He reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has angels who go about on the roads seeking those who remember God, and when they find people doing so they call to one another, ‘Come to what you are looking for’, and surround them with their wings up to the lowest heaven.” He said that their Lord then asks them, although He is best informed about them, “What are my servants saying?” They reply, “They are extolling, magnifying, praising and glorifying Thee.” He asks whether they have seen Him, and when they reply, “No indeed, they have not seen Thee,” He asks how they would act if they had seen Him, to which they reply, “If they had seen Thee they would have engaged more earnestly in worshipping and glorifying Thee, and would have extolled Thee much more.” He then says, “What are they asking for?” and they reply, “They are asking Thee for paradise.” He asks whether they have seen it, and when they reply, “No indeed, my Lord, they have not seen it,” He asks how they would act if they had seen it to which they reply, “If they had seen it they would have been more intensely eager for it, would have asked more earnestly for it, and would have had a greater desire for it.” He asks what they are seeking refuge from, to which they reply that it is from hell. He asks whether they have seen it, and when they reply, “No indeed, my Lord, they have not seen it,” He asks how they would act if they had seen it, to which they reply, “If they had seen it they would have been more earnest in flying from it and fearing it.” He then says, “I call you to witness that I have forgiven them.” One of the angels says, “Among them is so and so who does not belong to their number, but has come only for something he wants,” and He replies, “They are people who are seated together, and he who sits with them will not be miserable.” Bukhari transmitted it. In Muslim's version he said that God has angels who travel round to a great extent looking for meetings where remembrance is being made of God, and when they find a meeting where this is being done they sit with them and surround one another, with their wings so as to fill the space between them and the lowest heaven. When the people separate they ascend up to heaven, and God who knows best asks them where they have come from. They reply, “We have come from Thy servants on the earth who are extolling and magnifying Thee, declaring Thy unity, praising Thee and making request ...

Abu Huraira told that God's messenger addressed them saying, “Pilgrimage (In what follows I have used the word "pilgrimage” where only the hajj is intended; but when reference is made to both hajj and ’umra the Arabic words are used without translation to avoid misunderstanding.) has been ordained for you people, so perform it.” A man asked whether it should be performed annually, but God’s messenger gave no reply till he had asked the question three times. Then he said, “If I were to say that it should, it would be obligatory and you would not be able to perform it,” after which he said, “Leave me alone as long as I have said nothing to you, for your predecessors perished simply on account of their much questioning and their disagreement with their prophets. But when I command you to do anything, obey it as much as you can; and when I forbid you to do anything, leave it alone.” Muslim transmitted it.

He said that God’s messenger was asked what action was most excellent and replied that it was faith in God and His messenger. He was asked what came next and replied that it was jihad in God’s path. He was asked what came next and replied that it was a pilgrimage which was accepted. Bukhari and Muslim.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone performs the pilgrimage for God’s sake without talking immodestly or acting wickedly, he will return [free from sin] as on the day his mother bore him.” Bukhari and Muslim.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “An 'umra is an expiation for sins committed between it and the next, but a hajj which is accepted will receive no less a reward than paradise.” Bukhari and Muslim.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “An 'umra in Ramadan is equal to a hajja. ” (hajj is the word for the pilgrimage and hajja is a form indicating a single observance.) He told of the Prophet meeting some riders at ar-Rauha’ (A place between thirty and forty miles from Medina on the way to Mecca) and asking who they were. They replied that they were Muslims and asked who he was. When he said that he was God's messenger a woman lifted up a boy to him and asked whether the child could be credited with having performed the pilgrimage, to which he replied, “Yes, and you will have a reward.” Muslim transmitted it.

He told of a woman of Khath'am saying, “Messenger of God, God’s ordinance that His servants should perform the pilgrimage has come when my father is a very old man and is unable to sit firmly on a camel. May I perform the pilgrimage on his behalf?” He replied that she might. That was at the Farewell Pilgrimage. Bukhari and Muslim.

