Bismillah

Asalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatu

Alhamdulillah, by the Grace of The Almighty, Merciful Allah (swt) it seems that I may be able to perform Hajj this year.

If I have said anything knowingly or unknowingly or if I have wronged any of you knowingly or unknowingly please find it in your heart to forgive me.

If I owe any of you anything at all please let me know ASAP (I fly on the 25^th) so I can repay my debt. If you think of anything after I depart please allow me to continue my Hajj with your blessing and inform me upon my safe return, inshallah.

Please make du’a for a safe journey for me and my family and for an accepted Hajj and Umrah.

Jazakamullah Khairun

Take care and Inshallah I will see you all very soon

Among the special seasons of worship are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, which Allah has preferred over all the other days of the year.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported that the Prophet Muhammad said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” The people asked, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allah ?” He said, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allah , except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari,

This indicates that these ten days are better than all the other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last ten days of Ramadan. But the last ten nights of Ramadan are better, because they include Laylat al-Qadr (“the Night of Power”), which is better than a thousand months.

1. The Prophet commanded us to recite a lot of Tasbeeh (“Subhan-Allah ”), Tahmeed (“Al-hamdu Lillaah”) and Takbeer (“Allahu Akbar”) during this time.

2. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar reported that the Prophet said: “There are no days greater in the sight of Allah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this time recite a great deal of Tahleel (“La ilaaha ill-Allah ”), Takbeer and Tahmeed.”

3. These ten days include Yawm Arafah , on which Allah perfected His Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years. These days also include Yawm al-Nahar (the Day of Sacrifice), the greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day of Hajj, which combines acts of worship in a way unlike any other day.

4. These ten days include the days of sacrifice and of Hajj.

The Prophet said: “When you see the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah, if any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, then he should stop cutting his hair and nails until he has offered his sacrifice.” According to another report he said: “He should not remove (literally, touch) anything from his hair or skin.” Among the good deeds which the Muslim should strive to do during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah are:

1. Fasting: It is Sunnah to fast on the ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because the Prophet urged us to do good deeds during this time, and fasting is one of the best of deeds. The Prophet used to fast on the ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Hunaydah ibn Khalid reported from his wife that some of the wives of the Prophet said: “The Prophet used to fast on the ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah, on the day of ‘Aashooraa’, on three days of each month, and on Mondays and Thursdays of each month.”

2. Takbeer: It is Sunnah to say Takbeer (“Allaahu akbar”), Tahmeed (“Al-hamdu Lillaah”), Tahleel (“La ilaha ill-Allaah”) and Tasbeeh (“Subhaan Allaah”) during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and to say it loudly in the mosque, the home, the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allah and mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allah , may He be exalted. Men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.

The Takbeer may include the words “Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaaha illal-Allah ; wa Allahu akbar wa Lillaahi’l-hamd

Reviving aspects of the Sunnah that have been virtually forgotten is a deed that will bring an immense reward, as is indicated by the words of the Prophet “Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.”

3. Sacrifice: One of the good deeds that will bring a person closer to Allah during these ten days is offering a sacrifice, by choosing a high-quality animal and fattening it, spending money for the sake of Allah .

Islam Month Calendar Muslim Rewards Deeds Hajj

This is a very pertinent subject and as I bowsing through http://alchishti.wordpress.com I found this article – I thought I would share it with you .

There are two major opinions within the Hanafi school regarding having one’s trousers below the ankles:

(1) The scholars of Deoband and others state that doing so is makruh tahriman (prohibitively disliked) whether it is done with pride (????? ) or not,

(2) Many of the Hanafi scholars among the muta’akhirin and muhaqiqin say that it is makruh tanzihan (slighlty disliked) and therefore not sinful if done without pride. However, if done with pride it will be makruh tahriman.

The reason for this difference is due to conflicting hadith on the issue, some mentioning the impermissibility of dragging the garment below the ankles unconditionally while others establish such impermissibily with the accompaniment of pride. Imam Bukhari narrates in his Sahih:

?
??? ????? ? ???? ???? ???? ???? ? ???? ? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ??? ?????

“The Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘Whatever from the waist-cloth is below the ankles is in the fire.”

(Kitab al Libas, Bab Ma Asfal Min al Ka`bayn Fahuwa fil Nar. Also narrated in Sunan al Nasa’i, Sunan Abu Dawud as part of a longer narration, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

Yet elsewhere, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is reported to have conditioned this, such as his saying:

? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ???? ? ??????

