few people will suffice for everyone. But it would be extremely unfortunate if the entire Muslim community became indifferent to it and this beloved Sunnah of the Prophet were to disappear completely.
Hazrat Aishah (RA) says that the Prophet (SAW) performed i‘tikaf during the last ten days of every Ramadan. This practice continued until his death. After his passing, his wives continued observing i‘tikaf. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Hazrat Anas (RA) says that the Prophet (SAW) performed i‘tikaf during the last ten days of every Ramadan. One year he was unable to perform i‘tikaf, so he performed it for twenty days the following year. (Tirmidhi)
The Most Excellent I‘tikaf
I‘tikaf in al-Masjid al-Haram is the most excellent i‘tikaf, followed by i‘tikaf in the Prophet’s Mosque, and then in Bayt al-Maqdis. After that, the best i‘tikaf is in a congregational mosque where congregational prayer is regularly performed, followed by the mosque of one’s neighborhood where congregational prayer is performed.
Conditions of I‘tikaf
There are four conditions of i‘tikaf, without which i‘tikaf will not be valid.
1. Remaining in a Mosque
For a man, it is necessary to perform i‘tikaf in a mosque, whether or not the five daily prayers are performed there in congregation. (According to Imam Abu Hanifah (RA), it is necessary to perform i‘tikaf in a mosque where congregational prayer is held. According to Imam Muhammad (RA) and Imam Abu Yusuf (RA), i‘tikaf is valid in every mosque. The fatwa of that era was based on this view. —Durr al-Mukhtar) A man’s i‘tikaf is not valid anywhere except a mosque.
2. Intention
Just as intention is a condition for other acts of worship, it is also a condition for i‘tikaf. I‘tikaf cannot take place without intention. If someone merely remains in a mosque without intending i‘tikaf, this stay will not constitute i‘tikaf. It is also established that an intention for worship is valid only when the person making it is a Muslim and possesses understanding. The intention of an unconscious or insane person is not valid.
3. Purification from major ritual impurity
That is, if ritual bathing becomes obligatory for a man or woman, the person must perform it and purify the body; and a woman must be purified from menstruation and postnatal bleeding.
4. Fasting
Fasting is also a condition for i‘tikaf, but only for wajib i‘tikaf. Fasting is not a condition for mustahabb i‘tikaf. As for Sunnah i‘tikaf, fasting is a condition because it must be performed during the month of Ramadan.
Rules of I‘tikaf
1. Wajib i‘tikaf may be for at least one full day. It cannot be for less than this; therefore, fasting is a condition for wajib i‘tikaf.
2. Fasting is indeed a condition for wajib i‘tikaf, but it is not necessary to fast specifically for i‘tikaf. For example, if someone vows to perform i‘tikaf during Ramadan, the i‘tikaf will be valid; the Ramadan fast itself will suffice for it. However, it is necessary that the fast observed during i‘tikaf be wajib, not nafl.
3. Wajib i‘tikaf may last at least one day and may last as long as one wishes.
4. No minimum duration is prescribed for mustahabb i‘tikaf; even i‘tikaf lasting a few minutes is possible.
5. Since fasting is a condition for wajib i‘tikaf, even if someone intends not to fast, fasting will nevertheless be obligatory. Therefore, intending i‘tikaf for only the night is meaningless.
6. If someone intends i‘tikaf for both night and day, or for several days, the night must be considered included and he must perform i‘tikaf at night as well. However, if one vows to perform i‘tikaf for one day, i‘tikaf for the entire day will be wajib, but i‘tikaf for the night will not be wajib.
7. Women should perform i‘tikaf in their own homes. Their performing i‘tikaf in a mosque is makruh tanzihi. Generally, they should enclose with a curtain the place in the house where they usually pray and designate it for i‘tikaf.
8. Since i‘tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan is Sunnat Mu’akkadah Kifayah, it should be observed so that some people of the household certainly arrange to perform it. If it is neglected and no one in the neighborhood performs i‘tikaf, everyone will be sinful.
9. If wajib i‘tikaf is invalidated for any reason, its qada will become wajib. However, there is no qada for Sunnah or mustahabb i‘tikaf.
The Prescribed Time for I‘tikaf
The prescribed time for i‘tikaf begins shortly before sunset on the 20th of Ramadan and ends as soon as the crescent of Eid is sighted. Whether the crescent appears on the 29th of Ramadan or on the 30th, the prescribed i‘tikaf will be complete in either case.
The person performing i‘tikaf should reach the mosque before sunset on the 20th of Ramadan; if she is a woman, she should reach the designated place in her home that she has set aside for prayer. She must not leave the place of i‘tikaf until the Eid crescent appears. However, it is permissible to leave for natural needs, such as urination, defecation, or obligatory bathing, or for a Shariah-related need, such as Friday prayer. She must return to the place of i‘tikaf as soon as the need has been fulfilled.
The Duration of Wajib I‘tikaf
Since fasting is a condition for wajib i‘tikaf, its minimum duration is one day. A vow to perform i‘tikaf for less than one day, for a few hours, is meaningless, because the time of fasting is from true dawn until sunset.
The Duration of Mustahabb I‘tikaf
Nafl i‘tikaf may be performed at any time. Fasting is not a condition for it, nor is any particular month or time required. Whenever someone is in a mosque, he may make the intention for nafl i‘tikaf. He will receive its reward for however long he remains in the mosque.
Mustahabb Acts During I‘tikaf
1. Performing dhikr and adhkar; reflecting on the religious rulings and issues and on religious knowledge and discourse; and remaining engaged in tasbih and tahlil.
2. Reciting the Qur’an and reflecting upon it.
3. Reciting Durood Sharif and other forms of dhikr.
4. Studying and teaching about the religion.
5. Delivering religious sermons and engaging in tabligh.
6. Remaining engaged in writing books related to the religion.
Permissible Acts During I‘tikaf
1. It is permissible to go outside to urinate or defecate. It should be remembered that these needs must be fulfilled at a place near the mosque. If there is such a place near the mosque but it is without privacy or extremely dirty, permission is granted to go to one’s own home to urinate or defecate.
2. It is also permissible to leave the place of i‘tikaf for obligatory bathing. However, if bathing facilities are available in the mosque, one must bathe there.
3. One may leave the mosque to eat if there is no one to bring food. If someone is available to bring food, it is necessary to eat in the mosque.
4. It is also permissible to leave for the Friday and Eid prayers. If i‘tikaf is being performed in a mosque where congregational prayer is not held, it is permissible to go elsewhere for the five daily prayers.
5. If a fire breaks out somewhere, someone falls into water and is drowning, someone is killing another person, or there is a fear that the mosque may collapse, then leaving the place of i‘tikaf in such circumstances is not merely permissible but necessary. However, the i‘tikaf will be invalidated.
6. If someone leaves for a natural need, such as Friday prayer, and during that time visits a sick person or attends a funeral, there is no harm in it.
7. It is permissible to leave the mosque for any natural or Shariah-related need.
8. It is permissible to leave early enough for Friday prayer to perform Tahiyyat al-Masjid and the Sunnahs of Friday without haste. The person performing i‘tikaf should determine the appropriate time.
9. If someone is forcibly removed from the place of i‘tikaf, or if someone detains him outside, his i‘tikaf will nevertheless end.
10. If a creditor detains someone outside, or if the person himself falls ill and is delayed in reaching the place of i‘tikaf, the i‘tikaf will nevertheless be invalidated.
11. If there is no one to buy and sell and there is no food at home, it is permissible for the person performing i‘tikaf to buy and sell as needed.
12. It is permissible to leave the mosque to give the adhan.
13. If, when making the intention for i‘tikaf, someone also intends to go for a funeral, it is permissible for him to go. If he makes any other intention, it will not be permissible for him to go.
14. During i‘tikaf, it is permissible to give someone advice concerning religion or medical treatment. It is permissible to marry, sleep, and rest.
Acts Not Permissible During I‘tikaf
1. During i‘tikaf, sexual intercourse is impermissible, and embracing or kissing one’s wife is also impermissible; however, if ejaculation does not occur, the i‘tikaf will not be invalidated.
2. Engaging in worldly activities during i‘tikaf is makruh tahrimi. If done out of compulsion, it will be permissible.
3. Sitting completely silent during i‘tikaf is makruh tahrimi. One should remain engaged in remembrance and reflection, recitation, and similar acts.
4. Buying and selling in the mosque, fighting and arguing, backbiting, or speaking any kind of idle talk is makruh.
5. It is not permissible to leave the mosque without a natural or Shariah-related need, or to leave for such a need and remain outside. This will invalidate the i‘tikaf.
Laylat al-Qadr
Among the last ten days of Ramadan is a night called Laylat al-Qadr and Laylatum Mubarakah, and it has been declared better than a thousand months.
The Qur’an says:
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Indeed, We sent down this Book on its blessed night.
The Qur’an says at another place:
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Indeed, We sent down this Qur’an on Laylat al-Qadr. Do you know what Laylat al-Qadr is? It is a night better than a thousand months. (Surah al-Qadr)
The Meaning of Laylat al-Qadr
Two Meanings of Qadr
First: to determine, specify a time, and decide. That is, Laylat al-Qadr is a night on which Allah determines the exact measure of everything, specifies its time, sends down commands, and determines the destiny of every matter.
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On that night, every wise and firm decree is made clear by Our command. (Surah al-Dukhan)
Elsewhere in the Qur’an it says:
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On that night, the angels—and especially Jibril—descend, coming down to carry out every task by the command of their Lord. (Surah al-Qadr: 4)
Second: the second meaning of qadr is greatness and excellence. That is, Laylat al-Qadr is a night that possesses immense greatness and virtue in the sight of Allah. The fact that Allah sent down such a tremendous blessing as the Qur’an on that night is sufficient proof of its honor and greatness. No greater blessing can a person imagine or desire. It is on the basis of this goodness, blessing, greatness, and virtue that the Qur’an declares it superior to a thousand months.
Determining Laylat al-Qadr
The Hadiths tell us that it is one of the odd-numbered nights among the last ten days of this Ramadan: the night of the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th. Hazrat Aishah (RA) says that the Prophet (SAW) said: Seek Laylat al-Qadr among the odd-numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan. (Bukhari)
The wisdom behind not identifying this night explicitly is that greater effort may be made in remembrance and worship during these last ten days of Ramadan.
Hazrat Aisha (RA) said, “During the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (PBUH) would arrange for remembrance and worship in a manner he did not at other times.” (Muslim)
Encouraging abundant prayer and worship, remembrance, glorification, and other acts on this night, the Prophet (PBUH) said, “When Laylat al-Qadr arrives, Jibril descends to the earth with the other angels and prays for mercy and forgiveness for every servant who remains engaged in the remembrance and worship of Allah, standing or sitting.” (Bayhaqi)
The Prophet (PBUH) also said, “O people! A night has come to you that is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of this night is deprived of all kinds of goodness, and whoever remains deprived of this night is truly deprived.” (Ibn Majah)
The Special Supplication of Laylat al-Qadr
Hazrat Aisha (RA) said, “I asked him, ‘O Messenger of Allah! If I somehow come to know which night is Laylat al-Qadr, what should I supplicate?’ In response, the Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘Recite this supplication.’”
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O Allah, You are indeed Most Forgiving and Most Merciful. You love to forgive. Therefore, forgive my sins.
The Rulings and Regulations of Sadaqat al-Fitr
In the very year that fasting was made obligatory upon Muslims, the Prophet (PBUH) instructed Muslims to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr. A servant makes arrangements to perform the acts of worship ordained by Allah with all their conditions and regulations, but many shortcomings and deficiencies nevertheless remain in them, knowingly or unknowingly. To compensate for the shortcomings that occur during fasting, the Shariah made Sadaqat al-Fitr obligatory at the end of Ramadan. Through it, their shortcomings will be compensated, and poor and needy Muslims will be able to collect food and clothing with peace of mind and join all the Muslims in the Eid prayer.
Those well-off people who, after fulfilling their needs, possess wealth equal in value to the nisab must pay Sadaqat al-Fitr, whether or not zakat is obligatory on that wealth. Sadaqat al-Fitr is obligatory.
It is better to give Sadaqat al-Fitr one or two days before Eid; otherwise, it should be given before the Eid prayer. Giving it before the Eid prayer is mustahabb.
If wheat is given, it should be one ser and three chhataks; barley should be twice that amount. According to some, the amount of wheat is one ser and twelve and a half chhataks. Dates and raisins should be given in twice the quantity of wheat.
Sadaqat al-Fitr should be given to those to whom zakat is given.
The Chapter on Hajj
An Account of Hajj
Hajj is the fifth important pillar of Islam. Hajj has an inspiring historical background rooted in faith. Without keeping this in view, it is impossible to understand the greatness, significance, and fundamental purpose of Hajj. In a powerful environment permeated by disbelief and shirk, a believing servant proclaimed pure tawhid. Then, despite the extreme obstacles and opposition of false and oppressive forces, through an unparalleled inspiration and practice of faith, taqwa, sincerity, devotion to Allah, love and affection, sacrifice, and wholehearted, unconditional obedience and complete submission to Allah, he created the complete history of Islam and established such a center of tawhid and sincerity that humanity will continue to receive the message of tawhid from it until the final moment of the world.
To remember this history anew and stir emotion and enthusiasm in people’s hearts, every year devotees from distant places, madly in love with tawhid, gather at that center and perform all that their leader and guide, Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), did. Sometimes they wear two pieces of cloth and circumambulate the House of Allah in emotional enthusiasm; at other times they are seen running between the hills of Safa and Marwah. Sometimes they stand in the plain of Arafat and offer supplication before Allah, and sometimes they sacrifice animals at the place of sacrifice and pledge their love to Allah. Rising and sitting, coming and going, morning and evening, the entire environment of the Haram continues to resound with the same call: O Allah! Your servant is present at Your court. All praise and glory belong only to You; showing mercy is Your work alone; no one shares in Your lordship and authority.
In reality, Hajj is the creation of these states and the complete surrender of oneself to Allah.
The Meaning of Hajj
Lexically, Hajj means intending to visit. In the terminology of the Shariah, Hajj means the comprehensive worship that a person performs upon reaching the House of Allah. Since, in Hajj, a Muslim intends to visit the House of Allah, it is called Hajj.
Hajj Is Comprehensive Worship
Islamic worship is of two kinds. First, bodily worship, such as prayer and fasting. Second, worship through wealth, such as charity, zakat, almsgiving, and other acts of generosity. The distinctive feature of Hajj is that it is worship through wealth as well as worship through the body. Through other established acts of worship, the inspiration and emotion of sincerity, taqwa, humility, submissiveness, thirst for worship, obedience, sacrifice, renunciation, self-surrender, and nearness to Allah develop separately. The comprehensiveness of Hajj is that all these feelings, emotions, and spiritual states are created and developed at the same time and together.
The first mosque built on earth to establish the prayer that is the source of religion is the mosque around which believers circumambulate reverently during Hajj. Throughout their lives, Muslims pray facing that mosque from distant places; during Hajj, they have the good fortune to stand in that very mosque and complete their prayer.
Fasting is a suitable and essential means of reforming the mind and character. Through fasting, a believer gains strength through patience and endurance by remaining distant from the desires of the self and develops the habit of becoming a soldier and mujahid of Allah.
From the time of putting on ihram during Hajj until removing it, he spends day and night in such striving and spiritual discipline, erasing one image after another from his heart and imprinting the image of love for Allah. Day and night he raises the call of tawhid and becomes solely a standard-bearer of tawhid.
By giving his beloved wealth in charity and zakat, the believing servant removes the inclination toward love of wealth and plants the seed of love for Allah. In Hajj too, a person gives freely the wealth he has accumulated throughout his life, solely out of love for Allah, and fulfills the promise and covenant made with Him by sacrificing in His path. In short, through Hajj, all the purposes of developing a loving relationship with Allah, reforming the mind and character, and achieving spiritual growth are fulfilled simultaneously. The condition, however, is that Hajj must not be merely the performance of the Hajj ceremony.
The Essence of Hajj
The essence or substance of Hajj is that a person surrenders himself completely into the hands of his Lord and becomes a devoted Muslim. In fact, one may hope from Allah Almighty’s pure essence for the power that, despite all reliable efforts at reform and correction, the shortcomings remaining in a servant’s life will be removed through the acts required in Hajj and the blessings of its sacred places, and that he will return from Hajj purified as though he had been born that very day. At the same time, Hajj is also a touchstone of one’s true condition: whose Hajj is a genuine Hajj, and who, despite performing all the pillars of Hajj and visiting the House of Allah, has remained deprived? It is also true that, despite being granted the opportunity to perform Hajj, little hope can be held that a person who remains deprived of reforming himself will be reformed by any other means. Therefore, it is extremely important for the pilgrim to review his emotions, feelings, and desires, and to perform each pillar and act of Hajj with complete sincerity and feeling, thereby attaining the benefits of Hajj for which it was made obligatory.
A man came to Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi (RA) after visiting the House of Allah and performing Hajj, but no mark of Hajj could be seen upon his life. He asked him, “Where have you come from?” The man replied, “I have returned from performing Hajj at the House of Allah.”
Hazrat Junayd (RA), greatly astonished, said, “Did you perform Hajj?”
Traveler: Yes, Hazrat, I performed Hajj.
Hazrat: When you left your home and set out for Hajj, were you distant from sin?
Traveler: Hazrat, I did not think in that way.
Hazrat: Then you did not set out for Hajj at all. Tell me, when you crossed the various stages of this sacred journey and spent nights at different places, did you also pass through the stages of attaining nearness to Allah?
Traveler: Hazrat, I did not think of any of this.
Hazrat: Then you neither journeyed toward the House of Allah nor passed through any stages toward it. Tell me, when you donned ihram and removed your everyday clothing, did you at the same time cast your evil traits and habits out of your life?
Traveler: Hazrat, I did not consider it in that way.
Hazrat Junayd then said with great sorrow, “Then where did you even don ihram? Tell me, when you stood in the plain of Arafat, did you experience any feeling of spiritual witnessing?”
Traveler: Hazrat, I did not understand what that meant.
Hazrat: It means this: while supplicating to Allah in the plain of Arafat, did you feel within yourself that your Lord was before you and that you were seeing Him?
Traveler: Hazrat, I did not experience that state.
Hazrat: Then you did not reach Arafat. Now tell me, after reaching Muzdalifah, did you renounce the desires of your lower self?
Traveler: Hazrat, I paid no attention to this matter.
Hazrat: Then you did not go to Muzdalifah either. Now tell me, while circumambulating the House of Allah, did you perceive the radiance of Allah’s beauty and His miraculous power?
Traveler: Hazrat, I was deprived of that.
Hazrat: Then you did not circumambulate at all. Now tell me, when you performed sa‘i between Safa and Marwah, did you attain the wisdom, essence, and purpose of Safa and Marwah and of performing sa‘i between them?
Traveler: I had no feeling of any of this.
Hazrat: Then, strictly speaking, you did not perform sa‘i either. When you went to the place of sacrifice and offered the sacrifice, did you also sacrifice your lower self and its desires?
Traveler: Hazrat, I did not pay attention to that.
Hazrat: Then where did you offer a sacrifice? Now tell me, when you threw stones at the jamarat, did you also cast away from yourself your evil associates, companions, and wicked impulses?
Traveler: I did not.
Hazrat: Then you did not perform rami either.
Then Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi (RA) said with great sorrow, “Go back and perform Hajj again with such a state of heart, so that a bond may be established with Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), whose faithfulness and fulfillment of his covenant the Qur’an attests to, saying—”
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“And Ibrahim (AS), who fulfilled his covenant with his Lord completely.”
The Greatness and Importance of Hajj
The Qur’an and Sunnah explain in detail the wisdom of Hajj, its status within the religion, and its greatness and importance. The Qur’an says:
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“Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Allah by people who are able to find a way to it. And whoever rejects this command and behaves with disbelief should know that Allah is Independent of all beings in the universe.” (Surah Aal Imran: 97)
1. Hajj is Allah’s right over His servants. For whoever has the ability and means to travel to the House of Allah, fulfilling Allah’s right is obligatory. Those who do not perform Hajj despite having the means wrongfully violate Allah’s right. This statement of the verse proves that Hajj is obligatory. Indeed, the statement of Hazrat Ali (RA) makes it clear that the Prophet’s (PBUH) declaration that Hajj was obligatory was made when this verse was revealed. (Tirmidhi—Book of Hajj)
There is also a narration to this effect in Sahih Muslim, in which the Prophet (PBUH) said:
“O people! Hajj has been made obligatory upon you. Therefore, perform Hajj.”
