Preparing for the journey of Hajj
What to put right before travelling for Hajj: sincerity of intention, repentance, debts, the welfare of one's family, and writing a will.
Before setting out for Hajj, a person should get their heart and their affairs in order. The whole point of the journey is to please Allah, not to show off, go sightseeing, or make money, though there is nothing wrong with doing a little trade along the way if Hajj is still the main reason for going.
لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ اَنْ تَبْتَغُوْا فَضْلًا مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْؕ فَاِذَا͏ٓ اَفَضْتُمْ مِّنْ عَرَفٰتٍ فَاذْكُرُوا اللّٰهَ عِنْدَ الْمَشْعَرِ الْحَرَامِࣕ وَاذْكُرُوْهُ كَمَا هَدٰىكُمْۚ وَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ مِّنْ قَبْلِهٖ لَمِنَ الضَّا࢜لِّيْنَ ١٩٨
Laysa ʿalaykum junāḥun an tabtaghū faḍlan min rabbikum
There is no sin unto you that you seek the bounty of your Lord. Then when you return back from 'Arafat' remembers Allah near Mashhare-Haram (Qazah Mountain) and remembers Him as He guided you and no doubt, you had gone astray before.
Qurʼan 2:198, Al-Baqarah, from Zujajah.org
Before leaving, a pilgrim should
- Turn back to Allah in repentance from every sin.
- Make peace with anyone they have wronged, and ask for their forgiveness.
- Pay back debts and return anything they were trusted to keep for someone else.
- Make sure their family and anyone who depends on them will be looked after and provided for the whole time they are away.
- Write a will, naming someone they trust to carry it out.
- Learn the rules of Hajj and of travelling before they go.
A person intending Hajj should travel with the sole aim of pleasing Allah, not out of pride, for sightseeing, or for business. If Hajj remains the primary purpose and trade is only incidental to it, there is no harm in combining the two.
لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ اَنْ تَبْتَغُوْا فَضْلًا مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْؕ فَاِذَا͏ٓ اَفَضْتُمْ مِّنْ عَرَفٰتٍ فَاذْكُرُوا اللّٰهَ عِنْدَ الْمَشْعَرِ الْحَرَامِࣕ وَاذْكُرُوْهُ كَمَا هَدٰىكُمْۚ وَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ مِّنْ قَبْلِهٖ لَمِنَ الضَّا࢜لِّيْنَ ١٩٨
Laysa ʿalaykum junāḥun an tabtaghū faḍlan min rabbikum
There is no sin unto you that you seek the bounty of your Lord. Then when you return back from 'Arafat' remembers Allah near Mashhare-Haram (Qazah Mountain) and remembers Him as He guided you and no doubt, you had gone astray before.
Qurʼan 2:198, Al-Baqarah, from Zujajah.org
It is essential to repent from all sins beforehand and, so far as possible, to seek forgiveness for wrongs against others, settle debts, return whatever was entrusted, and reconcile with enemies; repentance is accepted only once these are done.
Before travelling, a person must pay off debts, return entrusted property, and put right wrongs against other people so far as possible.
1It is obligatory to arrange for the welfare of one's family and dependants for the whole period until returning from Hajj; this must never be neglected.
1One should also see to the comfort of one's parents, and of anyone whose obedience and support are obligatory. Leaving a parent who needs care unattended is disliked. If parents forbid someone from performing an obligatory (fard) Hajj, their permission is not required; but if the Hajj is voluntary, honouring and serving one's parents takes priority over going. In the absence of parents, grandparents are treated the same way.
It is advisable to write a will naming a trusted executor, so that the rights of Allah and the rights owed to other people are settled after death.
Before choosing a time and route, one may pray Salat al-Istikharah two or three or seven times and consult a book of supplications such as Hisn Hasin, though this is not required for the journey itself. It is recommended to bring a miswak, kohl, needle, mirror, comb, thread, scissors, knife, razor, a staff, and a vessel for wudu, and to set out on a Thursday or a Monday, having already learned the rulings of Hajj and of travel beforehand.
A person intending Hajj should travel with the sole aim of pleasing Allah, not out of pride, for sightseeing, or for business. If Hajj remains the primary purpose and trade is only incidental to it, there is no harm in combining the two.
لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ اَنْ تَبْتَغُوْا فَضْلًا مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْؕ فَاِذَا͏ٓ اَفَضْتُمْ مِّنْ عَرَفٰتٍ فَاذْكُرُوا اللّٰهَ عِنْدَ الْمَشْعَرِ الْحَرَامِࣕ وَاذْكُرُوْهُ كَمَا هَدٰىكُمْۚ وَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ مِّنْ قَبْلِهٖ لَمِنَ الضَّا࢜لِّيْنَ ١٩٨
Laysa ʿalaykum junāḥun an tabtaghū faḍlan min rabbikum
There is no sin unto you that you seek the bounty of your Lord. Then when you return back from 'Arafat' remembers Allah near Mashhare-Haram (Qazah Mountain) and remembers Him as He guided you and no doubt, you had gone astray before.
Qurʼan 2:198, Al-Baqarah, from Zujajah.org
It is essential to repent from all sins beforehand and, so far as possible, to seek forgiveness for wrongs against others, settle debts, return whatever was entrusted, and reconcile with enemies; repentance is accepted only once these are done.
Before travelling, a person must pay off debts, return entrusted property, and put right wrongs against other people so far as possible.
1It is obligatory to arrange for the welfare of one's family and dependants for the whole period until returning from Hajj; this must never be neglected.
1One should also see to the comfort of one's parents, and of anyone whose obedience and support are obligatory. Leaving a parent who needs care unattended is disliked. If parents forbid someone from performing an obligatory (fard) Hajj, their permission is not required; but if the Hajj is voluntary, honouring and serving one's parents takes priority over going. In the absence of parents, grandparents are treated the same way.
It is advisable to write a will naming a trusted executor, so that the rights of Allah and the rights owed to other people are settled after death.
Before choosing a time and route, one may pray Salat al-Istikharah two or three or seven times and consult a book of supplications such as Hisn Hasin, though this is not required for the journey itself. It is recommended to bring a miswak, kohl, needle, mirror, comb, thread, scissors, knife, razor, a staff, and a vessel for wudu, and to set out on a Thursday or a Monday, having already learned the rulings of Hajj and of travel beforehand.
Related
- The virtues of Hajj and Umrah The rewards described for Hajj and Umrah in hadith: the expiation of sin, the guarantee of Paradise for an accepted Hajj, and the special standing of the Day of Arafah.
- Conduct during the journey to Hajj Why the money spent on Hajj must be lawfully earned, and how a pilgrim should treat companions and strangers along the way.
- The conditions that make Hajj obligatory The conditions of ability (istita'ah): freedom, sanity, adulthood, physical capability, means and a safe route, plus the two further conditions for women.
- Hajj Badal: performing Hajj on behalf of someone else When a pilgrim is stopped before finishing, and when someone unable to travel must send another person to perform Hajj on their behalf.