How to Perform Hajj Step by Step (According to Hanafi Fiqh)

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and it is fard once in a lifetime for every Muslim who meets the conditions. It takes place on fixed days, 8 to 12 Dhul Hijjah, and it cannot be moved or redone. If a key act is missed there is no second chance until next year, so understanding the rulings before you go matters.

This guide walks through Hajj day by day and labels every act as fard, wajib or sunnah, with what happens if it is missed.

This guide follows the Hanafi school. Rulings in other schools can differ. For your own situation, ask a qualified Hanafi scholar. If something goes wrong during Hajj, ask immediately, because many problems can be fixed on the spot.

Who must perform Hajj

Hajj is obligatory for a person who is:

1. A Muslim
2. An adult (baligh)
3. Sane
4. Free
5. Financially able: enough for travel, food and lodging, and to support their dependents while away. It must be halal money, and debts must be settled or cleared.
6. Physically able and the route safe
7. For women: accompanied by a husband or a mahram. In the Hanafi school this is a condition for Hajj to be obligatory. A woman in her iddah cannot travel.

Hajj is not permitted on a tourist or Umrah visa. Only a Hajj permit allows it.

The rulings in one table

A dam is a sacrifice of a sheep or goat in the Haram, the amount and form decided by a scholar.

The three types of Hajj

Which type you do usually depends on your package or group. This walkthrough follows Tamattu', which many Indian pilgrims perform. The differences for Qiran and Ifrad are marked.

Before you travel

• Learn the Arabic. The Talbiyah, the Tawaf and Sa'i recitations, and the duas of Arafat. Practise until they are automatic.
• Learn the order. Rami, then sacrifice, then Halq, then Tawaf al-Ziyarah on the 10th. For Qiran and Tamattu', this order is wajib in the Hanafi school.
• Settle debts, seek forgiveness from people you wronged, and write your will.
• Prepare physically. Hajj means walking many kilometres in heat and crowds.
• Verify your registration, visa and agent.

Day by day

Before the 8th: Umrah (Tamattu')

Put on Ihram at the Miqat, then perform Umrah: Tawaf, two rak'ahs, Sa'i, and Halq or Taqsir. After this you leave Ihram until the 8th. (Qiran pilgrims stay in Ihram and do not trim. Ifrad pilgrims skip Umrah and do Tawaf al-Qudum on arrival.)

For the complete Umrah steps, see our Umrah guide.

8 Dhul Hijjah: Yawm al-Tarwiyah, to Mina

1. Take ghusl and put on Ihram for Hajj from where you are staying. Make the intention for Hajj and say the Talbiyah.
2. Go to Mina. Pray Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr there, each in its time. Shorten the four-rak'ah prayers to two if you are a traveller (a Hanafi traveller shortens in Mina and Arafat).
3. Keep reciting the Talbiyah and making dhikr.

9 Dhul Hijjah: Day of Arafat (the day Hajj is made)

"Hajj is Arafat." (Hadith)

1. After sunrise, go to Arafat. Stay within its boundaries (Uranah valley is not part of it).
2. Zuhr and Asr: a Hanafi pilgrim normally prays each prayer in its own time. Combining them is allowed only if you are in Ihram for Hajj and pray behind the Imam of Hajj (or his deputy). Praying in your tent is the usual case for a group, so pray separately unless a scholar tells you otherwise.
3. Stand (Wuquf) from after midday (zawal) until sunset. The fard part is being present in Arafat at any time from zawal until the dawn of the 10th. Staying until sunset is wajib.
4. Spend the afternoon in dua, facing the Qiblah, hands raised. Pray for yourself, your family, and the ummah.
5. Do not leave before sunset. Leaving early without returning requires a dam.
6. A good dua to repeat: La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir.

9th night: Muzdalifah

1. Leave Arafat after sunset, without praying Maghrib in Arafat.
2. At Muzdalifah, pray Maghrib and Isha together at Isha time, one adhan and one iqamah, Maghrib 3 rak'ahs, Isha 2 (shortened for a traveller). This is wajib.
3. Sleep and rest. Collect pebbles (70 in total for all three days, or 49 if you leave on the 12th). They should be about the size of a chickpea.
4. Pray Fajr early, then stand (wuquf) in Muzdalifah in dua until the sky brightens, before sunrise. This is wajib. Weak or sick people and women can leave after midnight with a scholar's guidance.

10 Dhul Hijjah: Yawm al-Nahr (Day of Sacrifice)

Four acts, in this order (for Qiran and Tamattu'):

1. Rami of Jamrat al-Aqabah (the large pillar), seven pebbles, saying Allahu Akbar with each. Stop reciting the Talbiyah as you throw the first pebble.
2. Sacrifice (Hady) for Qiran and Tamattu'. Arrange it through your agent, and make sure it is done in the Haram on the 10th–12th.
3. Halq or Taqsir: shave the head or trim (men: at least a quarter of the head, women: a fingertip's length). After this, most restrictions of Ihram are lifted, except marital relations.
4. Tawaf al-Ziyarah (fard): seven rounds (at least four are fard), two rak'ahs, then Sa'i (wajib, if you haven't done it already after a Tawaf al-Qudum). After this, all restrictions are lifted.

