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                            Home Islamic Lifestyle  Islamic Travel  Preparation for Hajj & Umrah
                          
                         Preparation for Hajj & Umrah
                        
                        
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                                    What is Needed to Perform Hajj & Umrah? 
                                
                                    Some people think that the performance of Hajj and Umrah is very complicated. Therefore,
                                    they don't make enough effort to learn to perform the essential rites correctly
                                    and have to pay Dam (sacrifice of an animal) as a penalty. Then some people are
                                    put off by the lengthy  Dua'as in Arabic listed in the most books.
                                    To put these people at ease from the very beginning, we start with the suggestion
                                    to use the simple  Dua'as that they already know. Then the procedure
                                    of Hajj and Umrah is presented in a simplified way.
                                    
                                     
                                        1. SUPPLICATIONS (Dua'as) 
                                    
                                        There are no prescribed prayers for the Hajj rites, except Talbiyah which is very
                                        short and can be memorized easily. It is:
                                         
                                        
                                        TALBIYAH
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                            
                                                
                                                    "Labbayk, 
                                                        Allahumma Labbayk.
                                                         
                                                        Labbayk.
                                                         
                                                        La shareeka laka.
                                                         
                                                        Labbayk. 
                                                        Innal-hamda wan-n'imata
                                                         
                                                        laka wal-mulk.
                                                         
                                                        La shareeka lak." 
                                                    
                                                 
                                                
                                                    ( Here we come, 
                                                    O Allah, here we come ! 
                                                    Here we come. 
                                                    No partner have You. 
                                                    Here we come! 
                                                    Praise indeed, and blessings, are Yours--- 
                                                    the Kingdom too! 
                                                    No partner have You!)
                                                     
                                                 
                                             
                                            
                                         
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        If you still can't remember it, you can say its translation in English or in any
                                        other language but Talbiah or its translation is pronounced in a loud voice by men
                                        and in a subdued voice by women.
                                        
                                         
                                        Regarding other du'as (supplications), consider yourself in front of your Creator
                                        and ask Him whatever you want in life and the life hereafter in your own language.
                                        You can praise Allah Almighty in short Arabic phrases or sentences, such as,
                                        
                                        
                                         Allahu Akbar, 
                                            Subhan Allah, 
                                            Alhamdu Lillah, 
                                            Subhan Allah Wabe Hamde hi Subhan Allah hil Azim, 
                                            first Kalimah, etc.
                                        
                                        Surah Fatihah "Alhamdu Lilla Hi Rab-Bil Aala Meen..." is a du'a which is recited
                                        in every rakah of the salah. There are two very short du'as:
                                         
                                            - Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina azabin-nar.
 
                                                 
                                             
                                            - Allahumma antas salamu wa minkas salamu tabarakata ya dhaljalali wal ikram.
                                                
 
                                                There is another du'a which is mostly recited in the salah: 
                                                Rabbij'alni muqimas salata wa min dhurriyyati Rabbana wa taqabbal du'a. 
                                                Rabbanaghfirli waliwalidaiyya wa lil mu'minina yawma yaqumul hisab. 
                                                 
                                                Then there is a Darud Sharif in the salah, use that.
                                                 
                                                 
                                                According to Muslim and Bukhari Sharif if you recite Surah Al-Ikhlas (given
                                                below) three times, you get the reward (thawab) of reciting the whole Quran
                                                and you know in Masjid al-Haraam this reward is increased 100,000 times. Subhan
                                                    Allah!!
                                                 
                                                 
                                                Bismillahir rahmannir rahim. 
                                                     
                                                    Inna a'tainakal kawthar. 
                                                    Fa salli lirabbika wanhar. 
                                                    Inna shani'aka huwal abtar. 
                                                
                                                 
                                                These are some of the surahs and du'as that you already know, you can use them repeatedly
                                                and for the rest of the time ask your Creator whatever you want in your own language. 
                                                 
                                             
                                         
                                        
                                            2. IHRAM 
                                        
                                        The literal meaning of Ihram is to make haraam (forbidden). When a haji pronounces
                                        the Niyyah (intention) of Hajj and Umrah and utters Talbiyah, certain halaal (permissible)
                                        things become haraam for him. This combined action (Niyyah and Talbiyah) is called
                                        Ihram. The two sheets that a haji wears are figuratively known as Ihram but the
                                        real Ihram is Niyyah & Talbiyah. If someone wears these two sheets and does not
                                        declare his intention and utter Talbiyah, he does not become a Muhrim. That is why,
                                        before Niyyah and Talbiyah, he can cover his head during two rakahs of Nafl, an
                                        act which is not allowed in the real state of Ihram.
                                        
                                        
                                         PROCEDURE
                                        
                                            - Preparations for Ihram. Comb your hair, shape the beard, trim your
                                                mustache, cut your nails, and remove unwanted body hair.
 