2. Another important truth to which this verse draws attention is that failing to perform Hajj despite having the means is an act of disbelief, as stated here. Similarly, the Qur’an describes abandoning prayer in one place as an act of shirk:
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“Establish prayer and do not be among the polytheists.”
Likewise, in this verse under discussion, failing to perform Hajj is described as an act of disbelief. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“Whoever has the necessary funds and provisions for Hajj and has a means of transport by which he can reach the House of Allah, yet does not perform Hajj, may die as a Jew or as a Christian—it makes no difference. This is because Allah says—”
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The narrator of the hadith means that the Prophet (PBUH) likened those who do not perform Hajj to Jews and Christians. The reason for likening those who do not perform Hajj to Jews and Christians, and those who do not pray to polytheists, is that the People of the Book had completely abandoned Hajj, while the polytheists performed Hajj but abandoned prayer. Therefore, abandoning prayer is called polytheistic conduct, and abandoning Hajj is called Jewish and Christian conduct. This too is an incontrovertible truth: the Qur’an itself gives such people this warning. As an example, the narrator of the hadith recited only the first part of the verse. Otherwise, the part of the verse containing the warning to which attention has been drawn is as follows:
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Those who refuse to perform Hajj despite having the means should know that Allah Almighty has no concern for anything in the entire universe. That is, He has no concern for the disbelief of those who abandon Hajj. He has no concern in what state such people die. This is the harshest possible expression of warning. The reality is that when Allah declares His displeasure with and independence from a person, how can that person be adorned with faith and guidance?
Hazrat Hasan (RA) said that Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) said, “I firmly intend to send people to the cities included in the Islamic state, who will investigate and see who, despite having the means to perform Hajj, does not do so. I will impose jizyah upon them. They are not Muslims; they are not Muslims.” (Al-Muntaqa)
A Muslim is one who completely surrenders himself to Allah Almighty. The essence of Hajj is also that a person completely surrenders himself to Allah. If these people were Muslims, how could they be deprived of the good fortune of Hajj, and how could they remain indifferent to Hajj despite having the means?
The Virtues and Inspiration of Hajj
Keeping this importance of Hajj in view, the Prophet (PBUH) encouraged it in various ways. By describing its extraordinary virtues in different ways, he inspired people and stirred their enthusiasm for it.
1. Whoever comes to visit the House of Allah, then commits no obscene sexual act and performs no act of disobedience to Allah, returns purified from sins just as pure as he was on the day he was born from his mother’s womb. (Bukhari, Muslim)
2. Those who perform Hajj and Umrah are guests of Allah. If they supplicate to Allah, their Host, He accepts it; if they ask Him for forgiveness, He grants them forgiveness. (Ibn Majah)
3. Perform Hajj and Umrah consecutively, for both Hajj and Umrah remove poverty, need, and sins just as a furnace removes the impurities from iron, gold, and silver and purifies them. The reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing other than Paradise. (Tirmidhi, Nasai)
Hajj Mabrur means a Hajj performed with complete sincerity, feeling, and observance of its conditions, during which the pilgrim makes every arrangement to abstain from disobedience to Allah.
4. If you meet someone who has visited the Haram Sharif, greet him before he reaches his home, shake hands with him, and ask him to supplicate to Allah for forgiveness on your behalf, because the decision to forgive his sins has already been made. (Musnad Ahmad)
5. Hazrat Husayn (RA) said that a man came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, “O Messenger, my body and mind are both weak.” He was told, “Engage in such jihad that not even a thorn touches your body.” The questioner said, “O Messenger, what kind of jihad is that, in which there is no fear of injury, pain, or hardship?” The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Perform Hajj.” (Tabarani)
6. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) said that a man was riding very close to the Prophet (PBUH) in the plain of Arafat when he suddenly fell down and died. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Bathe him and bury him in his ihram garments. On the Day of Resurrection, he will rise reciting the talbiyah.” (See the terminology entry for talbiyah.) “Leave his head and face uncovered.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
7. Hazrat Abu Dharr (RA) said that the Prophet (PBUH) said: The Prophet of Allah, Hazrat Dawud (AS), asked Allah, “Lord! What reward will be given to the servant who comes to visit Your House?” Allah said, “O Dawud! He is My guest. His right is that I forgive his mistakes in this world, and when he meets Me in the Hereafter, I will honor him with My mercy.”
Conditions for Hajj to Become Obligatory
There are ten conditions for Hajj to become obligatory. If any one of them is absent, Hajj will not be obligatory.
1. Islam: Hajj cannot be obligatory upon a non-Muslim.
2. Possessing reason: Hajj is not obligatory upon the insane, mentally impaired, or insensible.
3. Reaching maturity: Hajj is not obligatory upon minor children. If a financially capable person performs Hajj during childhood before reaching maturity, the obligatory Hajj will not be fulfilled by it. After reaching maturity, he must perform Hajj again. The Hajj of childhood will be voluntary.
4. Financial ability: The person performing Hajj must be financially solvent. He must possess enough money, free from genuine necessities and debt, to cover the expenses of the journey and to provide for the livelihood of his dependents until his return from Hajj, because according to the Shariah he is responsible for their maintenance.
5. Freedom: Hajj is not obligatory for a slave or a female slave.
6. Physical health: One must not be so ill that travel is impossible. Therefore, Hajj is not personally obligatory for a lame, disabled, blind, or extremely old person. If all the other conditions are met, he may arrange for Hajj to be performed through someone else.
7. There must be no danger to one’s life from any tyrannical and despotic ruler, and one must not be imprisoned.
8. The route must be safe: If a war is in progress, obstruction is being created on the route, vehicles are being destroyed, there is a fear of thieves and robbers, travel by water is impossible because of a natural disaster, or there is any other kind of danger, Hajj will not be obligatory under such circumstances. However, in such a situation, one should leave instructions with a trustworthy person that, if conditions later become favorable, someone else should perform Hajj on his behalf.
9. A husband or a mahram must accompany the woman on the Hajj journey: This means that if the journey lasts less than three nights and days, a woman may travel without her husband. If it lasts longer, travelling for Hajj without her husband or a mahram male is not permissible. (A woman who has neither a husband nor a mahram male may travel with trustworthy fellow travelers whose moral character can be relied upon. This is the view of Imam al-Shafi‘i and Imam Malik. Imam al-Shafi‘i explained trustworthy companions as follows: A number of trustworthy women must be travelling for Hajj with a mahram. In that case, a woman without a husband may travel with the group. However, she should not travel if there is only one woman in the group. Imam al-Shafi‘i’s view is very balanced. It allows a woman without a husband or mahram to perform Hajj while avoiding the dangers of temptation because of which a woman is prohibited from travelling without a mahram.) It is also necessary that this mahram be knowledgeable, an adult, religious, and trustworthy. Travelling with an unintelligent child, a sinful person, or an untrustworthy person is not permissible.
10. She must not be observing ‘iddah: Whether the ‘iddah is due to her husband’s death or divorce, Hajj is not obligatory during the period of ‘iddah.
Conditions for a valid Hajj
There are four conditions for Hajj to be valid. If Hajj is performed with these conditions, it will be valid and sound; otherwise, it will not be.
1. Islam: Islam is both a condition for Hajj to become obligatory and a condition for its validity. If a non-Muslim performs the rites of Hajj and then Allah grants him the opportunity to accept Islam, it is necessary for the Hajj to be valid that the pilgrim be a Muslim.
2. Possession of reason: The Hajj of an unconscious or insane person is not valid.
3. Performing all the rites on the specified days, at the specified times, and in the specified places. The months of Hajj are Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa‘dah, and the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah. The times and places for performing all the rites of Hajj are likewise specified. If the rites of Hajj are performed contrary to these specifications, the Hajj will not be valid.
4. Abstaining from the things that invalidate Hajj and performing all its rites and obligatory acts. If any rite of Hajj is not performed or is missed, the Hajj will not be valid.
The Rulings of Hajj
1. When all the conditions for Hajj to become obligatory are present, performing Hajj once in one’s lifetime is obligatory. Hajj is an individual obligation, and its obligatory nature is established by the Qur’an and Hadith. Whoever denies that Hajj is obligatory is a disbeliever, while whoever does not perform Hajj despite having all its conditions is sinful and transgressing.
2. Hajj should be performed in the very year it becomes obligatory. Delaying it without cause after it becomes obligatory and continuing to put it off from one year to the next is sinful.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever intends to perform Hajj should hasten to do so, for it may happen that he becomes ill, his riding camel is lost, or some other need may arise for him. (Ibn Majah)
The loss of the riding camel means that the means and provisions for the journey may no longer be available, the route may no longer be safe, or some need may arise that leaves no further possibility of performing Hajj. A person will appear before Allah bearing the burden of an obligation. When will circumstances become favorable, and what assurance does one have of life itself? On what basis, then, will a person delay and continue making excuses instead of performing Hajj?
3. If, according to the Shariah, permission must be obtained from certain people before performing the obligatory Hajj—for example, one’s parents are weak or ill and dependent on one’s assistance, or a person owes someone money or stands surety for someone—then performing Hajj without permission in such circumstances is makruh tahrimi.
4. Hajj performed with unlawfully earned money is unlawful.
5. If one enters the miqat without entering ihram, Hajj becomes obligatory.
6. If someone delays after Hajj becomes obligatory, then becomes incapable, blind, paralyzed, or afflicted by a severe illness and is no longer fit to travel, he must send someone at his own expense to perform Hajj on his behalf, known as Hajj al-badal.
The Miqats and Their Rulings
1. Miqat means the specified and designated place beyond which it is not permissible to go to Makkah al-Mukarramah without entering ihram. Whoever wishes to go to Makkah al-Mukarramah for any reason must enter ihram upon reaching the miqat. Proceeding beyond it without entering ihram is makruh tahrimi. (Ilm al-Fiqh)
2. Five miqats have been designated for people arriving from different lands.
a. Dhu al-Hulayfah:
This is the miqat for the people of Madinah and for those who wish to come to Makkah al-Mukarramah by way of Madinah. This miqat lies approximately eight or nine kilometers from Madinah on the route to Makkah. Of all the miqats, it is farthest from Makkah. The people of Madinah also have this distinction because the people of Madinah have always made greater sacrifices in the way of Allah.
b. Dhat Irq:
This is the miqat for Iraq and for people arriving by way of Iraq. It is located approximately eighty kilometers northeast of Makkah.
c. Juhfah:
This is the miqat for Syria and for people arriving from the direction of Syria. It is located approximately one hundred and eighty kilometers west of Makkah.
d. Qarn al-Manazil:
This is a mountainous place on the route east of Makkah al-Mukarramah, approximately fifty kilometers from Makkah. It is the miqat for the people of Najd and for those who come by this route.
e. Yalamlam:
This is a mountainous place on the route from Yemen, southeast of Makkah, approximately sixty miles from Makkah. It is the miqat for Yemen and for people arriving by this route. It is also the miqat for people from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
These miqats were designated by the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself, as is known from Bukhari and Muslim. These miqats are for those who reside beyond the miqats, who are technically called afaqis. As for those who reside within the miqats, if they are within the boundary of the Haram, the Haram itself is their miqat. If they reside in the hill area outside the boundary of the Haram, then the hill is their miqat. However, if someone residing within the Haram wishes to enter ihram for Umrah, his miqat is the hill, not the Haram.
The Obligatory Acts of Hajj
There are four obligatory acts of Hajj. If any one of them is missed, Hajj will not be complete. They are as follows:
1. Ihram—it is a condition and a pillar of Hajj.
2. Staying at Arafat, even if only for a short time.
3. Tawaf al-Ziyarah—the first four circuits are obligatory, and the remaining three are wajib.
4. Performing these obligatory acts in the specified places, at the specified times, and in the prescribed order.
Ihram and Its Rulings
1. Entering ihram means putting on the Hajj garment and reciting the talbiyah with the intention of performing Hajj. After making the intention for Hajj and reciting the talbiyah, a person becomes a muhrim. Just as a person enters prayer after saying the takbir in prayer, after which eating, drinking, walking about, and so on become prohibited, likewise Hajj begins after entering ihram. Thereafter, many things that were permissible before entering ihram become prohibited while in ihram. That is why it is called ihram.
2. Whatever the reason for going to Makkah—travel, business, trade, or any other purpose—it is essential to enter ihram upon reaching the miqat. Proceeding beyond the miqat without ihram is makruh tahrimi.
3. Performing a bath before entering ihram is sunnah mu’akkadah. It is also recommended for children to bathe. Women should also bathe while menstruating or in postnatal bleeding. However, if bathing is difficult or causes hardship, one should at least perform wudu. This wudu or bath is only for cleanliness, not for ritual purity. Therefore, if water is unavailable, there is no need to perform tayammum.
4. Before bathing for ihram, cutting the hair and nails, wearing a white sheet and a waist-wrapper, and applying perfume are mustahabb.
5. It is permissible to enter ihram even before reaching the miqat. It is better if one can maintain the sanctity of ihram. Otherwise, entering ihram after reaching the miqat is wajib.
6. Prohibited acts while in ihram: Some of these acts are prohibited at all times, but committing the following acts while in ihram is especially sinful:
1. Engaging in sexual activity or discussing sexual matters, and even taking pleasure in such conversation with one’s own wife, is prohibited.
2. Disobeying Allah and committing sins.
3. Fighting, quarrelling, and using abusive language; speaking harshly.
4. Hunting wild animals. Hunting is not merely unlawful; assisting the hunter in any way, showing the hunter the way, or even pointing toward the game is also unlawful.
5. Wearing sewn clothing, such as shirts, panjabis, pajamas, sherwanis, suits, caps, vests, gloves, and the like. Women may wear a sewn kameez. They may also wear socks and, if they wish, use jewelry.
6. Wearing dyed clothing that is colored or scented. Women may wear silk and colored clothing, but it must not be perfumed.
7. Covering the head and face. Women should keep their hair covered.
8. Washing the head or beard with soap or the like.
9. Shaving hair from any part of the body or removing it with anything.
10. Cutting the nails or scraping and cleaning them with stones or the like.
11. Applying perfume.
12. Applying oil.
7. Permissible acts while in ihram:
Apart from the matters mentioned above, everything else is permissible, such as:
1. Resting in any shade.
2. Bathing and washing the head, but without using soap.
3. Scratching the body or head, but one must be careful not to pull out hair or cause lice to fall.
4. Carrying money, weapons, and the like.
5. There is no harm in conducting business during one’s free time. The Qur’an says:
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There is no blame upon you if you seek the bounty of your Lord—profit through trade—during Hajj.
6. Changing or washing the ihram garments.
7. Using a ring, watch, and the like.
8. Applying kohl, but not perfumed kohl.
9. Circumcision.
10. Contracting a nikah.
11. Killing harmful animals, such as kites, crows, mice, snakes, scorpions, tigers, dogs, and the like. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that there is no harm in killing five kinds of animals in the Haram or while in ihram: mice, crows, kites, scorpions, and attacking dogs.
12. Sea hunting is permissible. If a non-muhrim—that is, someone not in ihram—gives a land animal hunted by him as a gift, it is permissible to eat it.
8. The Method of Entering Ihram:
After cutting the hair and nails properly, bathing, and applying perfume, one should put on the ihram garments—that is, one sheet and one waist-wrapper—and perform two rak‘ahs of nafl prayer. Then one should make the intention for Hajj or Umrah and recite the talbiyah. (If one is a mufrid, one intends only Hajj. If one is a qarin, one intends both Hajj and Umrah. If one is a mutamatti‘, one first intends Umrah and, after completing Umrah, intends Hajj. See the glossary for these terms.) As soon as one recites the talbiyah after intending Hajj or Umrah, one has entered ihram and becomes a muhrim. If a sacrificial camel is sent toward Makkah instead of reciting the talbiyah, it takes the place of the talbiyah.
The Talbiyah and Its Rulings
The words recited by a visitor to the Haram after making the intention for Hajj are called the talbiyah, as follows:
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O Allah, here I am. Here I am in response to Your call. Here I am at Your service; You have no partner. Truly, all praise and thanks are Yours. Giving and showing favor are Yours alone. No one shares in Your lordship and authority.
1. After entering ihram, reciting the talbiyah once is obligatory. Reciting it more frequently is sunnah.
2. The talbiyah must continue to be recited from entering ihram until throwing stones at the first jamrah on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah. It should be recited whenever descending or ascending, whenever meeting fellow members of the caravan, after every prayer, and in the morning and evening.
3. Reciting the talbiyah loudly is sunnah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Jibril came to me and conveyed the command that I should instruct my Companions to recite the talbiyah in a loud voice. (Muwatta of Imam Malik, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and others.) Women, however, should not recite the talbiyah loudly. It is stated in Hidayah that women should not raise their voices while reciting the talbiyah, because this may give rise to the fear of temptation. They should neither perform ramal nor run during sa‘i, because this would compromise purdah.
4. When reciting the talbiyah, it should be recited three times. Reciting it three times is mustahabb.
5. Speaking while reciting the talbiyah is makruh. One may return a greeting of salam.
6. One should not greet someone who is reciting the talbiyah. Greeting him is makruh.
7. Reciting salawat after the talbiyah is mustahabb.
The Wisdom and Virtue of the Talbiyah
After the Ka‘bah was built, Allah commanded His beloved friend, Ibrahim (peace be upon him):
And proclaim to mankind the Hajj, so that they may come to you on foot or riding camels from every distant road.
In reality, this talbiyah is the response of the servant to that call from Allah. The servant says: Lord, I have heard Your call and have come to Your presence in response to Your summons. The visitor to the House of Allah repeatedly raises this cry. In reality, he says: Lord, You have called us to appear at Your House, and solely out of love for You we have abandoned everything and come here like people intoxicated with love. We give thanks for Your mercy and favor. We affirm Your oneness. The call of the talbiyah reverberates through every vein of the believer with the belief in divine oneness and prepares him so that the purpose of his life in this world is only to convey the message of tawhid everywhere.
While describing the virtue of the talbiyah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: When a believing servant raises the cry of labbayk, everything to his right and left also raises the cry of labbayk, whether it is a stone, a tree, vegetation, or soil. Indeed, it reaches from one end of the earth to the other. (Tirmidhi)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: When a muhrim recites labbayk, labbayk throughout the day, and the sun sets while he is doing so, all his sins are erased and he becomes as pure as if he had just been born from his mother’s womb.
Supplication After the Talbiyah
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O Allah, I ask You for Your pleasure and Paradise, and I seek refuge under the shade of Your mercy from the Fire of Hell.
Hazrat Ammar ibn Khuzaymah narrated from his father that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited the talbiyah to enter ihram, he would ask for Allah’s pleasure and mercy and seek refuge from Hell through His mercy. (Musnad al-Shafi‘i)
After entering ihram, the visitor to the House of Allah may make whatever supplication he wishes and as much as he wishes. But he should first recite the above-mentioned sunnah supplication, because it is comprehensive. Allah’s pleasure, attaining Paradise, and freedom from Hell are the three greatest aspirations of a believer and the fruit of all his efforts.
Wuquf and Its Rulings
1. Wuquf means standing and staying. During Hajj, one must stay at three places, and the ruling for each of the three places is different. Moreover, one must reach these places in order to perform the acts required while staying there. Forming an intention for it and standing are not necessary. According to Ahl al-Hadith, however, forming an intention is a condition.
2. The most important is Arafat, where one must stay. Arafat is a vast plain. The area of Arafat begins where the boundary of the Haram ends, and this plain is approximately fifteen kilometers from Makkah al-Mukarramah. Staying in the plain of Arafat is one of the greatest pillars of Hajj. Indeed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) once referred to staying at Arafat itself as Hajj. He said: *******Arabic********* On the Day of Arafat, when millions of people, wearing the same clothing, stand before Allah in a scene embodying humility and submission, it is as though they have taken leave of the world for this moment and reached the plain of Resurrection. This is a tremendous scene that inspires faith. Staying here awakens remembrance of the plain of Resurrection.