The ideal time for Tawaf al-Ziyarah is the 10th. It can be done until sunset on the 12th without penalty. Delaying it beyond that needs a dam.

If you are a Qiran or Ifrad pilgrim who did Sa'i after Tawaf al-Qudum, you do not repeat it.

11 and 12 Dhul Hijjah: Mina and Rami

1. Stay in Mina. Spending these nights there is Sunnah Mu'akkadah.
2. On each day, after midday (zawal), stone all three pillars in order, seven pebbles each: first Jamrat al-Sughra (small), then al-Wusta (middle), then al-Aqabah (large). Make dua after the first two.
3. On the 12th, after stoning, you may leave Mina before sunset and return to Makkah. This is the usual case.
4. If the sun sets on the 12th and you are still in Mina, stay for the 13th. In the Hanafi school, if sunrise of the 13th arrives while you are in Mina, rami on the 13th becomes wajib.

Before you leave Makkah: Tawaf al-Wada'

Perform the farewell Tawaf, seven rounds and two rak'ahs, as your last act in Makkah (wajib for pilgrims from outside the Miqat boundary). A menstruating woman is excused from it. Many then visit Madinah to see Masjid an-Nabawi, a rewarded visit, though not a part of Hajj.

For women

• Menstruation: you can do all of Hajj except Tawaf and entering the mosque. Stay at Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina as normal. If your period begins before Tawaf al-Ziyarah, wait until you are clean and then perform it. Tawaf al-Wada' is dropped if you are still menstruating on departure.
• Medication to delay periods: speak to a doctor and a scholar before travel. Do not decide in the middle of Hajj.
• Dress: modest clothing. Do not cover the face with a cloth that touches it.
• Talbiyah: quietly.
• Halq: trim a fingertip length from the ends of your hair.
• Mahram: see the conditions above. If your family situation is complex, ask a scholar before you register.

Mistakes that cost a dam or the Hajj itself

1. Missing Arafat. If you are not in Arafat between zawal on the 9th and Fajr on the 10th, your Hajj is missed. Do not be in a bus, or lost, or asleep somewhere else.
2. Leaving Arafat before sunset without returning.
3. Praying Maghrib at Arafat instead of Muzdalifah.
4. Leaving Muzdalifah before Fajr with no excuse.
5. Rami before its time (11th and 12th must be after zawal), or throwing pebbles that miss the basin.
6. Wrong order on the 10th for Qiran and Tamattu'.
7. Delaying Tawaf al-Ziyarah past the 12th.
8. Marital relations before Halq (a dam) or before Arafat (the Hajj becomes invalid).
9. Cutting hair or nails, or using perfume, by mistake while in Ihram.
10. Tawaf without wudu.
11. Hajj on a tourist visa. You can be fined, deported and banned.
12. Not learning the Arabic. Under pressure, in a crowd of millions, the less prepared you are the more mistakes you make.

If any of these happens, ask a Hanafi scholar immediately. Many can be fixed with a dam or by repeating an act.

FAQ

Is Hajj fard on everyone? Only on those who meet the conditions above. It is once in a lifetime.

Which type is best for a Hanafi? Qiran is considered the best, then Tamattu', then Ifrad. Your package usually decides.

Can I do Hajj for someone else? Yes, under conditions (Hajj Badal), such as for a parent who is too ill or has died. Ask a scholar about the details.

What if I miss Arafat? The Hajj is lost. Leave Ihram with Umrah (Tawaf, Sa'i, Halq) and perform Hajj next year.

How many pebbles do I need? 7 on the 10th, and 21 on each of the 11th and 12th, so 49 in total. Add some spares, and 70 if you stay for the 13th.

Can I do Hajj if I still have a loan? Settle it or get the lender's permission. Ask a scholar for your case.

Do I need to know Arabic? The Talbiyah and the prayers are in Arabic. Personal duas can be in any language.

Learn the Arabic Before You Go

Most mistakes in the Talbiyah, Tawaf and Sa'i recitation come from reading a transliteration for the first time in a crowd. Learn to read Arabic and the basics of Tajweed beforehand, one-to-one with a teacher.

Book a Free Trial Class Chat on WhatsApp

Related Reading

• How to Perform Umrah (Hanafi Guide)
• Noorani Qaida Lessons
• Courses & Pricing

This article is for general guidance following the Hanafi school. It is not a fatwa. For your own circumstances, consult a qualified Hanafi scholar.