Back to Al-Hajj wal-'Umrah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The BidaAT (InnovationS) of Hajj

In the Arabic the word bidah (بدعة) means innovation, its plural is bidaat (بدعات) innovations.

There are many innovations people perform whilst on Hajj. The Messenger (saw) warned strongly against this, He (saw) said,

» وَشَرَّ الأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلاَلَةٌ وَكُلَّ ضَلاَلَةٍ فِى النَّارِ »

And the worst of all affairs are newly-invented matters and every innovation is a misguidance, and every misguidance is in the fire of Hell. [Nasai] #1589

THE BIDAAT (INNOVATIONS) OF IHRAM

1.  To stop travelling before going into ihram

2.  To avoid getting married one or two month before going Hajj

3.  To stop ‘building work’ to the house before going to Hajj

4.  To say “do not clean the house”, i.e. Make out not that one is not involved in worldly (dunyaa) matters

5.  To pray two rakah of ‘going to hajj’, there is no such salah

6.  To read certain verses from the Qur’an for barakah (blessing) before going to Hajj, such as ‘Ayatul Kursi’

7.  To dance around the hajji (pilgrim) in celebration before they go, which is a common practice in Syria

8.  To make adhan before the hajji goes

9.  To carry something symbolic (Al-Mahmad) when going to hajj, which is taken every where with the person whilst on Hajj and kept as a blessed memento

10.  To make nasheed (song) about going to hajj

11.  To insist to travel alone, this is a common practice of the Sufis (he Shaytan is the companion of the lone traveller) -

12.  To throw away money and food and to say “I have Tawakkul (reliance) on Allah (swt)”

13.  To visit the grave of good people before travelling to hajj

14.  To wear ihram at home and start saying the Talbiyyah i.e. “Labbayk Allah humma labbayk” the niyah (intention) is in the zone (miqat) not from the home

15.  To pray 2 rakah especially for wearing the Ihram, there is no such salah

16.  To make muakhat i.e. to say to women you are to me like a sister or mother thus becoming in theory their mahram, again this is not allowed

17.  To believe the barakah (blessing) is in places other than Makkah; like Jeddah, the wudu areas, etc

18.  To pray two rakah in every place, or to make dua to Allah and say “make every place I visit one of barakah” this is a common practice with the Sufis

19.  To go to places and read Ayat ul Kursi, or Surah Ikhlas eleven times, etc

20.  To taking taxation from people going on hajj i.e. there should be no extra fee for hajj such as like the visa fee (which is a man-made oppression)

21.  To eat onion, bread or date from every place they visit, so the land will testify they belong to that place

22.  To collect sand to put in the graves for blessing (very common during Hajj)

23.  To make Aqad Nikah (contact of marriage) solely for the purpose of being mahram so that a woman who has none can go to hajj. When they come back they think about whether to consummate or annul the marriage.  This is totally haram (forbidden)

THE BIDAAT OF ENTERING MAKKAH

1.  To say any more than ‘labbaykallah nawaytun umrah or hajj’ this is the comprehensive dua and to add to it is bidah

2.  To say “the only slipper I am going to wear is the one I brought with me”, or to say “I won’t get another pair”

3.  To show off the shoulders before reaching Makkah and facing the Ka’bah.

4.  To be silent all the time, whilst others shout the Talbiyyah, as a mark of showing taqwa.

5.  To shout out other than the Talbiyyah

6.  To stop and visit every mosque, whilst you are travelling to Masjidul Haram

7.  To visit or to go to places where there are the signs of the seal of prophethood, like Mount Hira

8.  To make dua after you enter Makkah and see the Ka’bah for the first time

9.  To think Allah (swt) lives at Baitullah (Ka’bah) so you start wiping the Ka’bah for barakah is complete bidah

10.  To say Talbiyyah together in a group believing it is more rewardable is bidah.  The Talbiyyah should be proclaimed by oneself.  Others will also do it at the same time but it is still and individual duty

THE BIDAAT OF TAWAF (CIRCUMBULATION)

1.  To make specific ghusl for tawaf - there is no ghusl of tawaf

2.  To wear socks (the feet need to be uncovered)

3.  To cover the hands with the ihram, to avoid touching women

4.  To perform salah once in Masjid al Haram prior to tawaf - the first ritual act to do is tawaf

5.  To push your way in a group towards the black stone

6.  To make niyah (intention) on tawaf - there is no niyah for tawaf

7.  To Make rafial yadain (raising both hands up) towards the Ka’bah - Raise the right hand once at the black stone on every tawaf (round)

8.  To Blow a kiss towards the Ka’bah

9.  To make dua at the stone – the Sunnah is just to say “Allahu akbar” the tawaf has no special dua

10.  To make dua at the gate of the Ka’bah

11.  To make dua from the Iraqi corner ‘against Iraq’- imitating Ali (ra); though, that was a saying referring to a different people (then)

