(the mother of the faithful believers) I said, "O Allah's Apostle! We consider Jihad as the best deed." The Prophet said, "The best Jihad (for women) is Hajj Mabrur. "

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'A'isha. The wife of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), concerning his Tamattu' of Hajj and 'Umra and performing of Tamattu' by people in his company.

Allah's Apostle said, "(The performance of) `Umra is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise."

Yahya related to me from Malik, from Hisham ibn Urwa, that Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr stayed in Makka for nine years. He would go into ihram for hajj at the beginning of Dhu'l-Hijja, and Urwa ibn az- Zubayr, who was with him, would do likewise.

Yahya said that Malik said, "The people of Makka and whoever else is living there besides them should go into ihram for hajj if they are in Makka, and anyone that is living in the centre of Makka and is not one of the people of Makka should not leave the Haram."

Yahya said that Malik said, "Someone who goes into ihram for hajj in Makka should delay tawaf of the House and the sa'y between Safa and Marwa until he has come back from Mina, which is what Abdullah ibn Umar used to do."

Malik was asked what the people of Madina, or anybody else, should do about tawaf if they went into ihram in Makka at the beginning of Dhu'l-Hijja, and he said, "They should delay the obligatory tawaf, which is the one they combine with the say between Safa and Marwa, but they can do whatever other tawaf they want to, and they should pray two rakas every time they complete seven tawafs, which is what the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did when they had gone into ihram to do hajj. They delayed the tawaf of the House and the sa'y between Safa and Marwa until they had come back from Mina. Abdullah ibn Umar also did this, going into ihram for hajj in Makka at the beginning of Dhu'l-Hijja, and then delaying tawaf of theHouse and the say between Safa and Marwa until he had come back from Mina."

Malik was asked whether one of the people of Makka could go into ihram to do umra in the centre of Makka, and he said, "No. He should go outside the Haram and go into ihram there."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said, "Once when I was young I said to A'isha, umm al-muminin, 'Have you seen the saying of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, "Safa and Marwa are among the waymarks of Allah, so whoever does hajj or umra to the House, there is no harm in his going between them," so it follows that there should be no harm for some one who does not go between them.'

A'isha said, 'No. If it were as you say, there would be no harm in his not going between them. This ayat was only revealed about the Ansar. They used to make pilgrimage to Manat, and Manat was an idol near Qudayd, and they used to avoid going between Safa and Marwa, and when Islam came they asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about this and Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed, "Safa and Marwa are among the waymarks of Allah, so whoever does hajj or umra to the House, there is no harm in his going between them. " ' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said, "Allah has completed the hajj of anyone who does the tawaf al-ifada. It is fitting that tawaf of the House be the last of his contract, as long as nothing prevents him, and if something prevents him, or an obstacle arises, then Allah has completed his hajj."

Malik said, "I do not think that a man who does not know that the last of his contract is tawaf of the House until he has left owes anything, unless he is nearby and can return, do tawaf, and then leave having done the tawaf al-ifada."

Allah's Apostle stopped (for a while near the Jimar at Mina) during his last Hajj and the people started asking him questions. A man said, "Ignorantly I got my head shaved before slaughtering." The Prophet replied, "Slaughter (now) and there is no harm in it." Another man said, "Unknowingly I slaughtered the Hadi before doing the Rami." The Prophet said, "Do Rami now and there is no harm in it." So, on that day, when the Prophet was asked about anything (about the ceremonies of Hajj) done before or after (its stated time) his reply was, "Do it (now) and there is no harm."

Urwah reported on the authority of his father that Abdullah ibn al-Arqam travelled for performing hajj (pilgrimage) or umrah. He was accompanied by the people whom he led in prayer. One day when he was leading them in the dawn (fajr) prayer, he said to them: One of you should come forward. He then went away to relieve himself. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: When any of you feels the need of relieving himself while the congregational prayer is ready, he should go to relieve himself.

During the last Hajj led by `Umar, `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf returned to his family at Mina and met me there. `AbdurRahman said (to `Umar), "O chief of the believers! The season of Hajj is the season when there comes the scum of the people (besides the good amongst them), so I recommend that you should wait till you go back to Medina, for it is the place of Migration and Sunna (i.e. the Prophet's tradition), and there you will be able to refer the matter to the religious scholars and the nobles and the people of wise opinions." `Umar said, "I will speak of it in Medina on my very first sermon I will deliver there."

I asked: Messenger of Allah, is the (command of) cancelling hajj meant exclusively for us, or for others too? He replied: No, this is meant exclusively for you.

