When you’re ready, decide which of your belongings you want to take with you, bearing in mind there are thieves that operate in the mosque. In Masjid al-Haram, it is permissible for anyone to walk across those performing Salah. However, their place of prostration should be avoided. Ibrahim (AS) and his son Isma’il (AS) worked together to build a small stone structure called the Kaa’bah. It was built to mark a space for the sacred gathering of Muslims – all those who believed in the one God, Allah (SWT) . This Tawaf is Wajib (obligatory) according to Hanafis, Shafi’is and Hanbalis but Sunnah according to Malikis and must be performed prior to leaving the boundaries of the Haram. Omitting this Tawaf, without a valid reason, is not deemed lawful in Islam. Allah, increase this House in honour, esteem, respect and reverence. And increase those who honour and respect it—of those who perform Hajj or ‘Umrah—in honour, respect, esteem and piety.

Upon reaching the Rukn al-Yamani (the Yemeni Corner), the corner preceding the Hajar al-Aswad, touch it with your right hand or both hands and say “Allāhu akbar (اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ)” if you manage to get close enough. If there’s too much congestion, as is likely to be the case, proceed without saying Takbir or gesturing towards it. It is Sunnah to recite Surah al-Kafirun (Surah 109) in the first Rakah and Surah al-Ikhlas (Surah 112) in the second, after Surah al-Fatiha. Make sure you make plenty of Dua after completing the prayer. Zamzam Zamzam is available throughout the Haram For those of us who haven’t been able to go to Hajj this year, we should use this blessed time to do more good deeds. These can include anything such as giving charity, honouring one’s parents, upholding the ties of kinship, and enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. It is also important to enhance our obligatory acts of worship by being mindful of our prayers and ensuring we pay our Zakat on time. For those of us who have not yet completed the pilgrimage of Hajj, this is also an ideal time to make Du’a that Allah (SWT) grants us the opportunity when He deems best. After completing Salah and making Dua, drink your fill of Zamzam water which is available around the Tawaf area and from various water fountains and dispensers in Masjid al-Haram. The entrance to the old well of Zamzam has been covered to allow for more room to do Tawaf. If it is possible to reach the Multazam, raise your hands above your head, cling to the wall and press your chest and cheeks against it. It is a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and yet another station where supplications are accepted, so you should lengthen your Dua here.Upon reaching the hill of Marwa, face the direction of the Kaaba, raise your hands in supplication and repeat the same supplications you recited at Safa. As you leave Masjid al-Haram, step out with your left foot and recite the following Dua, as was the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ when leaving the mosque: Once your second Rami is completed, you will return to your camp in Mina and spend the rest of the day and night in worship, making the most of the remaining time you have The Third Day of Rami

Although this seems like a lot to remember, the steps are actually fairly simple once you’ve memorised them. To summarise - previously, you entered into the state of Ihram. You have now circled the Ka’bah seven times while making du’a, you have prayed two rakat and you’ve drunk Zamzam water. Step Four - Sa’ee Specifying a Dua would take the moment away, because with specific Duas, one will merely be repeating words, whereas this occasion is for any Dua and for remembering one’s Lord with humility and sincerity. While in Muzdalifah, you may also collect pebbles to perform Rami (the stoning of the devil) over the next three days. Upon reaching the hill of Safa, face the direction of the Kaaba and raise your hands in supplication. Your view of the Kaaba may be obscured, so make an educated guess about its location and face this direction. Don’t raise your hands up to your earlobes or gesture towards the Kaaba as you would have done during Tawaf. You may say Takbir (Allāhu akbar), Tahlil ( lā ilāha illā Allāh) and send Salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ. Returning to Hajar al-Aswad marks the completion of one circuit. Begin the second by doing Istilam of Hajar al-Aswad as previously described and saying “Allāhu akbar (اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ)”. You should say Allāhu akbar while doing Istilam in all subsequent circuits. You will be performing Istilam eight times in total during the Tawaf, one before the start of the Tawaf and one at the end of each of the seven circuits. During TawafThe size of the pebbles should be similar to the size of date stones/seeds. You will need a total of 49 pebbles. Wear your Ihram clothes, preferably after performing one of the five daily prayers (see diagram below for dress code). I am sharing it here so others may benefit as well. Be sure that you print the printable PDF guide in a double sided format so that you can fold it like a brochure. I also have a similar guide for Hajj on my blog. Let me know if it was helpful in the comments section below! STAGE 1 – IHRAM AT THE MEEQAT 1 – Go to the Meeqat Kissing – If you reach the Hajar al-Aswad, place your hands on it, put your face between your hands, say “bismi llāhi wallāhu akbar (بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَاللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ)” and kiss it lightly. Some scholars have said it is preferable to kiss it three times if you have the chance. Once at the Yamaani corner, you can touch it if you are close enough, but don’t kiss it or kiss your hand.

The Sunnah method of reciting the Talbiyah is to briefly pause at four places, indicated by the dashes. The prayer is as follows: Try to carry four small pouches per person for your pebbles. UK coin bags are a good size and convenient to carry. Use the four pouches to group pebbles according to the breakdown above. Tip: Use disposable blades to shave each other’s head within your group. If that’s not possible, you’ll notice a number of barbers in Mina ready to shave your head for a price. Ensure that the barbers use new blades to avoid infection. During your Tawaf, you may recite prayers and supplications of your choice. Duas are accepted during Tawaf, so make the most of the occasion and remember Allah with sincerity and devotion. It’s perhaps advisable not to read from a Dua book, especially if you don’t understand the Arabic. Imam Ibn Hibban V said: Afterwards, you can then spend the night in worship or resting. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to sleep until shortly before Fajr, choosing not to engage in night worship as he normally did. So, don’t be tempted to exhaust yourself but rest instead – you have a long day ahead of you!Fulfilling your sacred obligation of Hajj will be the most spiritual period of your life Insha’Allah (God willing), filled with blessings and forgiveness from Allah (SWT)! The 8 th day of Dhul Hijjah marks the beginning of the days of Hajj and the next stage of your spiritual journey. You’ll purify yourself and enter the state of Ihram once again. Rules of Ihram Allahumma innī as’aluka ‘ilman nāfi’an, wa rizqan wāsi’an, wa ‘amalan mutaqabbalan, wa shifā’an min kulli dā’.