“Allah will not look towards one who drags his garment out of pride”

(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al Libas – with a number of chains and variants all mentioning “pride”. Also narrated in Bukhari)

Similarly, it is narrated in Sahih Bukhari that the Prophet said to Abu Bakr, on the latters inquiry of his dragging his garment unintentionally:

???? ????? ? ???? ???? ???? ???? ? ???? ??? ????? ? ? ?????

“You are not of those who do so out of pride.”

(Kitab al Libas)

(1) Hakim al Ummah Maulana Ashraf `Ali Thanawi states in his Imdad al Fatawa (4:121-122):

“There is no reason to condition the general meaning of the narration and therefore hanging the garment is impermissible unconditionally and also hanging the garment with pride. Yet, if some level of difference is admitted between both prohibited acts then there is room for accepting such a difference in that one instance mentions only one prohibited action, that of hanging, while the other mentions two, both hanging and pride … as for the condition of pride then it is mentioned because many people who do this action knowingly do so out of pride.”

Elsewhere, Hakim al Ummah states:

“According to the Hanafis, in such a case the unconditional will remain unconditioned and the conditional will remain conditioned.”

This is also what Imam Anwar Shah Kashmiri stated in his Fayd al Bari:

????: ( ?? ??? ???? ???? ? ) ????? ????? ?????? ????? ?????

“His saying “He who drags his garment with pride”: The dragging of the garment is impermissible with us unconditionally.”

Mufti Taqi `Uthmani states in his Taqrir al Tirmidhi (2:340):

“According to me, what seems more preferable is that, in actuality, prohibition due to pride is not conditioned with the meaning that one can drag his garment if he is not certain of feeling pride and arrogance. The correct interpretative scenario is that there is no doubt regarding the fact that its impermissibility is based on pride itself… meaning that dragging the garment is usually done as a result of pride and arrogance.

In this way the ruling of prohibition was built on pride, but pride is a hidden matter. One cannot tell if someone is doing such an act out of pride/arrogance or not, and on many occasions the one who does so arrogantly does not even know that he is engaged in such pride/arrogance. This is why its prohibition was built on the appearance of signs, and the sign was the dragging of the garment below the ankles. When this sign is manifested then it will be thought of as an act being done out of pride/arrogance, except if there is some extraneous proof that negates such pride/arrogance, for example dragging the garment without one actively and knowingly doing so.

[…]

Then, regarding this matter, two things should be kept in mind: Firstly, that no matter how arrogant one is, do you think he will admit to such arrogance and pride? If he admits to it, then he is not an arrogant man in the first place. Secondly, such arrogance is done only on the part of he who does not recognize such pride and arrogance. Then, the ruling that if pride is present it is impermissible and if it is not then it is permissible is meaningless.”

(2) However, the position of the madhab itself is that such an action without pride is makruh tanzihi and this is what seems to be the relied-upon position.

It is stated in one of the leading fatwa references of the Hanafi school, the Fatawa Hindiyya:

????? ????? ????? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ????? ? ??? ?? ??????

“The man’s lenghtening of his waist-cloth below the ankles without the presence of pride, then in it is slight dislikedness.”

Imam Badr al Din `Ayni stated in his Umdat al Qari Sharh Sahih Bukhari:

?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ????? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ????? ???? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?? ???? ?????

“This is a chapter in discussion of the ruling on dragging the garment without pride and indeed there is no harm in it (la ba’asa bihi)…”

This was also the position of Imam `Ala al Din ibn `Abidin in his Hada’iyya al Ala’iyya (Pg: 238, Dar Ibn Hazm) who states:

?? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???????? ??? ??? ????????? ???????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ???????? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? (?) ?? ???

“It is not permitted to drag ones garment below the ankles if done out of pride and arrogance, otherwise it is permitted (wa ila jaaz) although what is superior (afdhal) is that it be above the ankles (fawq al ka`abayn).”

This was also the position of his father, the foremost reference of the Hanafi school, Sayyidi Muhammad Amin ibn `Abidin in his Hashiya.

This was also the position of Imam Nahlawi in his Al Durar al Mubaha.

Indeed, all of these scholars saw the general wordings of the hadith in question to be conditioned, and expounded on it with many proofs, among them the actions of the companions themselves, `urf (custom), and the general establishment of karaha tahnzihi - not tahrimi – in prohibited acts relating to aspects of adab. Ofcourse, this can also be detailed more from a methodological point of view, but the author neither has the ability nor the resources to engage in such a discussion.