                                             
                                            - Purification. Take a bath with the intention of Ihram otherwise
                                                do wudu. Here it is noted that there are two ways of purification:
 
                                             
                                            
                                                - Purification of the body, shower or wudu.
 
                                                - Internal purification, sincere repentance on your sins. Say something like this:
                                                    "O Allah, I sincerely repent on my sins and seek your forgiveness."
  
                                             
                                            - Ihram Sheets. Men should wear a sheet of white cloth around the
                                                waist and cover the upper body with the other sheet. Women's ordinary clothes are
                                                their Ihram. Both should wear the flip-flops (hawai chappal) so that the
                                                middle bones of the upper part of the feet are not covered.
 
                                             
                                            - Nafl Salah. If it is not makruh (undesirable) time, offer
                                                two rakahs of nafl for Ihram by covering your heads.
 
                                             
                                            - Advice. If going to Jeddah by an airplane, it is convenient to
                                                get into the status of Ihram inside the plane. Here is what you do. Do everything
                                                at home or at the airport except Niyyah (intention) and Talbiyah. Have your shower,
                                                pray two rakahs of nafl but you are still not in the status of
                                                ihram because you haven't done the main thing yet, i.e., intention and
                                                Talbiyah which is done at or before the boundary line called Miqat.
                                                
 
                                                 
                                                Go to the airplane and sit down with the white sheets on. In a Hajj flight when
                                                you are close to Miqat, the pilot will announce that this is the border
                                                line to make your intention and to say Talbiyah. Those who did not change their
                                                clothes before should do so now although it is not convenient inside the plane.
                                                Please note that: 
                                             
                                            
                                                - It is a good idea to ask at the time of boarding if the arrival of Miqat
                                                    will be announced by the pilot. If not, make your intention and say Talbiyah on
                                                    your own approximately one hour before you reach Jeddah.
 
                                                - If you are flying with a group, follow the instructions of the group leader.
 
                                             
                                             
                                            - Intention and Talbiyah. Now uncover your head and declare your
                                                intention. It is assumed that you are performing Hajj al-Tammat'u in which Umrah
                                                is performed first as described later in the "Kinds of Hajj".
 
                                                 
                                                "O Allah! I intend to perform Umrah. Please make it easy for me and accept
                                                    it from me. Amen." 
                                                 
                                                 
                                                Immediately after that utter the words of Talbiyah three times and as often afterwards
                                                as possible. Men should say it in a loud voice but women should say it in a subdued
                                                tone. 
                                             
                                            - Du'a. After this recite Darud Sharif and supplicate to
                                                Allah Almighty any du'a in Arabic or in your own language.
 
                                             
                                            - Prohibitions of Ihram. After intention and Talbiyah, you are in
                                                the status of Ihram and from this time on you should not do acts that are forbidden
                                                in Ihram , for example, here are some of the things a muhrim must not do:
 
                                                 
                                                
                                                    - Cover head (men), cover face (women) 
 
                                                    - Cover the middle bone of the upper part of the feet (Both men and women)) 
 
                                                    - Shave / cut hair 
 
                                                    - Cut nails 
 
                                                    - Wear perfume 
 
                                                    - Wear stitched clothing (men) / (Women can wear their ordinay clothes) 
 
                                                    - Hunting / killing 
 
                                                    - Sex 
 
                                                 
                                             
                                             
                                            - Journey towards Makkah. When this sacred journey towards Makkah
                                                al-Mukarrama starts, recite Talbiyah frequently on the way. Then enter the city
                                                very humbly and with great fondness still reciting Talbiyah.
                                                
 
                                                 
                                                After arranging for your residence, proceed to the Haram Sharif to perform Umrah.
                                                 
                                                 
                                                Source : http://www.hajjumrahguide.com/hajj_madeasy.html 
                                                 
                                             
                                         
                                     
                                 
                             
                         
                        
                        
  
 
                     
                
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