The Rituals of Hajj [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Meqats for wearing
ihram

There are special places designated by the sacred rules of Islam for wearing
ihram. It is incumbent on the pilgrim to wear ihram there. There are nine such
places, each of which is called Meqat :

Thul Hulaifah which is situated near Madinah. It is the Meqat for
the people of Madinah and all those who wish to perform the pilgrimage
travelling from Madinah. As a matter of caution, it is preferred that ihram be
worn, if possible, in the local mosque known as Masjid-ush-Shajarah. It is
insufficient, though, to wear it outside, except for ladies in menstruation or
the like.

Rule 162:

It is not permissible to
delay wearing ihram from Dhul Hulaifah and wearing it at Johfa instead, except
for a valid reason, such as sickness or due to weakness.

Wadil-Aqeeq which is the Meqat for the people of Iraq and Najd and
those passing through there. It has three parts: Maslakh, Ghamrah and Thati
Irq. The preferred view (al ahwatil awla), is for a pilgrim to wear his ihram
before reaching Thati Irq, if there is no case for dissimulation (taqiyyah) or
illness.

Rule 163:

It has been said d that in
dissimulation, it is permitted to wear ihram secretly before Thati Irq without
removing all clothes. On getting there, the clothes may be removed and ihram
worn without incurring any kaffarah (penalty). However, this opinion is not free
from ishkal.

Johfa which is the Meqat for the people of Syria, Egypt and the
West and those who pass from there if they have not worn ihram earlier at Thul
Hulaifa either with or without excuse.


Yalamlam which is the Meqat for the people of Yemen and those who
pass from there. It is the name of a mountain.


Qarn-ul-Manaazil which is the Meqat for the people of Ta'if and all
those who pass through that route.

Insofar as the last four Meqats, i.e.
numbers (2) to (5) are concerned, the Meqats are not confined to the mosques
only. but all that which comes under the banner of these places is so
considered. If the pilgrim is unable to specify the exact place, he can wear
ihram by making a vow (nadhr) before reaching the Meqat.


The proximity of any of the above quoted Meqats: If a person takes
a route which does not cross any of the said Meqats, he must wear ihram from
any place which is parallel to the Meqat, that is to say, a place at which,
when he faces the Holy Ka'ba, one of the Meqats would be to his right or left,
and when he proceeds from that point to Makkah, the Meqat would be behind him.


It is sufficient to use common sense to determine if one has reached such
point; it is not necessary to take exact measurements. If a person takes a
route on which he reaches a place which becomes parallel to two Meqats , it,
as a matter of preferential precaution, is recommended that he should wear
ihram on reaching the first of such two places.


Makkah which is the Meqat for Hajj-ut-Tamatu', as well as
Hajj-ul-Qiraan and Ifraad for the residents of Makkah, and its neighbourhood -
irrespective of whether or not their obligation shifted to that of the
residents of Makkah - as they are not required to proceed to the rest of the
Meqats. However, it is preferable for all, except women, to proceed to some
other Meqats, such as Ja'ranah to wear their ihram.

As a matter of
precaution, one should wear ihram at a place within the area considered as
part of the ancient Makkah at the time of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), although
it is permissible to wear it at one of the new places recently built, except
those which would fall outside the Haram.


The pilgrim's home is the Meqat for those who are nearer to Makkah
than the Meqat as it is permissible for them to wear ihram from their homes
and are not obliged to return to a Meqat .


Adnal Hil like Hudaybiyyah, Ja'ranah, or Tan'eem: It is the Meqat
for Umrat-ul-Mufradah after the Hajj-ul-Qiraan or Ifraad and all
Umrat-ul-Mufradah by those in Makkah. There is only one exception which was
explained earlier under Rule 140.

Rules of Meqats

Rule 164:

It is not permissible to
wear ihram before reaching Meqat nor is it enough just to pass from there in
ihram. There is no alternative to wearing the ihram at the Meqat itself.
However, there are two exceptions:

If a pilgrim has made a vow (nadhr) to wear ihram before the Meqat,
it is valid to do so, it is not it necessary to renew it at the Meqat, or pass
through it. Indeed, it is permissible to proceed straight to Makkah without
passing through any Meqat. In this regard there is no difference between an
obligatory and an optional pilgrimage or Umrat-ul-Mufradah.

However, if the
ihram is for an obligatory pilgrimage, then it is necessary that he should
wear ihram in the season of the pilgrimage, as has already been
discussed.


If a pilgrim wishes to perform Umrat-ul-Mufradah in the month of
Rajab, and fears that the month will elapse before he proceeded to the Meqat,
it is permissible to wear the ihram before the Meqat and it will count as the
Umrah of Rajab, even if the remaining ceremonies were performed in Sha'ban. In
this regard, it does not matter whether the Umrah is obligatory or optional.

Rule 165:

It is obligatory on the
pilgrim to be certain that he reaches the Meqat and wears ihram there. He must
be satisfied or have shari'i proof that the place is the Meqat. It is not
permissible to wear the ihram, if there is doubt whether the Meqat has been
reached.

Rule 166:

If a pilgrim had made a vow
to wear ihram before Meqat and contrary to it wears ihram at the Meqat, his
ihram is not invalidated. However, he must pay kaffarah for infringing the vow,
if he did so deliberately.

Rule 167:

Just as it is not
permissible to wear ihram before reaching Meqat, so is it not permissible to
delay wearing it. It is not permissible for a person who intends to perform a
pilgrimage or Umrah or to enter the Haram or Makkah to pass by the Meqat, by
choice, without wearing ihram there, even if there is another Meqat ahead. If a
pilgrim passes by a Meqat, he must, if possible, return to it to wear the ihram.
There is one exception for those who pass Thul Hulaifah to Johfa, without
excuse. In such a case, it is evident that wearing ihram from Johfa is
sufficient, albeit he is sinful.