Its importance lies in this: if, for any reason, a pilgrim cannot reach Arafat on the day of 9 Dhul-Hijjah or during the night following it, his Hajj will not be valid. If other rites of Hajj, such as tawaf, sa‘i, and stoning, are missed, it is possible to compensate for them. But if one does not stay at Arafat, there is no way to compensate for it.
3. The time for staying at Arafat begins after midday on 9 Dhul-Hijjah (after performing the Zuhr and Asr prayers). However, since this is the greatest pillar of Hajj and Hajj depends upon it, the time has been extended, allowing that if someone reaches Arafat, even briefly, at any time before dawn during the night between 9 and 10 Dhul-Hijjah, his stay will be valid and his Hajj will be complete. (Abdur-Rahman ibn Ya‘mar ad-Dili said, “I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: ‘Hajj is Arafat. Whoever reaches [Arafat] before Fajr on the night of Muzdalifah has completed Hajj.’” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
4. The longer one stays at Arafat, the better. One should stand before Allah with the awareness and feeling that this is the Plain of Resurrection. A servant should say in his heart: “I have severed my connection with everything and stand before Him alone to settle my case and plead for His favor.” This is the most valuable time in a believer’s life. Who knows whether this blessing will ever come again? Therefore, with one’s faith and power of self-examination awakened, one must fully feel the importance of each moment of this day and night. Regarding the Prophet (peace be upon him), Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that after the Zuhr and Asr prayers, the Prophet (peace be upon him) mounted his she-camel, Qaswa, and came to the designated place of standing in the plain of Arafat. He turned his she-camel toward the large rocks. Then, facing the qiblah and with the people before him, he stood. When the sun had set, he departed toward Muzdalifah. (Muslim)
5. Speaking of the importance and virtue of staying at Arafat, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Among the 360 days of the year, there is no day on which Allah frees more servants from the Fire of Hell than on the day of Arafat. On this day Allah draws very near to His servants and boasts of them before the angels, saying, ‘O angels, what do these servants seek?’” (Muslim) Hazrat Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood in the plain of Arafat. As the sun was about to set, he gestured to Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) to be quiet. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “O people! Just now Jibril came to me and conveyed Allah’s greetings and this message: Allah has forgiven everyone in the plain of Arafat.” Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “O Messenger of Allah! Is this message exclusively for us, the Companions, or for the entire Ummah?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “It is for you and for those who will come here after you.” (At-Targhib)
Supplications of the Plain of Arafat
Special care should be taken with supplications in the plain of Arafat, and while staying there one should remain wholly devoted to Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The best supplication is the supplication of the day of Arafat.” Some masnun supplications are given below:
(a) The Prophet (peace be upon him) frequently recited the following supplication in the plain of Arafat:
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O Allah! You are worthy of such praise as You have praised Yourself, and You are more worthy of praise than we are able to offer. O Allah! For You are my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death. To You I must return, and everything I have is for You. O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, from the evil suggestions created in the mind, and from the evil consequences and discord arising from deeds. O Allah! I seek Your protection from the calamities carried by the wind. (Tirmidhi)
(b) A comprehensive supplication has been narrated in Al-Hizb al-Maqbul; blessings will be received by reciting it.
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O Allah! I ask You for the good that Your Prophet (peace be upon him) asked You for, and I seek refuge in You from the evils from which Your Prophet (peace be upon him) sought refuge. O Lord! We have greatly wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers. O my Lord! Make me one who establishes prayer, and grant the same ability to my children. O Lord! Accept my supplication. Forgive my parents. Forgive all Muslims on the Day when the account is reckoned. O my Lord! Have mercy upon both my parents, just as they lovingly raised me during my childhood. O Lord! Forgive us and forgive those of our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not place in our hearts any hatred or hostility toward those who have believed. O Allah! You are Most Kind and Most Merciful! O Lord! You hear and know everything. Accept our repentance; You are the Accepter of Repentance, the Merciful. There is no power to avoid sin and no ability to obey commands except through Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.
(c) The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed that the following supplication be recited frequently:
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O our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the Fire of Hell.
Besides these masnun supplications, there are further masnun supplications that may be recited. In addition, one should ask Allah for every kind of good in this world and the Hereafter that a person can seek, and ask repeatedly. For at that time Allah becomes especially merciful toward His servants, and He does not deprive His guests.
7. Staying at Muzdalifah is wajib. It is masnun to enter the boundaries of Muzdalifah on foot. While staying there, it is mustahabb to recite the talbiyah, tahlil, and tahmid from time to time. Spending one night there is masnun. It is reported in a hadith that after sunset the Prophet (peace be upon him) departed from Arafat for Muzdalifah and, upon reaching there, performed Maghrib and Isha together. He then lay down and rested until Fajr.
8. It is masnun to reach Mina at some time on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah. It is mustahabb to reach there after sunrise, perform Zuhr there, and spend the night there.
Tawaf and Its Rulings
Lexically, tawaf means going around and circling something. In Islamic terminology, it means circling and circumambulating the House of Allah with devotion.
The Greatness and Dignity of the House of Allah
The House of Allah is not merely a house made of bricks and stones. Rather, it is a special sign of Allah’s greatness on earth and the central focus of feeling for His religion. Allah Himself, under His own supervision, had it built by a revered and distinguished prophet whose leadership is equally accepted by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. *******Arabic********* And remember when We assigned to Ibrahim the site of this House (the Ka‘bah). (Surah al-Hajj: 26)
The Holy Qur’an bears witness that the first house built for the worship of Allah was this House of Allah, the Ka‘bah.
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Indeed, the first House established for worship for humankind is the one in Makkah.
In reality, the House of Allah is the source-center of the religion. According to the Qur’an’s explanation, it is the source of tawhid and the true place of prayer, while tawhid and prayer are the mind and essence of the entire religion. In matters of belief, tawhid is the true foundation of the religion, and in matters of practice, prayer is its pillar. The House of Allah was built for these two fundamental purposes. For this reason, Allah declared it a source of goodness, blessing, and guidance. *******Arabic********* Blessing and goodness have been placed in it, and it has been made a source of guidance for the worlds. (Allah says in verse 125 of Surah al-Baqarah—
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And We instructed Ibrahim and Ismail, saying: Keep My House pure for those who bow and prostrate. In verse 26 of Surah al-Hajj it is said—
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And remember when We assigned this House to Ibrahim, with the instruction that he should not associate anyone with Me and that he should keep My House pure for those who perform tawaf, stand, bow, and prostrate.)
In the Qur’an, Allah has referred to it in two places as *******Arabic********* (“My House”), and when Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) settled his descendants in the stony desert of Makkah, he said: “O Allah! I have settled them near Your House.” (It is stated in verse 37 of Surah Ibrahim—
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O Allah! I have settled my children beside Your Sacred House in a barren land without water or vegetation.) What greater evidence of the greatness of the House of Allah could there be than that Allah has described visiting this House and performing Hajj as one of His rights over Muslims? Hajj means that a believer, wearing ihram—that is, declaring himself fit to appear before the House of Allah—circumambulates it reverently, kisses the Black Stone attached to it, presses his body and heart close to the Multazam, performs prayer in al-Masjid al-Haram, and stays at Arafat.
The Virtue of Tawaf
The purpose for which the House of Allah was built is that it should be circumambulated. Allah emphasized this to Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and this emphasis appears in two places in the Qur’an.
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1. Keep My House pure for those who perform tawaf. (Surah al-Baqarah: 125)
2. Tawaf of this Ancient House must be performed. (Surah al-Hajj: 26)
Describing the virtue of tawaf, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Tawaf of the House of Allah is an act of worship like prayer. The only difference is that you may speak during tawaf, whereas speaking is not permitted in prayer. Therefore, if anyone wishes to speak during tawaf, only good words should come from his mouth.” (Tirmidhi, Nasai)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say that touching the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner with the hand is an expiation for sins. I also heard him say that whoever performs seven circuits of this House with full feeling and concentration will receive the reward of freeing a slave. I further heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say that for every step taken during tawaf, Allah will forgive one sin and record one good deed. (Tirmidhi)
Istilam
Lexically, istilam means touching and kissing. In technical usage, it means kissing the Black Stone and touching the Yemeni Corner. It is sunnah to perform istilam of the Black Stone at the beginning of every circuit of tawaf and again at the end of tawaf. Istilam of the Yemeni Corner is mustahabb.
When performing istilam of the Black Stone, one must ensure that no sound comes from the mouth while kissing it. It is masnun merely to place the face against the Black Stone. One must also remember that if kissing it is impossible because of the extreme crowd, one should touch the Black Stone with a stick or similar object and kiss that. If even this is not possible, one should raise both hands to ear level with the palms facing the Black Stone and kiss the hands.
Regarding the virtue of performing istilam of the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said—
By Allah, on the Day of Resurrection Allah will raise it to life. It will have two eyes with which it will see and a mouth with which it will speak. It will testify on behalf of those servants who performed its istilam. (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
Supplication at the Yemeni Corner
While explaining the virtue of the Yemeni Corner, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Seventy angels are assigned to the Yemeni Corner. They say Amin after the supplication of every servant who recites this supplication:
O Allah! I ask You for forgiveness and well-being in this world and the Hereafter. O our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter. Protect us from the Fire of Hell and grant us a place in Paradise with the righteous.
Types of Tawaf and Their Rulings
There are six types of tawaf of the House of Allah, and the ruling of each is different.
1. Tawaf az-Ziyarah: This is also called Tawaf al-Ifadah and Tawaf al-Hajj. Tawaf az-Ziyarah is one of the pillars of Hajj. The Qur’an says, *******Arabic********* tawaf of this Ancient House should be performed. The Imams agree that this refers to Tawaf az-Ziyarah, which is performed on the 10th after staying at Arafat. If it cannot be performed on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah for some reason, it may also be performed on the 11th or 12th.
2. Tawaf al-Qudum: This is also called Tawaf at-Tahiyyah. The first tawaf performed after entering Makkah is called Tawaf al-Qudum. This tawaf is wajib only for those who live outside the miqat. (In Ilm al-Fiqh, volume 5, and in Quduri, it is called masnun. According to Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), however, Tawaf al-Qudum is wajib. His evidence is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever comes to visit the House of Allah should perform Tawaf at-Tahiyyah.” Ayn al-Hidayah, volume 1, p. 997.) In terminology, such a person is called an afaqi.
3. Tawaf al-Wida: The final tawaf performed when departing from the House of Allah is called the Farewell Tawaf or Tawaf as-Sadr. This tawaf is also wajib for an afaqi (one coming from outside the miqat). After this tawaf, one should cling to the Multazam, press one’s chest and right cheek against it, hold the curtain of the House of Allah with the right hand, and supplicate with utmost humility and a tearful voice. This is the time of farewell, and no one knows when this blessing will come again. The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) guidance regarding this tawaf is—
No one should return from the House of Allah without performing the Farewell Tawaf. Only a woman who has begun menstruating is exempt. (Bukhari)
4. Tawaf of Umrah: This is the tawaf of Umrah and is a pillar of Umrah. Umrah is not valid without this tawaf.
5. Tawaf an-Nadhr: If someone makes a vow to perform tawaf, it becomes wajib for him to perform it.
6. Voluntary Tawaf: This may be performed at any time, for as long as one has the opportunity to stay in Makkah. What greater good fortune could a person have than performing tawaf frequently?
The Wajibs of Tawaf
Nine things must be carefully observed during tawaf.
1. Ritual purity: That is, being pure from minor and major ritual impurity. Women may not perform tawaf while menstruating or in postnatal bleeding. When Hazrat Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) began menstruating during Hajj, she began to cry. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Why are you crying? This is something related to the blood of the daughters of Adam. Continue doing all the acts that pilgrims perform, but do not perform tawaf of the House of Allah until you become pure.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
2. Covering the awrah: That is, covering those parts of the body that must be covered. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: *******Arabic********* That is, no one should perform tawaf naked, with his awrah uncovered. (Bukhari)
3. Beginning tawaf with the istilam of the Black Stone.
4. Beginning tawaf from the right side. Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that after the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived in Makkah, he first went to the Black Stone, performed its istilam, and then began tawaf from the right side.
5. Performing tawaf on foot. If there is an excuse, tawaf may be performed while riding. Voluntary tawaf may be performed while riding even without an excuse, but performing it on foot is better.
6. After the first four obligatory circuits of tawaf, completing the remaining three circuits, or shawts.
7. Performing two rak‘ahs of prayer after completing seven circuits. Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When we reached the House of Allah with the Prophet (peace be upon him), he performed istilam of the Black Stone. He performed raml during the first three circuits and completed the remaining four normally. Then he proceeded toward Maqam Ibrahim and recited this verse: (And take the station of Ibrahim as a permanent place of prayer.) He then stood so that Maqam Ibrahim was between him and the House of Allah, and he performed prayer. (Muslim)
8. Performing tawaf outside the Hatim, so that the Hatim is included within the tawaf.
9. Avoiding the acts prohibited during ihram.
Supplications During Tawaf
When one reaches the Black Stone to perform tawaf of the Ka‘bah, one should say *******Arabic********* and recite the following supplication:
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O Allah! With faith in You, affirming the truth of Your Book, and following the sunnah of Your Prophet (peace be upon him), I begin this istilam and tawaf.
During tawaf, this supplication should be recited softly:
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Allah is free from every imperfection, and all praise belongs to Him. There is no deity but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. There is no power except through Allah, who can guide to the straight path, and there is no power that can save from sin except through Allah.
When you reach the Yemeni Corner, recite it in the area between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone.
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The following supplication should also be recited—
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O Allah! Make me content with whatever You have given me and bless me in it. Take charge of every unseen matter with goodness and benefit.
It is also good to recite the following supplication with it:
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There is no deity but Allah. He is One and Unique, and He has no partner. Sovereignty belongs to Him, all praise belongs to Him, and He has power over everything.
Rulings of Tawaf
1. After completing every tawaf, that is, every circuit, it is wajib to perform two rak‘ahs of prayer. Combining two tawafs without performing prayer between them is makruh tahrimi.
2. If someone performs an eighth circuit after completing seven circuits, he must perform six additional circuits and complete another tawaf, because once a voluntary act of worship is begun, it becomes obligatory to complete it.
3. Tawaf is not makruh during the times when prayer is makruh.
4. If, during tawaf, the time for one of the five daily prayers arrives, or a funeral prayer begins, or wudu becomes necessary, there is no need to restart tawaf after returning from these matters. Resume it from the place where it was interrupted and complete the tawaf.
5. If, while performing tawaf, one forgets how many circuits have been completed, one must start again. However, if a reliable person reminds him, he should act according to that person’s statement.
6. Eating and drinking, buying and selling, humming poetry or singing, and speaking without necessity during tawaf are makruh.
7. It is Sunnah to be free from actual impurity during tawaf.
8. In the first tawaf performed for both Hajj and Umrah, ramal is Sunnah, and idtiba is also Sunnah. (See the glossary for these terms.)
Ramal
Moving quickly while swaying the shoulders, thereby displaying strength and power, is called ramal.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to Makkah in the seventh year after the Hijrah to perform Umrah with a large number of the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), some people began saying to one another, “What is the condition of these people? They have become extremely weak and emaciated. The climate of Madinah has ruined their health. Indeed, the climate of Madinah is very bad.”
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) heard these remarks of the people of Makkah, he ordered that ramal be performed in the first three circuits of tawaf—in other words, that they should move quickly and display their strength. Allah Almighty liked this conduct of His servants at that time so much that it became an established Sunnah.
Ramal is Sunnah only in the tawaf after which sa‘y is performed. Thus, if someone does not wish to perform sa‘y after Tawaf al-Qudum, he should not perform ramal in that tawaf. However, he should perform ramal in Tawaf al-Ziyarah, after which sa‘y is required. Similarly, if a pilgrim performing Hajj al-Qiran has performed ramal in the tawaf of Umrah, he should not perform ramal in the tawaf of Hajj. If someone forgets to perform ramal in the first three circuits, he should not perform it afterward at all. Performing ramal in all seven circuits is makruh tanzihi.
Idtiba
Wearing the upper cloth in such a way that, instead of placing one end over the right shoulder, it is passed beneath the right armpit, leaving the right shoulder uncovered. This too displays strength.
The Wajibs of Hajj
The Wajibs of Hajj are nine.
1. Performing sa‘y—that is, moving quickly between Safa and Marwah. (This is understood from the wording of the Holy Qur’an. According to Ahl al-Hadith, however, sa‘y is fard. Their evidence is the following hadith:
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That is, Allah Almighty does not regard the Hajj and Umrah of the person who does not perform sa‘y between Safa and Marwah as complete. (Muslim)
2. Staying at Muzdalifah—that is, reaching there at some time between the beginning of Fajr and sunrise.
3. Performing rami—that is, stoning the jamarat.
4. Performing Tawaf al-Qudum—that is, performing the first tawaf of the Ka‘bah after entering Makkah. Tawaf al-Qudum is wajib for those who live beyond the miqat and are called afaqis.
5. Performing the farewell tawaf—that is, performing tawaf at the time of final departure from the Ka‘bah. This too is wajib only for afaqis.
6. Shaving the head or trimming the hair. After completing the pillars of Hajj, one must either shave the head or trim the hair. On the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah, after stoning Jamarat al-‘Aqabah, shaving the head or trimming the hair is wajib.
7. Combining the prayers. That is, combining Zuhr and Asr at Arafat, and Maghrib and Isha at Muzdalifah, is wajib.
9. Performing rami, shaving the head, and sacrifice in the proper order.
Sa‘y
In the dictionary, sa‘y means walking carefully, running, and making an effort. Technically, sa‘y refers to the wajib act of Hajj in which a visitor to the Haram runs between the two hills called Safa and Marwah. Safa lies south of the House of Allah and Marwah to the north. Today only traces of these two hills remain, and two paved roads have been constructed between them: one for running from Safa to Marwah and the other for returning from Marwah to Safa—in other words, two parallel up-and-down roads. A large roof has been built over these roads to protect those performing sa‘y from the sun.
The Reality and Wisdom of Sa‘y
The Holy Qur’an says:
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Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. The term “symbols” is the plural of a word. Anything designated as a sign to evoke and remind people of a spiritual meaning or religious memory is called a symbol. In reality, these places—Safa and Marwah—are memorable sites representing the worship of Allah and the practical manifestation of Islam. Marwah is the place where Allah’s intimate friend, Ibrahim (peace be upon him), laid his only son, Isma‘il (peace be upon him), face down and prepared to slit his throat in order to fulfill the dream he had seen. At the same time, by sacrificing the dearest thing in his life for Allah’s pleasure, he gave practical testimony to his own declaration: “I have submitted myself completely to the Lord of the worlds.”
As soon as Allah saw this remarkable scene of Islam, or submission, He called to him, “Ibrahim! You have made your dream a reality. There is no doubt that this was a tremendous trial.”
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And We called out to him, “O Ibrahim! You have indeed fulfilled your vision.” Surely We reward those who do good in this way. Indeed, this was clearly a great test.
As soon as a believer looks upon Safa and Marwah, the entire history of sacrifice naturally rises before his mind. Along with it, images of Ibrahim and Isma‘il (peace be upon them) also arise.
To firmly establish this truth in people’s hearts and remind them of this inspiring history, Allah Almighty included sa‘y among the rites.
Allah says:
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Therefore, whoever performs Hajj or Umrah, there is no blame upon him for performing sa‘y between the two. And whoever voluntarily does a good deed, Allah knows it well and rewards it.
In the Age of Ignorance, the polytheists of Makkah had built altars for their idols on these two hills. There was an idol called Asaf on Safa and one called Na’ilah on Marwah. Tawaf was performed around them. For this reason, the Muslims were uncertain whether they should perform sa‘y between the two hills. Then Allah said that there was no blame in performing this sa‘y, because sa‘y is one of the rites of Hajj. Among the rites of Hajj taught to Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was the command to perform sa‘y between Safa and Marwah. Therefore, Muslims should perform sa‘y between Safa and Marwah eagerly and without any aversion or reluctance. Allah knows the condition of the heart well and regards people’s sincere feelings and good deeds with honor.
