Each year thousands of Muslims from around the globe come towards the Ka’bah for Hajj, chanting “Labbayk : Here we come, Allah, here we come”- on the call of their Lord. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and an obligation on Muslims once in their lifetime.
Allah 
says in the Quran:
“And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves – then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.” (Surah Ale-Imran, 3:97)
Last year, Alhumdulillah, I had the opportunity to perform this obligation. Below are some tips I gained during my experience that can help us maintain a spiritual high throughout the blessed journey, and also on how to safe keep the sweetness of faith achieved there, for life.
- Educate and prepare yourself:
This may be your last opportunity to perform Hajj; make all preparations for it to be the best and Mabroor (accepted)! Educate yourself beforehand about the rituals of Hajj based on the Quran and Sunnah so that you are not lost once you go there. You can do this by listening to lectures and reading books about Hajj. Also, read the account of the last pilgrimage of Prophet Muhammad 
. Prepare your heart for the journey and fill it with taqwa, the mindfulness of Allah .
“And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah.” (Surah Baqarah, 2: 197)
- Part with gadgets:
I noticed a lot of people taking selfies in mid-tawaf, smiling and gazing at their smartphones as they performed this blessed ibadah (worship), and talking uselessly during Hajj. Our gadgets, I felt, are not only destroying our social lives but also the quality of our worship. During Hajj, keep a ‘non-smart’ phone or simply switch it off during prayers and tawaf. Spend some exclusive time with Allah and part with the gadgets to achieve that flavor in worship.
- Plan your Tilawah:
Plan how much Tilawah you wish to complete during your Hajj journey, planning for each day. Also, think of some surah that you may want to memorize. Find a place facing the Ka’ bah or any niche in the two holy mosques and dive away in the book of Allah . The mesmerizing feeling one gets while reciting the Quran in the two cities where it was revealed is inexpressible! Moreover you can start doing lengthy tilawah a month before you leave, in order to make it a habit and to prepare your heart for the journey.
- Don’t let the shops distract you!
When we head towards Haram, countless stalls and shops catch our attention, at times making us unwary of the purpose of our long journey. Amidst the shopping, do not put your prayers in jeopardy. The accessories adorning the shops may be available anywhere in the world, whereas the special reward for praying in the two mosques will not be. Be wary of wasting the precious minutes of this journey.
- Spend some time alone:
Hajj and the adjoining days are mostly spent with family members or people of the group you are travelling with. Surrounded by them, we start talking and loose the concentration in worship. If it is possible, do spend some time alone. When in the Haram, you can sit at some distance from the rest to focus on the duas and recitation of Quran.
- Plan the Duas and Dhikr:
Before you set out for Hajj, make a list of duas that you want to make. Take a small notebook and make lists of duas for everyone: yourself, your family and the entire Ummah. Also note down the different duas that people ask you to make for them, along with their names. Once they are written down, you can now focus on asking without having to think each time!
Furthermore, plan a target Dhikr for each day. For example, the number of times you will send peace on the Prophet or other authentic words of remembrance.
- Go back in time:
While you sit in the courtyards of Ka’bah, or as you wait to go for prayers in Riyadhul Jannah, or simply as you tread the roads of the holy cities, imagine going back in time. Imagine the gatherings of Quraysh around the Ka’bah and how they harassed the Prophet . Imagine Fatimah 
as she removed the dirt off her father’s face. Imagine Bilal 
being tortured in the valleys of Makkah. Imagine the Ansar as they welcomed the Prophet . If you have enough time, do take a Seerah book to read with you or read it before you leave for Hajj. This makes us feel closer to the Prophet and his life, and allows us to appreciate what he went through.
- You are a traveler:
Many rifts and conflicts come up as you live with people coming from different backgrounds. Some may be very talkative, some may be extra neat and some may have a different sleep routine. Also, you may get food you are unaccustomed to and many a times, things will not go your way. Keep your expectations low and keep in mind that you are a traveler and all this is part of the parcel. Learn to forgive, be flexible, be easy going and tolerant. Realizing this from beforehand will spare us from a lot complaining and fighting.
- Cash on the Tahajjud time:
Waking up and going for Tahajjud in the two mosques is a lot easier compared to home. Take full advantage of this opportunity and make special preparations for it. Make long qiyam in prayers (possibly you can memorize a long surah for this purpose), pour your heart out to Allah in duas and talk to Him asking for His pleasure and forgiveness.