He told of a man coming to the Prophet and saying that his sister had taken a vow to make the pilgrimage, but had died. The Prophet asked whether he would pay a debt, supposing she owed one, and when he replied that he would, he said, “Well, pay the debt due to God, for it is the one which most deserves to be paid.” Bukhari and Muslim.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “A man must not be alone with a woman, and a woman must travel only when accompanied by a man who is within the prohibited degrees.” A man said, “I have been enrolled for such and such an expedition, and my wife intends to go out to perform the pilgrimage.” He therefore told him to go and perform the pilgrimage along with his wife. Bukhari and Muslim.

‘Aisha said she asked the Prophet’s permission to take part in jihad, and he replied, “The jihad of you women is the pilgrimage.” Bukhari and Muslim.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “A woman must not make a journey of a day and a night unless she is accompanied by a man who is within the prohibited degrees.” Bukhari and Muslim.

Dhul Hulaifa for the people of Medina, al- Juhfa for the people of Syria, Qarn al-Manazil for the people of Najd, and Yalamlam for the people of the Yemen ; so these spots are for these regions and for people of other regions who come to them intending to perform the hajj and the ‘umra. The place where those who live nearer to Mecca should put on the ihram (The pilgrim dress) is where they live, and so on and so on up to the inhabitants of Mecca itself who put on the ihram in it. Bukhari and Muslim.

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, “The place for the people of Medina to put on the ihram is Dhul Hulaifa, and on the other road al-Juha. For the people of al-Iraq it is Dhat ‘Irq, for the people of Najd it is Qarn, and for the people of the Yemen it is Yalamlam." Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said that God’s messenger performed the 'umra four times, each of them Dhul Qa'da except the one which was combined with his hajja, one from al-Hudaibiya in Dhul Qa'da, one in the following year in Dhul Qa'da, one from al-Ji'rana where he divided the spoils of Hunain (The battle in which the Prophet defeated Hawazin after the conquest of Mecca in 8 A.H) in Dhul Qa'da, and one along with his hajja. Bukhari and Muslim.

Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib said that God’s messenger performed the ‘umra twice in Dhul Qa'da before performing the hajj. Bukhari transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has prescribed the pilgrimage for you people." Al-Aqra' b. Habis then got up and asked whether it was to be performed annually, to which God’s messenger replied that if he were to tell them that it was, it would become obligatory, and if it did they would not keep it nor be able to do so, adding, “The pilgrimage should be performed once, and if anyone does it oftener he performs supererogatory act." Ahmad, Nasa'i and Darimi transmitted it.

‘All reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone possesses enough provision and a riding-beast to take him to God’s House and does not perform the pilgrimage, it does not matter whether he dies a Jew or Christian. That is because God who is blessed and exalted says, 'Pilgrimage to the House is a duty men owe to God, those who can afford the journey'. (Qur’an, 3:97). ” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition whose isnad is criticised, Hilal b. ‘Abdallah is unknown, and al- Harith is declared to be weak in tradition.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Islam does not allow for failure to perform the pilgrimage." Abu Dawud transmitted it. (The word used here is sarura. The meaning is strictly "one who does not perform the pilgrimage." It is explained as coming from sarr which indicates the act of confining, or withholding. Another meaning is abstinence from marriage, and the tradition is sometimes explained as meaning that Islam does not allow of celibacy; but while that is a possible interpretation it is not the appropriate one in this chapter).

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who intends to perform the pilgrimage should hasten to do so." Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “Make the hajj and the ‘umra follow one another closely, for they remove poverty and sins as a blacksmith’s bellows remove impurities from iron, gold and silver; and a hajja which is accepted gets no less a reward than paradise." Tirmidhi and Nasa'i transmitted it, and Ahmad and Ibn Majah transmitted it from ‘Umar up to “from iron."

Ibn ‘Umar said that a man came to the Prophet and asked what makes it necessary for one to perform the pilgrimage. He replied, “Provisions and a riding-beast. ’ ’ Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

He said that a man asked God’s messenger to describe a pilgrim, and he replied, “Unkempt and unperfumed." Another got up and asked which part of the pilgrimage was most excellent, and he replied, “Raising the voice in the talbiya and shedding the blood of sacrificial victims." Another got up and asked the meaning of sabil (This refers to the words translated "those who can afford the journey" in Qur’an 3:97, quoted above in ’All’s tradition), and he replied, “Provisions and a riding-beast." It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna, and Ibn Majah transmitted it in his Sunan without mentioning the last section.