Lastly, it is useful to note that Mufti Taqi `Uthmani himself mentioned this difference at the very beginning of his discussion on this issue. He states:

“The position of one group among the scholars is that hanging the garment is impermissible only when one does it with the intention of pride, and if one does not then there is no harm in it. At most, it is considered slightly disliked.”

To all those on the Ashrafiyya silisla, one of the practices that is to be implemented on one joining the path is to keep ones pants above his ankles. Maulana Thanawi makes this clear in his Takashaf. At the same time no one has the right to look down upon or criticise one who does not do so, since the matter is differed upon. If we do so, we will be going against the teaching and general guidelines outlined by our Akabir on the issue.

And Allah Know

By Helen Martin

OUTRAGE has followed a BBC Radio 4 programme which claimed that secret Muslim courts imposing sharia law are operating in most cities in Britain. Perhaps that’s not surprising. What most of us know about sharia law could be written on the back of a postage stamp and comes from snatched, fuzzy clips of people being stoned to death for adultery, having limbs lopped off for theft or being decapitated for contravention of religious custom . . . not exactly the sort of thing we expect in Edinburgh – or even Glasgow

Quietly and “under the radar”, it is alleged, the Government has already accepted some aspects of sharia law to accommodate Muslim communities . . . for example the Treasury allows for the sharia principle of interest-free loans and mortgages.

But it’s the unofficial criminal courts that have some politicians, including the Tory spokesman for homeland security Patrick Mercer, demanding a crackdown and insisting that anyone who wants to live under sharia law should ship out to live in a Muslim country

If the streets of Birmingham were strewn with old arms, battered adulterers and loose heads, he might have a point.

But common sense tells us that is not happening. Rather the “underground” sharia courts appear to be dealing with crimes such as theft, minor assault and vandalism in a way that is far superior to the British justice system and is based on centuries of culture. In other words, some Muslim communities are policing themselves very effectively, with the help of Muslim barristers, youth workers and community leaders.

It’s a perfectly acceptable system that operates throughout much of the world – the “elders” passing judgement, enforcing compensation and coming up with commonsense solutions – and one that we may have lost touch with as our process of justice becomes ever more formalised and sophisticated.

One example was that of a fight between Somali youths, one of whom claimed to have been the subject of the attack and was injured. The victim’s family told police the matter would be settled and the suspects were freed on bail. The local youth worker helped to convene a hearing before community elders in Woolwich with the victim, the perpetrators and all their male relatives present. The accused admitted the attack, apologised and were ordered to pay compensation.

Forty or 50 years ago in Scotland, if a teenager damaged a neighbour’s property the victim would grasp the offending child firmly by the ear, turn up on the parents’ doorstep and recompense would be agreed – following suitable chastisement (which was probably a good hiding).

Today the victim would be charged with assaulting the vandal, the parents would be charged if they gave him a hiding, the police and courts would be involved up to the hilt at great expense to the wider community and at the end of it all we’d have three or four criminal records and an Asbo to show for it.

You can’t help but long for the good old days – which is exactly what the Muslim community has managed to preserve.

Serious crime must be reported, investigated and dealt with officially. We can’t have kangaroo courts of any religion sanctioning violent punishments, nor can we allow customs that contravene our own laws to go unchallenged. Of course we can’t have adulterers stoned or thieves rendered limbless.

But as far as minor crime goes, the only question we should be asking is, do you have to be Muslim to seek a sharia hearing or can anyone join in?

http://news.scotsman.com

Shariya Islam Law Muslim Britain BBC

Recorded from Shaykh Mohammad Saleem Dhorat (may Allah preserve him):

“Impermissible passion and desires are limited and finite, and one who allows himself illicit desires will be treading the path of Hellfire.

One who subdues his desires from detested items will experience the real pleasure – Allah ’s Pleasure in his heart. They will notice that even after many years have elapsed and reminisces, e.g – that once I had an opportunity to commit sin, yet I remember that I resisted, but with utter difficulty – that person will still feel a pleasure for having sacrificed his desires for Allah ”.

http://shaykh.wordpress.com

JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF MARY AND HIS MOST BLESSED MOTHER PDF

JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF MARY AND HIS MOST BLESSED MOTHER Word

A talk by al Habib ‘Ali al Jifri translated by Shaykh Gibril Haddad

“Never relax in Hajj, do as may good deeds for the sake of Allah (swt) as you can.”

