Tawaaf of Quadoom (arrival)

Innovations Before Ihraam

1. Abstaining from travel in the month of Safar, and abstaining from beginning any action such as marriage or building in it.

2. Abstaining from travel in the second half of the month or because the moon is positioned in the constellation of the Scorpion.

3. Abstaining from cleaning the house and sweeping it because a traveller is about to leave.

4. Praying two ra'kahs when leaving for Hajj - reciting in the first Surat-ul-Kaafiroon and in the second Surat-ul-Ikhlaas, then after finishing saying : "O Allaah I have gone out for You and am heading towards You..." then reciting Ayat-ul-Kursi and Surat-ul-Ikhlaas, and the Last two surahs - and other things which occur in certain fiqh books.

5. Praying four ra'kahs before leaving.

6. Reciting by the one intending Hajj of the end of Surah Al Imraan, Ayat ul Kursi, Surat uz-Zilzall a and Surat ul-Faatihah -when leaving the house - claiming that thus will all his problems of this world and the next solved.

7. Making Dhikr and Takbeer loudly upon the leaving or arrival of the pilgrims.

8. Giving adhaan upon departure of the pilgrims.

9. Conveying the covering for the Ka'bah and celebration upon clothing the Ka'bah.

10. Some nations seeing off the pilgrims accompanied by music!

11. Traveling alone 'taking only Allaah as companion' as some of the Sufis claim!

12. Traveling without provisions claiming that is tawakkul (depending upon Allaah)!

13. Traveling in order to visit the graves of the Prophets and pious people.

14. A man making agreement with a married woman who is about to make Hajj and has no mahram, that he will be for her as a mahram.

15. A woman taking a non-related man as her brother so that he can be a mahram for her - and then treating him as a mahram.

16. A woman traveling together with a group of trustworthy women - as they claim - without a mahram - and similarly traveling along with a man who is a mahram for one them - claming that he is mahram for all of them!

17. Taking a tax from the pilgrims intending to perform the obligatory duty of Hajj.

18. The traveler's praying two ra'kahs every time he makes a halt and saying "O Allaah make my stop a blessed stop and You are the best of hosts."

19. The traveler's reciting every time he makes a stop Surat ul-Ikhlaas ten times, and Ayat ul-Kursi and the Ayah "WA MAA QADAROOLLAAHA HAQQA QADRIHI" once.

20. Eating onions from every land which he enters.

21. Going to a particular place intending good thereby and while not being recommended by the Sharee'ah, such as those places about which it is said: "In it is remnant of the Prophet", as is said about the Dome of the Rock, and Mosque of the Footprint towards Damascus, and the tombs of the Prophets and pious.

22. Unsheathing of weapons upon reaching Taabook.