This document provides advice and tips for Muslims performing Umrah and preparing for Hajj. It discusses proper conduct and mindset during Ihram, the journey from Madinah to Makkah, performing Umrah rituals, touring sites in Makkah, and preparing for the final days before Hajj. Key advice includes maintaining a spirit of humility, patience, and focus on Allah during the pilgrimage experiences.

1. Hajj tips series
Part 2: Makkah and pre-Hajj

2. Ihraam
 Ihraam is an immense psychological
state. Take it very seriously and strive to
be on your best behaviour both
internally and in your interactions with
others.
 Let the mental purity of ihraam serve as
a glimpse of the taqwa and clean
thoughts that you should strive for in the
rest of your life.
 Men:
 Aside from a money belt, for peace of
mind, you may also wear a normal belt
to help hold up the bottom ihraam
sheet.
 When tying the top sheet, find a way
that works for you – which you can do
alone. Be open to other people’s
advice, but if their ways don’t work,
don’t be afraid to try your own thing.
The most important factors are that
you’re comfortable with it and you can
do it yourself.

3. Madinah to Makkah
road trip
 If it’s daytime, savour the
mountain scenery. And
remember that these strong
mountains will one day float in
the sky: nothing on earth is
permanent, so never become
too attached to dunya.
 Stay busy in spiritually-
uplifting activities.
 Don’t complain about
difficulties. Muhammad s.a.w.
made this journey without an
air-conditioned bus.
 Take plastic / paper bags for
car-sickness.

4. Madinah to Makkah
road trip (continued)
 Don’t let the nasty toilets scare you.
You’re human – just like everyone
else – so embrace this as a
humbling experience. Allah is giving
you the challenge to build your
character and teach you lessons for
Hajj and your life to follow.
 For toilets, take your own unscented
soap, and if you want, rubber
gloves, elastic (to hold up your
clothing), and separate slippers.
 Before you disembark in Makkah,
the authorities will do a lot of admin.
Bear sabr and endure the wait
without complaining. Stretch your
body and do something beneficial to
pass the time.

5. First sight of the Kabah
 When you get into Masjid-al Haram,
keep your eyes down to avoid seeing
the Kabah until you’re in a good spot –
out of the way.
 Don’t worry if you don’t break into tears
upon seeing the Kabah. The structure
has no special powers, and its beauty is
in its simplicity. It’s not an idol we
worship, but merely a symbol; a
representation of unity, history, and the
omnipresence of Allah – the only One
worthy of our devotions.
 Your first sighting is a special, once-in-
a-lifetime moment in which duas are
readily accepted. It’s your own personal
treasure, so plan your dua. Don’t simply
parrot a dua from a book or a group
leader. This is yours and yours alone,
so don’t waste it.

6. Umrah
 Study the rituals properly in
advance. Without knowledge, you
may do something wrong.
 For males, if you’re with your wife,
try to shield her from getting pushed
and shoved in the tawaaf.
 In tawaaf, beware of wheelchair
riders. If you get hit, bear sabr and
avoid angry reactions.
 There aren’t many prescribed duas
and dhikrs for tawaaf, but if you get
irritated by the loud group
recitations, bear patience and ask
Allah to grant you the best from the
situation. Insha-Allah you’ll get your
own private tawaafs in future.

7. Umrah (continued)
 When doing sa’ee, try to
remember the history behind
the act as well as its essential
lesson: Allah will provide, but
you need to make the effort
first.
 For cutting your hair after
umrah, men should aim for
the sunnah (i.e. shave the
head, not just cut three hairs),
and women should either wait
until they get back to the
hotel, or cut in a way that no
males see their hair.

8. In the Haram
 If you touch the Kabah, don’t treat it like
an idol. It’s just a building – a symbol to
be honoured and respected, not to be
grabbed emotionally as if it has special
powers.
 It’s often impossible to get to the Black
Stone, Yemeni corner, Kabah door, and
hateem area. Make dua for
opportunities, and always retain your
honour – refusing to fight, push, or hurt
others, even if they hurt you.
 If you get the chance to pray very close
to the Kabah, people may push you. So
try to make your duas in sujood, since
they’re less likely to disturb you then.
 When you get time near the Kabah,
don’t waste it. As Hajj approaches,
increasing crowds make it much harder
to even see it.