1. Smile in another Muslims face
2. Say Salam to strangers
3. Shake someone’s hand and ask about their health
4. Buy tea for someone
5. Offer to get someone’s groceries
6. Sit with a Hajj group from another country and ask about Islam in their village
7. Carry someone’s bags for them
8. Guide someone ill to the infirmary
9. Shun vain talk
10. Recite talbiyah loudly, encouraging others
11. On the days of Eid, walk through the tents reciting talbiyah loudly reminding others
12. Gather stones for people
13. Offer to throw on behalf of unable Hajjis
14. Guide people to the Jamarat
15. Lower your gaze
16. Remind people of the lives of the Sahaabah
17. Read Qur’an with the Tafseer
18. Do the authentic Dhikr of the morning and evening
19. Make dua during your Sajdah
20. Stand to the side of a gate and offer people water/tea as they leave
21. Give major attention to shy people in your group
22. Remind people of patience, why they came here, and the example of our Ulumaa’ in Hajj
23. Explain a Hajj Khutbah you may have heard to those around you
24. Explain the importance of purifying ones actions for the sake of Allah
25. Phone relatives (from Makkah) on Eid day
26. Make dua for forgotten friends (and the author of this list)
27. Don’t allow Muslims to fight during Hajj
28. Help people find a place to sleep
29. Remember – during the heat – the unending torment of hellfire
30. Say ‘Laa ilaaha illa Allah , wahdahu laa sharika lah, lahul Mulk wa lahul hamd, wa Huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in Qadeer’ 100x
31. Say the dua of entering the market place when you go there
32. Give charity to those who sell meager things (sandals/eggs)
33. Attend the Halaqahs that are given in Mina
34. Stay for the 13th of Dhul Hijjah
35. Remind people to go home as better Muslims
36. Forgive people that wrong you
37. Talk to 10 different people from 10 different countries
38. Compliment someone sincerely
39. Visit the hospital and thank Allah for all that he has given you
40. Take young Muslims and invite them to sit with the elders. Make them the center of attention.
41. Give a tafseer class after Salah / ask someone knowledgeable
42. (For men) On the days of Eid, offer perfume to those around you
43. Ask about the health of senior women in your group. Make sure they are attended to.
44. Focus hard on helping those immediately near you
45. Take people to the slaughter house and help them / Or assist them in purchasing their slaughter coupons
46. Remember specific blessings Allah has bestowed upon you and say Alhamdulillah
47. Pray to Allah using his 99 most beautiful names (al Asmaa’ al Husna)
48. Use a Miswak
49. Fill your pockets with candies and give to the children that you meet
50. Always intend reward from Allah for everything you go through during Hajj

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: DO study the fiqh of Hajj & Umrah before you go, well in advance. (I mean really advanced, not the weeks before it’ll be so hectic you won’t be able to do it at your leisure. Think 2-3 months in advance.) Get some good books, tapes and videos. Look online and print everything out. Write all the Duas out on index cards. Try to memorize as many as you can BEFORE you go. Make flash cards whatever it takes!

DO NOT go there and expect to learn how to do everything from your guides/ppl with you. This is too important not to know for yourself. Remember if you do anything incorrect your umrah or hajj WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. There are many stories of the tour people taking people to do things too early or too late. Also, the crowd there is so enormous it is incredibly difficult when millions of people are all trying to do the same thing at the same time. This is where your fiqh of hajj knowledge comes in. It makes it much easier if you know things like you can pray your 2 rakats of Maqam Ibrahim all the way back in the Haram, or on the different levels or even anywhere in the Haram, or that you can do your Saiyy on the secod level or that you can throw your stones from after sunrise to anytime at night. If you know things like this you can avoid the crowds of people who will try to stick to only one thing because they don’t know what else is allowed. Also if something happens you will know what you should do to compensate for it and you may save your hajj or umrah.

A NOTE about all the books and info. Everyone will tell you something a little different. Try to piece everything together so that you at least know what the required conditions you must fulfill are and what things would break your hajj or umrah absolutely or what things will necessitate compensation. Ask your Imam or local knowledgable people to help you understand the Fiqh and answer any questions you have.

