• Wear your ID badge at all times (given to you after you arrive in Jeddah / Makkah).
• No need to hurry or rush at any point. You should not be worried about getting left behind. This is especially important for Rami since everybody wants to rush off to it, the later hours have less traffic.
• Wear Ihram at home but do not make Niyat until after take off. Can also wear the Ihram in flight.
• Talbiya is the most important prayer.
• Learn the following either before or during the travels: 3rd Kalimah, 4th Kalimah, Dua after Azaan, Dua for Witr and Dua for funeral prayer.
• In Masjid Haram, after almost every prayer there is a funeral prayer, wait for a minute or two and then join in. Pray Sunnat and Nafl after.
• Make sure all luggage has your name tag, maktab (you will get it in Makkah) and address
• Take some snacks with you when travelling (buscuits, chips, water)
• Medicine needs to be packed and stamped by officials before leaving. Keep the essentials. There are free clinics in Mina which give medicine.
• Keep multiple copies of your passport and ID
• Hajarat Azwat and Muntazilm may be scented so best not to touch it during the state of Ihram
• When going for Juma prayer in Madinah, Makkah or Azizyah before the days of Hajj, leave at least 2 hours before the prayer and make sure to keep a prayer rug and water with you.
• If you are planning to go for Jumma to Alharam close to the days of Hajj, best to leave at or right after Fajr. You might then be able to get inside the mosque.
• In Masjid ul Haram, do not try leaving right before or after prayers. It is very crowded during the Hajj days. Waiting 15 mins can make a huge difference.
• Make sure to revise your notes before going to perform a task (i.e. Tawaf). Once there, there is too much happening to take the notes out.

• Two white sheets, cotton or towel options available
• Ihram should cover belly button to knees (Sattar) [Men]
• No brushing teeth, using scented soap or perfume
• Be careful not use the soap in the hotels! They are usually scented.
• No closed shoes! Slippers are fine.
• No underwear (unless disability)
• Wearing belt around Ihram is allowed
• Control your emotions, avoid useless conversation, backbiting etc.

• Before Ihram:

  • Ghusal
  • Trim nose hair
  • Shave

• How to wear (bottom) [Men]

  • Spread behind your legs, holding each end in one hand
  • wrap around the front and hold both corners on left hand
  • wrap again towards right and then fold

• Reaching Makkah

  • Landing at Jeddah airport, bus to Makkah.
  • On departing the baggage claim area, put ur bags in the trollies, given back at your countries desk
  • Passports are taken from you at desk, or when boarding the bus.
  • Several hours wait can be expected at the airport, and during the journey, it took us about 3 hours to get out of the airport, and about 7 hours to reach our hotel in Makkah.

• After arriving in Makkah, no need to do Umrah right away, you may rest.

• Best time to do Tawaf is at midnight (during Hajj days). The upper mattaf is emptier than lower ones (usually). Most enjoyable one is on the roof (at night).

• First sighting of the Kaaba is important, make sure you enter the mosque looking down and are ready with your prayers on sighting. (Stand aside when doing so)

• Best prayer at this point is to ask for all upcoming prayers to be answered.

• Before starting Tawaf check time, Tawaf should not be disrupted by prayer. If you have arrived late in evening (after Maghrib) best to rest until sunrise. You may however pray Farz if a prayer starts during the Tawaf.

• Tawaf

  • Niyat just before reaching the line / light (green blubs)
  • Istibah: Men cover only one shoulder
  • Istakbal: Face and chest towards Hajar-e-Azwat. Raise hands to ear lobes and recite Allahu akbar
  • Istilam: Raise hands towards Hajar-e-Azwat, prayer and then kiss your palms.
  • Ramal: 3 rounds, walk fast (not compulsory)
  • Do 7 rounds and Istilam at end, no Talbiya, preferred 3rd Kalmah or Subhanallah. Can be quiet too. After Muntazilm (last corner before Hajar-e-Azwat) pray Rabbana Attina.
  • 2 Nafl (behind Maqam Ibrahim preferred)
  • Drink Zamzam
  • Do Istilam before heading off to Saee

• Saee

  • Niyaat
  • 7 lengths between Safa and Marwa, dua at each point
  • Men walk fast between green lights
  • No Istilam
  • No loud prayers

• Haircut

  • 1 inch all around the head, or shave

• Umrah is completed, can take off Ihram now.

