One of the Five Pillars of Islam is Pilgrimage which is a must for every capable Muslim, but can a woman go to hajj without a mahram? Let’s find out.

Can a woman go to hajj without a mahram? Yes, recently Saudi Arabia announced that a woman can go to hajj without a mahram (male guardian). The ministry said in a tweet.  “Those wishing to perform Haj will have to register individually. Women can register without a mahram (male guardian) along with other women”.

What is hajj?

Hajj ( الحج ) is one of the five pillars of Islam that any capable Muslim should perform at least once. Hajj erases all the past sins of the person, giving the person an opportunity to start new and do all the good deeds.

So, the Hajj definition is a pilgrimage made to Kabah in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

When is hajj?

The pilgrimage rite begins on the 7th day of Dhū al-Ḥijjah (the last month of the Islamic year) and ends on the 12th day

 How to perform hajj?

the steps of Hajj are:

•       Preparation and Intention
•       Enter a state of Ihram
•       Tawaf x7
•       Safa and Marwa
•       Clip/Shave Hair (Umrah ends)
•       Resting and Praying
•       Enter the state of Ihram
•       Arrive at Mina
•       Day of Arafah
•       Muzdalifah (under the night sky)
•       Rami (stoning of the devil)
•       Qurbani
•       Shave Head
•       Tawaf al-Ifadha
•       Rami (stoning of the devil)
•       Spend the night at Mina
•       Rami (stoning of the devil)
•       Spend a night in Mina
•       Farewell Tawaf al-Wida

 How hajj is performed step by step?

The first thing the pilgrim does on the eight’s day of Dhul-Hijja is to purify himself/herself by bathing. Then wear the hajj clothes and say: ” Here I am for Hajj. Here I am, oh Allah, here I am. Here I am. You have no partner. Here I am. Surely all praise, grace, and dominion are yours, and you have no partners.”

And if the person doesn’t know if he will be able to complete the hajj, he should say the following when he makes the intention: ” If I am prevented by any obstacle my place is wherever I am held up.”

Afterward, you will go to Mina and pray the Dhuhr, Asr, Magrib, Isha, and Fajr prayers but you will shorten the four-unit prayers to be two units for each but don’t combine your prayers.

When the sunrise you will go to Arafah and combine the Dhuhr and Asr prayer at the time of Dhuhr, making each one two units. If you can stay in the Namira Mosque until sunset remembering Allah and reciting supplications as much as you can while facing the Qibla that will be better.

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) prayed thus: “There is no Deity but Allah alone. He has no partner. All dominion and praise are His and He is powerful over all things.”

If you start to feel tired or want to take a break from the supplication you could make a conversation with your companions or read a book if you like.

When you finish resting continue the supplications and make sure to spend the day of Arafah reciting supplications because this is the best day to do so.

At the sunset, you will go to Muzdalifah and pray to the Magrib, Isha, and Fajr. And you can combine the Magrib and Isha if you feel tired. If you have any doubt that you won’t reach Muzdalifah before midnight then you should pray the prayers before you leave. And you will stay at Muzdalifah reciting supplications and remembering Allah until before the sunrise.

For the Ar-Ramy ritual if you know that you have a weak body and can’t handle the crowd then you could go to Mina at the end of the night to stone the Jamrah before the arrival of the crowd.

Near sunrise, you will go from Muzdalifah to Mina and do the following:

1-      You will throw seven consecutive pebbles at Jamrah Al-Aqaba which is the closest monument to Makkah, and say ‘Allah is the Greatest’ when you throw each pebble.

 2-     You will slaughter a sacrificial animal, eat some of it, and give some to the poor. Slaughter is obligatory on the Mutamati and Qiran (two of the three types of hajj).

 3-      You will then shave or cut your hair. For A woman she should cut her hair the length of a fingertip.

 You should do the above three steps in order but there is nothing wrong if you don’t do them in the same order.

You will also go to Makkah to perform Tawaf Al-lfadha and Sa’yi. It is Sunnah for men to put perfume on before going to Makkah.

By finishing that you can come out of Ihram and wear any cloth you want and take a trip or go to the places you want to visit.

Then you will go back to Mina and spend the nights of the eleventh and twelfth days there. In the afternoon of both the eleventh and twelfth days, you will stone the three Jamrah. Start with the first Jamrah, which is furthest from Makkah, then the middle one, and lastly Jamrah Al-Aqaba.

