Stages of Hajj: a day-by-day guide

Ihram is the initiating state of Hajj: before crossing the boundary called the miqat, the intention is made, men wrap themselves in two seamless white cloths, the talbiyah is recited and the prohibitions of ihram are observed.

The talbiyah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari as follows: Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk, inna-l-hamda wa-n-ni'mata laka wa-l-mulk, la sharika lak.

Those performing tamattu' Hajj first enter ihram with the intention of Umrah, come out of ihram after the Umrah and re-enter ihram with the intention of Hajj on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah. Those performing ifrad and qiran, on the other hand, remain in ihram.

On reaching Mecca, the pilgrim enters the Masjid al-Haram and performs tawaf of seven circuits around the Kaaba. The circuits begin from the line of al-Hajar al-Aswad and are carried out keeping the Kaaba on the left side.

In the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) it is reported that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached Mecca he headed straight for the Kaaba and walked with light steps during the first three of the seven circuits.

The sa'i begins at the hill of Safa, finishes at Marwah and consists of seven laps in total.

When the sa'i is performed varies according to the type of Hajj: those performing tamattu' do it as part of the Umrah, while those performing ifrad and qiran most often do it after the arrival tawaf. Confirm your own situation with your group leader.

On the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah, pilgrims in ihram with the intention of Hajj move to Mina. According to the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr prayers in Mina and spent the night there.

This is not a strenuous day of worship: the main aim is to prepare for the Day of Arafah with dua, dhikr and rest.

On the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah the pilgrims stand on the plain of Arafat, engaging in dua and dhikr. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered the sermon here, combined and prayed the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, and made dua until sunset.

In a hadith narrated in Tirmidhi it is stated that 'Hajj is Arafat': the Hajj of a person who does not reach the standing at Arafat is not considered complete. For this reason this day is the very essence of Hajj.

After sunset the move is made from Arafat to Muzdalifah. According to the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combined and prayed the Maghrib and Isha prayers at Muzdalifah and remained there until dawn.

Most pilgrims collect the small pebbles for the Jamarat here. Collecting the pebbles specifically from Muzdalifah is not a requirement; they can also be taken from Mina.

It is reported that an exemption (rukhsah) is granted for the weak, the elderly and their companions to move on early to Mina after midnight; act according to your own group's programme.

On the morning of the day of Eid, only the great Jamarat (Jamarat al-Aqabah) is stoned with seven small pebbles in Mina. The takbir is said with each stone thrown.

After the stoning, the talbiyah is stopped. It is important to follow the time windows announced by the official authorities to reduce crowding.

The hady sacrifice is obligatory for those performing Hajj at-Tamattu' and Hajj al-Qiran. In the Quran, along with the command to complete the Hajj and Umrah, the rulings of the hady are also stated (Al-Baqarah, 196).

In modern times the sacrifice is in most cases arranged through the official voucher (coupon) system, and the pilgrim is not required to be personally present at the slaughter site; ask your group which system it uses.

After the sacrifice, men shave their heads (halq) or shorten their hair (taqsir); women cut a small amount from the ends of their hair.

With this stage, most of the ihram prohibitions are lifted. If difficulty arises in the order of the rites on the day of Eid, according to the narrations there is no sin in changing the sequence; nevertheless, it is better to ask a scholar about your own situation.

On the day of Eid or in the days after it, pilgrims go down to Makkah and perform tawaf al-Ifadah, the main tawaf of Hajj. This tawaf is among the pillars (arkan) of Hajj, and without it the Hajj is not complete.

Pilgrims who have not performed the sa'i beforehand perform the sa'i of Hajj after this tawaf.

On the 11th and 12th of Dhul-Hijjah, seven pebbles are thrown at each of the small, middle and great Jamarat every day; the stoning begins with the small Jamarat.

For those who leave Mina before sunset on the 12th, the stoning stage of Hajj comes to an end. Those who remain in Mina also stone on the 13th. This choice is left open in verse 203 of Surah Al-Baqarah: there is no sin for those who hasten away nor for those who stay.

The stoning hours and routes are regulated by the official authorities; do not deviate from your group's programme.

Before leaving Makkah, the farewell tawaf of seven circuits around the Kaaba is performed. This is considered the pilgrim's last farewell to the House of Allah (Baytullah).

It is reported that women in a state of menstruation (hayd) are excused from the farewell tawaf; in such special cases the ruling may differ, so ask a scholar or your group leader about your situation.