Abu Razln al-‘Uqaili told that he went to the Prophet and said, “Messenger of God, my father is a very old man who is unable to perform the hajj and the ‘umra, or to ride." He replied, “Perform them both on behalf of your father." Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Ibn ‘Abbas told that God's messenger heard a man say, “Labbaik on behalf of Shubruma." He asked who Shubruma was, and the man replied, “A brother of mine," or “a relative of mine." He asked whether he had performed the pilgrimage on his own behalf, and when he replied that he had not, he said, “Perform the pilgrimage on your own behalf, then perform it on behalf of Shubruma." Shafi'i, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

He said that God’s messenger appointed al-‘Aqiq as the place where the people of the east should put on the ihram. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that God's messenger appointed Dhat ‘Irq as the place where the people of al-‘Iraq should put on the ihram. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Umm Salama said she heard God's messenger say, “If anyone puts on the ihram for a hajja or an ‘umra from the Aqsa mosque to the sacred mosque, his former and latter sins will be forgiven him," or, “he will be guaranteed paradise." Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that the people of the Yemen used to perform the pilgrimage without bringing provisions, declaring that they put their trust in God; and when they came to Mecca they begged from the people. So God most high sent down, “And bring provisions, but the best provision is piety.’’(Qur’an 2:197) Bukhari transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that she asked God’s messenger whether jihad was incumbent on women, and he replied, “Yes, jihad which does not include fighting is incumbent on them. It is the hajj and the ‘umra.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Umama reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who is not prevented from performing the pilgrimage by an obvious necessity, a tyrannical ruler, or a disease which confines him at home and dies without having performed the pilgrimage, may die if he wishes as a Jew, or if he wishes as a Christian.” Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, “Those who perform the hajj and those who perform the 'umra are people who have come to visit God. If they supplicate Him He will respond to them, and if they ask Him for forgiveness He will forgive them.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

The warrior, the one who performs the hajj, and the one who performs the ‘umra.” Nasa’i and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “When you meet one who has performed the pilgrimage, greet him, shake hands with him and tell him to ask forgiveness for you before he enters his house, for he has been forgiven.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone goes out to perform hajj or 'umra, or to fight with infidels, and dies on the way, God will record for him the reward of him who fights with infidels, him who performs the hajj and him who performs the 'umra.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.

I used to perfume God’s messenger with a perfume containing musk preparatory to his entering the sacred state before he put on the ihram, and when he put off the ihram, before he made the circuits round the House. I still seem to see the glistening of the perfume where the hair was parted on God’s messenger’s head while he was wearing the ihram. Bukhari and Muslim.

Ibn ‘Umar said that he heard God’s messenger say when with his hair matted he raised his voice in the talbiya, “Labbaik, O God, labbaik labbaik; Thou hast no partner; labbaik; praise and grace are Thine, and the dominion; Thou hast no partner,” saying nothing more than these words. Bukhari and Muslim.

He said that when God’s messenger put his foot in the stirrup and his she-camel stood up with him on its back, he raised his voice in the talbiya from the mosque of Dhul Hulaifa. Bukhari and Muslim.

We went out with God’s messenger crying aloud (talbiya,/i>) at the pilgrimage. Muslim transmitted it.

We went out with God’s messenger in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage, some of us raising our voices in the i>talbiya for an ‘umra, some for hajj and ‘umra, and others for the hajj, but God’s messenger raised his voice in the talbiya for the hajj. Those who did it for an 'umra took off the ihram, but those who did it for the hajj, or who combined the hajj and the ‘umra did not remove the ihram till the day of sacrifice. Bukhari and Muslim.

Ibn ‘Umar said that at the Farewell Pilgrimage God’s messenger performed the ‘umra first and the hajj later (The phrase used is tamata'a bil-’umra ilal-hajj which indicates gaining the advantage of the ‘umra and waiting till the time for the hajj comes without requiring to wear the ihram during the intervening period. It is a difficult phrase to translate, and therefore one can only indicate its general meaning in a translation), raising his voice in the talbiya first for the 'umra and afterwards for the hajj. Bukhari and Muslim.