Also VERY IMPORTANT: Learn the fiqh of praying a Janaza (funeral prayer). You will be doing it after every single prayer, no joke. (There was only one prayer in our entire 2 week stay that we didn’t.) Learn the dua for it too. Praying at someone’s janaza is a very good thing and you have ample opportunity of participating so take them. Also learn the different ways to send Salams on the prophet (saw) for the time you are in Madina. Another good suggestion is to draw a chart of the Kaaba (looking from above) and along each of it’s walls (and along each of the special points), write the relevant duas.

The best times to visit the Haram of Makkah, do tawaf and saiyy, ibadah and to try to touch the black stone etc is from 1AM until Fajr and from about an hour after Fajr until 9 or so. A good schedule would be to sleep from Fajr until Dhuhr, pray Dhuhr in the Haram then go back to the hotel and eat and rest. (After Dhuhr about noon to 2 it is HOT.) Go back for Asr. Then go back for Maghrib and STAY there for Isha/Taraweeh. After you can take a few hours to go shopping if needed. Otherwise stay at the haram, alternating doing different things like Tawaf, reading Quran, praying until Qiyam which is about 1AMish Then stay until Tahajjud which is about an hour before Fajr. Then stay for Fajr. If you are going to Ziyara or doing multiple Umrahs and can’t sleep after Fajr, take a few hours at night before Fajr to sleep. (You might say to yourself.. gee doesn’t look like there is any time for sleep there! That’s true.. don’t waste your time sleeping.. you can always sleep when you come home But know when your body is tired and can’t take it anymore. Don’t make yourself sick. Naps of 3-4 hours worked for me.)The best spots in the Haram are right in front of the Kaaba on the marble surrounding it or on the second level at the front. If you want to be on the haram floor you have to go early and stake out a spot. Sisters should head towards the Zamzam area and sit right near there, otherwise you’ll get kicked out of any other area after awhile. A really good spot I found for sisters is upstairs all the way in the front of the sisters section. You have an incredible birds-eye view of the entire haram and can still pray witht he Kaaba in sight. Remember to bring your prayer rug to sit on. This is so that people don’t come and sit right in front of you or back of you so you’ll have room to pray later. Two things that I wish I knew before hand about this.You can pray anywhere in the Haram without a sutrah ie people can walk in front of you without breaking your prayer. (This was extremely annoying to me at the beginning when people would walk right through my sutrah every time!) (But you should try your best not to do this to others). And you can also look at the Kaaba while you pray in the Haram.

PREPARE yourself mentally for alot of frustration, mental anguish, annoyance and anger. To obtain a Hajj Mabrur (one that is accepted and forgives all your sins) you must not let these things interfere with your goal.

PREPARE yourself physically for alot of walking and physical exercise. You may be walking back and forth from your hotel to the Haram at least 10 times a day, not to mention logging Tawafs and Sai’ys that come out to miles in the end.

DO NOT bring alot of clothes. All you need really is 3-4 jilbabs – mostly black for umrah time (lighter colors for hajj and summer season) and a few clothes underneath that you can mix and match. Bring enough socks and underthings. You can always wash clothes if you have to. But bringing alot of clothes just wastes your time and suitcase room. A regular travelling rule of thumb is to never pack more than you can carry for a trip!

It goes without saying that you should bring some comfy shoes/sneakers for when you go on Ziyara or shopping. Also bring some good chappals/shibshib for when you are going to the haram. Don’t overpack your suitcase. You won’t be able to get it all back home especially if you buy things. You can always give away some of your clothes/shoes while there or try this well-known travelling tip: bring an extra empty suitcase/bag with you or buy one there.

A NOTE for Madina. The weather there is very different from Makkah. Madina is much cooler. We were in 80-90 degrees everyday in Makkah and then in Madina we were at 60-70s and it was extremely COLD around Fajr, so bring a sweatshirt/sweater and a few warm clothes so you don’t get sick.

DO NOT bother bringing anything expensive, like jewelry or electronic equipment. If it’s lost or stolen you’ll never see it again.

DO NOT change money before you go. There are tons of exchanges there that you can go to on the streets and you’ll get a better rate than the usual bank rate too. Bring enough cash for what you want to buy. Don’t rely on using your credit card. There are finance charges of at least 2-3% and the exchange rate of Visa sux.

DO bring alot of medicine – Tylenol, asprin, Theraflu, Tums, Pepto Bismol, Midol, Chapstick/Vaseline. Believe me you’ll be glad you did and if by some miracle you don’t get sick other people in your group will.