9. In the Haram
(continued)
 Observe your surroundings and look for
beautiful sights that your heart will remember
for a lifetime after you leave.
 When you witness thousands of Muslims
making tawaaf, remember the unity in the
ummah – despite the differences we so often
hear about in the news.
 When you see grown men crying fellow
pilgrims making desperate duas, remember
your own insignificance, complete
helplessness, and complete need of Allah for
every single thing.
 If you feel emotionally disconnected in
ibadah, don’t get disheartened. We worship
Allah – not feelings. Make dua for that
spiritual connection to grow.
 If you can’t stand the heat, try going to the
airconditioned basement. But there’s not
much to see there, so take your Quran, dua
list, or other things to do.

10. General advice
for Makkah
 External change requires individual,
internal change to adapt. Makkah is
different to Madinah, so adjust your
mindset and make the most of the
different surroundings.
 Appreciate the diversity in the ummah,
and broaden your horizons by speaking
to strangers (of your own gender).
Learn about their lives and draw from
their wisdom, while also passing on
your own positive messages to them.
 Never impose your own cultural
standards on others. What you consider
rude might just be a norm in other
countries.
 If you don’t know Arabic, learn some.
It’s the common language between
Muslims from all parts of the world.

11. General advice
for Makkah (continued)
 Restrain yourself in times of anger. You
may need it a lot in Makkah, where
there’s more tension than Madinah.
Control your anger and speech at all
times.
 If tempers flare, don’t get caught up in
the emotion. If you must be involved, try
to be the peace-maker. (And learn the
‘sabr’ hand sign.)
 Don’t let the traps of TV, the Internet,
and news catch you. Rest as needed,
but don’t get lazy.
 Use your time beneficially – especially
the small moments, like while you’re
walking or waiting in line. Engage in
dhikr, dua, good conversations, etc.
 Your sleep schedule may become
erratic, so always ask Allah for barakah
in your sleep – no matter how many
hours rest you get.

12. Touring in Makkah
 Some people will delay the
group. Expect this and don’t
complain about them. Have sabr
and use the waiting time
beneficially.
 Respect the environment and
don’t litter – even if others are
doing so. Cleanliness is half of
faith.
 Always take a spray bottle and
enough water for wudu.
 Salaah always comes first, so
don’t ever miss your fardh
salaah for a tourist attraction.
You may regret missing out in
the dunya, but in the Hereafter
your regret will be much greater.

13. Touring in Makkah
(continued)
 Don’t expect your tour guides to teach or
inspire you when visiting historical sites.
Always do your own research and homework
beforehand so that you can fully appreciate
the places you visit.
 Take lessons from our heritage and let it
inspire you to make great contributions in
your own capacity today.
 Know your aqeedah well, and learn about
what is bi’dah and what is not – particularly
when it comes to visiting ziyarah places.
Don’t rely on cultural or historical practices,
because you might reinforce the suspicions
that the authorities already have about
visitors doing bi’dah.
 Don’t waste your time in heated debates
about destruction of historical sites.
Appreciate that you can still visit, and take
benefit from your visits. If you feel strongly,
make dua for a solution, then make efforts
towards helping the situation.

14. The Cave of Hira
 In the cave, make your fardh
salaah if it’s time. Otherwise
make dua or just nafl salaah.
There’s no sunnah salaah in
the cave.
 When you get in, savour the
moment, but don’t take too
long if others are waiting.
 When you’re done, don’t rush
to get back down. Spend time
above the cave and take in
the scenery and the
experience. You can’t get this
anywhere else.

15. Final days before Hajj
 In your final moments before
leaving for Mina, reach out to
your loved ones. Take
advantage of the strong
emotions in your heart and
convey to them the beauty of
what you feel, inspiring them
to make this trip, and asking
them to make special duas for
you in the coming days.
 For the coming 5 days, try to
remain conscious of Allah at
all times. Taqwa is your best
provision, and whatever you’ll
experience now is for Allah.

16. Credits
 Tips extracted from the “Hajj
Chronicles” e-book:
http://dreamlife.files.wordpress.com/
2013/08/hajjchronicles.pdf.
 Pictures from:
 Zeenat Parker
 Bilal Islam
 Yacoob Manjoo
 Malik Merchant
 Chinx786 (Flickr)
 susieofarabia.wordpress.com
 paklinks.com
 Time Light
 e72andme.blogspot.com