06/02/2020
Guide to going to Mecca Guide to going to MeccaPilgrim with his belongings.
It's best to travel light, so only take essentials.
Many pilgrims fly to Jeddah, and then travel to Mecca by bus.
Once you get to Mecca, there are two rituals which you can perform; the lesser pilgrimage or Umra, and the main pilgrimage or Hajj.
The Umra is an extra, optional pilgrimage and does not count as the once-in-a-lifetime Hajj. Although it includes some of the rituals of the Hajj, they are shortened and there are fewer of them.
Most pilgrims who come for the Hajj arrive a few days before it actually starts and perform Umra first. Combining the Hajj with the Umrah is called a Hajji-Tamattu.
Being pure
To carry out the pilgrimage rituals you need to be in a state of Ihram, which is a special state of ritual purity.
You do this by making a statement of intention, wearing special white clothes (which are also called ihram) and obeying the regulations below.
The person on the Hajj may not:
*Engage in marital relations
*Shave/cut their nails
*Use cologne/scented oils
*Kill / hunt anythingFight or argue.
Women must not cover their faces, even if they would do so in their home country. Men may not wear clothes with stitching. Bathing is allowed but scented soaps are frowned upon.Umra
The Hajj is a real pilgrimage - a journey, with rites & rituals to be done along the way.
You begin at a place just outside Mecca called the Miqat, or entry station to the Hajj.
There you bathe, put on the Ihram (the special white clothes), make the intention for Umra & begin reciting the Talbiya Du'a (prayer).
Here I am at Your service, O Allah, here I am at your service! You have no partner. Here I am at your service. All praise & blessings belong to you. All dominion is yours & You have no partner.
Talbiya Du'a
Then you go to the Masjid al Haram and walk around the Ka'ba seven times repeating du'as & prayers. This is called the Tawaf. Afterwards you should sip some Zam Zam water...