Zaid b. Thabit said he saw the Prophet strip to put on his ihram, and bathe. Tirmidhi and Darimi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that the Prophet matted his hair with ghisl (A lotion made of marsh-mallows, or lotus leaves, or fuller’s earth, or potash with water). Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Khallad b. as-Sa’ib on his father’s authority reported God’s messenger as saying, “Gabriel came to me and commanded me to order my companions to raise their voices in the talbiya.” (The tradition ends by saying they were to raise their voices bil-ihlal au at-talbiya. These are alternative words meaning the same thing, and therefore I have not given any alternative in the translation) Malik, Tirmidhi, Abd Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Sahl b. Sa‘d reported God’s messenger as saying, “No Muslim raises his voice in the talbiya without all on his right and left’, stones, or trees, or clods, doing the same till the earth is traversed on both sides,” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that God’s messenger used to perform two rak’as in Dhul Hulaifa, then when the she-camel stood up with him on its back at the mosque of Dhul Hulaifa, he shouted these words, saying, “Lubbaik, O God, labbaik labbaik wa-sa‘daik ('Always ready to obey.’) ; good is in Thy hands; labbaik; desire and action are directed towards Thee. (Bukhari and Muslim, the wording being Muslim's.) (It is strange to find a tradition from Bukhari and Muslim in section (b). The author has explained in his introduction that section (a) is confined to Bukhari and Muslim and section (b) to other authorities)

‘Umara b. Khuzaima b. Thabit said on his father's authority that when the Prophet finished his talbiya, he asked God for His good pleasure and for paradise, and asked Him to preserve him in His mercy from hell. Shafi'i transmitted it.

Jabir said that when God’s messenger intended to perform the pilgrimage he made proclamation among the people and they assembled. Then when he came to al-Baida’ (a place near Dhul Hulaifa) he put on the ihram. Bukhari transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that the polytheists used to say, “Labbaik, Thou hast no partner," whereupon God’s messenger would say, “Woe to you ! Enough, enough; [do not add] ‘except a partner who is Thine whom Thou possessest', when He possesses none.” They used to say this when they were going round the House. Muslim transmitted it.

God’s messenger remained in Medina nine years, during which he had not performed the hajj, then made a public announcement in the tenth year to the effect that God’s messenger was about to perform the hajj. Large numbers came to Medina, and we went out with him. When we reached Dhul Hulaifa, Asma’ daughter of ‘Umais, gave birth to Muhammad b. Abu Bakr and sent to God’s messenger asking what she was to do. He replied, “Bathe, bandage your private parts with a cloth, and put on the ihram.” God’s messenger then prayed in the mosque, and after he had mounted al-Qaswa' and his she-camel stood erect with him on its back at al-Baida’, he raised his voice declaring God’s unity and saying, “Labbaik, O God, labbaik labbaik; Thou hast no partner; labbaik; praise and grace are Thine and the dominion; Thou hast no partner.” Jabir said : We did not express our intention of performing anything but the hajj, being unaware of the ‘umra [at that season], but when we came with him to the House he touched the corner and made seven circuits, running three of them and walking four. Then going forward to the station of Abraham, he recited, “And take the station of Abraham as a place of prayer.” (Qur’an 2:125)He then prayed two 'rak'as, having the station between him and the House. A version says that he recited in the two rak'as,. “Say, He is God, One,” and, “Say, O infidels.” (Qur’an 112, and 109) He then returned to the corner and touched it, after which he went out by the gate to as-Safa, on coming near to which he recited. “As-Safa and al-Marwa are among the signs appointed by God,” (Qur’an 2:158) adding, “I begin with what God began with.” So he went first to as-Safa, and mounting it till he could see the House, he faced the qibla, declared God's unity, proclaimed His greatness, and said, “There is no god but God alone who has no partner; to Him belongs the dominion, to Him praise is due, and He is omnipotent; there is no god but God alone who alone has fulfilled His promise, helped His servant and routed the confederates." He then made supplication in the course of that, saying such words three times. He next descended and walked towards al-Marwa, and when his feet came down into the bottom of the valley he ran, and when he began to ascend he walked till he reached al-Marwa. There he did as he had done at as-Safa, and when he came to al-Marwa ...