Hajj Checklist
Introduction
I begin by Praising Allāh , Lord of the Worlds and sending Peace & Salutations to our beloved Prophet Muḥammad .
Allāh has blessed us with many types of worship, which utilize different types of efforts on behalf of the worshipper. The effort may be physical, like when we perform Ṣalāt. The effort might be financial like in Zakāt, or the effort might be in the form of abstention, like when we fast. Yet there is one form of worship which encompasses all our efforts, physical,
financial and abstention and this is the Ḥajj, our Pilgrimage.
The Ḥajj is also the only form of ritual worship which is obligatory once in a lifetime. The first Ḥajj a person performs, will count as their obligation, subsequent Pilgrimages will be counted as supererogatory, Nafl. Therefore, it is imperative that a worshipper carries out the right amount of preparation to ensure that they perform all the rituals of Ḥajj in a correct manner gaining the maximum amount of reward.
Now there are many useful resources which explain the rituals of Ḥajj in a very detailed manner, especially the books by our dear teacher Shaykh Muḥammad Saleem Dhorat Ṣaḥib Ḥafiẓahullāḥ. Shaykh’s annual lectures on Ḥajj provide invaluable information for pilgrims, both new and ones who are returning to the Ḥaramayn.
In 2001, prior to my first visit to the Ḥaramayn, Shaykh’s lectures were my initial inspiration in compiling a checklist. This included valuable practical tips from the precious talks, which could not be found in any books, as well as a simplified explanation of the rituals of Ḥajj to aid me in performing my Page | 6 Ḥajj without the risk of forgetting any important information.
This checklist has since benefitted many pilgrims over the years. In the last 17 years, there have been many changes, both logistical as well as geographical, which has affected the way we perform our Ḥajj. Therefore advice which may have been sound and relevant a few years ago is no longer valid. For example, the Jamarāt have changed from pillars to walls,
the Maṭāf has increased in size and the black line on the floor marking the start of the Ṭawāf has been removed. Also, the primary medium of our information has changed from paper based to electronic.
All these reasons have led me to update the checklist with information which will Inshā’Allāh be relevant for today’s Ḥajj as well as being presented in an updated format
and medium. The information in this checklist has been arranged in a simple chronological order, where the pilgrim can access the relevant section quickly and easily while keeping track of their progress as well. The checklist has been available in an electronic format for several years now but this year we decided to print physical copies to help even more
pilgrims.
I hope and pray that this booklet continues to benefit many more pilgrims in the years to come and may Allāh accept the efforts of all those who have helped in the compilation of this checklist, especially Shaykh Abdus Subhān Dalvi Ḥafiẓahullāḥ whose input has been invaluable. Āmīn. Ebrahim Noor – 6th Shawwāl 1439 AH (20th June 2018)
