THE HAJJAT AL WIDA

THE HAJJAT AL WIDA

In 6H the Prophet (s.a.) started with the intention of performing Umra ( the Minor Pilgrimage ) at Makka but the Qureish obstructed the effort and he returned to Madina from Hudaibia. During 7H too he went for Umra but because of the terms of the truce with the infidels he couldn’t stay in Makka for more than three days. In 8H Makka was conquered and the Kaaba was cleared of the idols. In 9H Hazrat Ali (a.s.) was deputed to Makka with the Verses of the Surat al Bara-at to purify the various aspects of the Haj from the undesirable practices of the infidels. He banned the infidels from entering the precincts of the Kaaba. In 10H the Prophet (s.a.) decided to perform the Haj and the invitation for the pilgrimage was announced all over.

“Call the people for Haj! They will come from far and near on foot and on other conveyances, tired, to acquire the welfare of this world and the Hereafter.”

On the call of the Prophet (s.a.) Muslims came from all over. and assembled in Madina to join his entourage to Makka to learn about the Islamic Rites of the Haj and to perform the pilgrimage with him. The Prophet (s.a.) left Madina along with thousands of pilgrims on 26 Zil Qidda. Hazrat Fatima Zehra (a.s.) and the Prophet (s.a.)’s spouses too were in the group. When around the Zuhr Prayer the caravan reached the Valley of Zul Halifa, they took the bath prior to wearing Ahram (the Haj uniform) and everyone recited the Talbia -Labbaek allahumma labbaek.

Hazrat Ali (a.s.) was still in Yemen when the Prophet (s.a.) wrote to him to proceed to Makka for Haj. With a small contingent of troops he started on the journey. On the way he gave the command of the men to a senior person and wore the Ehram at Yalamlam and reached Makka before the arrival of the Prophet (s.a.) to welcome him. When the Prophet (s.a.) saw him, his face glowed. He asked, “Ya Ali (a.s.)! With what Niyat (Intent) you have worn the Ehram – for Haj or for Umra?” Hazrat Ali (a.s.) replied, “Since you had not mentioned about the matter in the letter, I have worn the Ehram with the intent that I shall perform the same pilgrimage that you perform! I have left behind 34 camels for the sacrifice.” The Prophet (s.a.) said that he had with him 66 camels and that Ali (a.s.) was a member of his family for the rites of the Haj and the Sacrifice of the animals. Then Hazrat Ali (a.s.) made a report about his campaign in Yemen and gave the account of the booty and Jizia collected. He said that he had left those things in the charge of the contingent and had started for the pilgrimage. The Prophet (s.a.) asked him to fetch his contingent to Makka. He must have gone a small distance when he saw his contingent arriving. He reprimanded the men for coming away without orders. He also saw that they were all wearing cloth from the booty as Ehram. He told to the person incharge of the contingent to take the cloth pieces from the men.. The men were not too happy about this order and they complained to the Prophet (s.a.) when they met him. The Prophet(s.a.) said:

“O people! Don’t complain about Ali (a.s)! He is strict in the Cause of Allah!”

Ref: Tareeq e Tabari, Vol 2, Page 402

Prior to Islam people used to perform two types of Haj—Haj e Afrad and haj e Qaran. In both these types Umra has a definite and permanent place which is performed after the rites of the Haj. The only difference between the two types is that for the Haj e Qaran the sacrificial animals have to be with the pilgrim and for the Haj e Afrad the sacrificial animals will not be with the pilgrim..

At this time the Verse “Wa atimmul haj wal Umrat lillah” was Revealed and a third type of Haj, Haj e Tamatto came into vogue. In this type of Haj, both Haj and Umra are performed together. The Umra here is performed at the same time, prior to the Haj. After the Umra the Ehram is removed and is again put on for the Haj. This is called Haj e Tamatto because the restriction of wearing Ehram between Umra and Haj is removed. Here the Ehram is removed and again put back on 8 Zil Hijja , the Day of Tarwia and the rites of Haj are performed. This Haj is for the people who live within 48 miles or more from Makka.