Rules of Sa‘y
1. Sa‘y is wajib after tawaf of the Ka‘bah. Sa‘y before tawaf is not permissible.
2. Although purification from minor and major hadath is not wajib while performing sa‘y, it is Sunnah.
3. Sa‘y consists of seven runs. All seven are wajib.
4. It is Sunnah, though not wajib, to begin sa‘y immediately after completing tawaf.
5. It is wajib to begin sa‘y from Safa.
6. It is wajib to perform sa‘y on foot. It may be performed while mounted for a special reason.
7. Sa‘y should be performed only once during the entire Hajj, whether after Tawaf al-Qudum or after Tawaf al-Ziyarah. Performing it after Tawaf al-Ziyarah is preferable.
8. It is masnun to climb Safa and Marwah, face the House of Allah, raise both hands for supplication, and make dua.
9. Buying and selling while performing sa‘y is makruh. One may speak if necessary.
How to Perform Sa‘y and Its Supplications
Whether sa‘y is performed after Tawaf al-Qudum or Tawaf al-Ziyarah, one must climb Safa after completing tawaf. Then one should recite this verse: *******Arabic********* (Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah). One should climb high enough on Safa to see the House of Allah. Then, facing the House of Allah, one should say “Allahu Akbar” three times and recite the following supplication:
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There is no god but Allah. He is One and has no partner. Sovereignty belongs to Him, and all praise is His. He has complete power over everything. There is no god but Allah, and He is One. He fulfilled His promise, helped His servant, and alone defeated all the disbelieving parties. (Muslim)
Then one should recite salat upon the Prophet and make whatever supplication one wishes. One should make dua for oneself, one’s relatives, and loved ones. This is a place where supplications are accepted. Therefore, one should sincerely pray for well-being in this world and the Hereafter. Then one should recite the following supplication again:
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O Allah! You have said, “Ask Me and I will give you,” and You never break Your promise. My request to You is that just as You granted me the ability to accept Islam, so do not deprive me of this blessing; let me die in this condition and let me die as a Muslim. (Muwatta)
Then one should descend from Safa and proceed toward Marwah, reciting this supplication:
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O Lord! Forgive me and have mercy on me. You are the Most Mighty and Most Great.
On the way from Safa to Marwah, two green markers can be seen on the left. It is Sunnah to run between these two markers. This applies only to men. Women should walk at their normal pace, because running would compromise their covering.
After climbing Marwah, one should recite the same supplications that were recited on Safa. One should remain occupied with remembrance and glorification for some time, because this is a place where supplications are accepted.
Then one should descend from Marwah and return toward Safa, reciting the supplications recited on the way there. Likewise, one should run between the two green markers. In this way, one must travel between Safa and Marwah seven times.
Rami
The dictionary meaning of rami is to throw and to reach the target. Technically, rami refers to the act in which pilgrims throw stones at the three pillars. Rami at the jamarat is wajib. Jamarat is the plural of jimar or jamrah. A stone fragment is called a jamrah. Along the road to Mina are three man-height pillars situated at intervals. Since stones are thrown at them, they too are called jamarat. The three are called Jamarat al-Ula, Jamarat al-Wusta, and Jamarat al-‘Aqabah. The one nearest Makkah is called Jamarat al-‘Aqabah. The next is Jamarat al-Wusta, and the one after that, near Masjid al-Khayf, is Jamarat al-Ula.
The Meaning and Wisdom of Rami
Some time before the birth of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him)—according to most opinions, fifty days before it—the Christian ruler of Abyssinia, Abraha, launched an offensive toward Makkah with the evil intention of destroying the House of Allah. He advanced with a huge army and elephants to attack Makkah. He reached the Valley of Muhassir, very close to Makkah. To thwart his evil intention, Allah Almighty arranged for flocks of birds to be sent from the direction of the sea. Each bird carried one small stone in its beak and two in its feet, and rained them down upon the entire army so heavily that most of the soldiers became heaps of ruins at the scene, while the rest fell and died along the way. Thus Allah Almighty destroyed Abraha’s evil plan.
Stoning the jamarat commemorates that destructive rain of stones. Throwing stones at the jamarat while proclaiming Allahu Akbar and declaring Allah’s greatness is, in reality, a warning to the world of this truth and a declaration of one’s resolve: the believer exists in this world to preserve Allah’s religion.
If any power looks upon the religion with evil intent and attempts to uproot it, the declaration of resolve is made through stoning the jamarat that it will be destroyed.
Rules of Rami
1. Rami is wajib. According to Imam Malik, rami at Jamarat al-‘Aqabah is fard. If this rami is omitted, the Hajj becomes invalid.
2. It is masnun to perform rami while standing in a low place. Performing it from a high place is makruh.
3. It is masnun to say “Allahu Akbar” with every throw.
4. If a stone does not strike the jamrah—in other words, if it misses the target—there is no harm.
5. On the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah, the first day, stones are thrown only at Jamarat al-‘Aqabah. On the eleventh and twelfth, stones must be thrown at all three jamarat. Stoning on the thirteenth is mustahabb. There are seven throwing sessions in total, and seven stones are thrown at each, making forty-nine stones.
6. It is makruh to break one large stone into seven pieces.
7. Throwing more than seven stones is makruh.
8. Seven stones must be thrown in seven throws. If someone throws seven stones at once, it counts as only one throw.
9. It is mustahabb to bring small stones from the Valley of Muhassir when coming from Muzdalifah for rami. Picking up stones from around the jamarat is makruh.
It should be noted that Allah accepts the stone fragments that remain beside the jamarat. Those accepted in His presence are taken away by the angels. Therefore, it is makruh to perform rami with stones lying there.
Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri asked the Prophet (peace be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah! It seems that the number of stones with which we perform rami every year decreases.” He replied, “Yes. Those among them that Allah accepts are taken away. Otherwise, you would see the stones piled up like mountains.” (Dar Qutni)
10. It is makruh to perform rami with stones known with certainty to be impure.
11. On the tenth, one should stop reciting the talbiyah as soon as rami begins. It is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet (peace be upon him) continued reciting the talbiyah until he performed rami at Jamarat al-‘Aqabah.
12. On the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah, the masnun time for rami is from sunrise until midday. It remains permissible until sunset, but is makruh after sunset. On the other days, the masnun time for rami is from midday until sunset.
13. It is masnun to spend one night in Mina for the purpose of rami.
14. After performing rami at Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the tenth, it is masnun to perform rami on the other days in the following order:
First, rami must be performed at Jamarat al-Ula, which is situated near Masjid al-Khayf. Then at Jamarat al-Wusta, and then at Jamarat al-‘Aqabah.
15. It is preferable to perform rami on foot at Jamarat al-Ula and Jamarat al-Wusta, and preferable to perform it while mounted at Jamarat al-‘Aqabah.
16. After performing rami at Jamarat al-Ula and al-Wusta, it is masnun to stand for as long as it takes to recite Surah al-Fatihah, remain occupied with tahmid, tahlil, takbir, salat upon the Prophet, and similar recitations, and raise one’s hands to make dua.
17. Between Mina and Makkah there was a plain called Muhassab. It is now inhabited. Today it is called Mu‘ahadah. During the Farewell Hajj, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) stayed there. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha there. He then rested there for a while. Afterward, he departed, reached the House of Allah, and performed tawaf. (Bukhari)
However, staying there is Sunnah, not wajib or essential. There is no harm in omitting it.
18. Rami may be performed with anything with which tayammum is permissible, such as bricks, stones, baked clay, stone fragments, earth, clods, and the like. Rami with wood or any metal object is not permissible.
How to Perform Rami and Its Supplication
At Jamarat al-‘Aqabah, one should stop reciting the talbiyah before beginning the first rami and then perform rami. The masnun method of performing rami is to stand in a low place and first recite this supplication:
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In the name of Allah. Allah is the Greatest. (I perform this act) to thwart Satan’s evil plan and attain Allah’s pleasure. O Allah, make this Hajj an accepted Hajj, forgive the sins, and accept this effort.
Then, holding each stone fragment between the fingers, one should throw each while saying “Allahu Akbar,” aiming at the jamrah. At Jamarat al-‘Aqabah, throwing stones from atop the hill, throwing large bricks or stones, or throwing stones lying near the jamarat is makruh.
Rules Concerning Shaving the Head or Trimming the Hair
Shaving the head or trimming the hair is an essential act among the rites of Hajj. Allah says:
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Indeed, you will enter al-Masjid al-Haram safely, if Allah wills, with your heads shaved or your hair trimmed, without any fear. (Surah al-Fath: 27)
In reality, shaving the head or trimming the hair is the prescribed Shariah method of leaving the state of ihram and becoming free of its restrictions. Explaining its significance, Shah Waliullah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: The significance of shaving the head is that it is a specially prescribed method of leaving the state of ihram. If a method contrary to dignity had been prescribed, every person would end his ihram according to his own wishes and introduce separate methods. (Hujjatullah al-Balighah)
1. On the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah, the day of sacrifice, shaving the head or trimming the hair is wajib after performing rami at Jamarat al-‘Aqabah.
2. For men, both shaving the head and trimming the hair are permissible. However, shaving the head is more meritorious, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed twice for forgiveness for those who shaved their heads, and once for those who trimmed their hair. (Abu Dawud, Jami‘ al-Fawa’id)
3. Women should cut off a portion of their hair. Shaving the head is not permissible for them. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade women from shaving their heads.
4. If men cut approximately one finger’s length from all the hair on their heads, it will be permissible; it is also permissible to trim some of one quarter of the hair. For women, it is sufficient to trim a little from the ends of their hair.
5. If no hair has grown on someone’s head at all, or if he is bald, then merely passing a razor over the head will suffice.
6. If someone removes his hair using a hair-removing substance, that too will be permissible.
7. After shaving the head or trimming the hair, the state of ihram comes to an end, and all the acts that were prohibited during ihram become permissible for him. However, sexual relations with his wife will still not be permissible until he has completed the Tawaf al-Ziyarah.
Description of Qurbani
The history of qurbani is as ancient as the history of religion or humanity. In different ages, people adopted various methods and practices of expressing reverence, offering life, surrender, love and affection, humility and meekness, sacrifice and qurbani, worship and obedience. Taking human psychology and emotional feelings into consideration, Allah’s Shariah prescribed these methods for them, together with its distinctive moral reforms and corrections. People even offered their lives before their imagined gods and goddesses. This is the highest external expression of qurbani. Allah has also designated this offering of life for Himself and declared this kind of sacrifice unlawful for anyone other than Him.
The First Qurbani in Human History
The first qurbani in human history was the qurbani of Habil and Qabil, the two sons of Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him). It is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.
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And recite to them correctly the story of Adam’s two sons. When they both offered a qurbani, it was accepted from one of them and not accepted from the other. (Surah al-Ma’idah: 27)
In fact, one of them, whose name was Habil, offered a very beautiful ram as qurbani, with sincere earnestness of heart, seeking Allah’s pleasure.
The other person’s name was Qabil. Carelessly, he offered a quantity of grain unfit for food as qurbani. A piece of fire came down from the sky and burned Habil’s qurbani. This was considered a sign of acceptance. On the other hand, the fire did not touch Qabil’s grain at all, and that was a sign that it had not been accepted.
Qurbani in All Divine Shariahs
Qurbani was prescribed in all the Shariahs revealed by Allah Almighty. It was an indispensable part of the worship of every ummah.
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For every ummah We have prescribed a ritual of qurbani, so that they may mention Allah’s name over the animals He has provided them. (Surah al-Hajj: 34)
That is, qurbani existed among the acts of worship in every Shariah. Of course, the rules, methods and details of qurbani differed in the Shariahs of the prophets of different countries and nations at different times, according to circumstances. But in principle, all the heavenly Shariahs agree on this: animals must be sacrificed solely for Allah, and it must be done in His name.
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Therefore, mention only Allah’s name over those animals.
Mentioning Allah’s name over the animals has been stated in unequivocal terms. In other words, when slaughtering them, they must be slaughtered in Allah’s name, and slaughter them in His name to attain His pleasure. For He has given you these animals. He has subjected them to you and placed various benefits for you in them.
Qurbani: A Great and Memorable Institution
The qurbani that Muslims perform throughout the world today, and the magnificent scene of sacrifice that results from it, is in reality the fidyah for Hazrat Isma‘il (peace be upon him). In the Qur’an, after presenting the account of this great qurbani, it has been described as Islam, iman and ihsan.
Qurbani is in reality the practical expression of such resolve, firm faith, surrender and readiness to give one’s life: everything a person possesses belongs to Allah and should be devoted to His path. It is also evidence of the truth that, at Allah’s command, His servant does not hesitate even to give his blood. This pledge, surrender and giving of one’s life is called
iman, Islam and ihsan.
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When he reached the age at which he could walk and work with him, Ibrahim said to him one day, “Dear son, I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you. Tell me what you think.” The son replied without hesitation, “Father, do what you have been commanded to do. If Allah wills, you will find me steadfast.” Finally, when father and son had both surrendered themselves to Allah, and Ibrahim had laid his son down upon his side to slaughter him, We called out to him, “O Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the dream.” This is how We reward those who do good. Indeed, this was clearly a great trial. And We ransomed him (Isma‘il) with a magnificent sacrifice. We preserved this sunnah of Ibrahim among future generations. Peace be upon Ibrahim. Thus do We reward those who give their lives. Surely, he was one of Our believing servants. (Surah al-Saffat: 102–111)
That is, as long as the world endures, this great memory of qurbani will remain preserved among the Muslim ummah as the fidyah for Hazrat Isma‘il (peace be upon him). Allah saved the life of Hazrat Isma‘il (peace be upon him) through this fidyah so that, until the Day of Judgment, His devoted servants could perform qurbani throughout the world on this day. In this way, they could keep alive the memory of this great event of obedience and giving one’s life. Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and Hazrat Isma‘il (peace be upon him) initiated this unalterable sunnah of qurbani, and the believing life-givers of the ummah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) will continue it until the Day of Judgment.
A Command to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was commanded to keep the inspiration and consciousness of qurbani and giving one’s life alive throughout his entire life.
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Say, “O Muhammad (peace be upon him), indeed my prayer, my qurbani, my life and my death are all for Allah, Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. This is what I have been commanded, and I am the first of all to submit and obey Him.” (Surah al-An‘am: 162–163)
The meaning of having firm faith in Allah and steadfast conviction in His tawhid is that all a person’s efforts will be devoted to His pleasure. He will sacrifice everything in His path and present proof of his iman, Islam, obedience and readiness to give his life.
The true place of qurbani is where millions of pilgrims offer their respective sacrifices every year. In reality, this is one of the rites of Hajj. But the Merciful Allah has not deprived those who live far from Makkah and do not participate in Hajj of this great virtue. The command of qurbani is not only for those who perform Hajj at the House of Allah; rather, it is a general command. It applies to every financially capable Muslim. This is proven by hadith. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) lived in Madinah for ten years and performed qurbani every year. (Tirmidhi, Mishkat)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever does not perform qurbani despite having the means should not come near our Eid prayer ground.” (Jami‘ al-Fawa’id)
Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that on the day of Eid al-Adha, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever has performed qurbani before the Eid prayer must perform it again. Whoever performed it after the prayer has completed his qurbani and followed exactly the practice of the Muslims.”
It is true that on the day of Eid al-Adha there is no prayer in Makkah before which offering a sacrifice would violate the Sunnah of the Muslims. This is the statement concerning Madinah, and Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) presented it as evidence. He further said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would perform qurbani at the Eid prayer ground itself.
The Spiritual Aspect of Qurbani
The Qur’an points to three important purposes of qurbani. The truth is that qurbani is truly that which is performed with awareness of these purposes.
1. The Sacrificial Animal Is a Sign of Worshipping Allah
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And We have made the camels for you among the symbols of Allah. (Surah al-Hajj: 36)
……. is the plural of the word ………… . …….. (Shariah) refers to a distinctive symbol that draws attention to a spiritual and meaningful truth and becomes a cause and sign of remembering it. The sacrificial animal is the perceptible symbol of that spiritual truth. The person offering the qurbani actually expresses the feeling that the blood of the sacrificial animal takes the place of his own blood. He also expresses the feeling that his life, too, will be sacrificed in the way of Allah just as he has sacrificed this animal.
2. Qurbani is the practical expression of gratitude for Allah Almighty’s blessings.।
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Thus We have subjected these animals to you so that you may be grateful. (Surah al-Hajj: 36)
Allah Almighty has greatly favored people by subjecting animals to them. People derive many benefits from them. They drink their milk and eat their meat. They make various products from their bones, skins, wool and so forth. They use them in farming. They carry loads on their backs and also use them as mounts. Through them they also display their influence and status. By pointing to these benefits and mentioning that He has subjected them to human beings, the Qur’an seeks to inspire praise of Allah and gratitude. At the same time, it seeks to create the understanding that the great Allah who has bestowed this immense blessing should be the One in whose name qurbani is offered. Qurbani is the practical expression of gratitude for Allah’s immense blessing.
3. Qurbani is an outward expression of Allah’s greatness and supremacy
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Thus He has subjected the animals to you so that you may proclaim His supremacy according to the guidance He has given you. (Surah al-Hajj: 37)
In other words, slaughtering an animal in Allah’s name is in fact a declaration that the Allah who has bestowed these blessings and subjected them to us is their true Owner. Qurbani is an expression of gratitude to that true Owner and also a practical manifestation of the fact that the believer’s heart holds faith in Allah’s greatness and supremacy.
By putting the knife to the animal’s throat, he practically manifests and declares the above truth, and by saying aloud, “Bismillahi Allahu Akbar,” he acknowledges this truth.
The vital force of qurbani
In the pre-Islamic era, after offering a sacrifice, people would bring its meat and place it before the Baytullah. They would smear its blood on the walls of the Baytullah. The Qur’an said that Allah had no need whatsoever of this meat and blood. What reaches Him is the emotion of qurbani that arises, or ought to arise, in your hearts at the time of slaughter. Qurbani is not the name of meat and blood. Rather, qurbani is the name of the truth that everything belonging to us is for Allah and is to be devoted in His way.
The person offering qurbani does not merely put the knife to the animal’s throat. Rather, he puts the knife to all his evil inclinations and eradicates them. Qurbani offered without this feeling is not the sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and Hazrat Isma‘il (peace be upon him); it is merely a national custom. It may result in an abundance of meat, but it lacks the taqwa that is the vital force of qurbani.
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Neither the blood nor the flesh of those animals reaches Allah in the least; rather, your taqwa reaches Him from you.
In Allah’s sight, qurbani behind which there is no feeling of taqwa has no value whatsoever. Only that deed is accepted by Allah which taqwa inspires.
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Allah accepts the deeds only of those who possess taqwa.
The spiritual aspect of camel sacrifice
And We have made the camels for you among the symbols of Allah’s praise. In them there is only goodness and more goodness for you. So line them up standing and mention Allah’s name over them; then, when they fall and their sides touch the ground, eat from them yourselves and feed both those who do not ask and those who do ask. (Surah al-Hajj: 36)
The method of sacrificing camels is to line them up and strike them with a sharp instrument at the throat, whereupon a stream of blood flows from them. After their blood has run out, they fall to the ground. Fix this scene of qurbani in your mind once and think about what this sacrifice of an animal means. It means that our lives, too, are ready to be sacrificed in the way of Allah in this manner. In reality, this sacrifice takes the place of sacrificing one’s loved ones. Reflect on camel sacrifice in this sense. Consider once the scene of the camel being wounded, its blood flowing, its falling to the ground and giving its life in the way of Allah, so that it will seem as though Allah’s soldiers are standing in rows on the battlefield of jihad. Arrows or bullets of the enemy are piercing their throats, then fountains of blood are bursting forth. Then the blood-red earth bears witness to their giving their lives, and one after another they fall to the ground, presenting their lives to Allah.
The method and supplication of qurbani
The animal should be laid down for slaughter in such a way that it faces the qiblah, and the knife must be made very sharp. As far as possible, one should slaughter the qurbani with one’s own hands. If one cannot slaughter it oneself for some reason, one should remain standing nearby.
At the time of slaughter, this supplication should first be recited—
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I have turned my face away from all directions and devoted myself exclusively to the way of Ibrahim, directing my gaze toward the One who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not among those who associate partners with Allah. Indeed, my prayer, my qurbani, my life and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. This is what I have been commanded, and I am one of those who submit. O Allah! This is for You, and it is from You. (Mishkat)
Then it should be slaughtered while saying, “Bismillahi Allahu Akbar.” After slaughtering, this supplication should be recited—
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O Allah! Accept this qurbani from me just as You accepted the qurbani of Your beloved Habib Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and Your close friend Ibrahim (peace be upon him).
