How to Perform Hajj Step by Step Guide 2025

Mecca Al Mukarramah It has the house of Allah Baitul Atiq. Every year thousands of pilgrims make their way to the house of Allah in state of humbleness with hope of attaining his forgiveness and pleasure. Muslims from around the world visit the Kaaba to fulfill the command of Allah, complete the Hajj rituals, and to make tawaf of the Kaaba. Foundations of which were laid by Allah's friend Ibrahim Alaihis Salaam. The rites of Hajj take place over period of 6 days and 5 nights from the 8th of Dhul Hijjah to the 13th of Dhul Hijjah. Pilgrims have the option of leaving grounds of Mina on the 12th. Some pilgrims choose to remain in Mina up to the 13th to complete the practice of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The rites performed during Hajj are the same as those performed by the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam during his final Hajj in 10th Hijrah. The Hajj begins on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, known as Yawm al-Tarwiyah, the day of drinking specific to Zamzam, during which pilgrims wear ihram clothes and make their intention for Hajj. They make their way to Mina, about 5 mi away from Mecca, where they perform their daily prayers and stay overnight in tent. The next day on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, known as Yawm al-Arafah, the day of Arafah, the pilgrims travel to grounds of Arafah after Fajr prayer. They continue to stay there between Dhuhr and Asr and spend time supplicating during their stay. It is the most important rite for Hajj. After sunset, they will travel to Muzdalifah and spend the night there. On the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, known as Yawm al-Nahr, the day of slaughtering, after performing Fajr prayer in Muzdalifah, pilgrims return to Mina where they will throw seven pebbles at Jamarat al-Aqabah or Kubra, the big pillar, perform an animal sacrifice, have their hair cut, and go to Mecca to perform tawaf al-ziyarah and the sa'i for Hajj. After which they will be relieved from the state of ihram and they will return to Mina. From the 11th to the 13th of Dhul Hijjah, known as Ayyam al-Tashreeq, the days of drying meat, pilgrims spend time in Mina where they will throw seven pebbles at all three jamarat on each day. If tawaf al-ziyarah, sa'i of Hajj, animal sacrifice, or the hair cut wasn't performed on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, that may be carried out in these days. Hajj types. There are three types of Hajj that pilgrim may choose from. Hajj Qiran, Hajj Tamattu, Hajj Ifrad. In Hajj Qiran, pilgrim performs Umrah and Hajj with one intention. They will wear the clothes of ihram and make the intention for Hajj Qiran, perform Umrah, upon completion, they will stay in the state of ihram. On 8th of Dhul Hijjah, they will move to Mina, start Hajj rites, and then slaughter an animal on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah. On completing Hajj, they will come out of state of ihram. Hajj Tamattu pilgrim performs Umrah and Hajj with two separate intentions. They will wear the clothes of ihram, make the intention for Umrah, perform Umrah, upon completion, come out of state of ihram. They will wear their normal clothes. On the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, they will wear clothes of ihram again and they will make the intention for Hajj, perform Hajj rites, slaughter an animal on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah and complete remaining Hajj rites. And on completing, they will come out of state of ihram. Hajj Ifrad pilgrim performs Hajj only with one intention of performing Hajj. Intention for Hajj Ifrad is made on 8th of Dhul Hijjah. They will come into the state of ihram and perform Hajj rites. On completing Hajj rites, they will come out of state of ihram. Hajj intention pilgrim intending to perform Hajj Qiran will have to make the intention before starting Umrah. And the intention for Hajj Qiran will be Labbayk Allahumma Umratan wa Hajj. The Hajj intention for those performing Hajj Tamattu or Ifrad will be Allahumma Labbayk Hajj. I'll say it again. Allahumma Labbayk Hajj. Which means, Allah, here am at your service for Hajj." If you would like to perform Hajj on behalf of someone else, then you will add their name at the end of the intention. So, for example, you want to perform Hajj for Abdullah. So, the intention will be Labbayk Allahumma Hajj an Abdullah. After making the intention, recite the talbiyah. Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk Labbayk la sharika laka Labbayk innal hamda wan ni'mata laka wal mulk la sharika lak. And if you fear that something will prevent you from completing Hajj, i.e. menstruation for women or any issue, then you should also say the following prayer. Wa in habasani habison fa mahall haithu habastani. After making the intention, pilgrims will make their way to grounds of Mina. Day one of Hajj, 8th of Dhul Hijjah. Pilgrims will stay in the grounds of Mina. They will pray Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha in their time and salah will be shortened. The four rak'ahs prayer will be shortened to two. Relax and prepare for tomorrow. Note, tomorrow, 9th of Dhul Hijjah, will be the day of Hajj. Listen to reminders, read books, revise your duas, and recite the Quran to prepare for the day. Important point, don't waste food, keep calm, and have patience. Everyone is trying to perform Hajj. On the next day, pilgrim will start making their way to grounds of Arafah after the Fajr prayer. Day two of Hajj, 9th of Dhul Hijjah. On this day, pilgrim will stay in Arafah from Dhuhr until sunset. They will pray to Allah, ask Allah for forgiveness, and ask Allah's pleasure. It is from the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam to pray Dhuhr and Asr together, shortened at Dhuhr time. Note, the virtues of Arafah. Arafah is known as the day of Hajj. As per the Hadith of Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, "Al Hajju Arafah." Hajj is Arafah. The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, "And mention when your Lord took from the children of Adam from their loins their descendants and made them testify of themselves, saying to them, 'Am not your Lord?' They said, 'Yes, we have testified.' Lest you should say on the day of resurrection, 'Indeed, we were of this unaware.'" The Hadith of Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, "Al Hajju Arafah." Hajj is Arafah. It is the day of forgiveness of sins, freedom from the fire, and pride in the people who are there. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, "There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the fire than the day of Arafah. He comes close and expresses his pride to the angels saying, 'What do these people want?' And the angels reply by saying, 'They want your forgiveness.' And Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala says that be witness have forgiven each and every one of them. Another Hadith of Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, Allah expresses his pride to his angels at the time of Aisha on the day of Arafah. About the people of Arafah, he says, "Look at my slaves who have come unkempt and dusty." It is the day on which the religion was perfected and Allah's favor was completed. It is related from Anas bin Malik radi allahu anhu that he used to say in terms of virtue that the day of Arafah is equivalent to 10,000 days. Among the virtue of the day of Arafah is constantly proclaiming the declaration of Allah's oneness with sincerity and honesty. For it is the foundation of the religion that Allah completed this day and its base. It is reported that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam would repeat this supplication on the day of Arafah. La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu lahul mulku walahul hamdu wahuwa ala kulli shayin qadir. Try to busy yourself as much as you can in remembering Allah, praying to Allah, asking Allah for forgiveness, and asking Allah for his pleasure, and asking Allah to accept your Hajj. Note, after sunset, pilgrim will make their way to the grounds of Muzdalifah. And upon reaching, they will pray offer Maghrib and Isha prayers together. Isha prayer will be shortened to two. They will stay there in Muzdalifah until the Fajr prayer. It is important for pilgrim to keep their sleeping bag with themselves as they will be sleeping on plain field. It is part of Hajj and it was done by the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. While at Muzdalifah, pilgrim can collect seven pebbles that will be thrown at Jamarat al-Aqabah on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah. Day three of Hajj, 10th of Dhul-Hijjah. This is the longest day during Hajj. The pilgrim will perform Fajr prayer in Muzdalifah and spend some time in dhikr and dua until sunrise. After that, they will move towards Jamarat al-Aqabah, the major stoning area, and throw seven stones by saying Allahu Akbar each time. Then they will sacrifice an animal, then shave or trim their hair, and then make their way to Mecca to perform tawaf and sa'i. You will have to walk from Muzdalifah to Jamarat. There will not be any transport provided. And from there to Mecca for to perform tawaf and sa'i, and then back to Mina. You could return back to Mina after throwing the stones at Jamarat al-Aqabah, and perform the tawaf on the day after returning back to Mecca. Few important points to keep in mind. When pilgrim makes their way from grounds of Muzdalifah to Jamarat, the stoning area, they will find three pillars to be there. Jamarat al-Sughra, the small stoning area, Jamarat al-Wusta, the medium stoning area, and Jamarat al-Kubra or Aqabah, the major stoning area. They will make their way to Jamarat al-Aqabah, the major stoning area, on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, and throw seven pebbles saying Allahu Akbar each time. After throwing the stones at Jamarat al-Aqabah, the pilgrim will sacrifice an animal by themselves, or it can be organized by the tour operator. After which they can shave and trim their hair, and make their way to perform tawaf and sa'i. After completing tawaf and sa'i, they can move back to Mina. After sacrificing an animal, and shave or trimming your hair, you will have two options. Option number one, you can perform tawaf and sa'i on the same day as it, the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah. It