DO bring some snack food like granola bars, goldfish, dried fruit. You’ll be glad when your stomach starts doing loops or you are starving in the haram. Not to mention sometimes getting stuck for hours on a bus during heavy traffic or waiting for clearance.

DO bring a cheap plastic bag/canvas bag to put your shoes and janamaz (prayer rug) and quran in when you go into the haram.

Don’t bring a janamaz from home. Just buy a nice one there. You can also bring a small bag/purse you can wear under your jilbab for your money/passport. Don’t bother with big handbags- you’ll get searched every time you enter the haram and will have to watch it all the time.

DO NOT waste your time shopping. You’re only in Makkah once in your life (anything could happen and due to life circumstances, being busy, illness etc you may never return again).

Make a list of what gifts you have to give to whom beforehand and write down what you need to buy and quantities. That way you won’t waste alot of time trying to decide what to get for who.

Some common gifts include:

• Dates (yes they have chocolate covered dates )
• Zamzam water
• Tasbeeh Beads
• Hijabs & Jilbabs
• Prayer Rugs (called sajadahs there)
• Jewelry (gold, fake and everything in between)
• Metal work (tea sets etc)
• Incense Perfumes & Perfume bottles
• Thobes
• Kufis
• Cards
• Desi (IndoPak) dresses
• Books
• Watches

DO NOT bother going any malls. They’re usually WAY too expensive, but if you want to waste your time window shopping or looking at American and European designer stuff go ahead.

A NOTE about shopping, every shop owner and I mean EVERY (even those who are very nice and islamic and kind to you) will try to get every penny (riyaal) from you if they can. For your first time out just walk around and ask for prices of different things until you get a handle of how much things go for. (Brothers please ask your mothers/wives what a good price for gold/gram is before you try to buy anything there!)

DO NOT speak English or any foreign language in stores, just urduor arabic. . They will totally rip you off. Even if all you know is “Kam Hatha” and they know you don’t speak Arabic as your native language because of your accent for some reason if you speak English they up the price 200% automatically. You must bargain for everything you buy. Everything is marked up as par for the course. A good trick is to offer half then work your way up. Remember to go to many stores to get an idea of price range. Sometimes they will tryto bully you into buying something by grabbing it and stuffing it into a bag. Don’t let them.. take yourtime, get what you want and check it. If you feel that the guy is ripping you off but really want/need the stuff, buy it anyway because you’ll regret it after. Anything there is cheaper than anywhere here. Don’t let pride stand in your way

DO learn all the Arabic numbers (1 to 20, and every 5 after that till a hundred and you’ll be set) and phrases like that “Kam Hatha?” – How much is that?, “BiKam?” How much?, “Shuayyeh” Move over, and “Laa…” No…

Don’t tell them you’re from America unless you’re window shopping. Don’t dress expensively, shop keepers there are extremely sharp. You can even wait a few days until everyone else has found the best places to buy things cheap – find out where they are and THEN save time and just get what you want.

SISTERS be careful about going shopping alone (as in, DON’T) always go with a bro (hate to say it but you’re safer from harassment) or with a group of sisters.

DO be careful about taking pictures and bringing cameras.They don’t let cameras into either of the Harams and they’ll check your bags too.

DO agree on prices for cab rides, camel rides and any other service in between beforehand. A note about the camel rides. They will immediately go and take polaroids of you on the camel/horse and then force you to buy them. Tell them beforehand NO PICTURES please. (One guy cursed our group and made dua that Allah never answer our duas b/c someone refused to buy the pics !!)

BEGGARS – There are beggars everywhere. On the streets of Makkah, at historical sites like Uhud, Arafat etc. They’ll even come up to you (to sisters too!) and tell you stories about how they lost all their luggage and possessions and need to get back to Jeddah/Makkah/Madinah. It’s hard to figure out who is faking and who isn’t. I would suggest deciding on an amount you would like to give as Sadaqah beforehandand. Then give that to a reputable Islamic relief agency or relatives you have in poor countries or even friends/ppl traveling back to their home countries.They would know better who is truly in need.

