After completing the rituals of Umra, one can stay in Mecca or visit Medina if time allows. The rites of Hajj start on the eighth of Zulhijja as follows:

We have previously defined Ihram and its stations, but in this case Ihram would be assumed from Mecca for those who stayed in Mecca after Umra, and from Abar Ali ( the wells of Ali ) for those who went to Medina. One has to abide by the duties and precepts of Ihram as we explained, perform Ihram on the eighth of Zulhijja with the intention of Hajj, start Talbiya ( response ) without cessation until he throws the pebbles on the tenth of Zulhijja – and go to Mina to spend the night of the ninth of Zulhijja.

This is the most important corner of Hajj without which the Hajj is null and void. It is sufficient to be present at Arafa awake or asleep, sitting or standing or walking. Its time is from noon of the ninth of Zulhijja to the dawn of the tenth of Zulhijja and the Prophet's tradition ( sunna ) is to do the following:

1. After praying the Fajr ( Dawn ) of the ninth of Zulhijja, the pilgrim must go to Arafa, and he is not allowed to fast on that day.
2. He has to combine the Zuhr ( noon ) and Asr ( afternoon ) prayers at Arafa and is desirable to pray at Namira mosque there. It is recommended that the Imam ( leader of prayer ) makes two speeches before the prayer even if it is not Friday.
3. It is desirable for men to go to Al-Rahma mountain after Asr to stand where the Prophet ( peace be upon him ) stood at the big black stones under the mountain or near them. One should not climb the mountain. It is better for women to stay in their tents.
4. One should stay at Arafa until the sunset to spend part of the night at Arafa. It is desirable to be clean from the lesser and bigger impurities, cover the private parts and face the Qibla while standing and supplicating. It is absolutely forbidden to argue, dispute or disagree with anyone.
5. It is desirable to keep supplicating, asking Allah forgiveness and invoking Him to send His peace, mercy and blessing upon the Prophet Mohamed ( peace be upon him ). It is also desirable to read Sura al-Hashr and to supplicate Allah in a low voice by saying:

" There is no God but Allah and we worship none but Him. Glory and Praise are to Him alone. He gives life and He gives death. In His hand is the good and by His will our destiny is decided. There is no God but Allah and we worship none but Him and we know no other God but Him. Oh Allah! put light in my heart, light in my ears, and light in my sight. Oh Allah! expand my breast and ease my taks for me. Praise is the status of one who asks Your protection from Hell. Oh Allah! protect me from Hell with Your foriveness and grant me paradise with Your mercy. Oh Allah as You guided me to Islam, don't take it away from me nor Keep me away from it until I die."

After sunset people start moving towards Muzdalifa to pray M aghreb and Isha prayers (two Rakas only for Isha) combined. It is recommended to pray them at the mosque and to keep supplicating and asking Allah forgiveness. It is also desirable to spend the night at Muzdalifa if possible and to collect the pebbles for the pelting . It is sufficient to spend a short period at Muzdalifa but is has to be during the second half of the night.

After dawn of the tenth of Zulhijja (The day of slaughtering) – preferably at the Sacred place in Muzdalifa - one has to go to pelt the pebbles of Al Aqaba Al Kobra with the right hand. The pebble should be the size of a chick – pea and should be unused (i.e., not thrown before) and should reach the target . In the name f Allah, Allah is the Greatest, Obedience of Allah and pelting of the Satan, Oh Allah! let my pilgrimage be accepted, my sins remitted and my endeavour rewaarded." Women, old men as well as sick people can someone else to throw the pebbles on their behalf. The time of pelting is from sunrise to noon ( Mcredian ). After pelting, one can make Tahallul (discard the Ihram ) by trimming his hair or shaving it, and this is called the lesser Tahallul (relief ). One is allowed to perform the acts which were previously forbidden during the Ihram period except sexual intercourse.

It is also called Tawaf al Rukn as it is one of the corners of the corners of Hajj without which Hajj is negated. It consists of seven rounds in the manner we explained before and its timing starts from the dawn of the tenth of ZuIhijja and can be delayed for an excuse.

It should be performed when possible, without specifying a time period, keeping in mind that sexual intercourse is forbidden until Tawaf al Ifada is completed, which is referred to as Al Ttahallul Al Akbar (Bigger relief).If one makes a sexual intercourse before Tawaf al Ifada., he would have to make a redemption ( sacrifice ), which will be explained later.

After completing Tawaf al Ifada, praying at the seat of Ibrahim and drinking from Zamzam etc….., one must go to make the seven rounds of sa'y between Safa and Marwa, as explained in the section of Umra.

For those who make Tamattu ( i.e., make Umra and Hijj with two Ihrams ), they must offer a sacrifice as explained before. The slaughtering can be either done after Jamrat al Aqaba or delayed after Tawaf and sa'y. In both cases slaughtering can be performed any time till sunset of the thirt day of Bairam ( twelfth of Zulhijja ).

Eighth : Shaving or shortening the hair

It can be done after Jamrat al Aqaba (Al Tahallul al Asghar) or after Tawaf al Ifada and the sa'y (Al Tahallul al Akbar). Shaving is recommended for men. It is desirable for women to cut part of their hair, taking care not to show their or throw on the ground the part which they cut.