- Arafah is ‘The Day’:
Arafah is the virtuous day you were waiting for! It is the day that necks are freed from hellfire. Standing in Arafah is the most important ritual of Hajj. Do not waste a single minute in vain talk or sitting about lazily, doing just nothing. Spend your time making duas, weeping and begging for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness.
Prophet Muhammad said: “The best of dua is dua on the day of ‘Arafah, and the best that I and the Prophets before me said is ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner or associate; His is the dominion, to Him be praise, and He has power over all things).” 1 
- Vow to bow like Ibrahim
:
During the five days of Hajj, remember Ibrahim , with whom all the rituals of Hajj are connected. Remember how he not only laid down his own life but also sacrificed his son, his wife, his family, his community and his comfortable lifestyle for the sake of gaining Allah’s pleasure. Allah was his topmost priority. Also, during Sa’ee (going between Safa and Marwa) remember Hajar who without any hesitations surrendered to the will of Allah and put her complete trust in Him . Make a strong vow to follow their footsteps and submit to Allah willfully at every step in life.
- Set some goals for life:
As the time to leave approaches, think about the changes you would like to make in your post Hajj life. List down the characteristics/habits in your life unloved by Allah that you should eliminate. Also, list down the characteristics/habits loved by Allah that you should develop. Pray to Allah to aid you in this task. Make the decisions that you previously found difficult. For example, if there was hesitancy regarding Hijab, now is the time to overcome it. Or if you continuously miss Fajr, now is your time to make a strong resolution.
Hajj is an extensive training period for Muslims; they are required to do whatever their Lord has ordered, moving from place to place just for His sake. It prepares us to honor the call of duty throughout our lives. May Allah grant us the tawfeeq to perform an accepted and Mabroor Hajj. Ameen!
What tips do you have for those intending to perform Hajj? Please share them in the comments section below. 🙂
- Tirmidhi; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb (1536). ↩
Comments
dhikr
Duas
educate
gadgets
goals
Hajar
Hajj
Ibrahim (as)
IOU Blog
Islamic Online University
journey
Mabroor
plan
preparation
Quran
rituals
Sa'ee
shops
spiritual
tahajjud
tilawah
traveler
Ummah
70 replies on “Twelve Tips for a Memorable Hajj”
JazakAllah khair dear sister for this extremely beneficial article! Great tips!
Wa iyyaki! Alhumdulillah that you found it beneficial:)
☺️ thank you. Jazak Allah Khaire.
Wa iyyaki!
Thank you.
جزاك الله
Wa iyyaki
A nice and knowledgeable article.
May Allah save our young pilgrims to use electronic devices much more on this holy journey to..
JAZAKALLAH this article is gonna b very helpful to all d pilgrims reading it
I hope Insha Allah 🙂 Jazak Allah Khayr Nasrin!
Very well articulated write up! I would like to add a few specific points:
1. Most of us tend to focus on immaterial aspects such as the condition of the toilets or ablution areas – please don’t let these factors shift your attention from performing the rites of Hajj correctly and with devotion.
2. While preparing for Hajj one should include fitness activities such as walking, running, other cardio exercises or yoga. Hajj requires physical strength and being physically unfit makes the rituals even more difficult.
May Allah (swt) Accept from everyone going on Hajj.
Indeed! Jazak Allah Khayr for your valuable input. Ameen
Assalam Alaykum Sisiter in inslam, very well said , the he only thing I would like to draw your attention is towards being physically fit does that has to include ‘YOGA’ as well. Please read the comments @ http://islamqa.info/en/101591
Barikallahu. Ienjoyed reading it and InshaaAllah it will be beneficial to me when I visit Mecca
Insha Allah! Wa iyyakum
Jazak Allah Khair for the tips
Jaza Allah khair. It’s very helpful as it offers advice and suggestions to maximise benefits out of the blessed journey.
Alhumdulillah. Jazak Allah Khayr for your feedback
Jazakillah bi khairan. Waht an educative piece. Love it. Thank you once again
Wa iyyaki sister 🙂
Zazak Allah Khairan…. In Sha Allah, I plan to perform Hajj this year along with my mother, Wife & son. This’s indeed an expedient article… I was reading it out to my family. Please count me in your dua, so that Allah (SWT) accepts all my supplications…. Regards
Masha Allah! May Allah make your Hajj an accepted one. Do remember the Ummah in your duas.
Jazak Allah Khayr
Thnx for the knowledge that you share with us and dua for me that Allah accepts my hajj
Jazak Allah Khayr for your comment. May Allah grant all an accepted Hajj. Ameen!