MAKE SURE to go to Ziyara. Ziyara is visiting the local historical sites in Makkah or Madina. It’s extremely important to visit those sites, give your salams to the dead, to really get a feeling and understanding of how Islam began in this place. I would say it should be almost as important to you as making sure you do your Umrah. (But please don’t think it’s fard or anything else. ) Don’t go there thinking it’s part of any worship practices. Many people do go to those sites and commit strange innovative practices (you’ll see all the Saudi signs in Arabic, English, French, Urdu and Turkish!! telling ppl not to). This is where learning some Seerah (study of the life of Muhammad (saw) and the early Muslims) is extremely important before you go so you can actually feel where you are visiting. Just take one day after fajr and have some cab driver take you out to the different places. Get a map of Jannat al-Baqi` and make sure you say salam to all the sahaba/saliheen buried there. For both Ziyara’s go immediately AFTER Fajr at the haram, come back BEFORE dhuhr, pray dhuhr at the haram and then rest at the hotel for awhile.

DO NOT forget what gate you enter the Haram from and the hotel you are staying at.

DO make multiple Umrahs. It’s not hard to take theshort cab ride to TAN’IM sometime after Fajr. (The place you’ll need to go to state your intention andre-enter Makkah in Ihram). Make ghusl and change into your ihram before you go. Then at Tan’im you just pray 2 rakats and make your intention for umrah again. Comeback before Dhuhr and perform your second (or third orfourth) umrah… Remember you can also make umrah on behalf of another person, a dead relative or someone back home who could not make it.

DO NOT look at pictures of the Kaaba before you go. From now until you see it with your own two eyes It RUINS the impact it has on your heart.

REMEMBER you are there to worship. Shopping, eating, etc are all just a waste of time. Food: it will be tempting to eat all this food there, but remember this much: the more you eat, the more tired you will get and in Makkah you will NEED your energy.

Take all this advice with a grain of salt. Every situation/time is different. Most of the information here is suitable for umrah. Hajj may be a completely different experience!

Some Tips from Br. Khalid:

JUMAH – Go EARLY!!!! Our first Jumah in Makkah the Adhaan was 12:05 or something and we got to Masjid Al Haram at 11am. BIG mistake. The concourse outside the Masjid was full let alone trying to get in there. We sat in the beating sun for over an hour and prayed. The next week we got there at 9 am !!!

TAWAF – There are large groups who perform Tawaf together and link hands. If you see them approach you, then let them pass or step aside and give them way. Also watch out for the elderly who are being carried around the Kabah and people taking their relatives around in wheelchairs. As a rule the nearer the Kabah you perform your Tawaf the more squashed you will get and I mean squashed. This is especially true when going around Maqam Ibrahim because of the people trying to pray.

ARAFAT – Make the most of this day as possible. Don’t eat too much after Zuhur. The last thing you want to do is feel sleepy from having over eaten

MUZDALIFAH – You have to pray Fajr on the morning of Eid before you go back to Mina. Make sure you make a note of what time Fajr was when you were in Makkah. Some people make the Adhaan too early in an attempt to get to Mina early. Don’t let them make you pray your Fajr before time.

MINA – For those of you who haven’t been there are three Jamarat all in a line with each other separated by 200m or so. The Saudi authorities have created what I can only describe as a flyover so that you can perform your stoning from the above tier as well as the lower tier. There is also a one way system on the top tier so that everyone starts from one end and moves to the other. Each Jamarat is surrounded by a circular wall and it is this circle that your stones have to enter after you’ve thrown. We were very fortunate enough to be on the side of the mountain and we could see how the Hajjis were performing the stoning. On the top tier most Hajjis walk in a straight line and reach the front of the circle, consequently there is a HUGE crowd at the front of the circle as people wait for those in front to finish. Because of this you should walk at the sides hugging the fence and avoid the front entirely. Walk PAST the Jamarat and then double back on yourself and throw from the back of the circle.Alhamdulillah we were able to place our hands on the circle wall and throw from there using this piece of advice.

SHOPPING – Check out the many bookshops. Lots of good stuff out there

PATIENCE – You’ll understand the meaning of that word when you encounter the crowds, the queues, the long waits etc etc etc

Hajj can be performed in three different ways:
Tamattu’ – Qiran – Ifraad.

1-Tamattu` means performing `Umrah during the Hajj season, and on the Day of Tarwiyah the pilgrim gets into the state of Ihram for Hajj. Anyone intending to perform a Tamattu’ Hajj should make intention for `Umrah when approaching the Miqat. The intention here should be for `Umrah. The pilgrim should say,

“Labbayk-Allahumma labbayka bi’Umrah!” or “Labbayka ‘Umratan!”
“O Allah ! I answer Your call to perform `Umrah.”