After completing the rituals of the day of slaughtering (i.e., throwing of Jamrat al aqaba, Tawaf al Ifada and the Sa'y), one should go to Mine to spend the days of Tshriq ( the second, third and fourth day of Biram ) and to pelt the pebbles each day in the same manner we explained for Jamrat al Aqaba. One must start with the small Jamra, which is situated after Khief mosque, followed by the medium Jamra and finally Jamarat al Aqaba, keeping in mind not to move to the next Jamra before completing the previous one. It is desirable to take a bath or make ablution before the pelting, and to face the Qibla while pelting. The timing of the pelting starts from noon (Mcredian) and extends to sunset. If one wants to leave mina on the second day of Tashriq, he must leave before sunset and hence would not be required to spend the night at mina. If he fails to leval before sunset, he would have to spend the night in Mina throw the pebbles the following day and in this case he can pelt before noon.

For those who complete the rituals of Hajj and intend to go to Medina or to return home, the last thing they should do at Mecca is to make Tawaf al Weda and circumambulate seven rounds around the Kaba (as explained before) . After completing Tawaf and as one is leaving the mosque, he should look at the Kaba and say :

"Oh Allah! Do not let this visit be my last visit to your glorious House and make me return to it times", and say while leving Mecca : "We are returning with repentance and worshipping and praising our Lord."

As we mentioned before, neglecting one of the crners of Hajj, such as standing at Arafa or making Tawaf al Ifada, negates the Hajj, while leaving out one of the duties of Hajj (such as to sanctify from the Miqat or throw the pebbles) as well as having sexual intercourse after Al Tahallul Al Asghar and before Tawaf al Ifada necessitate a sacrifice, which is to slaughter a sheep satisfying certain requirements *. For those who cannot afford to slaughter, they should fast three days during Hajj and seven days after returning home. There are also cawhich require the slaughtering of a sheep, or feeding six poor people or fasting three days. These cases are the following :

1. To wear a tailored (sewn) cloth for men .
2. To cover the head for men, and the face and hands for women.
3. To use perfum.
4. To put cream on the hair or the beard.
5. To deliberately remove more than two hairs from the head or the body or more than two nails.
6. The prerequisites of the sexual intercourse such as kissing, and the type of touching that requires ablution.
7. To look lustfully or imaging]e, if this was followed by ejaculation.

It is not at all permissible to hunt inside the Holy House even if the hunter is not sanctifying. It is forbidden to eat or make use of the hunted animal or bird. The Muhrim (one who is sanctifying) should not hunt an animal it outsid the Holy House before Tahallul and whoever does such a thing should make a sacrifice in the following order:

1. To slaughter (one or more) sheep equivalent to what he hunted, and to give it as sadaqa (charity) to the poor people of the Holy House.
2. Tobuy food, equivalent in value to the hunted animal or bird and give it as sadaqa, for each poor person what equals half a Sac (unit of measurement) of wheat.
3. To fast a number of equivalent to the number of poor people he has to feed. For instance, if the value of the hunted animal equals two Sas of wheat, he would have to fast four days. It is not necessary that these days be consecutive.

These are the rules if the hunt is not owned by anyone . If, however, it is owned by someone, the person who hunted should pay twic the amount previously described under 1. & 2., to cover the penalty applies also to the trees of the Haram and its grass for whoever cuts or spoils them, (i.e., whoever cuts or spoils them must slaughter, feed or fast on the basis of the value of what he spoiled).

Acts of worship are divided into three types:

Pure Bodily `

Acts such as prayer and fasting .

Pure Financial

Acts such as Zakat and Sadaqa (Alms giving and charity).

Composite

acts such as pilgrimage.

The third type : which is Hajj is one of the deeds which could be entrusted to someone else on condition that :

1. The person who delegates should be incapable of performing Hajj until he dies (i.e., very sick and it is not at all likely that he will recover).
2. The person who is delegates should have the intention of making Hajj on behalf of so and so."
3. The cost of pilgrimage must be paid by the person who delegates if he is alive , or by his heirs if he had asked them so beforhis death. If, however, he did not leave enough money for this purpose, it is sunna that one of his heirs performs Hajj on his behalf or entrust someone else to do so. Performing Hajj on behalf of a dead person is accepted whether this peron had entrusted someone to do so or not and whether he paid for the cost (of pilgrimage) or not.
4. The entrusted person must have performed Hajj for himself before doing so on behalf of others. Whoever is incapable of performing Hajj by himself – such as the sick person who is not expected to get cured, or the very old person, or the woman who cannot find a company – should delegate someone to perform Hajj on his behalf if he can afford it and if he finds such a person. A woman can perform Hajj on behalf of a man and vice versa. The same rulesapply for Umra too.

It refers to any cattle slaughtered as offering in the days of Nahr (days of slaughter). It is a certified Sunna (act of the Prophet) which was performed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the second year of Hijra. He made an offering of two rams which he slaugh tered by himself after saying : "In the name of Allah, the Greatest." The sacrifice during the Days of Nahr is also mentioned in the Quran :

"Therefore to thy Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice."

The conditions related to sacrifice are divided into two parts:

1. Freedom.
2. To be sane.
3. Ability which is defined as the possibility of affording the cost of the sacrifice whether on possess the money or has to borrow it and is capable of repaying the debt.

Forbidden to eat from it give part of it as a preesent, and it is also undesirable to sell its wool or skin or to give the slaughterer his pay from the sacrifice.