12.  To make first three tawaf as normal pace and the last four faster – The tawaf is to have the first three tawaf hurriedly and the last four at a slower pace

13.  To kiss any of the corners, or the walls - don’t touch any thing but Rukman Yamani (Yemeni Corner) and the Hajr al-Aswad (Black Stone)

14.  To kiss the Maqam Ibrahim

15.  To hold onto the cloth of the Ka’bah

16.  To collect or be concerned with the water from the roof of the Ka’bah

17.  To make tabarruk (i.e. touch for extra blessing) with any object onto the black stone

18.  To make tawaf outside Masjid al-Haram.  The azeema (original rule) is to make tawaf on the ground floor however it is permissible on the other floors

19.  To douse oneself with Zamzam water during tawaf – the Sunnah is to drink to ones fill and then make dua

THE BIDAAT OF SA’EE (SAFAH AND MARWAH)

1.  To believe extra wudu for Sa’ee will get 70 times more reward

2.  To go to the very top of mount Safaa and Marwah

3.  To make dua on every step going up and down Safaa and Marwah - this is a common practice with the Sufis

4.  To count every two Sa’ee as one i.e. to do 14 Sa’ee , finishing on Mount Safaa, not on Marwah

5.  To repeat Sa’ee, again and again – this is to exaggerate in the Sunnah

6.  To pray Two rakah after Sa’ee

7.  To make Sa’ee in congregation (Jama’ah) is bidah

8.  To make dua for the awliya (saints) during Sa’ee

THE BIDAAT OF ARAFAH

1.  To go and stand there from the 8th of Dhul Hijjah – this is a common practice amongst Berelwis and the Naqshibandis (both originally from Asian subcontinent)

2.  To light candles in mina on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah (candles invites the jinn) – it is best to use a lamp with olive oil; as olive oil is hated by the jinns

3.  To make dua of the night of Arafah and to repeat words (dhikr) many times over sometimes hundreds of times for extra blessing

4.  To move from area to area, visiting different places for blessing - the best is to leave Mina and go straight to Arafah

5.  To go to Arafah at night

6.  To say “laa ilahal ilallah” 100 times and “Salatul Nabi” 100 times - this is not the Sunnah on Yawmul Arafah

7.  To run to the top of the mounts believing the reward will be greater

8.  To intentionally delay arriving at Arafah to get there just before Maghrib - don’t abuse the shariah permit

9.  To pray towards the mount of Arafah, or to make tawaf around it

10.  To believe Allah (swt) will descend at sunset and shake the hands of all those on camels – This is a Sufi belief and a complete bidah

11.  There must be only one kutbah for Yawmul Arafah

12.  To believe you can only pray Zhuhr and Asr after the kutbah or once the imam says o people of Arafah complete your salah

13.  To stand all day as a ritual act i.e. be ones feet only but not making dua etc

14.  To leave for Muzdalifah before sunset as this forfeits hajj – it is imperative to remain at Arafah until Maghrib

15.  To say that ‘if the Jumuah falls on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah is called hajj akbar, so worth 70 times more’

THE BIDAAT OF MUZDALIFAH

1.  To run fast to get to Muzdalifah

2.  To make ghusl of Muzdalifah - there is no such ghusl prescribed specifically for Muzdalifah

3.  To say walking to Muzdalifah is more rewardable than to travel by transport

4.  To make the dua of Muzdalifah “Ihya Uloom Al-Deen” – Imam Ghazali made retracted this from this book later when he became ‘Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah’

5.  To make Qiyamul Lail in Muzdalifah

6.  To stand all night as a ritual act

7.  To make tawaf misharil al haram

8.  To take only seven stones and the rest from elsewhere (be careful you haven’t taken sheep dropping) – all the stones must be from Muzdalifah

9.  To wash the stones

10.  To collect stones larger than the tip of finger

11.  To make tasbih of the stone

THE BIDAAT OF THE JAMRAH (STONING)

1.  To blow on every single stone, and call peoples names on them rather than say Bismillah Allahu Akbar

2.  To throw all seven stones together in one go

3.  To delegate the duty (except the women if she is not capable)

4.  The one delegated must throw their stones (seven) first and then throw the stones for the one who delegates to you

5.  To flick the stones using the thumb – the Sunnah is to throw

6.  To throw slipper, or anything other than the stone

7.  To believe that you have to be 5 arm length away is bidah

8.  To perform tawaf at the Jamraat

9.  To go to the Masjid whilst at the Jamraat

THE BIDAAT OF SHAVING AND SLAUGHTERING

1.  To want to donate the money for sacrifice rather than actually put it towards qurbani

2.  The Sunnah is to slaughter a sheep, anything more is extra

3.  To slaughter in Makkah whilst doing the umrah -it is not acceptable before the 10th of Dhul Hijjah

4.  To shave starting from the left size - the Fuqahah say it should be from the back or the right

5.  To shave some of it and leave a tuft on top

From islambase.tk