At the beginning of the supplication there is the word ………… . If it is one’s own qurbani, one should say …… . If it is on behalf of another person or several people, their names should be mentioned.
The virtues and emphasis of qurbani
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), mentioning the virtues of qurbani and its immense reward, said,
1. On the Day of Nahr, that is, the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, there is no deed more beloved to Allah than causing the blood of a qurbani to flow. On the Day of Resurrection, the sacrificial animal will appear with its horns, wool and hooves. The qurbani is accepted before its blood falls to the ground. Therefore, offer qurbani with heartfelt eagerness and a contented heart. (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
2. The noble Companions asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah! What is this qurbani?” The Prophet said, “It is the sunnah of your father Ibrahim (peace be upon him).” The Companions asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What reward is there for us in it?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “For each of its hairs, you will receive one reward.” (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
3. Hazrat Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Hazrat Fatimah al-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her), “Fatimah! Come and stand near your sacrificial animal, because for every drop of its blood that falls to the ground, Allah will forgive your previous sins.” Hazrat Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked, “Is this glad tidings specific to the Ahl al-Bayt, or is it for the entire ummah?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “It is for our Ahl al-Bayt as well as for the entire ummah.” (Jami‘ al-Fawa’id)
4. Hazrat Ibn Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him), relating from his father, says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not go to the prayer on Eid al-Fitr without eating something. On the day of Eid al-Adha, however, he would not eat anything before the Eid al-Adha prayer. (Tirmidhi, Ahmad)
Then he would return from the prayer and eat the liver of the sacrificial animal.
The rulings and issues of qurbani
Sunnah practices for the person offering qurbani
Anyone intending to offer qurbani should not cut any hair from any part of the body, shave the head or cut the nails after sighting the moon of Dhul-Hijjah. After offering qurbani, he should cut his hair, nails and so forth. This practice is sunnah, not wajib. For one who cannot afford to offer qurbani, it is also good that on the day of qurbani, instead of offering qurbani, he cuts his hair and nails and removes the hair below the navel. This act will take the place of his qurbani.
Hazrat Umm Salama (RA) says that the Prophet (SAW) said: Whoever intends to offer a sacrifice should not cut his hair or nails after sighting the moon until he has offered the sacrifice. (Muslim, Jami‘ al-Fawa’id)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (RA) says that the Prophet (SAW) said: I have been commanded to celebrate Eid on the day of Eid al-Adha (the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah). Allah has appointed this day as a festival for the Ummah. Someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah, tell us: a person gave me a goat for its milk. Should I sacrifice that goat?” The Prophet (SAW) said, “No, you should not sacrifice it. However, on the day of sacrifice, you should trim your hair, cut your nails, shorten your moustache, and remove the hair below the navel. That will constitute your complete sacrifice before Allah.” (Jami‘ al-Fawa’id, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’i)
Sacrificial Animals and Their Rulings
1. The sacrificial animals are as follows:
Camels, rams, sheep, goats, cattle, and buffalo. Sacrifice of any animal other than these is not permissible.
2. A ram, goat, or sheep may be sacrificed on behalf of only one person. More than one person may not share in it.
3. Up to seven people may share a cow, buffalo, or camel, but no more than that. However, this is subject to two conditions:
The first condition is that each participant must intend the sacrifice or ‘Aqiqah. The intention must not be merely to eat meat.
The second condition is that each person’s share must be exactly one-seventh. No one may participate with less than that.
If either of these two conditions is not fulfilled, the sacrifice will not be valid.
4. Fewer than seven people may share a camel, cow, or buffalo; for example, two, four, or any other number may take shares. But here too it is essential that no participant’s share be less than one-seventh. Otherwise, no one’s sacrifice will be valid.
5. If a person purchases a cow intending to sacrifice it jointly with other people, that is valid. If, at the time of purchase, he intends to buy the entire cow for himself and later decides to include others as partners, that is also permissible. Nevertheless, it is preferable that in such a case he sacrifice the entire animal for himself according to his original intention. If he wishes to include someone as a partner, he should include a financially capable person for whom sacrifice is obligatory. If someone for whom sacrifice is not obligatory is included as a partner, it will not be valid.
6. If, in the sacrifice of a cow or buffalo, someone independently assigns a share to one or more additional people without obtaining the partners’ permission, the sacrifice will not be permissible. Shares must be assigned only with the permission of those for whom they are intended. It is not permissible to decide secretly on a partner’s share, perform the sacrifice first, and obtain the partner’s permission afterward.
7. A ram, goat, or sheep must be a full one year old for its sacrifice to be valid. If it is less than one year old, it cannot be sacrificed. A cow or buffalo must be a full two years old; one younger than two years cannot be sacrificed. A camel must be five years old; a younger one is not permissible.
8. It is permissible to sacrifice an animal whose horns did not grow from birth, or whose horns partially broke after growing. However, if the horn broke off from the root, it is not permissible to sacrifice that animal.
9. It is not permissible to sacrifice a blind or one-eyed animal. Nor is it permissible to sacrifice a lame animal that walks on three legs. If it places its fourth leg on the ground but walks with a limp, the sacrifice is valid.
10. The sacrifice of an animal whose ear is cut by more than one-third, or whose tail is cut by more than one-third, is not valid.
11. Although it is permissible to sacrifice a weak and emaciated animal, it is preferable to sacrifice a well-fed and beautiful animal. If an animal is so weak and emaciated that its bones have become completely devoid of marrow, its sacrifice is not valid.
Hazrat Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (RA) says that the Prophet (SAW) was sacrificing a horned, plump ram whose eyes, face, and legs were black. (Abu Dawud)
12. It is valid to sacrifice an animal that was born without ears, or whose ears are very small.
13. It is not valid to sacrifice an animal that has no teeth at all. However, if some teeth have fallen out but most of the teeth remain, it is permissible.
14. It is permissible to sacrifice a castrated ram or male goat. The Prophet (SAW) himself sacrificed a castrated ram.
15. If a financially capable person for whom sacrifice is obligatory purchases an animal for sacrifice and, after purchasing it, finds a defect that makes sacrifice invalid, he must purchase another animal and sacrifice it. However, if a poor person, for whom sacrifice was not obligatory, is in this situation, he may sacrifice the defective animal.
16. It is permissible to sacrifice a cow or goat even if it is pregnant. If the offspring is born alive, it should also be slaughtered.
The Ruling on Sacrifice
1. Offering a sacrifice is wajib. Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (RA) says that the Prophet (SAW) said: Whoever does not offer a sacrifice despite having the means should not come near our Eid prayer ground.
Someone asked Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (RA), “Is sacrifice wajib?” He replied, “The Prophet (SAW) and the Muslims offered sacrifices.” When the man repeated the question, Hazrat Abdullah replied, “Do you not understand that the Prophet (SAW) and the Muslims offered sacrifices?”
2. Sacrifice is wajib for a Qarin and a Mutamatti‘, but it is not wajib for a Mufrid. If he offers it voluntarily, he will receive its reward.
3. For ordinary Muslims other than pilgrims, there are two conditions for sacrifice to be wajib. The first is financial capability. Being financially capable means possessing, beyond one’s basic needs, enough wealth that its total reaches the nisab.
In other words, sacrifice is wajib for everyone for whom Sadaqat al-Fitr is wajib.
The second condition is being resident. Sacrifice is not wajib for a traveler.
4. Sacrifice is wajib only on one’s own behalf—not on behalf of one’s wife or children.
5. If sacrifice was not wajib for a person according to the Shariah, but he purchased an animal with the intention of sacrificing it, sacrificing that animal becomes wajib for him.
6. If sacrifice was wajib for a person but, for some reason, he could not offer it after the three days of sacrifice had passed, then, if he had purchased a goat for this purpose, he must give that goat away alive as charity. If he had not purchased one, he must give the price of a goat in charity.
7. If someone makes a vow saying, “If such-and-such a matter of mine is accomplished, I will offer a sacrifice,” and, by Allah’s grace, the matter is accomplished, sacrifice becomes wajib for him, whether he is wealthy or poor. The ruling for a vowed sacrifice is that all its meat must be distributed among poor and needy people; neither the person offering the sacrifice may eat from it nor may any wealthy person be fed from it.
The Days and Time of Sacrifice
1. The time for sacrifice extends from Eid al-Adha, that is, the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah, until before sunset on the twelfth. Sacrifice may be offered at any convenient time during these three days. The best day for sacrifice is Eid al-Adha, followed by the eleventh and then the twelfth.
2. For residents of cities and towns, sacrifice is not permissible before the Eid prayer. They should sacrifice after the prayer. However, people in rural areas may sacrifice after the Fajr prayer. (This is presumably because returning from an Eid prayer ground far away may take a long time, perhaps until the afternoon.)
3. If city residents arrange for their sacrifice to be performed in a rural area, it may be performed there after Fajr. Even if the meat arrives before the Eid prayer, the sacrifice will still be valid.
4. During the days of sacrifice—that is, at any time from the tenth until before sunset on the twelfth—it is permissible to sacrifice by day or by night.
However, it is preferable not to sacrifice at night, because some vein might not be cut properly, causing the sacrifice to be invalid.
5. The two conditions that make sacrifice wajib are being resident and being financially capable. If a person is traveling but reaches home before sunset on the twelfth and is financially capable, sacrifice becomes wajib for him. If he is resident but poor, and Allah grants him wealth before sunset on the twelfth, sacrifice becomes wajib for him.
Various Issues Concerning Sacrifice
1. It is not necessary to pronounce the intention verbally or recite a supplication when offering a sacrifice. The intention and resolve in the heart are sufficient for the sacrifice to be valid. However, reciting a supplication verbally is preferable.
2. It is preferable to slaughter one’s own sacrifice with one’s own hands. If one cannot slaughter it oneself for some reason, one should remain present near the animal. The Prophet (SAW) told Hazrat Fatimah (RA), “Fatimah, come and stand beside your sacrifice, for each drop of its blood will cause your previous sins to be forgiven.” Fatimah asked, “O Messenger of Allah, is this exclusive to our Ahl al-Bayt or does it apply to all ordinary Muslims?” The Prophet (SAW) replied, “It applies to us and to all Muslims.” (Jami‘ al-Fawa’id)
3. When several people share in the sacrifice of a cow, buffalo, or similar animal, the meat must not be divided by estimation. Rather, the head, kidneys, liver, and every other part must be divided equally into seven portions. Each person must then be given the portion corresponding to his share.
4. One may eat the sacrificial meat oneself and distribute it among relatives and friends. It is preferable to distribute one-third among the poor and keep the rest for oneself and distribute it among relatives and friends. However, it is not essential to distribute one-third to the poor. There is no harm in distributing less than one-third among the poor and needy.
5. If several people share in a cow, buffalo, or camel and, instead of dividing the meat among themselves, wish to distribute it all together among the poor or cook it and feed them, that is permissible.
6. It is permissible to give sacrificial meat to a non-Muslim, but it is not permissible to give it as wages.
7. The hide of a sacrificial animal may be given to someone in need, or it may be sold and the proceeds given in charity. The proceeds should be given to those who may receive zakat.
8. The hide of a sacrificial animal may also be used for one’s own needs, such as making a prayer mat.
9. Meat, the hide, rope, and similar items must not be given to the butcher as payment for slaughtering and preparing the meat. His wages must be paid separately. The rope, hide, and similar items should be given in charity.
10. Whoever is obligated to offer a sacrifice must do so. Whoever is not obligated should also offer one if it will not cause him great hardship. However, it is not proper to borrow money in order to offer a sacrifice.
Sacrifice on Behalf of Deceased Persons
A person whom Allah has blessed with wealth should not be content with offering only his obligatory sacrifice. Rather, to attain the abundant reward of sacrifice, it is good to offer sacrifices on behalf of his elders, such as deceased parents, grandparents, and other relatives. It is an immense blessing for a believer to offer a sacrifice on behalf of the guides and spiritual mentors through whose means he was able to attain the gifts of guidance and faith. Likewise, offering sacrifices on behalf of the Azwaj al-Mutahharat, meaning the spiritual mothers, is a matter of immense good fortune.
Explanation of Hady
The lexical meaning of hady is a gift or present. In the terminology of the Shariah, hady refers to the animal that a visitor to the Haram takes along for sacrifice or sends there by some means.
1. There are three types of hady: camel, cow, and goat. The camel is the finest hady and the goat the least. Sheep, rams, and similar animals are equivalent to goats, while buffalo and similar animals are equivalent to cows.
2. The rulings and conditions concerning the age, health, and other matters of a hady animal are the same as those concerning a sacrificial animal.
3. If the hady is voluntary—for example, when a pilgrim performing Hajj al-Ifrad voluntarily offers a nafl sacrifice—the person offering the hady may eat its meat. Similarly, a pilgrim performing Qiran or Tamattu‘ may eat the meat of his own sacrifice, just as it is permissible to eat ordinary sacrificial meat. This is because the hady of Qiran and Tamattu‘ is not an expiation for any offense or shortcoming. Rather, Allah has made it wajib upon those performing Qiran and Tamattu‘ as an expression of gratitude. Therefore, eating it is permissible like eating ordinary sacrificial meat. The Prophet (SAW) had a piece of each of his hady animals cooked and ate it, and he also drank its broth. It is established from the narration of Hazrat Jabir (RA) in Sahih Muslim and from other hadith narrations that the Prophet (SAW) offered several sacrifices during Hajj.
It should be noted that Qiran and Tamattu‘ each involve only one obligatory sacrifice, while the remaining sacrifices are nafl. Since he had a piece of each one cooked and ate it, it is known that the person offering the sacrifice may eat the meat of all three types: Tamattu‘, Qiran, and nafl.
4. Apart from the meat of a Tamattu‘, Qiran, or intentionally voluntary sacrifice, it is not permissible to eat the meat of any hady oneself. This applies whether it is a hady for expiation of an offense, a vowed sacrifice, or the dam of Ihsar (see the glossary). When the Prophet (SAW) was prevented during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah from reaching the Baytullah, he sent the hady of Ihsar through Nadirah al-Aslami and instructed him not to eat its meat or allow his companion to eat it.
5. All the meat of a hady whose meat one may not eat must be given in charity to the poor and needy, and doing so is wajib. It is permissible to give it to the poor of the Haram or to the poor outside it. The poor of the Haram have no special distinction in this regard. (Ayn al-Hidayah)
6. It is not wajib to give all the meat of a hady whose meat one may eat to the poor and needy; rather, doing so is mustahabb. It should be divided into three portions: one for oneself, one for relatives, and one for the poor and needy. However, this division is not essential. It is also permissible to give all of it to the poor and needy.
The Well of Zamzam: Etiquette and Supplications
To the east of the Baytullah there is a historic well called Zamzam. The hadiths mention its many virtues and the abundant blessings and merits of its water. When Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), by Allah’s command, brought Hazrat Ismail (AS) and his mother Hazrat Hajar (AS) to the waterless desert of Makkah and settled them there, Allah, in His mercy toward the mother and child, caused the spring of Zamzam to flow for them in the stony wilderness. It is mentioned in a hadith:
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This is the well made by Jibril, and the small basin from which Ismail drank water. (Dar al-Qutni)
After Sa‘i, shaving the head, and similar rites, one should drink Zamzam water until full. Drinking so much that the ribs become submerged is a sign of faith. A hypocrite deprived of faith cannot drink that much. The Prophet (SAW) said: The distinguishing sign between us and the hypocrites is that the hypocrite cannot drink Zamzam water until his ribs become submerged. (Ibn Majah)
While explaining the blessings and virtues of Zamzam water, the Prophet (SAW) said: Zamzam water is beneficial for whatever purpose it is drunk. If it is drunk for healing from illness, Allah will grant healing. If it is drunk to attain satisfaction, Allah will grant satisfaction. If it is drunk to quench thirst, Allah will quench the thirst. This is the well that Jibril dug by striking with his heel, and this is the open water reservoir from which Ismail drank. (Dar al-Qutni)
That is, by Allah’s command, Hazrat Jibril (AS) specially created Zamzam in the waterless, barren wilderness for Hazrat Ismail (AS) and his mother Hazrat Hajar (AS), so that their hunger and thirst might be relieved.
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) says that the Prophet (SAW) said: Zamzam water is the finest of all the water in the world. It is nourishment for the hungry and healing for the sick. (Ibn Abbas)
He further said: If someone drinks Zamzam water with the intention of gaining protection from an enemy, he will receive that protection. (al-Hakim)
Zamzam water should be drunk while standing and after saying Bismillah, and one should drink one’s fill. While drinking, recite this supplication:
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O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, abundant provision, and healing from every illness. (Nayl al-Awtar)
Al-Multazam and Its Supplication
Al-Multazam is the section of the Baytullah’s wall located between the door of the Ka‘bah and the Hajar al-Aswad. This section is approximately six feet long and is one of the important places where supplications are accepted. Placing one’s body, chest, and face against it and supplicating humbly, meekly, and with a pleading voice is a masnun act of Hajj. Embracing al-Multazam and supplicating after completing the tawaf creates a particular feeling and emotional intensity, for it is a painful moment of taking leave of the Baytullah.
Hazrat Amr ibn Shu‘ayb said: My father Shu‘ayb narrated that while performing tawaf with my father, Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (RA), I saw some people embracing the Baytullah. I said to Abdullah ibn Amr, “Take me to that place so that we too may embrace the Baytullah with the people.” He said, “I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan.” Then, when he completed the tawaf, he embraced the section of the Baytullah between the Hajar al-Aswad and the door of the Ka‘bah and said, “By Allah, this is the place where I saw the Prophet (SAW) embracing.” (Bayhaqi)
It is narrated by Abu Dawud that Abdullah ibn Amr (RA) stood between the Hajar al-Aswad and the door of the Ka‘bah, extended his chest, face, and both hands, and placed them against the wall of the Ka‘bah. He said, “I saw the Prophet (SAW) do this.” (Abu Dawud)
Regarding supplication at al-Multazam, the Prophet (SAW) said: Whoever supplicates here while distressed will certainly become safe. (Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah)
After pressing one’s body against al-Multazam, one should first recite the following supplication. Then one should supplicate for permissible wishes concerning religion and worldly matters:
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O Allah! You alone are worthy of praise—such praise and gratitude through which some of the rights of Your blessings may be fulfilled, and through which some gratitude, favor, and recompense may be offered for all these blessings. I praise You with those of Your attributes that I know and those that I do not know. I praise You for those of Your blessings that I know and those that I do not know. In every condition, I am grateful to You. O Allah! Send blessings and peace upon Muhammad (SAW) and upon the family of Muhammad. O Allah! I seek Your protection from the rejected Satan and refuge from every evil. Allow me to remain content with whatever You have given me. Bless it for me. O Allah! Include me among Your honored guests, and grant me the ability to follow the straight path, O Lord of the worlds, until I meet You.
Places Where Supplications Are Accepted
It is a characteristic of a believer to remain engaged in remembrance and glorification while performing every act during Hajj and to supplicate abundantly at every place. In particular, one should make arrangements to supplicate more extensively at certain specified places. When Hazrat Hasan al-Basri was returning from Makkah to Basra, he wrote a letter to the people of Makkah. In it, he described the importance and virtue of staying in Makkah and specifically stated that a believer’s supplications are especially accepted at the following eleven places:
1. Supplicating while pressing one’s body and heart against the Multazam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The Multazam is a place where supplications are accepted. Whatever supplication a servant makes there is accepted.”