 While doing each one you should throw seven consecutive pebbles and say the Takbeer. Take a break after the middle Jamrah and recite supplications while facing the Qibla. And keep in mind that throwing stones before noon on these two days is not allowed.

You can go to Jamrah walking or riding, if you can walk then, it’s better to go walking. If you are not in a hurry to leave then it is better to prolong your stay and spend the night of the thirteenth in Mina and stones that afternoon just like you did on the twelfth day. But if you are in a hurry then you can leave, he leaves Mina before sunset.

When you are ready to go back home then make Tawaf Al-Wadaa by making seven rounds around the Kabah.. 

Visiting The Prophet’s Mosque.

Another great thing to do while you are there is to visit The Prophet’s Mosque. You can go to the Madina and pray in the prophet mosque. It is said that praying there is better than a thousand prayers elsewhere except in the Holy Mosque in Makkah.

When you reach the mosque pray two Rakat of salutations and then perform the prayer. Then go visit the Prophet’s grave and greet him saying ” May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, oh Prophet. May Allah grant you a good reward on behalf of your people. “

 Then take a step or two to your right to position yourself before Abu-Bakr and greets him saying: “May the peace, mercy, and blessing of Allah be upon you. oh Abu-Bakr, Caliph of the Messenger of Allah. May Allah be pleased with you and grant you a good reward on behalf of Muhammad’s people.”

 Take a step or two to your right to position yourself before Umar and greets him saying: ” May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, oh Umar, Prince of the believers. May Allah be pleased with you and grant you a good reward on behalf of Muhammad’s people.”

You could go pray in the Qubaa Mosque. Also go to Al-Baqee to visit Uthman’s grave and greets him saying: “May the peace, mercy, and blessing of Allah be upon you, oh Uthman Prince of the believers. May Allah be pleased with you and grant you a good reward on behalf of Muhammad’s people.”

You could also go to Uhud and visits the grave of Hamza and the other martyrs there with him. Greets them and preys to Allah to grant them forgiveness, mercy, and pleasure.

What to say while performing hajj?

After wearing the hajj clothe you should say:  Then wear the hajj clothes and say: ” Here I am for Hajj. Here I am, oh Allah, here I am. Here I am. You have no partner. Here I am. Surely all praise, grace, and dominion are yours, and you have no partners.”

And if the person doesn’t know if he will be able to complete the hajj, he should say the following when he makes the intention: ” If I am prevented by any obstacle my place is wherever I am held up.”

 How long does hajj last?

Hajj lasts only for five days, not including the travel time or the day of spiritual preparation. Starts from the 8th to the 12th or 13th of Dhul Hijjah

Why is hajj important?

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam that any capable Muslim should perform at least once. Hajj erases all the past sins of the person, giving the person an opportunity to start new and do all the good deeds.

Where is hajj located?

Hajj is the pilgrimage made by going to the sacred house of Allah, the Kaaba in the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Can hajj be performed anytime?

No haj is only performed in the last month of the Islamic calendar during specific days, but you can perform umrah at any time.

Can you do hajj for someone else?

Yes, if someone is not capable of doing Hajj on his own then you can do it for him/her but you should start with your own hajj first and then do Hajj on their behalf, and here’s the evidence.

Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas narrated, “Al-Fadl Ibn ‘Abbas was riding behind the Messenger of God and a woman from the tribe of Khath’am approached the Messenger with a question. The woman said, ‘O Messenger of God! My father is an old man. He cannot sit firmly on his mount and therefore cannot perform his obligatory hajj. May I perform hajj on his behalf?’ The Prophet replied, ‘Yes, you may.’

Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas narrated, “The Messenger of God heard a man say, ‘O God! Here I am in response to your call on behalf of Shubrumah.’ The Prophet asked, ‘Who is Shubrumah?’ The man replied, ‘A brother or close relative. The Prophet asked, ‘Have you made your own hajj?’ ‘No,’ he replied. The Prophet said, ‘Perform your own hajj first and then perform it on behalf of Shubrumah.”

Can you do Hajj on behalf of a dead person?

Yes, you can do Hajj on behalf of a dead person.

When does the hajj start?

Hajj 2022 will start in the evening of Thursday, July 7 of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah and ends in the evening of Tuesday, July 12 Dhu al-Hijjah.

What is tawaf in hajj?

Tawaf is referring to the rounds you make around the Kabah, and they are done seven times in an anti-clockwise direction.