The Prophet was asked about a person who had his head shaved before slaughtering (his Hadi) (or other similar ceremonies of Hajj). He replied, "There is no harm, there is no harm."

I heard `Umar bin `Abdul `Aziz telling about As-Sa'ib bin Yazid that he had performed Hajj (while carried) with the belongings of the Prophet.

'Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) spent the night at Dhu'l-Hulaifa while commencing (the rites of) Pilgrimage and he observed prayer in the mosque.

Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) circumambulated the House on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage on the back of his camel and touched the Corner (of Black Stone) with a stick.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard one of the people of knowledge say, "A man and wife should not share in one sacrificial animal. Each should sacrifice an animal separately."

Malik was asked about whether someone who had been entrusted with an animal for him to sacrifice on hajj, who went into ihram for umra, should sacrifice it when he came out of ihram or postpone it so that he sacrificed it at the time of the hajj while in the meantime he came out of ihram from his umra. He said, "He should postpone it so that he may sacrifice it at the time of the hajj, and meanwhile come out of ihram from his umra."

Malik said, "If it is judged that some- one must offer an animal for having killed game, or for any other reason, this animal can only be sacrificed at Makka, since Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says, 'a sacrificial animal which will reach the Kaba.' The fasting or sadaqa that is considered equivalent to offering a sacrifice can be done outside Makka, and the person who is doing it can do it wherever he likes."

I said to the Messenger of Allah (saws): Are there two prostrations in Surah al-Hajj? He replied: Yes; if anyone does not make two prostrations, he should not recite them.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "No-one doing hajj should spend the nights of Mina beyond al-Aqaba."

(While in the company of my parents) I was made to perform Hajj with Allah's Apostle and I was a seven-year-old boy then. (Fath-ul-Bari, p.443, Vol.4)

It has been narrated on the authority of Zaid b. Arqam that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) fought nineteen battles and after the Migration performed only one Pilgrimage called Hajjat-ul-Wada'.

The Prophet offered a four-rak`at Zuhr prayer at Medina and then offered a two rak`at `Asr prayer at Dhul-Hulaifa and I heard the companions of the Prophet reciting Talbiya aloud (for Hajj and `Umra) altogether.

The Prophet said to me, "Someone came to me tonight from my Lord while I was in the 'Aqiq (valley), and said to me, "Offer prayer in this blessed valley and say: 'Labbaik' for the (performance of) `Umra and Hajj."

In the valley of Al-`Aqiq I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "To night a messenger came to me from my Lord and asked me to pray in this blessed valley and to assume Ihram for Hajj and `Umra together. "

When Qais bin Sa`d Al-Ansari, who used to carry the flag of the Prophet, intended to perform Hajj, he combed his hair.

We set out assuming the Ihram for Hajj in the months of Hajj towards the sacred precincts of Hajj. We dismounted at Sarif and the Prophet said to his companions, "Whoever has not got the Hadi with him and likes to make it as `Umra, he should do it, but he who has got the Hadi with him should not do it." The Prophet and some of his wealthy companions had the Hadi with them, so they did not finish Ihram after performing the `Umra. The Prophet came to me while I was weeping. He asked me the reason for it. I replied, "I have heard of what you have said to your companions and I cannot do the `Umra." He asked me, "What is the matter with you?" I replied, "I am not praying." He said, "There is no harm in it as you are one of the daughters of Adam and the same is written for you as for others. So, you should perform Hajj and I hope that Allah will enable you to perform the `Umra as well." So, I carried on till we departed from Mina and halted at Al-Mahassab. The Prophet called `Abdur- Rahman and said, "Go out of the sanctuary with your sister and let her assume Ihram for `Umra, and after both of you have finished the Tawaf I will be waiting for you at this place." We came back at midnight and the Prophet asked us, "Have you finished?" I replied in the affirmative. He announced the departure and the people set out for the journey and some of them had performed the Tawaf of the Ka`ba before the morning prayer, and after that the Prophet set out for Medina.

I came to the Prophet at a place called Al-Batha'. The Prophet said, "Did you assume the Ihram for Hajj?" I said, "Yes," He said, "How did you express your intention (for performing Hajj)? " I said, "Labbaik (i.e. I am ready) to assume the Ihram with the same intention as that of Allah's Apostle." The Prophet said, "Perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba and between Safa and Marwa, and then finish your Ihram." So I performed the Tawaf around the Ka`ba and between Safa and Marwa and then I came to a woman from the tribe of Qais who removed the lice from my head.