The pilgrim can add some other du’aa such as: ” O Allah ! I intend to perform `Umrah, so make it easy for me, and accept it from me.” It is also allowed for the pilgrim though intending initially to complete Hajj or ‘Umrah to put a condition whereby if for some unexpected sickness or circumstances the journey could not be completed, he, or she, can end the state of Ihraam without having to sacrifice an animal or fast. Therefore, the pilgrim can address Allah saying,

“Inna mahilli minal-Ardi haythu habastani”
” I will end up my state of Ihraam wherever I cannot proceed.”

After this, the pilgrim proceeds with Talbiyah as shown previously. Once the pilgrim reaches Makkah, he heads for al-Masjid al-Haraam and circumambulates the Ka`bah seven times in a state of wudu beginning by kissing the black stone or if it’s impossible by raising the hands as far as the ears saying, “Bismillah Allahu Akbar!” After Tawaaf, the pilgrim prays two Rak’aas at Maqaamu Ibraahim – without disturbing those who circumambulate- drinks Zamzam water then goes to walk between as-Safaa and al-Marwah seven times, then gets the hair cut or shaved. With this the state of Ihraam and ‘Umrah are ended. On the day of Tarwiyah, that is the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, the pilgrim enters another time in the state of Ihraam saying,

” Labbayk-Allahumma labbayka bi-Hajj!” or “Labbayka Hajjan”
“O Allah ! I answer Your call to perform Hajj.”

The pilgrim can add, ” O Allah ! I intend to perform Hajj, so make it easy for me, and accept it from me. I intend to perform Hajj and I am entering in the state of Ihram only for Your sake, O Allah !” Then the Talbiyah is repeated throughout the rituals of Hajj in Mina, Arafah, and Muzdalifah. On the 10th of dhul-Hijjah, a sacrifice should be offered to Allah as mentioned in Qur’an after stoning at al-Jamaraat. After the sacrifice is done, the pilgrim can shave or cut the hair. Once the Tawaaf of Ifaadah is done, the pilgrim should do Sa’y between as-Safa and al-Marwah for Hajj. However, if a person starts with the Tawaaf of al-Ifaadah, then Sa’y, then shaves and then stones at al-Jamaraat it is also accepted.
Tamattu’ Hajj is the most recommended for people and it was more encouraged to it by the Prophet (S). This is indeed the best way to perform Hajj. Once Hajj is completed, a Hady should be offered on the 10th. Allah (swt) says,

“If any one wishes to continue the Umra on to the Hajj, he must make an offering such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, he should fast three days during the Hajj and seven days on his return, making ten days in all. This is for those whose household is not in (the precincts of) the Sacred Mosque, and fear Allah , and know that Allah , is strict in punishment.”(2:196)

2-Qiran means to combine Hajj and ‘Umrah. This means that the pilgrim should declare the intention to perform both Hajj and `Umrah together,

“Labbayk-Allahumma labbayka bi-Hajjin wa-‘Umrah!” or
“Labbayka Hajjan wa ‘Umratan!”
“O Allah ! I answer Your call to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah!”

In this kind of Hajj, it is not allowed for the pilgrim to end the state of Ihraam after Sa’ay. The pilgrim will not have to perform after the Ifadah Tawaaf on the 10th of dhil Hijjah the Sa’y because it is already performed for both Hajj and `Umrah.
The pilgrim is supposed to bring his sacrificial animal with him as the Prophet (S) did. This must be done because the rituals of Hajj and `Umrah were joined together.

3-Ifraad means that the pilgrim declares his intention for Hajj only.

” Labbayk-Allahumma labbayka bi-Hajj!” or ” Labbayka Hajjan”
“O Allah ! I answer Your call to perform Hajj.”
The pilgrim maintains his Ihraam up to the Day of Sacrifice. No animal sacrifice offering is required from him.

Rituals of Hajj Tamattu’

Ihraam for ‘Umrah From the Miqaat -> Tawaaf -> Sa’y -> Hair Cutting

Umrah is complete here and Ihraam is ended.

Please make du’a for me and the acceptance of my Hajj Tamattu’.

Jazakamullah Khair

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Loving Allah (swt)
Making Ourselves Valuable
Preserving our Iman
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