 Do you have to shave your head for hajj?

No shaving the head is not mandatory, you should only trim your hair short.

How many days hajj completed?

The hajj takes only five days to finish, not including the travel time or the day of spiritual preparation.

What are the months of hajj?

The month of hajj Islam is Dhu al-Hijjah, every year the hajj starts on the eighth day of Dhu al-Hijjah and ends on the 12 or 13 days. Dhu al-Hijjah is the last month of the Islamic calendar and the month that people go to the hajj place.

What’s the difference between hajj and umrah?

There are several differences between the hajjs and umrah, first, the hajj is done on specific days during the last month of the Islamic calendar while Umrah is done at any time. Umrah takes less time to complete and has fewer rituals than Hajj.

Can you do hajj without umrah?

Yes, you can do hajj without umrah, umrah is done when the person is not capable of making hajj.

How many tawaf in hajj?

You will do tawaf seven times in the mecca hajj.

What are the rites of hajj?

The haji Makkah rites include the following:

•       Preparation and Intention
•       Enter the state of Ihram
•       Tawaf x7
•       Safa and Marwa
•       Clip/Shave Hair (Umrah ends)
•       Resting and Praying
•       Enter the state of Ihram
•       Arrive at Mina
•       Day of Arafah
•       Muzdalifah (under the night sky)
•       Rami (stoning of the devil)
•       Qurbani
•       Shave Head
•       Tawaf al-Ifadha
•       Rami (stoning of the devil)
•       Spend the night at Mina
•       Rami (stoning of the devil)
•       Spend a night in Mina
•       Farewell Tawaf al-Wida

What to say to someone going for hajj?

When someone is going to hijj you could say one of the following:

“Congratulations on your Hajj. May the joy of this ritual enhance your spirit with excitement and grace for the rest of your life”, or “Hajj Mubarak to you! May Allah accept it in His books and make all your wishes and dreams come true.”

How do you know if your hajj is accepted?

Here are some signs to help you know if your haaj is accepted:

•       When the person who does the hajj comes back as a better person and stays away from committing any sins, then it’s a sign of acceptance.
•       The Muslim hajj should be done only for Allah, not with the intention to show off even after the person comes back.
•       The person will try to do good deeds only and anything that fulfill Allah’s command.
•       Also, the person will stay away from anything that Allah dislikes.

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What to say when someone returns from hajj?

We learn from a hadith mentioned in the book of Ibn as-Sunni that when a came to the prophet and said: ‘I intend to go and perform Hajj’ the prophet walked with him and said:  

زَوَّدَكَ اللهُ التَّقْوَى، وَوَجَّهَكَ فِيْ اَلخَيْرِ، وَكَفَاكَ الْمُهِمَّ

 Zawwadaka-llahu-t-taqwa, wa wajjahaka fi-l-khayr, wa kafaka-l-muhimm

 May Allah provide you with the fear of Allah, turn you towards good, and be your sufficiency for what is important.

And when the man came back from the Hahj the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:

قَبِلَ اللهُ حَجَّكَ، وَغَفَرَ ذَنْبَكَ، وَأَخْلَفَ نَفَقَتكَ

 Qabila-llahu Hajjak, wa ghafara dhanbak, wa akhlafa nafaqatak

 May Allah accept your Hajj and forgive your sins and compensate you for your expenditure.

 How much for hajj?

The internationalhajj.com that there are several hajj packages one of them is called B2 and they wrote the following:

“The B2 Madinah first package is another quite affordable package that includes hajj packages from Chicago and hajj packages from Houston. The accommodations in this package are also five stars and the meal plans are also well designed.  Open buffets will be provided in the hotels of Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah.

The commuting between Muzadilfa, Mena, and Arafat will be well managed by the company, and that too in a way that would reduce the amount of time required for it. All the buses utilized for this would be air-conditioned and highly comfortable. With price money of 10,500$ per person, you can get a quad room, 11,200$ will get you a triple room while the amount of 12,200$ will get you a double room.”

Related Question

What to do before going to hajj?

•       Prepare the things you will take with you.
•       If you know someone who went to the hajj in mecca you could ask for his/her advice.
•       See how the weather will be at the time you will go to prepare what you need.
•       Take the required vaccinations and if you take medicines then don’t forget to take it with you.
•       Prepare yourself for the pilgrimage to mecca mentally and physically.
•       Follow the health and safety protocols.