As a matter of precaution, it is not
permissible to pass any place which is parallel to one of the Meqats without
wearing ihram, although one can ignore this precaution because there is another
Meqat ahead or parallel. If a passenger does not intend to perform a pilgrimage
or enter Makkah changes his mind after passing Meqat, he can wear ihram for
Umrat-ul-Mufradah from adnal hil

Rule 168:

If a pilgrim passes by a
Meqat deliberately without wearing ihram , without prejudice to the previous
rule, there are two possible avenues:

if it is possible to return to the Meqat, it is obligatory to do so
and wear ihram there; it makes no difference whether he returns after having
entered the Haram or from outside it; if he does so, his pilgrimage is
valid;


if the pilgrim is not able to return to the Meqat, whether he is
inside or outside the Haram, his pilgrimage is invalidated and wearing ihram
from any place beyond the Meqat is not sufficient. He must perform the
pilgrimage in the ensuing year, if he has the means.




Rule 169:

If a pilgrim abandons
wearing ihram due to oversight, unconsciousness, and the like, or ignorance of
the rule or Meqat, four situations would arise:





if it is possible to return to the Meqat, it is obligatory to do so
and wear ihram there;


if he is in the Haram and it is not possible to return to the
Meqat, and it is possible to come out of the Haram, he must go outside and
wear ihram there; it is preferable that, having made his exit from the Haram,
he must proceed as far away from it as possible to wear ihram;


if he is in the Haram and it is not possible to come out, he must
wear ihram wherever he is, even if he has entered Makkah;


if he is outside the Haram but it is not possible to return to the
Meqat, as a matter of precaution, he must return as far as possible towards
the Meqat and wear ihram. In all these four situations, the pilgrimage is
valid, if the pilgrim acts in accordance with what is stated above. The same
rule applies to a person who wears ihram before reaching Meqat, or after
leaving it out of ignorance, or due to an oversight of the rule.





Rule 170:

If a woman pilgrim, who is
in haydh, does not wear ihram at Meqat out of ignorance of the rule and enters
the Haram, as a matter of precaution, she must go out and wear ihram, if it is
not possible for her to return to the Meqat. In such a situation, it is
preferable that she should go as far away from the Haram as possible and wear
ihram, if in so doing there is no risk of missing the pilgrimage. If there is no
possibility of moving out of the Haram, like the others, he should wear ihram
inside the Haram.


Rule 171:

If the umrah becomes void,
including by reason of the invalidity of the ihram, it is obligatory to repeat
it, if possible and if, for lack of time, it is not possible to repeat it,
obligatory pilgrimage becomes invalid and it is necessary to perform it again in
the succeeding year.


Rule 172:

A group of scholars have
stated that if a pilgrim performs an Umrah without ihram, it is valid if he did
so out of ignorance or due to an oversight. However, this is debatable (ishkal).
In this situation, as a matter of precaution, if it is possible, it be repeated
in the manner we have stated.


Rule 173:

If a person travels from far
for a pilgrimage, it is obligatory on him to wear ihram for Umrah at one of the
first five Meqats. If his route passes through one of them, no problem arises.
If not, as is the case in modern times, when pilgrims first land in Jeddah,
which is not one of the Meqats, it is not permissible to wear ihram there as it
has not been established that it is parallel to any Meqat. In such a case, he
has three options:





He can make a vow (nadhr) to wear ihram from his town or on the
way, just before passing over any of the Meqats and before landing in Jeddah,
and wear the ihram at the place stipulated in the vow. There is no problem in
this, provided it does not entail protecting oneself from the sun (istidhlal)
- such as by flying during night time - or sheltering from the rain.


If he lands in Jeddah without ihram, he can proceed to one of the
Meqats, or to a point which is parallel to it, to wear his ihram from there.
He also can go to any of the places, situated behind the Meqat, such as Rabigh
which is on the way to Madinah, and wear ihram there by making a vow (nadhr),
as it is situated before Johfa which may not be easy to get to.


He must make a vow to wear ihram in Jeddah and do so. This is only
permissible, if it is known, albeit generally, that there is a place between
Jeddah and Haram, parallel to one of the Meqats, not far away from Johfa. If
there was a probability that such a place is parallel to Johfa, and he could
not achieve it, ihram by virtue of nadhr is not permissible.

However, if
the pilgrim arrives in Jeddah with the intention to proceed to one of the
Meqats, or the like, and he could not make it, he is permitted to wear his
ihram with a nadhr there and then.In such a case, he, evidently, is not
required to renew his ihram outside the Haram before entering.




Rule 174:

It has already been stated
that, for Hajj-ut-Tamatu', it is obligatory to wear ihram in Makkah. If a
pilgrim deliberately wears it elsewhere, his ihram is invalid, if he enters
Makkah having worn it. Indeed, it is obligatory on him, if possible, to wear it
again in Makkah; otherwise, his Hajj is invalid.


Rule 175:

If during Hajj-ut-Tamatu' a
pilgrim forgets to wear ihram for Hajj in Makkah, it is obligatory for him, if
possible, to return to Makkah. Otherwise, he must wear the ihram wherever he
remembers to do so, even if he has reached Arafat, and his Hajj is valid. The
same is the rule for one ignorant of the rule.


Rule 176:

If a pilgrim forgets to wear
the ihram for Hajj and does not remember to do so until the completion of all
the rituals, his Hajj is valid. The same rule applies to one who is ignorant of
the rule.