was the practice of Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. The second option is that you can make your way back to the grounds of Mina and perform tawaf and sa'i on the remaining days. Some scholars would say that you should perform tawaf and sa'i between the 11th and the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, and some would say that you can perform at later date within the month of Dhul-Hijjah. It is important to remember your maktab and Mina tent numbers. Keep phone and its charger. Apply Vaseline around the thighs to avoid rash. Stay in pairs. If you decide to perform tawaf and sa'i, keep extra money as taxi fares will be high, and they will drop you off near Jamarat. You will have to walk back to your tents. Day four of Hajj, 11th of Dhul-Hijjah. On this day, pilgrim will move from the grounds of Mina to the stoning area, Jamarat. They will have 21 stones to throw at all three Jamarat, seven at each one. Complete the stoning rituals and come back to Mina. The stoning time will be between Dhuhr and Maghrib. When pilgrim reaches the grounds of Jamarat, they will move towards Jamarat al-Sughra, the minor stoning area, throw seven stones at it by saying Allahu Akbar at each time. They will move to side and supplicate to Allah. After that, they will move towards Jamarat al-Wusta, the middle stoning area, throw seven stones at it by saying Allahu Akbar each time. They will move to side and supplicate to Allah. Then they will move towards Jamarat al-Aqabah, the major stoning area, throw seven stones at it saying Allahu Akbar each time. There is no dua to be made after throwing stones at Jamarat al-Aqabah. Important point to note. pilgrim will return back to Mina and rest. Supplicate to Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala and spend majority of the night in Mina. Forgive everyone and ask Allah for good etiquettes and Jannatul Firdaus. Day five of Hajj, 12th of Dhul-Hijjah. On this day, pilgrim will make their way from grounds of Mina to Jamarat, the stoning area. They will complete the same activities as day four. They'll have 21 stones to throw at all three Jamarat, seven at each one of them. At Jamarat al-Sughra, they will throw seven stones. At Jamarat al-Wusta, they will throw seven stones. And at Jamarat al-Aqabah, they will throw seven stones. Important point to note. After the stoning on 12th of Dhul-Hijjah, you can complete your Hajj by moving out of Mina before Maghrib. Once you reach Mecca, you can perform tawaf al-wida, the farewell tawaf, and that will complete your Hajj. If you remain in Mina after Maghrib, you will need to stay for the last day of stoning. It was the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam that he stayed until the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah. Day six of Hajj, the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah. On this day, pilgrim will make their way from grounds of Mina to Jamarat, repeat the same activities as day four and five, complete their stoning rituals, and move out of Mina. Important point to note. The Hajj is now complete. pilgrim will have to perform farewell tawaf, tawaf al-wida, before leaving Mecca. Checklist. Have you got your passport and it is valid for six months? Have you taken the required vaccination shots? Have you read some literature on Hajj and Umrah? Have you paid all your debts? Have you prepared adequate funds for the journey? Have you written your will? Did you leave enough money for your family? Have you bought the necessary ihram clothes, including spare one if one gets dirty? Have you bought the money belt? Buy an umbrella as it will be very hot. Buy good pair of sandals as you will be walking lot. sleeping bag. Please note, do not cover your head while in state of ihram. Medicines and blister plasters. Travel clock. Eye patches and ear plugs. Toiletries items like unscented soap, Vaseline. Pen and small notebook. Small Quran, Quran with translation, Hajj information. Strap for glasses. Nail clippers, shaving tools, scissors, disinfectant antiseptic. Maybe something like sweater. Early mornings in Medina can be cold and windy during winter. Keep unlocked phone as the SIM cards in Saudi Arabia may not work on network restricted phone. Some points to keep in mind. Prohibitions during state of ihram. Using perfume, anointing the head or beard with oil, grease, or melted honey wax. Removing or cutting fingernails, toenails, or hair. Covering the head for the men. Covering the face and wearing gloves for women. For the man to wear clothes sewn or felted designed to cover the whole body. Any marriage proposals, sexual intercourse, or being intimate. Hunting and edible wild land animal. Please note, performing Umrah or Hajj is not holiday. Clear your intention and come with clear mind. Travel time, standing in queues, and the standard of hotels may not be of the same level, so avoid criticizing and observe patience. The state at Mina tents can be challenging, but if you go with clear objective of togetherness and loving Muslims for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, forgiving the shortcomings, then believe me, you will find the Umrah and Hajj to be the journey of your lifetime.