Hajj Q's

I wondered what level in deen does a person have to be to perform Hajj ??

A person does not need to be at a 'level' to perform Hajj, every single Muslim is obliged to perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime as Allah says, "And Hajj to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for ones conveyance, provision and residence)" [Al ‘Imran 3:97]

The conditions of a person who must perform Hajj are the following.

1 - Being Muslim
2 - Being an adult
3 - Being of a sound mind
4 - Being a free person (i.e. he is not a slave - this is not applicable to us today because everyone is a free person)
5 - Being able to do it

Does a person need to know everything ? like history of islam/memorisation of surahs/quran etc ? or is intention to perform hajj enough ?

No, a person does not need to know everything about Islam to perform Hajj but he must know how to perform the rites of Hajj.

are there any things we need to do to work up before going ?

Yes, to know how to perform Hajj and to do it sincerely for Allah.

Is it better to perform Hajj when a person gets an opportunity ? as in financially able to/have no responsibilities/young or leave it till later on in life (which is what most people i know do) but then what if you never get chance ?

The prophet (saw) said, "Hasten to do Hajj – i.e., the obligatory Hajj – for none of you knows what will happen to him." (Narrated by Ahmad, 2721; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 990)

I cannot stress enough that one should do Hajj as soon as he can. Anyone who waits till he is old has wasted his life and a great amount of blessings when he had the opportunity to do Hajj when he was young. Do Hajj when you are young because you really cannot do Hajj when you are old.

Assalamu Aleikum Sister,

It is very commendable that you have decided to start to work on your Hajj this early.

I highly recommend the book by "Getting the best out of Hajj" by Abu Muneer Ismail Davids. It's a really practical book and written very well too.

There is also a lecture on Hajj by him. It's in 4 parts. Each video is about 1 hour long, but I think they will be well worth the time. You can find them here.

Is there any reliable books, that i can get 2 read up. Im planning on going next year, so ive a year to work up and get to find out everything that i need to know.

There are plenty. As mentioned by sister Manaal, the book Getting the Best out of Hajj is a good one. Among the many books of Hajj are the following.







And of course lets not forget:

I dont understand this ? are you trying to say, the younger you are the more blessings than being older ?

No I personally believe that when you are young you can enjoy Hajj to a much greater degree. You need your youth to bear the demands Hajj and it's not difficult a person who is young. A young person can bear the hardships, pushing and shoving etc with patience and contentment but old people generally can't. Whoever has done Hajj before will testify to this.

Here are some videos by Abu Muneer Islameel Davis.

Hajj seminar part 1

Hajj seminar part 2

Hajj seminar part 3

Hajj seminar part 4

format_quote Originally Posted by nature

Ive heard from one sister thats just completed hajj how difficult it was, shes in her 20's too, and she said with the volume of people going and the cramped conditions its far from easy. I'll try and watch the rest of them videos that you and the other sis have posted tonite, then i'm sure i'll have plenty of more questions to ask.

jazakhallah, i found the first one really interesting, ive never head of this guy, so i look forward to reading his books.

Nature

Hajj is generally harder for women because the Prophet () said that the jihad for women is Hajj. Nevertheless it's still much easier at a younger age.

format_quote Originally Posted by nature

Ive heard from one sister thats just completed hajj how difficult it was, shes in her 20's too, and she said with the volume of people going and the cramped conditions its far from easy. I'll try and watch the rest of them videos that you and the other sis have posted tonite, then i'm sure i'll have plenty of more questions to ask.

jazakhallah, i found the first one really interesting, ive never head of this guy, so i look forward to reading his books.

Nature

I performed Hajj this year and it was not so bad for me. I'm older than you and I had my baby with me as well. Which part did your friend find difficult? Was it the crowds and Jamarat, the conditions in Mina or the amount of walking one has to do? I think the hardships expereienced during Hajj is what makes it such an enriching experience.

To spiritually prepare for Hajj, I recommend Sheikh MUhammad Al Shareef's "Hajj Coach" Videos. Go to hajjcoach.com and register and you'll get a series of e-mails with links to the videos and other downloadables.

format_quote Originally Posted by nature

I want to earn my place, & feel like im worthy of going by equipping myself with as much knowledge as i can, not go cos its easy for me as i can afford to go. Ive heard of people going just for the sake of going, and not doing their homework before and i dont want to be one of them people.

