THE BOOK ON HAJJ AND UMRAH.

Hajj is an act of worship in Islam. It is also one of the Five Pillars. The fact that a Muslim is required to perform Hajj only once in his lifetime imparts certain unique qualities to it. During the few days that Hajj lasts, the pilgrim is required to immerse himself totally in this unique experience. He discards his usual clothes and changes into a shroud-like attire, gives up all pleasures and temptations of everyday life and, along with millions of similar minded and attired Muslims from all over the world, devotes every waking minute to the remembrance of Allah. He lives in tents and under the sky, is subject to physical hardship and emotional stress, and sacrifices of himself and whatever he possesses-all in the path of Allah. He expects that his sins will be forgiven, and believes that he will be transformed by this great experience into a better human being. This spiritual and religious event in Islam has absolutely no parallel in human history.

This book was compiled from numerous Lectures, Lessons, Articles and Essays on the Hajj which were presented in weekly classes through the years to groups at the “Islamic Women’s Forum”. These lectures, and lessons were researched, compiled and conducted by M.N. Salie. Numerous Quranic verses and Ahadith to substantiate the various rites are quoted and as a large number of the students were not literate with the Arabic text, the lessons are setout very secularly and simply with the various Quranic verses, Ahadith and Supplications (Duas) transliterated and translated.   As there are so many books on Hajj and Umrah available, we have gone a little beyond the rites of Hajj  and Umrah and we have looked at the way the Prophet (saw) performed his Hajj and have included much details from the various Classical and Contemporary Scholars and books of Ahadith pertaining to Hajj. 

It would be arrogant and presumptuous on my part to claim any form of originality, for one learns only from one's predecessors, contemporaries and the great Classical and Contemporary Scholars and commentators. This book has been intended as part of an ongoing series of "Understanding Islam and Muslims". 

I beseech Almighty Allah to accept this humble effort and that He should forgive me, all my tutors and all the Scholars and Students of Islam from whose works I have borrowed freely and I hope that this book will be of benefit to all my students. I beg forgiveness for any errors, oversights and omissions and beg the mercy of the Oft-Forgiving most Mercifull Allah.

M. N. Salie.