Kinds of al-Hajj

“I have heard abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘Al-Hajj is of three kinds: al-Mufrad al-Hajj (al- Hajj without al-‘Umrah), Qiran, and al-Tamattu , which is al-Umrah along with al-Hajj. This is how the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, had commanded. This has excellence and we do not command people to complete an al-Hajj in a manner other than this (al-Tamaatu‘).’”

“Abu `Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, al-Hajj with us is of three kinds: al-Hajj of al-Tamattu, al-Hajj al-Mufrid in which one drives the offering animal, and al-Mufrid al-Hajj (performing just al- Hajj without al-‘Umrah).’’’ (Hadith 2 is best explained in the form of fatwa.)

“I once asked Abu `Abd Allah (a.s.), ’Which kind of al-Hajj is more virtuous?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘It is al-Tamattu £ . How can there be anything more virtuous and the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, “In future I certainly will not go back. I will do what people are doing.” (People did al-Tamattu £ and the Messenger of Allah performed Tfrad (Individual Hajj ).’” (see Chapter 27 h4 above)

“Abu `Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, £ We do not know of any other forms of al-Hajj for the sake of Allah except al-Mut £ ah. Before Allah we will say, £ Our Lord, we followed your book and the Sunnah of Your Holy prophet, and the people will say, “We acted according to our opinions,” then Allah will place us and them as He wills.’”

“Abu Ja‘far, al-Thaniy (a.s.), has said that abu Ja‘far (a.s.), would say, “Those who come out of the state of Ihram after al- £ Umrah until commencing acts of al-Hajj are better than those performing al-Hajj alone driving the offering animal with them.” He (the Imam) would say, ‘There is not anything better in acts of al-Hajj than al-Mut £ ah (coming out of the state of Ihram after al- £ Umrah until the commencement of the acts of al-Hajj).”’

“Abu `Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One who performs al-Hajj should take advantage (al- Mut‘ah); we do not compromise with the book of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and the Sunnah of His Holy prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause.”’

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of certain people who say that one must perform al-Hajj alone, others say to make it Qiran and drive the offering animal, and still others say to take advantage between al-‘Umrah and al-Hajj. He (the Imam) (a.s.), said, ‘If I will perform al-Hajj for a thousand years I will not make it Qiran. I will only perform advantageous al- Hajj (al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ ).’”

“Once Ali ibn Muyassir wrote to him (the Imam) asking about a man who performed al-‘Umrah in the month of Ramadan, then it was al-Hajj season; if he could perform al-Hajj as al-Mufrid al-Hajj or al- Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous), and which one was better. He (the Imam) wrote in answer, ‘Al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ is better.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Hajj. He (the Imam) said, ‘Make it al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous).’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘When we will stand before Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, we will say, “O our Lord, we followed Your book and the Sunnah of Your Holy prophet, but people will say, ‘We looked into our minds (opinions) and we followed them.”””

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) by Allah is better. Quran had come down about it and the Sunnah has run in this way.’”

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), in the year in which he performed al-Hajj which was the year two hundred and twelve and I said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, in which manner of al-Hajj have you entered Makkah, is it Mufrid or al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘.’ I then asked, ‘Which one of the kinds of al-Hajj is better? Is it al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) or Mufrid driving the offering animal along with one’s self? He (the Imam) said, ‘Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), would say, “A-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) is better than Mufrid with driving the offering animal.” He (the Imam) would say, “One performing al-Hajj cannot enter Makkah with anything better than al-Hajj al- Tamattu‘ (advantageous).””’

“He once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous). He (the Imam) said, ‘Perform al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous).’ It happened that he (the Imam) that year or next year performed Mufrid kind of al-Hajj and I asked him saying , ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well, I asked you about al-Hajj and you instructed me to perform al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous); and I see you perform Mufrid kind of al-Hajj.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘By Allah, goodness is in the kind of al-Hajj I told you to perform. I however, have become weak and performing Tawaf twice between al-Safa’ and al-Marwah, thus, I made it Mufrid kind of al-Hajj.’”

“Once, a man said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when I was present, saying, ‘I performed al-‘Umrah in al-Haram months (the Sacred months). Now I have come to perform al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous).’ I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘What you have done is very good. We do not compromise with the book of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to your cause. When our Lord will resurrect us and we will be brought before Him we will say, O our Lord we followed Your book and the Sunnah of Your Holy prophet. People will say, O Lord, we looked into our opinions and followed them, then Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, will do with us and with them as He wills.’””

“Once my brothers and I went to see abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and we wanted to perform al- Hajj. Certain ones among us were for their first al-Hajj. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must perform al- Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous); I because of taqiyyah, fear from Sultan; do not give up al-Hajj al- Tamattu‘ (advantageous), do not ignore staying away from intoxicating liquor and do not wipe over the shoes.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about my performing al-‘Umrah in the month of Rajab and that I wanted to perform al-Hajj, if driving the offering animal and Mufrid al-Hajj was better or al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous). He (the Imam) said, ‘In each one there is goodness and beauty.’ I then asked, ‘Which one is more virtuous?’ He (the Imam) said that ‘Al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) by Allah is more virtuous.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘People of Makkah say that his al-‘Umrah is Iraqiy and his al-Hajj is Makkiy. They by Allah speak a lie. Is not al-‘Umrah related to his al-Hajj from which he cannot come out unless he completes them all?’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘I used to go for al-‘Umrah one or two nights before the end of the month of Rajab and ‘Umm Farwah would say, “O father, our al-‘Umrah is in the month of al-Sha‘ban.” I would say, “My daughter it will be of the time when I commence not of the time when I will come out of the state of Ihram.’””

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One who does not have the offering animal with him and he performs Mufrid al-Hajj to keep away from al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous), he has kept away from the religion of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.’”

“I once said to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), that they, about al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous), say, ‘It is a Makkiy al-Hajj and an Iraqiy al-‘Umrah.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘They speak a lie. Is it all not related with al-Hajj in a way that one cannot come thereof without completing al-Hajj?’”

“Once, a group of our people performed al-Hajj, and when they arrived in al-Madinah, went to visit abu Ja‘far (a.s.). They said that Zurarah has told them to commence their al-Hajj upon assuming the state of Ihram. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must perform al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous).’ When they left I went to see him (the Imam) and said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, if you do not tell them what you have told to Zurarah, we will go to al- Kufah and will prove him a liar. He (the Imam) said, ‘Call them back. They came back and he (the Imam) said, ‘What Zurarah has said is true.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘By Allah, from this day on no one will hear this from me.’”