2. Beneath the Mizab.
3. Inside the Sacred Kaaba.
4. Near Zamzam.
5. At Safa and Marwah.
6. At the place between Safa and Marwah where one must run.
7. Near Maqam Ibrahim.
8. In the plain of Arafat.
9. At Muzdalifah.
10. At Mina.
11. Beside the Jamarat.
Umrah
Umrah means visiting the established House, while in the terminology of the Shariah it means the lesser Hajj, which may be performed at any time. No particular month or day has been specified for it. Whenever one wishes, one may enter ihram, perform tawaf of the Baytullah, perform sa‘i, and then exit ihram by shaving the head or trimming the hair. Umrah may be performed together with Hajj or separately. The Qur’an says—
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And perform Hajj and Umrah for the sake of Allah. (Surah al-Baqarah)
The Hadith mentions the immense virtue of Umrah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The finest deed is bearing witness to faith. Then comes the virtue of migration and striving. After that, there are no deeds better than two: a Hajj mabrur and an Umrah mabrur.” (Musnad Ahmad)
Umrah mabrur means an Umrah performed solely for Allah’s pleasure, together with all its rules, regulations, and conditions.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “Whoever sets out from home intending to perform Hajj or Umrah and then dies on the way will enter Paradise without reckoning. Allah Almighty takes pride in those who visit the Baytullah.” (Bayhaqi, Daruqutni)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Those who perform Hajj and Umrah are Allah’s guests. They come in response to Allah’s invitation. Therefore, whatever they ask of Him, they receive.” (Al-Bazzar)
One Umrah becomes an expiation for the sins committed between it and the next Umrah. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Rulings of Umrah
1. Performing Umrah once in one’s lifetime is Sunnat Mu’akkadah. Apart from that, whenever it is performed, it brings reward and blessings. Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked, “Is Umrah obligatory?” The Prophet replied, “No, but perform Umrah; it has great virtue.”
2. No month, day, or time has been specified for Umrah as there has been for Hajj. Umrah may be performed whenever the opportunity arises.
3. Performing Umrah in Ramadan is mustahabb. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Performing Umrah in Ramadan is like performing Hajj with me.” (Abu Dawud) It is stated in Bukhari that Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj.
4. The miqat for Umrah is the Hill, and this applies to everyone, whether they are Afaqis, residents within the miqat, or inhabitants of Makkah. The miqat for Hajj, for the people of Makkah, is the Hill.
5. The acts of Umrah consist only of entering ihram, performing tawaf, performing sa‘i, and shaving the head or trimming the hair.
Types of Hajj
There are three types of Hajj, and each has its own distinct rulings: (1) Hajj al-Ifrad, (2) Hajj al-Qiran, and (3) Hajj al-Tamattu‘.
Hajj al-Ifrad
The literal meaning of ifrad is to do something alone or to perform one act. In the terminology of the Shariah, ifrad refers to a Hajj in which Umrah is not performed; only the ihram of Hajj is entered and the rites of Hajj are performed. The person performing Hajj al-Ifrad is called a mufrid. When entering ihram, the mufrid intends only Hajj and performs the pillars of Hajj described earlier. Sacrifice is not wajib for the mufrid.
Hajj al-Qiran
The word qiran means joining two things together. In terminology, entering the ihram of Hajj and Umrah together and performing the pillars of both is called Hajj al-Qiran. The person performing this Hajj is called a qarin.
Hajj al-Qiran is superior to Hajj al-Ifrad and Hajj al-Tamattu‘. (According to Imam Shafi‘i, ifrad is superior, while according to Imam Malik, tamattu‘ is superior, because Hajj al-Tamattu‘ is mentioned in the Qur’an. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal says that qiran is superior if one has the sacrificial animal with him, and tamattu‘ is superior otherwise. According to Ahl al-Hadith, one tawaf and one sa‘i suffice for both Umrah and Hajj in Hajj al-Qiran.)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Perform Hajj and Umrah together, for these two eliminate poverty and sins just as a furnace of fire removes the impurities from iron, gold, and silver.” (Tirmidhi)
Rulings of Qiran
1. Performing Umrah during the months of Hajj is necessary for the qarin.
2. In Hajj al-Qiran, it is wajib to perform the tawaf of Umrah before the tawaf of Hajj. There must be a separate tawaf and sa‘i for Umrah and separate ones for Hajj.
3. It is masnun to begin the rites of Hajj after completing all the rites of the Umrah of qiran.
4. After the Umrah of qiran, shaving the head or trimming the hair is prohibited.
5. It is permissible for the qarin to combine the tawaf of Umrah with the tawaf al-qudum of Hajj, and it is also permissible to combine their sa‘i; however, doing so is contrary to the Sunnah.
6. Sacrifice is wajib for the qarin. This sacrifice is an expression of gratitude that Allah has granted the opportunity to perform Hajj and Umrah together. If one lacks the means to sacrifice, fasting for ten days is wajib: three fasts before the day of sacrifice and seven after the Days of Tashriq. The Qur’an says—
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Whoever cannot afford the sacrifice must fast for three days during Hajj and seven days after you have returned from Hajj; that makes ten days in total.
7. Hajj al-Qiran and Hajj al-Tamattu‘ are only for those who live outside the miqat; they are called Afaqis. The Qur’an says:
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This (tamattu‘ and qiran) is for those whose families do not reside near the Sacred Mosque. Those who live within the miqat may perform only Hajj al-Ifrad.
Hajj al-Tamattu‘
The word tamattu‘ means to enjoy benefits and conveniences for a while. In terminology, Hajj al-Tamattu‘ means performing Umrah and Hajj together in such a way that ihram is entered separately for each: one exits ihram after performing Umrah and enjoys those things that were prohibited during ihram. Then one enters ihram for Hajj and performs Hajj. Since this type of Hajj allows one to exit ihram and enjoy permissible things during the interval between Umrah and Hajj, it is called Hajj al-Tamattu‘.
The Qur’an says
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Therefore, whoever wishes to benefit from Umrah during the days of Hajj must offer a sacrifice according to his means.
Hajj al-Tamattu‘ is better than ifrad because it provides the opportunity to combine two acts of worship and to gain the good fortune of completing some additional acts of worship.
There are two ways of performing Hajj al-Tamattu‘. One is to bring the sacrificial animal along; the other is not to bring the hady animal along. The first is superior to the second.
Rulings of Tamattu‘
1. It is necessary for the person performing tamattu‘ to perform the tawaf of Umrah during the months of Hajj. (The months of Hajj are Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa‘dah, and the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah.) Alternatively, at least most of the circuits of the tawaf of Umrah must take place during the Hajj period.
2. For Hajj al-Tamattu‘, the tawaf of Umrah and the tawaf of Hajj must be performed in the same year. If someone performs the tawaf of Umrah one year and the tawaf of Hajj the following year, he cannot be called a person performing tamattu‘.
3. For tamattu‘, it is necessary to enter ihram for Umrah first, and it is also necessary to complete the tawaf of Umrah before entering ihram for Hajj.
4. It is necessary for the person performing tamattu‘ not to make ilmam between the ihram of Umrah and the ihram of Hajj. Ilmam means that after exiting the ihram of Umrah, one must not return to one’s family. However, tamattu‘ remains valid if one brings the sacrificial animal along.
5. Hajj al-Tamattu‘ is only for those who live outside the miqat. For those who live in Makkah or within the miqat, tamattu‘ and qiran are makruh tahrimi. (Ilm al-Fiqh)
6. Performing tawaf al-qudum is masnun for the person performing tamattu‘, and he should perform ramal during tawaf al-ziyarah.
7. Like the qarin, the person performing tamattu‘ must also offer a sacrifice. If he lacks the means, he must fast for ten days during Hajj: three fasts before the day of sacrifice and seven after the Days of Tashriq.
8. If the person performing tamattu‘ has not brought the sacrificial animal, he will exit ihram after performing the sa‘i of Umrah and shaving his head. If he has brought the sacrificial animal, he will not exit ihram; he will exit ihram after offering the sacrifice on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah.
The Prophet’s Farewell Hajj
In the words of the Prophet’s Companion, Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him):
Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) was the last Companion in Madinah; after his death, no Companion remained there. He had grown very old and was more than ninety years of age. He had also lost his eyesight. This was the time when Muhammad ibn Ali, the grandson of Hazrat Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), that is, Imam Baqir, came to serve Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him). Imam Baqir said, “When several of us came to serve him, he asked each of us our name and circumstances. When I said that I was the grandson of Hazrat Husayn, he stroked my head with great affection. Then he opened the chest buttons of my kurta and placed his hand exactly in the middle of my chest. I was then in the full vigor of youth. He was very pleased and said, ‘Welcome, my nephew. You are a memento of Husayn. Tell me, why have you come?’ I began to say—. He was blind. At that moment, the time for prayer arrived. He was wearing a small shawl, and he stood for prayer with it. It was so small that whenever he placed it over his shoulders, it fell off. He kept wearing that one even though a larger shawl was nearby. After leading us in prayer and completing it, I said, ‘Hazrat, please relate to us the account of the Prophet’s Farewell Hajj.’”
Counting to nine on his fingers, he said, “After the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to Madinah, he did not perform Hajj for nine years. In the tenth year after the Hijrah, he announced publicly that he would perform Hajj. As soon as people heard this news, many began gathering in Madinah. Everyone hoped that he would accompany the Prophet on the Hajj journey, follow his commands, and do whatever he did.”
At last, the time came to depart from Madinah. The entire caravan set out with the Prophet and reached and stayed at Dhu al-Hulayfah.
A special incident occurred there. A woman in the caravan, Asma bint Umays (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), gave birth to a child. She asked the Prophet what she should do in that condition. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “In this condition, bathe for ihram and wear a loincloth like the other women.”
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed at Dhu al-Hulayfah. After the prayer, he mounted his she-camel, Qaswa. The she-camel carried him to the nearby elevated plain of Bayda. When I looked around from the top of Bayda, I saw people filling the horizon in every direction, as far as the eye could see—some mounted and some walking. The Prophet was among us. The Qur’an was being revealed to him. Since he understood the Qur’an fully, we too did whatever he did by Allah’s command. When he reached this place, he recited the talbiyah aloud—
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O Allah, Your servant is present before You. At Your call, I have come before You. You have no partner. I am present. You alone deserve praise, and You alone possess the right to grant mercy, favor, and reward. You have no partner in dominion and authority.
Everyone recited the talbiyah aloud. They added some words, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not object. He continued reciting his talbiyah constantly.
Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Our intention on this journey was to perform Hajj; we were not intending to perform Umrah. Finally, when we reached the Baytullah with my Pure Prophet, he first kissed the Black Stone. Then he began the tawaf. He performed ramal during the first three circuits and walked at an ordinary pace during the remaining four. Then he came to Maqam Ibrahim and recited this verse:
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And take the Station of Ibrahim as a place of prayer for yourselves.
Then he stood so that Maqam Ibrahim was between him and the Baytullah. There he performed two rak‘ahs of prayer, reciting *******Arabic********* in the first rak‘ah and *******Arabic********* in the second. Then he came near the Black Stone and kissed it. After that, he proceeded toward Mount Safa. When he reached near Safa, he recited *******Arabic********* and said, *******Arabic********* “I am beginning the sa‘i from Safa, just as Allah began its mention in this verse.”
He therefore climbed Safa high enough that the Baytullah came clearly into view. He stood facing the qiblah. Then he engaged in proclaiming Allah’s oneness and takbir.
He recited:
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There is no deity except Allah. He is One and Unique; He has no partner. Dominion belongs to Him, and He deserves all praise. He has power over everything. There is no deity except Allah. He is One and Unique. He fulfilled His promise—that is, He made the religion victorious throughout Arabia. He helped His servant and alone defeated the groups of disbelievers and polytheists.
He recited these words three times and supplicated. Then he descended and proceeded toward Marwah. At Marwah, he said what he had said at Safa. Thus, completing the final circuit, he reached Marwah. There he addressed his companions. He was above, while his companions were below.
He said—
Hearing this, Suraqah ibn Malik stood and said, “O Messenger of Allah, is this command only for this year, or is it forever?” (The people of Makkah considered performing Umrah regularly during the months of Hajj a grave sin. Suraqah ibn Malik saw that tawaf and sa‘i during the months of Hajj were being made into Umrah on a permanent basis. Therefore, he asked this question.)
If I had understood at first what I understood later, I would not have brought the hady animal with me. I would then have regarded this tawaf and sa‘i as the tawaf and sa‘i of Umrah, converted it into Umrah, and exited ihram. Those among you who have not brought a hady animal may come, regard it as the tawaf and sa‘i of Umrah, and exit ihram.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “It is not only for this year; it is forever.”
Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) continued, “Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived in Makkah from Yemen with many sacrificial animals for the Prophet. He saw that his wife, Hazrat Fatimah, had exited ihram. She had also put on colored clothing and applied kohl. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) did not consider these things proper and expressed his displeasure. Hazrat Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, ‘My father ordered me to do this,’ meaning that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had ordered her to exit ihram.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) turned toward Hazrat Ali and asked, “When you entered ihram and recited the talbiyah, what intention did you make? Did you intend only Hajj, or did you intend both Hajj and Umrah?” Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I said, ‘O Allah, I am entering the ihram for that for which Your Messenger has entered ihram.’”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Since I have brought the hady animal with me, I have no opportunity to exit ihram. You made the same intention as I did. Therefore, you too have no way to exit ihram.”
Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “The total number of camels brought by Hazrat Ali from Yemen and the camels of the Prophet was one hundred.” (Some narrations state that the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought sixty-three camels and Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) brought thirty-seven from Yemen.)
All the Companions exited ihram according to the Prophet’s instructions and became lawful by shaving or trimming their hair. However, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and those Companions who had brought hady animals with them remained in ihram.
Then, on the 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah, those who had exited ihram after Umrah entered ihram for Hajj. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mounted Qaswa and departed for Mina. There he performed the five daily prayers: Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr. After the Fajr prayer, he remained in Mina for a while. When the sun had risen well, he set out for Arafat. He ordered that a woolen tent be erected for him at the place called Namirah. (Namirah is actually a place where the boundary of the Haram ends and the boundary of Arafat begins. During the Age of Ignorance, the Quraysh used to stay within the boundary of the Haram near Mash‘ar al-Haram, while ordinary people stayed in the plain of Arafat. Therefore, the Quraysh believed that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would stay at that same place. However, he had already ordered that a tent be erected at the actual place where he would stay.) The Quraysh were certain that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would stay near Mash‘ar al-Haram, because that was always done during the Age of Ignorance. But the Prophet (peace be upon him) crossed beyond the boundary of Mash‘ar al-Haram and entered the boundary of Arafat. He stayed in the tent that had been erected at his instruction at Namirah.
Then, when the sun began to decline, he instructed that a howdah be fastened to the back of Qaswa. Once it had been fastened, he mounted the she-camel and reached the plain of Uranah. There, from an elevated place, he delivered a sermon to the people from atop the camel. He said—
Gathered people! It is unlawful for you to kill anyone unjustly or to seize anyone’s property unlawfully. It is just as unlawful as this day is unlawful for you (and as you regard it as unlawful).
Understand well that everything belonging to the Age of Ignorance has been placed beneath my feet, and the bloodshed of the Age of Ignorance has been forgiven. First of all, I announce the forgiveness of the bloodshed among my own relatives—namely, the killing of the son of Rabiah ibn Harith ibn Abdul-Muttalib. Rabiah’s son was staying with the Banu Sa‘d tribe to be breastfed. He was killed by members of the Huzail tribe.
All claims to interest from the Age of Ignorance are abandoned. In this regard, I first announce the withdrawal of the interest claim of my uncle Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib. Today all his claims to interest have come to an end.
Gathered people! Continue to fear Allah regarding women’s rights. You have taken them into your marriage bonds as a trust from Allah. Enjoyment of them has become lawful for you only according to Allah’s word and law. Your wives have a special right over you: they must not allow anyone whom you do not like to enter your homes to sit upon your beds. If they commit this mistake, you may give them a minor reprimand. Their special right over you is that you provide them with food and clothing according to your means.
I am leaving among you a source of guidance which, if you hold firmly to it and follow its instructions, will never let you stray from the true path. This source of guidance is the Book of Allah.
On the Day of Resurrection, Allah Almighty will ask you about me: whether I conveyed Allah’s message to you. Tell me, what answer will you give Allah about me on that day?
The gathered people said with one voice, “We testify that you have fulfilled the duty of conveying the message. You have conveyed everything. As an adviser and well-wisher, you have left nothing undone.”
After this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) raised his index finger toward the sky and, pointing toward the people, said, “O Allah, bear witness; O Allah, bear witness; O Allah, bear witness. I have conveyed Your message and Your commands to Your servants, and Your servants also testify that I have fulfilled the duty of conveying the message.”
Then Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the call to prayer and the iqamah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) led the noon prayer. Then Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the iqamah a second time, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) led the afternoon prayer. After performing the noon and afternoon prayers together, he came to the place where one may stop and remain. He then turned his Qaswa toward the large rocks, and the gathered people stood in front of him. Some were mounted and others were on foot. The Prophet (peace be upon him) faced the qiblah and remained there. When the sun finally set, he departed from Arafat toward Muzdalifah, seating Usamah ibn Zayd behind him on the camel. On reaching Muzdalifah, he performed the sunset and night prayers together. The call to prayer was given, and the iqamah was given twice, once for each prayer. He performed no sunnah or nafl prayer between these two prayers. Then he lay down to rest. When dawn finally broke, he performed the dawn prayer after the call to prayer and iqamah. After the prayer, he came near al-Mash‘ar al-Haram, stood facing the qiblah, and engaged in glorifying and declaring the oneness of Allah. When the eastern sky became quite bright, he departed from there for Mina before sunrise. This time he seated Fadl ibn Abbas behind him on the camel. When he reached the middle of the Muhassir valley, he increased the camel’s speed. Leaving the plain of Muhassir, he took the middle route, which emerged near the Greater Jamrah. Then, reaching that Jamrah, which was near a tree, he stoned it. He threw seven small stones at the Jamrah, saying “Allahu Akbar” with each throw. He threw the stones from the lower side. After completing the stoning, he went to the place of sacrifice and slaughtered sixty-three sacrificial animals with his own hands. He entrusted the rest to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He had included Ali in his hady sacrifice, then ordered that a piece be taken from each sacrifice. The meat was cooked, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) ate some of it and drank broth. Then the Prophet mounted the camel and departed toward the House of Allah for the visitation. Reaching Makkah, he performed the noon prayer. After the prayer, he went to the members of the family of Abdul-Muttalib, who were drawing Zamzam water and giving it to the people to drink. He said, “Draw water in buckets and give it to the people to drink. If I did not fear that people would draw the buckets with you merely because they saw me, I would draw one myself.” They gave the Prophet a bucket full of water, and he drank from it. (Muslim, narrated from Jafar ibn Muhammad ibn Atiyyah)
Discussion of Janayat
Janayat means committing any unlawful act, sin, and so forth. In the context of Hajj, however, janayat means doing something that becomes unlawful because it is done within the Haram or because one is in ihram. Janayat is of two kinds:
First: Janayat of the Haram
Second: Janayat of Ihram
If a person commits an act that is unlawful within the boundaries of the Haram, or an act that is unlawful while in ihram, separate rules of expiation and sacrifice apply for compensating for these two matters, as will be explained below.
The Haram of Makkah and Its Excellence
The purest, most blessed, and most honored house on earth is the one that Allah has called His own House. It is the center of monotheism and prayer and the first house on earth, built for the worship of Allah. This House is a source of guidance and blessing and a refuge for all humanity.
The blessed mosque in whose midst this House of Allah stands is called al-Masjid al-Haram (the Honored Mosque). It is not merely the finest of all the mosques in the world; it is the true mosque. Prayer in the other mosques of the world is valid because they serve as substitutes for this mosque, and everyone must pray facing it. The excellence of al-Masjid al-Haram is such that one prayer performed there earns the reward of one hundred thousand prayers. (Ibn Majah)
Allah Almighty did not designate only the city of Makkah as the Haram; rather, He included an area extending several kilometers around it within the boundaries of the Haram and declared it a Haram (that is, a revered region). He prescribed certain practices and rules of conduct to show respect for its excellence. Within these boundaries, many acts have been prohibited and declared unlawful and impermissible out of respect for the region, although they are lawful and permissible elsewhere in the world.
These boundaries of the Haram were first established by Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Later, during the period of his prophethood, the Prophet (peace be upon him) renewed them. These boundaries are well known and clearly recognized. The boundary extends approximately five kilometers toward Madinah, about eleven kilometers toward Yemen, and about the same distance toward Taif and Iraq, and approximately sixteen kilometers toward Jeddah. After the Prophet (peace be upon him), Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) renewed the same boundaries. Thus, these boundaries are now very well known. The excellence and honor of the Haram’s boundaries are signs of one’s relationship and obedience to Allah and His religion. As long as the Ummah collectively preserves this devotion and reverence, Allah’s protection and mercy will continue over them, and they will be able to live with their heads held high in this world.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “As long as my Ummah continues to fulfill its duty of honoring and revering the sanctified Haram, it will continue to receive goodness. But when it violates its sanctity, it will be destroyed.” (Ibn Majah)
Janayat of the Haram
1. Cutting or uprooting wild plants, grass, or green shrubs growing in the Haram constitutes janayat. If they belong to no one, the expiation is to give their value in charity in the path of Allah. If they belong to someone, twice their value must be paid. Charity must also be given, and the owner must also be paid.