During the Hajjat al Wida mostly there were people who didn’t have the sacrificial animals with them. The Prophet (s.a.) asked them to change their intent for Haj to that of Umra and remove the Ehram thereafter. Those who had the animals with them must keep wearing the Ehram after the Umra. Since the Prophet (s.a.) was having the sacrificial animals with him, his intent was for Haj e Qaran and since Hazrat Ali (a.s)’s intent too was same as that of the Prophe (s.a.), he too didn’t remove the Ehram and continued with the performance of the Haj e Qaran. When the people saw the Prophet (s.a.) continuing with the Ehram, they were hesitant about removing theirs. When he saw them not obeying the orders, he felt sad and anger appeared on his face. Hazrat Ayesha says about it:

“the Prophet (s.a.) arrived at Makka on the 4th or 5th of Zil Hijja and came to me in great anger. She asked, ‘Ya Rasool Allah! Who has angered you? May Allah send the person to the Hell!’ he said, ‘Don’t you know that I gave an order to the people and they hesitated in obeying it! If I had known that the situation would develop like this, I wouldn’t have brought the sacrificial animals with me, bought the animals here and then I could have removed my Ehram as they are supposed to do!”

Ref: Sahih Muslim, Vol 1, Page 403

As people opposed the haj e Tamatto during the lifetime of the Prophet (s.a.), they did the same after him as well and preferred their own wish against the order of the Shariah.Therefore Imran ibne Haseen says:

“The Verse of Haj e Tamatto was Revealed in th Quran and the Prophet (s.a.) ordered us about it. Later on no further Verse was revealed on the matter to change the order nor did the Prophet (s.a.) stop us from it till his death. But there was one person who said, what he said with his own intuition.”

Ref: Sahih Muslim, Vol 1, Page 403

The Commentator of Sahih Muslim, Nawadi writes:

“here Omer ibne Khattab is meant because he was the first to raise objections against the Haj e Tamatto. As far as Hazrat Othman and others were concerned, they were his followers!”

Ref: Foot notes on Sahih Muslim, Vol 1, Page 402

Anyway, on 8 Zil Hijja the Prophet (s.a.) ordered the people who had removed Ehram after the Umra to wear them again for the Haj. The Prophet (s.a.) was already in Ehram and so was Ali (a.s.) on the instructions of the Prophet (s.a.). When the people wore the Ehram, they proceeded to Muna. The next day, after the morning prayers, the pilgrims moved to Arafat. Prior to Islam the Qureish had established a custom that they used to stop at Mashar al Haram and say that they were the Ahl e Haram and that they would not go out of the Haram. But the other people used to go to Arafat. The Qureish were thinking that the Prophet (s.a.) too would not go beyond Mashar al Haram. But the Quran ordained, “Summa afeezu min hais afaz al naas – From where others start to go, you too should go!” Therefore, the Prophet (s.a.) proceeded towards Arafat, and reaching there, camped at Nimra. The prayers for Zuhr and Asr were offered together and then spending the night at Mashar al Haram they returned to Muna on the day of Idd. After stoning the Jumra e Uqba, the Prophet (s.a.) sacrificed the thirty camels with his own hands and asked Hazrat Ali (a.s.) to sacrifice the remaining animals. After the sacrifice he took one piece of meat from each animal, got it cooked, tasted a little and got the rest distributed.. After the sacrifice, they got their heads shaved, changed from the Ehram into ordinary clothes and returned to Makka. Then they circumambulated the Kaaba and did the Sayee between the Safa and Marwa. Now they returned back to Muna where they waited till 13 Zil Hijja and did the stoning of the Rami Jamarat. Now all the rites of the Haj were over and the prophet (s.a.), with his retinue, started for Madina.