Innovations Before Ihraam

1) Abstaining from travel in the month of Safar, and abstaining from beginning any action such as marriage or building in it.

2) Abstaining from travel in the second half of the month because the moon is positioned in the constellation of the Scorpion.

3) Abstaining from cleaning the house and sweeping it because a traveler is about to leave.

4) Praying two rak'ahs when leaving for Hajj - reciting in the first Surat-ul-Kaafiroon and in the second Surat-ul-Ikhlaas, then after finishing saying: "O Allah I have gone out for You and am heading towards You..." then reciting Ayat-ul-Kursi and Surat-ul-Ikhlaas, and the last two soorahs - and other things which occur in certain fiqh books.

5) Praying four rak'ahs before leaving.

6) Reciting by the one intending Hajj of the end of Soorah Al-i-'Imraan, Ayat-ul-Kursi, Soorah Az-Zilzaal and Soorah Al-Faatihah - when leaving the house - claiming that thus will all his problems of this world and the next be solved.

7) Making Dhikr and Takbeer loudly upon the leaving or arrival of the pilgrims.

8) Giving adhaan upon departure of the pilgrims.

9) Conveying the covering for the Ka'bah and celebration upon clothing the Ka'bah.

10) Some nations seeing off the pilgrims accompanied by music!

11) Travelling alone 'taking only Allah as companion' as some of the Sufis claim!

12) Travelling without provisions claiming that this is tawakkul (depending upon Allah)!

13) Travelling in order to visit the graves of the Prophets and pious people.

14) A man making agreement with a married woman who is about to make Hajj and has no mahram, that he will be for her as a mahram.

15) A woman taking a non-related man as her brother so that he can be a mahram for her - and then treating him as a mahram.

16) A woman travelling together with a group of trustworthy women - as they claim - without a mahram - and similarly travelling along with a man who is a mahram for one of them - claiming that he is mahram for all of them!

17) Taking a tax from the pilgrims intending to perform the obligatory duty of Hajj.

18) The traveler's praying two rak'ahs every time he makes a halt and saying "O Allah make my stop a blessed stop and You are the best of hosts."

19) The traveler's reciting every time he makes a stop Soorah Al-Ikhlaas ten times, and Ayat-ul-Kursi and the Ayah "Wa maa qadaroollaaha haqqa qadrihi" once.

20) Eating onions from every land which he enters.

21) Going to a particular place intending good thereby - and while not being recommended by the Sharee'ah, such as those places about which it is said: "In it is a remnant of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)," as is said about the Dome of the Rock, and the Mosque of the Footprint towards Damascus, and the tombs of the Prophets and pious.

22) Unsheathing of weapons upon reaching Taabook.

Hajj And Umrah Guides, Pilgrimage Essentials, Mecca & Medina Topics Links:

Advice To Pilgrims | A Step by step Hajj and 'Umrah | Adhkar (Pertaining to the remembrance of Allah) | A Lasting Word For Hajj And 'Umrah | An Account of the Miqat | An Account of visiting the Prophet's Mosque | Ayaam at-Tashreeq | Binding on the pilgrim to refrain from sins | Command about the Menstruating and similar women | Conditional Ihram | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day One | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Two | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Three | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Four | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Five | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Six | Day of Arafah | Day to Day Activities of Hajj | Dhabh | Duties of pilgrims at 'Arafah | Entering Mecca | Entering Al-Masjid-al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque) and Tawaf | Errors Often Committed by Pilgrims | Etiquette of Ihram | Etiquette of Visiting the Prophet's (P.B.U.H) Grave | Farewell Pilgrimage of the Messenger of Allah | Farewell Tawaf | Farewell Tawaf is binding on everyone except the menstruating and women with post childbirth bleeding | Fixed time for Hajj | Fixed time for Hajj | Four Khutbahs in Hajj | Hajj in Pre-Islamic Times | Hajj of a woman | Hajj, Umrah & Ziyarah At a Glance | Halq or Qass | Halq or Qasr: Shaving or Clipping | Ihram | Ihram for youngsters | Ihram: Introduction And Significance | Innovations of `Arafah | Innovations Before Ihraam | Innovations of Hajj, `Umra and Visiting Madinah | Innovations of Ihraam and Talbiyyah, etc. | Innovations of Muzdalifah | Innovations of Sacrifice and Shaving the Head | Innovations of Sa'y Between Safaa and Marwah | Innovations of Stoning | Innovations of Tawaaf | Innovations of Visiting Madinat-ul-Munawwarah | Innovations of Visiting Bait-ul-Maqdis | Innovations: Various Innovations | Istilaam | Kinds of Ihram | Leaving Arafah to spend night in Al Muzdalefah | Many `Umrahs after Hajj is not encouraged by the Shari`ah | Maqaam Ibraaheem | Meeqaat | Merits of Hajj | Merits of 'Umrah | Minaa | Neglecting and delaying the throwing of pebbles | No Specific Supplication for Tawaf and Sa'y | Not allowed to shave the beard | Not obligatory to visit the Prophet's Mosque | Objective of Hajj - To seek the Divine Pleasure | Obligations during Hajj and Umrah | Performing Hajj on behalf of others | Permitted and Forbidden things in the State of Ihram | Pilgrim with Sacrificial Animal in the month of Hajj should intend Qiran (accompanied Hajj) and the one | Pillars of Hajj | Prayers at Arafah | Preparations for Hajj, Umrah and travelling to the holy lands | Preparing for Hajj or 'Umrah | Prerequisites and Sunnahs of valid Tawaf | Ramy | Reaching Miqat at a Time other than the Hajj Season | Regulations Concerning Hady (Sacrificial animals) | Restrictions of Ihram | Rites, obligations and Sunnahs of Umrah | Sa'y | Sa'y between Safa and Marwah | Sa'y and its rituals | Sacrificial animals | Shaving or clipping hair | Sunnah and allowed throwing | Sunnahs of Tawaf | Supplication at the beginning of the journey | Supplication on entering the Mosque | Supplications at Arafah | Supplications: Some All-Inclusive Supplications | Supplications: Some Supplications which may Be Recited At 'Arafat, at the Sacred Sites, and at Other Places of Supplication | Talbeeyah | Tawaaf | Tawaaf al-Ifaadah | Throwing Al Jemar | Throwing pebbles on behalf of other people | Types of Hajj | Umrah | Veiling and giving up the display of beauty is compulsory for women | Verdict on spending the night at Mina | Visitation of the Prophet's Mosque | Visiting Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi | Visiting Quba Mosque and Al-Baqi' cemetery | What a Pilgrim should do when he reaches the Miqat | What Is Required of the Pilgrims | What is allowed to a Muhrim | Where to pick the pebbles from and the number and size of pebbles | Woman's Hajj with Mahram, expenses of Hajj, taking husband's permission | Woman may enter into the Ihram in any dress | Wuqoof 'Arafaat | Wuqoof Muzdalifah | Zamzam