2. It is permissible to cut or uproot izkhir (a kind of fragrant grass). At the request of Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted cutting or uprooting izkhir.
3. Whether wild plants and vines or bushes and thickets, cutting or uprooting them constitutes janayat.
4. If branches are not wild but have been planted, cutting them does not constitute janayat. Nor is plucking some leaves from such a tree janayat if it belongs to no one. If it belongs to someone, its leaves may not be plucked without permission. If the owner himself plucks them, it is not janayat.
5. Killing game in the Haram constitutes janayat. The killer must pay compensation.
6. Breaking or cooking the eggs of birds in the Haram constitutes janayat. Killing locusts also constitutes janayat.
7. If someone has game with him and enters the Haram, it is obligatory for him to release that game. However, if the game is tied with a rope that he is holding, or is confined in a cage, it is not obligatory to release it.
8. Entering the Haram without entering ihram at the miqat also constitutes janayat. One sacrifice is obligatory for this.
9. Killing the following within the boundaries of the Haram does not constitute janayat: wasps, snakes, scorpions, mice, flies, bedbugs, mosquitoes, ants, and similar creatures, as well as creatures that attack and from whose attacks it is essential to protect oneself.
10. Going outside the Haram to shave the head or cut the hair (in order to end ihram) constitutes janayat. One sacrifice is obligatory for this.
Janayat of Ihram
There are three types of janayat of ihram.
1. For which two sacrifices are required.
2. For which one sacrifice is required.
3. For which charity in lieu of sacrifice is required.
Cases requiring two sacrifices
1. If a man applies a strong fragrance or thick henna to his head and it remains for a day and a night, whether it is applied to the entire head or to one quarter of the head, two sacrifices become obligatory for him. But if a woman does this, she must offer one sacrifice.
2. For those acts of janayat for which one sacrifice is obligatory upon a performer of Hajj al-Ifrad, two sacrifices will be obligatory upon a qarin.
3. If a performer of Hajj al-Tamattu brings an animal for hady with him, two sacrifices will be obligatory for all acts of janayat; for a mufrid, one sacrifice will be obligatory.
Acts of janayat requiring one sacrifice
Only in two situations is the sacrifice of a camel or cow obligatory. Otherwise, wherever sacrifice is mentioned, it means the sacrifice of a goat or sheep.
1. If someone performs Tawaf al-Ziyarah while in a state of janabah (which requires a ritual bath), the sacrifice of one camel or cow becomes obligatory.
2. If someone has intercourse with his wife after standing at Arafat but before Tawaf al-Ziyarah or shaving his head, the sacrifice of a camel or cow becomes obligatory. In all situations other than these two, the sacrifice of a goat or sheep is obligatory.
3. If any one of the obligations of tawaf is omitted, one sacrifice becomes obligatory.
Refraining from the prohibited acts of ihram is also included among the obligations of tawaf. The rules concerning the sacrifices for some of these prohibited acts are explained below.
4. If a large amount of fragrance is applied, one sacrifice becomes obligatory. If a small amount is applied but rubbed over a large part of the body, such as the head, hands, or feet, one sacrifice also becomes obligatory.
5. If fragrance is applied over the entire body in one place, one sacrifice is required; if it is applied over the entire body in different places, one sacrifice must be offered for each place.
6. If a sacrifice is offered after applying fragrance but the fragrance does not disappear, another sacrifice must be offered.
7. If one spends a day wearing perfumed clothing, one sacrifice becomes obligatory.
8. Applying liquid henna to the head, beard, hands, and feet requires one sacrifice.
9. The condition for a sacrifice becoming obligatory when wearing sewn clothing is that it be worn for a day and a night. If it is worn for less time, a sacrifice is not obligatory; only charity must be given. It is also a condition that the sewn clothing be worn normally. If a kurta or sherwani is merely draped over the shoulders without putting the arms into the sleeves, it does not constitute janayat.
The rules concerning when a sacrifice becomes obligatory for performing tawaf without purification from hadathi impurity are as follows:
10. If any tawaf other than Tawaf al-Ziyarah is performed while in a state of janabah, one sacrifice becomes obligatory.
11. If Tawaf al-Ziyarah is performed while in a state of minor hadath, one sacrifice becomes obligatory; likewise, if the tawaf of Umrah is performed in a state of minor hadath, one sacrifice becomes obligatory.
12. If three or fewer circuits are omitted from Tawaf al-Ziyarah, one sacrifice becomes obligatory; if more than three are omitted, a sacrifice alone is not sufficient—the tawaf must be repeated.
13. If any obligation of Hajj is omitted, one sacrifice becomes obligatory.
14. If a mufrid shaves or cuts his hair, or performs Tawaf al-Ziyarah, after the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah, one sacrifice becomes obligatory.
15. If a qarin shaves his head before slaughtering or before stoning, one sacrifice becomes obligatory.
Acts of janayat requiring only charity
1. If fragrance is used in an amount that does not require a sacrifice, charity becomes obligatory. (Charity means charity equivalent to sadaqat al-fitr.) For example, fragrance is applied to an area smaller than one limb, or to an area of clothing smaller or larger than one square handspan, but it is not used for a full day or a full night.
2. If sewn clothing is worn for less than a day or a night, or the head is covered for that length of time, one charity becomes obligatory. If the head is covered or sewn clothing is worn only briefly—for less than an hour, for example—a handful of flour is sufficient.
3. If Tawaf al-Qudum, Tawaf al-Wida (the farewell tawaf), or any nafl tawaf is performed in a state of minor hadath, one charity becomes obligatory.
4. If three or fewer circuits are omitted from Tawaf al-Qudum, the farewell tawaf, or sa‘i, one charity becomes obligatory for each omitted circuit.
5. If less than half of the stonings obligatory on a given day are omitted—for example, seven stonings are obligatory at Jamrat al-Aqabah on the tenth, and someone omits three of them—one charity becomes obligatory in place of each omitted stone.
6. If someone cuts the hair of another person’s head or neck, whether that second person is in ihram or not, one charity becomes obligatory upon the person who cut the hair.
7. If five or more nails are cut, but not the nails of one entire hand or foot—instead, nails from different hands or feet—one charity becomes obligatory.
General guidance
1. If the value of one charity, or the combined value of several obligatory charities, equals the price of a sacrifice—whether because the sacrifice is inexpensive or because the combined value of several charities is enough to buy one—then some money should be deducted from that amount so that the remainder does not equal the price of a sacrifice.
2. If an obligation of Hajj is omitted without an excuse, a sacrifice becomes obligatory. If it is omitted due to an excuse, neither sacrifice nor charity is obligatory.
3. When a prohibited act of ihram is committed, sometimes a sacrifice and sometimes charity becomes obligatory. When a sacrifice is obligatory, there is also the option of giving charity to six needy people, one charity to each, instead of the sacrifice. There is also the option of fasting for three days whenever and wherever one wishes.
After charity becomes obligatory, one is given the option of keeping one fast in place of the charity.
Compensation for Game
Hunting wild animals is also among the acts prohibited in ihram. Hunting is prohibited, and helping someone hunt is also prohibited. If a wild animal is hunted, compensation must be paid. Compensation means the value of the hunted animal, which two just persons will determine. The Quran says:
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O believers, do not hunt while in ihram. If any of you hunts intentionally, he must offer in compensation an animal equivalent to it. Two just persons among you shall decide this. The hady must be sent to the Kaaba, or, as expiation for this janayat, several needy people must be fed, or an equivalent number of fasts must be observed, so that he may experience the consequence of his deed. (Surah al-Maidah: 95)
The hunting prohibited in this verse is hunting on land. Hunting in rivers or the sea is permissible, whether or not eating it is permissible. The Quran clearly says:
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Lawful for you is the game of the sea and eating it, as provision for you and for travelers. But hunting on land is forbidden to you as long as you remain in ihram. (Surah al-Maidah: 96)
Rules Concerning Hunting and Its Compensation
1. Just as hunting oneself is prohibited, helping a hunter is also prohibited. Just as the hunter must pay compensation, the person who helps him must also pay compensation.
2. If several persons in ihram jointly hunt an animal, or one person hunts while the others assist, each must pay separate compensation.
3. If one person in ihram hunts several animals, separate compensation must be paid for each animal.
4. Compensation is required only for hunting wild animals. No compensation is required for hunting or killing domesticated animals. For example, if someone kills a goat, cow, camel, chicken, or the like, no compensation is required.
5. Regardless of how large an animal whose meat is unlawful may be, its compensation is one goat. For example, if someone kills an elephant, he must offer one goat as compensation.
6. If someone kills more than three lice or locusts himself, or orders someone else to kill them, one sadaqat al-fitr becomes obligatory. If he kills three or fewer, he may give whatever he wishes as charity.
7. If the hunted animal belongs to someone, double compensation must be paid: it must be offered in the way of Allah, and the owner must also be paid the assessed value.
8. The value applicable shall be that of the place and time where the hunting occurred. The value of another place or time cannot be considered. Therefore, the assessed value may differ according to place and time.
9. Another option is to purchase an animal equivalent to the hunted animal and send it to the Haram to be sacrificed. It is also permissible to purchase food grains with its value and give each needy person an amount equal to one Sadaqat al-Fitr, or to have each needy person fast one day instead of the charity. However, if no sacrificial animal can be purchased with the assessed value, there are two options: give each needy person the amount of Sadaqat al-Fitr, or fast one day for each such charity.
10. If the assessed value of the hunted animal is insufficient to purchase food equal to one Sadaqat al-Fitr, then whatever amount can be obtained shall be given in charity, or one shall fast.
11. The ruling and recipients of the charity given as compensation are the same as those of Sadaqat al-Fitr.
Explanation of Ihsar
The literal meaning of ihsar is to obstruct, prohibit, or prevent. In terminology, ihsar means that a person enters ihram for Hajj or Umrah and is then prevented from proceeding to perform Hajj or Umrah. Such a person is termed muhsar (one who has been prevented).
Being prevented from Hajj after entering ihram and being unable to perform Hajj or Umrah is called ihsar. Therefore, it is wajib for the muhsar to offer a sacrifice according to his means as compensation for the ihsar. This is called damm al-ihsar. The Quran says:
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Complete Hajj and Umrah for the sake of Allah. If you are prevented or forced to stop somewhere, then offer whatever sacrifice is available before Allah, and do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal reaches its destination. (Surah al-Baqarah: 196)
Some Causes of Ihsar
There may be many reasons for being prevented after entering ihram and being unable to perform Hajj. Some of them are mentioned below:
1. The route is unsafe; there is fear of the enemy, murder, or plunder; a wild animal is present on the route; or there is any other danger to life or property.
2. Becoming ill, fearing that the illness will worsen if one proceeds, or lacking the strength to continue because of weakness.
3. After entering ihram, a woman has no mahram man with her; or the mahram becomes ill or dies, an argument occurs and he refuses to accompany her, or someone prevents him from going.
4. The travel expenses run out, become insufficient, or are stolen.
5. The route is forgotten and no one remains who can show the way.
6. A woman’s waiting period begins—for example, her husband divorces her, or her husband dies after she enters ihram.
7. A woman enters ihram without her husband’s permission, and after she enters ihram her husband forbids her to proceed. In all these circumstances, after entering ihram she becomes a muhsar.
Rulings of Ihsar
1. Because of ihsar, the muhsar shall purchase, according to his means, whichever animal he can—camel, cow, or goat—and send it to the Haram so that it may be sacrificed on his behalf.
2. The sacrifice for ihsar is wajib. The muhsar may not remove his ihram until a sacrifice has been made in the Haram on his behalf. When sending the sacrificial animal or its price, he shall specify the day of slaughter so that he may remove his ihram on that day.
3. If one is prevented from performing Umrah or Hajj ifrad, one sacrifice must be sent; if one is unable to perform Hajj qiran or tamattu, two sacrifices must be sent, or their price must be sent.
4. It is not permissible for the muhsar to eat the meat of the ihsar sacrifice, because this too is a sacrifice for a violation.
5. If the impediment ends after the sacrificial animal has been sent, and it is possible for the muhsar to reach Makkah before the animal is slaughtered and attain the blessing of Hajj, then it is wajib for him to set out for Hajj immediately. But if he cannot arrive before the sacrifice and there is no possibility of performing Hajj, then it is wajib for him not to set out.
Hajj on Behalf of Another
Hajj on behalf of another means having someone perform Hajj in one’s place at one’s own expense. Hajj is obligatory for a person, but he cannot go himself because of an unavoidable reason, such as illness, extreme old age, or another similar cause. He therefore has the option of appointing someone else to go for Hajj in his place, and that person performs Hajj on his behalf.
Hazrat Abu Razin (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah! My father has become extremely old. He cannot perform Hajj or Umrah, nor can he sit on a mount.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Perform Hajj and Umrah on behalf of your father.” (Tirmidhi)
It is known from this that performing Hajj on behalf of another is valid. Whoever cannot perform his obligatory Hajj himself may send someone else to fulfill it on his behalf. Indeed, in such a situation he should have his obligatory Hajj performed. This is an obligation prescribed by Allah. Whoever is unable to send someone should make a bequest that, after his death, Hajj on his behalf be performed from his property.
A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah! My father has died, and during his lifetime he could not perform the obligatory Hajj. Should I perform Hajj on his behalf?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If he had a debt, would you repay it?” The man replied, “Yes, certainly I would repay it.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Repaying Allah’s debt is even more necessary.” (Jami al-Fawaid)
Conditions for the Validity of Hajj on Behalf of Another
There are sixteen conditions for Hajj on behalf of another to be valid. The first five relate to the person who commissions the Hajj, and the remaining eleven relate to the person who performs it.
1. Hajj must be obligatory according to Shariah for the person who wishes to commission Hajj on his behalf. If someone commissions Hajj on behalf of a person for whom Hajj is not obligatory—that is, who lacks the means—this Hajj will not fulfill the obligation. For example, if that person becomes financially capable after the Hajj and Hajj then becomes obligatory for him, the Hajj previously commissioned will not fulfill his obligation. Rather, another Hajj must be commissioned if he cannot perform it himself.
2. The person commissioning Hajj must himself be incapable. If his incapacity is temporary and expected to end, then after Hajj is performed on his behalf, if the incapacity becomes permanent with no possibility of ending—for example, he becomes extremely weak due to old age or becomes blind—it is not a condition to wait until the end of the incapacity. If, through Allah’s special mercy, his incapacity ends after Hajj has been performed on his behalf, he will not be required to perform Hajj again; it will be understood that the obligation has been fulfilled.
3. This incapacity must become apparent before Hajj is commissioned. If it becomes apparent after Hajj has been commissioned, that Hajj will not count, and commissioning Hajj will become necessary after the incapacity appears.
4. The person who wishes to commission Hajj must personally instruct someone else to perform it. If someone performs Hajj on behalf of another without being instructed, the obligation will not be discharged. Making a bequest at the time of death is also included in giving such an instruction. However, if an heir performs Hajj on behalf of the deceased, or has someone else perform it, without a bequest from the deceased, the obligation will be fulfilled.
5. The person commissioning Hajj must bear all the expenses of the Hajj himself.
6. The person performing Hajj on behalf of another must be Muslim.
7. The person performing Hajj on behalf of another must be sane and mentally competent; an insane or mentally deranged person cannot perform it.
8. The person performing Hajj on behalf of another must be intelligent; it is permissible even if he is a minor. Hajj performed on behalf of another by someone lacking sound judgment is not valid and will not fulfill the obligation.
9. When entering ihram, the person performing Hajj on behalf of another must make the intention of Hajj on behalf of the person commissioning it.
10. The Hajj must be performed by the person whom the one commissioning it instructed to perform it on his behalf. In other words, only the person appointed by the commissioner may perform it. However, if the commissioner gives permission for Hajj to be performed through someone else as well, then Hajj performed by that other person will also be valid.
11. The person performing Hajj on behalf of another must perform it according to the wishes of the person commissioning it. For example, if the commissioner specifies Hajj qiran or tamattu, then the performer must accordingly perform Hajj qiran or tamattu.
12. The person performing Hajj on behalf of another must enter ihram for the same type of Hajj and on behalf of one person only. If he enters ihram for Hajj on behalf of two people, the obligation will not be fulfilled.
13. The person performing Hajj on behalf of another must travel for Hajj by vehicle, not on foot.
14. The person performing Hajj on behalf of another must begin the Hajj journey from the place of the person who commissioned it. Even if the Hajj is commissioned from one-third of a deceased person’s estate, the journey must begin from the place from which the Hajj journey may properly be commenced.
15. The person performing Hajj on behalf of another must not invalidate the Hajj. If he performs its make-up after invalidating the Hajj, the obligation of the person who commissioned it will not be fulfilled.
16. According to the Hanafis, it is not necessary to impose the condition that the person performing Hajj on behalf of another must first perform his own obligatory Hajj and only then perform Hajj on behalf of another. According to Ahl al-Hadith, however, he may not perform Hajj on behalf of another unless he has first performed his own obligatory Hajj.
Being Present in Madinah
Visiting Madinah al-Tayyibah is not a pillar of Hajj. Yet Madinah’s extraordinary distinction and virtue, the immense reward for prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque, and the intense desire to appear before the Prophet draw believers to Madinah. This has always been the case. For a person to travel from distant lands to the House of Allah and then return home without presenting blessings and salutations at the Prophet’s Mosque would be an intensely painful disappointment. The believer’s heart cries out at this prospect.
The Excellence and Virtues of Madinah al-Tayyibah
What greater distinction and virtue could Madinah possess than that the great well-wisher of humanity spent ten years of his life here? Here stands the mosque built by his blessed hands, in which he prayed with his noble Companions. Here is the historic plain where the decisive battle between truth and falsehood took place, and on this pure land the martyrs of Badr lie peacefully—those of whom the entire Muslim ummah is proud. Here rest the pure souls whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave glad tidings of Paradise during their lifetimes, and on this pure land the Prophet of mercy himself resides.
Before the Hijrah, this city was called Yathrib. After the Hijrah, it became known as Madinah al-Tayyibah. Allah Himself named it Tabah. Hazrat Jabir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say that Allah named Madinah Tabah.” (Muslim)
Tabah, Tiba, and Tayyibah mean pure and pleasant. Indeed, the pure land of Madinah is truly pure and pleasant.
After the Hijrah, Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) became seriously ill, because the climate there was very bad and unhealthy. Epidemics frequently appeared. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed, “O Sustainer! Create in our hearts love for Madinah as we have love for Makkah. Drive its fever and illness toward Juhfah, and make its climate pleasant.” (Bukhari)
The Prophet’s extraordinary love for Madinah can be understood from the fact that whenever he returned to Madinah from a journey, seeing the city’s buildings from afar would fill him with joy, and he would say, “There they are; they have arrived.” (Bukhari) Then he would remove his cloak from his shoulders and say, “This is the breeze of Tayyibah. Oh, how sweet it is!”
He would say to those among his companions who covered their faces to protect themselves from dust, “There is healing in the soil of Madinah.” (Jadhb al-Qulub)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “By the One in whose hand is my life, the soil of Madinah contains a remedy for every illness.”