Go if you can now.
(well, obviously not now because you have to wait till next year, but you get my point I hope)

I am still feeling regret that I have not been able to perform hajj when I had abundance of means, health, time (well, the fact that I was still lost in my ways did not help, but stil..)
I finally went umrah last year (when I was still re-learning my deen) and it was THE BEST experience and time of my life.
And yes, hajj would be very physically taxing. I went umrah with my mother and aunt, and alhamdulillah I was able to do as much ibada as I wanted to as opposed to my mum and aunt, but it was very exhausting already, so I can only imagine how hajj would be like.
Because of the quota, i will only be making my hajj in 2017, but I am hoping if I have a lot of cash before than I will go through the special quota. Insha Allah.

So GO HAJJ as soon as you are able.
hajj is a physical ibada and it is wajib if you have the means to do so.

You can always go for another hajj or umroh later in your life if you feel you need/want to do it again.
You have one full year before the next hajj, it is more than enough time to learn all the rituals, to learn how to recite the Qur'an with tajweed, to learn sirah nabawiyyah, etc.
If you leave it till later while you already have the means, there is always something coming up that prevent you from going. This is the experience of many people (including I).

^Bro Naidamar, why did you find Umrah exhausting? It doesn't take more than an hour or 2 if you go at the correct time. But if the Haram is really crowded and the tawaf slows down, it can be a bit taxing.

Hajj from next year onward insha Allah will be much easier to many due to the Makkah Metro train service. Hope they extend it to the Haram as well, then that walk/drive can be foregone as well.

Plus Indonesians get very good facilties at Mina and so it's not like you'll be uncomfortable or anything. The whole Hajj would take either 5 or 6 days (8th to 12th or 13th of Dhul Hijjah) since you'll be doing Thamattu. Going to Medina is part of the Hajj package, but not a part of Rasulullah (saws)'s Hajj.

format_quote Originally Posted by naidamar

I did tawaf instead of tahiiyatul masjid shalah everytime I entered haram.

Well that is the right thing to do, to the best of knowledge, there is no Thahiyathul Masjod for the Haram anyway.

format_quote Originally Posted by naidamar

I thought the metro train service is only for saudi nationals only?

That is wrong information given in the media. The service was available to any resident of Saudi who performed Hajj through a licensed Hajj organiser. (there are illegal ones too!). I'm not a Saudi, but I live here, so I got the facility. I laso heard that Hajj groups from other Gulf countries were also given the facility.

format_quote Originally Posted by naidamar

There are around 200-250,000 indonesians every year going hajj, the largest of any other countries by far (except for saudi I presume), and it is absolutely not possible to fly in and out those 200-250,000 within few days (even if they fly out 10,000 a day, they'd still need 25 days in total), so they will have to wait their turns.

That explains a lot of things!

format_quote Originally Posted by nature

my friend is a lot younger than me (26) I think just the sheer volume of people and the crowds/pushing/shoving is what she found really hard, + the amount of walking. Im a couple of years older than her, and although i think im physically able, i dont think i'll realise what its like till im actually there. I would imagine the crowds in mecca are a lot differnt to crowds in a shopping centre.

Sis, Hajj will be only as difficult as you expect it to be. Do a lot of walking prior to Hajj and also ask Allah in your du'as to make Hajj easy for you.

format_quote Originally Posted by nature

is a person allowed to pay for another person to go on hajj ?? or does it have to be the persons own money ?

Your guardian can pay for your Hajj. For instance, my husband paid part of my Hajj expenses. Fathers can pay for their daughters. I know families where the children have paid for their parents' Hajj. I have heard of people gifting money to others to perform Hajj. I don't know whether or not this permissable, but I don't see why it wouldn't be.

If you are quite active I'm sure you won't find it that bad. It is quite hot between 10 a.m and 2 p.m. but not so bad after that. And since Hajj next year will take place from the 4th to the 9th of November, Insha Allah, the climate would be quite bearable.

The cost for Hajj depends on where you are from. You have to check your local hajj organisers/agents for details on that.

format_quote Originally Posted by nature

I intend to pay for my own, but i wondered whether it was ok for me to pay for any other relatives ? as in my mum etc ? she hasnt asked me, but i did intend to offer, however I had heard that only sons can pay and not daughters ? & i didnt want to offer something thats not allowed ? I dont know if this is just culture stuff ?

I really don't know the answer to this sis, sorry.

BTW, you should also have a Mahram who could accompany you on Hajj (father, brother, maternal or paternal uncle or grandfather, husband).

remember, theres nothing saying we will live till timorrow so putting off something so important till we're 'old' isnt such a great idea. Those who have been for hajj will confirm that once youve gone you will only want to go again and again and those who leave it whilst they have the chance are truly missing out