• We are doing Hajj Tamattu

• Re-enter state of Ihram with Ghusal, Salat and Talbiyah whilst in Aziziyah

• Pack up!! You will need a few essentials:

  • Bag for stones (can use a water bottle too)
  • Bed sheet for ground
  • Inflatable pillow
  • Tissue rolls
  • Soap
  • Towel
  • Quran
  • Dua book

• Day 1(8 dul hajj)

  • Heading to Mina (mustahib to pray 5 prayers [Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr] there) (best to reach before Zuhr)
  • You might be taken there a day before, so you can return and spend the night of 7th Zul Hajj in Aziziyah, and then walk to Mina in the morning.
  • In Mina, try to avoid taking the corner beds, especially one in front of the door.
  • Farz prayers are shortened from 4 to 2 rakahs
  • You might leave for Arafat the night of 8th as well, if possible try leaving around / after Fajr so you can rest that night properly.

• Day 2 (9 dul hajj)

  • Arafat - Pack up. Leave after Fajr, need to reach before Zuhr.
  • Wuquf (from Zuhr to Maghrib)
  • It is recommended to stand and make dua (outside recommended) during this period. Between Asr and Maghrib is the important period, must make dua during this time.
  • Make tasbih of 100 for the following: 3rd Kalimah, 4th Kalimah, 1st Kalimah, Durood, and Surah e Iklas. One should beg for forgiveness like a fussy child.
  • DO NOT PERFRM MAGHRIB - combined with isha performed in Muzdalifa
  • Muzalifah - pray Maghrib and Isha farz in group following rest of the prayers
  • Sunnat is to sleep, this is a night more important than Lailatul Qadr.

• Day 3 (10 dul hajj)

  • Wuquf of Muzdalifa (Fajr to sunrise) - make Dua.
  • back to Mina after Sunrise (Recite talbiyah)
  • in Mina you now have 4 major responsibilities [Order is important]:
    • going to the Jamarat (area of pelting) to pelt the large shaytan (sun rise to duhr - Sunnah, best before Maghrib [Recommended to do after Asr when traffic is less])
      • Pelting Procedure:
        • Make your way to the end of the pillar (do not throw the stones yet).
        • Take out the stones in your hand, important not to throw all of them at once, it is counted as one Rumi then.
        • Stand in front of the wall that represents the large Shaytan and throw seven pebbles, one at a time, at this wall.
        • Each pebble should be held between the index finger and thumb of the right hand and thrown, with your hand at the level of your head, while reciting “Bismillahi Allahu Akbar” each time.
        • After final stone it is end of hajj (stop reciting talbiyah)
    • Sacrificing an animal (done by organizer, you need to let them know when you will go for Rami so they can do it accordingly)
    • Shaving the head or cutting the hair
    • Performing Tawaf Ziyarah with sa’ee. Tawaf Ziyarah and the sa’ee of Hajj can be performed anytime from the beginning of the time of Fajr on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah until sunset on the 12th. This can also be done together with Tawaf e Wida.
    • For Tawaf e Ziyarat I performed it on the mid-night of the second day and it was not very busy. There was loads of space on first and second level inner circles and the outer circles were relatively empty.
  • Sunnah to Return to Mina (according to your plan)

• Day 4,5,6- 11th,12th,13th Dhul hajj

  • Rami to be performed on this day. All three Jamarat will be pelted in order (small, then middle, and then large). See above for procedure
  • Small - pelt turn towards Kabah, make dua
  • Middle - pelt turn towards Kabah, make dua
  • Large - pelt, no dua - return (follow the correct path to your Maktab)
  • During the day you can also visit Azizyah for a shower and some rest if needed.

• Day 6 is optional, can be missed if you leave at Day 5 before Maghrib. Tawaf-e-Wida any time after Tawaf-e-ziyarah, No Ihram necessary. Final ritual of hajj

  • Umrah, Nafl TAWAF etc are allowed after the farewell TAWAF.

Below is a list of things which will (most probably) be needed during the trip. These things taken with, or can be bought from there as well. From experience, its best to take the minimum amount (essentials) of things from there, most things can be easily bought from there.

• Slippers (flip-flops, chappals)
• Socks
• Sneakers
• Cloth bag for keeping shoes
• Multi-blade pocket knife

• Hand fan

• Nail clipper

• Small scissors

• Tooth brush / Tooth paste

• Razors,

• Shaving cream,

• Comb,

• Deodorant,

• Small vaseline,

• Shampoo

• Tissue rolls

• Small Musalla (i.e. prayer rug),

• Tasbeeh,

• Tasbeeh for Tawaf

• Pocket Quran / Dua book

• Pen / Pencil / Notebook

• Inflatable pillow.

• Baseball cap,

• Clothes (3-4 sets)

• Ihram (2 sets)

• Handkerchief

• Muslim cap

• Bed sheet

• Towels (2 large, 2 small),

• Money (1000 riyals per person)

• Mobile phone