Hazrat Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I think the Prophet said that its soil also contains a cure for leprosy.” (At-Targhib)
Emphasizing respect for Madinah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Ibrahim (peace be upon him) declared Makkah a sanctuary, and I declare Madinah a sanctuary. The area between its two boundaries is also a sanctuary. No bloodshed may take place here, nor may weapons be carried. Even the leaves of trees may not be plucked, though this may be done for animal fodder.” (Muslim)
Explaining the virtue of enduring hardship while living in Madinah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever from my ummah endures hardship and lives in Madinah, I will intercede for him on the Day of Resurrection.” (Muslim)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Among my ummah, I will first intercede for the people of Madinah, then for the people of Makkah, and then for the people of Ta’if.” (Tabarani)
When Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) resettled his descendants in the land of Makkah, he made this supplication:
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“Therefore, O Allah, incline people’s hearts toward them and provide them with fruits for their sustenance, so that they may become grateful servants.” (Surah Ibrahim)
Referring to this supplication, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for goodness and blessing in favor of Madinah:
“O Allah! Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was Your special servant, Your friend, and Your prophet. I too am Your servant and prophet. He prayed to You for goodness and blessing for Makkah. I likewise pray to You for goodness and blessing for Madinah, indeed for more than that.” (Muslim)
Describing Madinah’s sanctity and religious importance, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The Day of Resurrection will not come until Madinah expels the wicked from within it just as a blacksmith’s furnace removes impurities from iron.” (Muslim)
Describing the virtue of wishing and striving to die in Madinah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Whoever can die in Madinah should certainly do so, for I will intercede for whoever dies in Madinah.” (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Ibn Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) says that Hazrat Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja’i (may Allah be pleased with him) dreamt that Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had been martyred. When this dream was related to him, he said sorrowfully:
“How will I attain the fortune of martyrdom? I am staying in the Arabian lands, I do not personally participate in any jihad, and people always surround me. Yet, if Allah wills, He will grant me the blessing of martyrdom even in this condition.” Then he recited this supplication:
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“O Allah! Grant me the fortune of being martyred in Your path, and cause me to die in the city of Your Messenger.”
The Excellence of the Prophet’s Mosque
Among the great virtues of the Prophet’s Mosque is that the pure Prophet built it with his blessed hands and prayed in it for several years. He declared it to be his own mosque. He said, “One prayer in my mosque is better than a thousand prayers in any other mosque, except al-Masjid al-Haram.”
Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever continuously performs forty prayers in my mosque, without missing a single prayer in between, will be freed from the Fire of Hell and other punishments, and will thereby be protected from hypocrisy.” (Musnad Ahmad, At-Targhib)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The area between my house and my pulpit is one of the gardens of Paradise, and my pulpit is at the Hawd of Kawthar.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Visiting the Blessed Rawdah
How fortunate were those Muslims whose eyes were delighted by seeing the Blessed Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); they were continually honored by his company and inspired by his words. This fortune was reserved for the noble Companions. But the opportunity will remain until the Day of Resurrection for lovers of the Messenger to visit his blessed Rawdah and, standing at his threshold, offer blessings and salutations upon him.
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever performs Hajj and visits my Rawdah after my death attains the fortune of visiting me just as one who visited me during my lifetime.” (Bayhaqi)
“Whoever visits my grave after my death is like one who visited me during my lifetime. Whoever visits my grave has earned my intercession as an obligation. Whoever among my ummah, despite having the means, does not visit my grave has no valid excuse.” (Ilm al-Fiqh)
“Whoever comes to visit my grave and has no other purpose, it becomes my duty to intercede for him.” (Ilm al-Fiqh)
Ruling on Visiting the Blessed Rawdah
Visiting the blessed Rawdah is wajib. This is what appears from the Hadith. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever performs Hajj but does not come to visit my grave has wronged me.” Another Hadith states, “Whoever does not visit my grave despite having the ability has no acceptable excuse.” In light of these Hadiths, the respected scholars have declared visiting the blessed Rawdah wajib.
Indeed, the noble Companions, the Tabi’in, and other Islamic scholars made special efforts to visit the Rawdah. Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would, whenever he returned from a journey, go first to the blessed Rawdah and offer blessings and salutations.
Once Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Madinah with Ka’b al-Ahbar, and he first presented himself at the blessed Rawdah and offered blessings and salutations.
Hazrat Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz sent his messenger from Syria to Madinah with the instruction that, upon reaching there, he should convey his (Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz’s) greetings to the Court of Prophethood.
A Glance at the Supplications of Hajj
During Hajj, supplications are made at various places while performing the rites of Hajj. These have been properly described in this book, and their translations have also been provided. The list of supplications and their page numbers is given below:
Supplication for Drinking Zamzam Water—p. 270
Supplication after the Talbiyah—p. 166
Supplication for Stoning the Jamarat—p. 187
Supplication for Sa‘i—p. 182
Supplications for Tawaf—p. 176
Places Where Supplications Are Accepted—p. 208
Supplication for Sacrifice—p. 196
Supplication at the Multazam—p. 207
Supplication at the Plain of Arafat—p. 168
Places of Hajj
The sacred places in and around the Sacred Precinct where the rites and pillars of Hajj are performed are places of great honor. They are, in reality, signs of Allah the Exalted. They have a close connection with the history of Islam. Learning about them is extremely important for every Muslim, especially pilgrims. As a result, they can attain the full benefit of Hajj and experience the spiritual emotions that are the essence of Hajj. The names and descriptions of these places are given below.
1. Baytullah
This is a sacred, four-sided House built by Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and Hazrat Ismail (peace be upon him) at Allah’s command. They built it in the hope that, as long as the world existed, it would remain a center of guidance for all humanity. From here emerged the Messenger who would undertake the immense responsibility of guiding the entire world. The Quran testifies that this Baytullah was the first house built on earth for the worship of Allah by the children of Adam. It is a source of goodness and blessing and a center of guidance for the whole world. During Hajj, visitors to the Sacred Precinct perform Tawaf around it with profound devotion, reverence, humility, and meekness.
2. Batn Urana
A particular place in the plain of Arafat, known as Batn Urana or the Plain of Urana. It was in this plain that the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered a sermon to the assembled people during the Farewell Hajj.
3. Jabal al-Rahmah
A blessed mountain in the plain of Arafat.
4. Jabal Qazaḥ
A mountain near Mash‘ar al-Haram in Muzdalifah.
5. Mount Arafat
A mountain in the plain of Arafat. Because of this mountain, the valley or plain is called Arafat or the Plain of Arafat.
6. Juhfah
Juhfah is a place situated about 180 kilometers west of Makkah. Juhfah is the Miqat for the people of Syria and all those arriving by way of Syria. They must enter Ihram there in order to come to the Sacred Precinct.
7. Jamarat
There are three pillars situated some distance away in Mina. They are called the Jamarat. The first pillar, situated in the marketplace toward Masjid al-Khayf, is called Jamrat al-Ula. The second pillar, situated toward the Baytullah, is called Jamrat al-Aqabah. The third pillar lies between the two; it is called Jamrat al-Wusta.
8. The Sacred Precinct
The areas surrounding the city of Makkah, where the Baytullah and al-Masjid al-Haram are located, are called the Sacred Precinct. Its boundaries have been fixed and are known to everyone. Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) first established these boundaries. Then, during his era, the Prophet (peace be upon him) renewed and affirmed them. The boundary of the Sacred Precinct extends about five kilometers toward Madinah, about eleven kilometers toward Yemen, about eleven kilometers toward Taif, and the same distance toward Iraq. After the Prophet (peace be upon him), Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and Hazrat Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) maintained these boundaries in their respective eras. Love and obedience to Allah’s religion require Muslims to fully observe the greatness, reverence, and preservation of these boundaries and to refrain from all acts prohibited within them.
9. Hatim
The northwestern section of the Baytullah was part of the Ka‘bah during the time of Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him), but it was not incorporated into the main structure during a later renovation. Before the prophethood of the Noble Prophet, a fire broke out and burned part of the Ka‘bah. When the Quraysh rebuilt it, their funds ran short, so some of the walls were left shorter. This unfinished section is called Hatim. Since Hatim is part of the Baytullah, those performing Tawaf do so from outside Hatim, so that Hatim is included in the Tawaf.
10. Dhat Iraq
A place situated about 90 kilometers northeast of Makkah, designated as the Miqat for the people of Iraq and for those who enter the Sacred Precinct by way of Iraq.
11. Dhu al-Hulayfah
Dhu al-Hulayfah is situated eight or nine kilometers from Madinah on the route from Madinah to Makkah. Although it is several hundred kilometers from Makkah, it is the Miqat for the people of Madinah and those arriving from Madinah.
12. Rukn Yamani
The corner of the Baytullah facing Yemen is called Rukn Yamani. It is an exceedingly blessed place. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that touching Rukn Yamani and the Black Stone causes sins to be forgiven. (Al-Targhib)
13. Zamzam
Zamzam is a historic well situated east of the Baytullah. When Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him), by Allah’s command, brought Hazrat Ismail (peace be upon him) and his mother Hazrat Hajar to settle in the barren desert of Makkah, Allah bestowed a special favor upon them and caused this spring of Zamzam to flow for them in that rocky wilderness. The hadiths describe the great virtue of this spring and its water. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that Zamzam water should be drunk to one’s fill. It fulfills the purpose for which it is drunk. It is food for the hungry and a cure for the sick.
14. Safa
Safa is the name of a mountain east of the Baytullah. Today, only a small trace of that mountain remains. Opposite it, north of the Baytullah, is Mount Marwah. Sa‘i between these two is obligatory for visitors to the Sacred Precinct. Sa‘i is mentioned in the Holy Quran.
15. Arafat
Arafat is a very extensive plain about fifteen kilometers from Makkah. Where the boundary of the Sacred Precinct ends, the boundary of Arafat begins. Reaching the plain of Arafat and staying there is a very important pillar of Hajj. If this pillar is omitted, Hajj is not valid. The hadiths mention the great virtue of staying at Arafat.
16. Qarn al-Manazil
Qarn al-Manazil is the name of a mountainous place on the eastbound road from Makkah. It is situated about fifty kilometers from Makkah. It is the Miqat for the people of Najd and for those who enter the Sacred Precinct by way of Najd.
17. Muhassab
A plain between Makkah and Mina, situated between two mountains. It has now become populated. It is currently called Mu‘ahadah. When leaving Mina, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stopped here for a while. However, stopping here is not one of the rites of Hajj.
18. Muzdalifah
Muzdalifah is a place situated exactly between Mina and Arafat. It is also called Jam‘ because pilgrims must gather there on the night of the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah. Staying at Muzdalifah is obligatory. The time of staying extends from the beginning of Fajr until sunrise.
19. al-Masjid al-Haram
Al-Masjid al-Haram is superior to all the mosques of the world. Indeed, it is the original place of prayer, and all the mosques of the world are, in reality, substitutes for this mosque. This is that blessed mosque in whose center stands Allah’s House, the first house of worship on earth and the source of guidance and blessing for all humanity. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that the reward for one prayer in this mosque is equal to that of one hundred thousand prayers elsewhere.
20. The Prophet’s Mosque
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) migrated to Madinah, he built a mosque here. He himself consistently took part alongside the Companions in its construction. He said, “This is my mosque.” He prayed in this mosque for ten years, and the noble Companions also prayed in it for many years. Describing the virtue and greatness of this mosque, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
People may undertake a journey only for three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haram, al-Masjid al-Aqsa, and this mosque of mine. (Bukhari and Muslim)
He also said that whoever performs forty prayers in this mosque of mine without missing a single prayer in between will be granted deliverance from the Fire of Hell and other punishments. In this way, he will also be freed from hypocrisy. (Al-Targhib)
21. Masjid al-Khayf
This is a mosque in Mina. While staying in Mina, pilgrims perform the Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr prayers in this mosque.
22. Masjid Namirah
It is situated exactly on the boundary between the Sacred Precinct and Arafat. The wall of this mosque facing Makkah marks the junction of the Sacred Precinct and Arafat. During the Age of Ignorance, the Quraysh would not go to Arafat; rather, they would stay within the boundary of the Sacred Precinct, near Mash‘ar al-Haram, and considered this their distinctive privilege. However, during the Farewell Hajj, the Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed that his tent be pitched at Namirah. This was done. Masjid Namirah stands at this very place.
23. Mash‘ar al-Haram
There is a raised landmark in the plain of Muzdalifah, enclosed around its edge. This place is called Mash‘ar al-Haram. Emphasis has been placed on engaging abundantly in dhikr and reciting tasbih here. The Prophet (peace be upon him) would climb this elevated place and recite tasbih and make supplication. It is also one of the places where supplications are accepted. The Holy Quran also says that Allah should be remembered abundantly here:
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Therefore, when you return from Arafat, remember Allah near Mash‘ar al-Haram as you have been instructed.
24. Mataf
The oval-shaped area surrounding the Baytullah, which includes Hatim, is called the Mataf—the place for performing Tawaf. Here, day and night, at every moment, people perform Tawaf around the Baytullah like moths. Tawaf pauses only during the congregational prayer.
25. Maqam Ibrahim
Northeast of the Baytullah, a little away from the door of the Ka‘bah, there is a domed structure. Inside it is a sacred stone bearing the footprints of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). It is called Maqam Ibrahim. It is an extremely sacred and blessed place and one of Allah’s great signs. Allah says:
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And take the station of Ibrahim as a permanent place of worship.
After completing the seven circuits of Tawaf, the person performing Tawaf offers two rak‘ahs of prayer beside Maqam Ibrahim. The place of prayer is between Maqam Ibrahim and the door of the Ka‘bah. Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Maqam Ibrahim is exactly where Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) left it.
26. Multazam
The section of the Baytullah’s wall between the Black Stone and the door of the Ka‘bah is called the Multazam. It is approximately six feet long. It is one of the most important places where supplications are accepted. The word Multazam means a place of attachment—that is, a place to embrace with the chest, face, and hands. It is Sunnah to embrace it in this manner and make supplication there with utmost humility and heartfelt emotion.
27. Mina
A place within the boundary of the Sacred Precinct, about five kilometers from Makkah. Pilgrims stay here during the night between the eighth and ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah. After the sun has risen well on the ninth, the pilgrims depart from here for Arafat.
28. Milayn al-Akhdarayn (the Two Green Markers)
On the route from Safa to Marwah, between Safa and Marwah, there are two green markers on the left. These are called Milayn al-Akhdarayn. It is Sunnah to run between them, but only for men, not for women.
29. Wadi Muhassir
A place midway between Muzdalifah and Mina is called Muhassir. A few days before the birth of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), the Christian ruler of Abyssinia, Abraha, attacked Makkah with the evil intention of destroying the Baytullah. When he reached this plain of Muhassir, Allah the Exalted sent numerous flocks of small birds from the direction of the sea. These birds had tiny stones in their beaks and claws. They rained these stones upon Abraha’s soldiers with such force and without pause that the entire army was annihilated. Pilgrims collect small stones from this place and use them for stoning. Stoning is performed with the resolve that if anyone advances with the evil intention of destroying the religion of truth, he too will be annihilated in this manner, just as the flocks of birds annihilated Abraha’s army. Pilgrims should collect as many small stones, each about the size of a chickpea, as needed from here and leave this place immediately, because it is a place of punishment.
30. Yalamlam
The name of a place on the route from Yemen, southeast of Makkah. It is about sixty kilometers from Makkah. This place is the miqat for those arriving from Yemen and its direction. Pilgrims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India must enter ihram here.
Terminology
1. Ihram
Entering ihram means forming the intention for Hajj, putting on the Hajj garments, and reciting the talbiyah. One who enters ihram is called a muhrim. Just as eating, drinking, moving about, and other activities become prohibited after saying takbir al-tahrimah for prayer, many things that were previously permissible become prohibited after entering ihram. For this reason, it is called ihram.
2. Ihsar
The literal meaning of ihsar is to obstruct or prevent. In terminology, it means that a person intends to perform Hajj or Umrah and is then prevented from performing Hajj or Umrah. Such a person is called a muhsar.
3. Istilam
It means to touch or kiss. During tawaf, it is Sunnah to touch or kiss the Hajar al-Aswad at the beginning of each circuit and at the end of the tawaf. Touching the Yemeni Corner is mustahabb.
4. Idtiba
To drape the cloth around the body so that, instead of placing one end over the right shoulder, it is passed under the right armpit and laid over the left shoulder. The right shoulder remains uncovered. This expresses agility, strength, and enthusiasm, and demonstrates that the soldier of Allah is ready to fight the enemy.
5. I’tikaf
I’tikaf means that a person gives up worldly activities for some time, stays in a mosque, and remains engaged there in dhikr, tasbih, remembrance of Allah, and similar acts. Performing this practice during the last ten days of Ramadan is Sunnah mu’akkadah.
6. Afaqi
People who live beyond the miqat are called Afaqis.
7. Ifrad
Hajj is of three types. One type is ifrad. Those who perform this Hajj are called mufrids.
8. Ilmam
Ilmam means to come down. In terminology, ilmam means going to one’s family after removing the ihram.
9. Uqiyyah
A unit of weight equal to 40 dirhams.
10. Ayyam al-Bid
The 13th, 14th, and 15th days of every lunar month are called Ayyam al-Bid, meaning the bright days.
11. Ayyam al-Tashriq
Ayyam al-Tashriq are from the 9th through the 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah.
12. Talbiyah
A special supplication for visitors to the Haram, which they continue to recite.
13. Tamattu
Tamattu is one type of Hajj. It means performing Hajj and Umrah together while entering separate ihrams for each. After Umrah, the person removes the ihram. At that point, everything prohibited during ihram becomes lawful for him. He then enters ihram again for Hajj. Such a person is called a mutamatti.
14. Tamlik
Tamlik means making someone an owner. One condition of zakat is that the recipient of the zakat wealth be made its owner, so that he may spend it as he wishes.
15. Jinayat
Jinayat means committing a prohibited and evil act. In terminology, it means doing something that is prohibited while in the Haram or while in ihram.
16. Dam al-Ihsar
If, after forming the intention, someone is prevented from performing Hajj or Umrah, he must offer a sacrifice according to his ability. This sacrifice is called dam al-ihsar.
17. Raml
Walking quickly with a swaying gait during the first three circuits of tawaf is called raml.
18. Rami
There are three pillars at some distance from one another in Mina. Stones are thrown at them. This act is called rami. The pillars are called the Jamarat.
19. Sa’imah
Sa’imah are animals that live by eating grass in the wilderness. They do not need to be fed fodder or the like at home. However, they are kept for their milk.
20. Tawaf al-Qudum
The first tawaf performed after entering Makkah is called Tawaf al-Qudum. It is wajib for those who live beyond the miqat.
21. Tawaf al-Ziyarah
The tawaf performed on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah after standing at Arafat is called Tawaf al-Ziyarah. This tawaf is fard.
22. Tawaf al-Wida, or Farewell Tawaf
The tawaf performed before departing from the Baytullah is the Farewell Tawaf. This tawaf is wajib for Afaqis.
23. Umrah
Umrah is the minor Hajj. It may be performed at any time. Whenever the opportunity arises, one enters ihram, performs tawaf of the Baytullah, performs sa’i, and removes the ihram after shaving the head or trimming the hair. Umrah may be performed together with Hajj or separately.
24. Fidya
Because of being unable to fast, the Shariah gives an incapacitated person the option of giving a needy person food grains equal to the amount of Sadaqat al-Fitr in place of the fast, or feeding him two meals. In terminology, this is called fidya. It is also permissible to give the value of the grains.
25. Qiran
Entering ihram for Hajj and Umrah together and performing the pillars of both is called qiran. A pilgrim who performs this is called a qarin. Hajj al-Qiran is superior to both Hajj al-Tamattu and Hajj al-Ifrad.
26. Qirat
One qirat equals five barley grains. Twenty qirats make one mithqal.
27. KaffarahKaffarah is the act prescribed by the Shariah to compensate for a shortcoming or violation according to the Shariah.
28. Mithqal
Mithqal is a type of weight. It equals three masha, or one ratti.
29. Muhrim
A person who enters ihram for Hajj or Umrah at the miqat is called a muhrim.
30. Muhsar
A person who, after intending to perform Hajj or Umrah, is compelled for some reason to remain prevented from performing Hajj or Umrah is called a muhsar.
31. Miqat
A miqat is a designated place beyond which it is prohibited to proceed to Makkah al-Mukarramah without entering ihram. Whoever has to go to Makkah for any purpose must enter ihram upon reaching the miqat. Proceeding further without ihram is makruh tahrimi.
32. Wasq
Wasq means the weight of one camel-load, equivalent to 60 sa.
33. Hadi
Its literal meaning is a gift or present. In Shariah terminology, hadi refers to the animal that a visitor to the Haram brings along for sacrifice or sends there by some means.
34. Yawm al-Tarwiyah
The 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah is called Yawm al-Tarwiyah. This means that the Hajj rites begin on that day.
35. Yawm Arafah
The 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, that is, the day of Hajj, is called Yawm Arafah or the Day of Arafah. On this day, the pilgrims gather in the plain of Arafat.
36. Yawm al-Nahr
The 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah is called Yawm al-Nahr because sacrifices begin on that day.
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