Assalamoualaikoum to all the guest of Allah who are going for Hadj In Sha Allah, Don`t forget you have been chosen and you the guest of Allah. Shaytwaan our greatest enemy will not let you go like this. He is well aware that you are going to beat him there. he will make you feel lazy, tired, lose patience and get angry for nothing, he don`t want you to beat him with conciousness . So Brother and sisters this consciousness is capital when you throw the pebble . let your heart feel Allahu Akbar everytime you throw pebble.
LET YOUR INSIGHT BE CONSCIOUS EVERYTIME.
True indeed! Jazak Allah Khayr for your input
Assalamoalaikum sister!
I found this to b one of the best articles on iOU blog.emotional yet very informative and helpful.
please pray that Allah pak gives all of us the opportunity to perform hajj in shaa Allah
Wa alaikum Assalam,
Jazakillah Khayr for your feedback. May Allah give us all the opportunity to perform an accepted Hajj. Ameen! 🙂
thank you very much for this knowledge …. its a nice blog
may the almighty Allah reward you who have put efforts in this
Jazak Allah Khayr!
Alhamdulillah The best way to perform Hajj
Thnx for sharing this useful info…InshaAllah we will tried it …..
Insha Allah!
Mashallah…. a wonderful read and a reminder…
Jazaak Allah khair for your effort…
leaving for Hajj in 4 days time… please pray that Allah accepts our pilgrimage (aameen)
Masha Allah! Ameen. Do remember the Ummah in your duas!
Thanks my dear sister in Islam for d important information. I performed hajj in year 2012. Going back next week In Shaa Allah to hajj for my dear dad who is unfit to go. I ask everyone to pray for us.
really amazing article
thanks for such a knowledge may ALLAH bless u all ameen
Ameen 🙂 Jazakillah Khayr
jazakallahu khair!
Jazak Allah Khairan. Well written article. Though have performed Umrah but not yet performed Haj due to domestic problems surrounding me. Please pray for my Iradah.
May Allah make it easy for you and everyone. Ameen!
Well written article for Allah fearing Muslims. Congratulations.
Alhumdulillah
Thanks my dear sister & Bro in Islam for the important information. I perfer to perform Hajj but for some challenge i can’t perform pray for me to perform the coming year Inshaa Allah.
Insha Allah! May Allah help you.
Jazakallahu khair sister, very helpful tips.
I would like to add another point. we should take care of cleanliness, keeping the haram and its surroundings clean is not the sole responsibility of the authorities but the pilgrims should be also be careful , avoid throwing garbage on roads, wasting water , doing wadu at places not meant for it. etc
You are right! Jazakillah Khayr 🙂
Ma’sha’allah, very well written sister, this article would help all out there, who is going to perform Haj, May Allah bless you Ameen 🙂
Insha Allah. Jazak Allah Khayr for your feedback
Gud one masha Allah
JazakAllah khair for sharing these useful tips. As I was going through all these helpful notes, it occurred to me how sometimes we act carelessly towards others, while doing tawaf, doing Saya along Safa and Marwa, while getting on the bus, while trying to get bread from a bakery and so on and so forth in many cases preferring for ourselves to be served first and best than anyone else and be relieved in any condition without paying heed to how the others being beside us are feeling. I believe Hajj is also an opportunity for us to build a wider network of relationships. Hence, one of the side effects could also be to get kinder, softer and more caring towards others, our brothers and sisters in faith and towards humanity and overall the creation. Therefore, I would say we could also contemplate on better ways of avoiding harm (of any kind, verbal, physical or carelessness) to others, thinking of doing good to everyone, buying the hearts of others, preferring their welfare to our personal interest could all bring us closer to Allah. As Prophet SWS has stated’ “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]. May Allah Forgive us all, and forgive me for any errors I may have made in this comment! Please do make duas for all and for your humble brother as well; please forgive me if I may have said anything that is wrong or something that may have hurt your feelings. Waslaam, Najib
Barak Allahu fik. You have pointed towards an important thing that we forget and must care for during Hajj.
Jazak Allah Khayr.
Assalamu alaikom!
I have been seeking for tips on how to perform hajj but i couldn’t lay my hands on an as appropriate, brief and concise explanation as your blog is. Alhamdulillah i now have this copy and i will print this out for me to review it in preparation for my future hajj.
In shaa Allah as a new revert i too will have the chance to perform hajj at least once before i die.
May Allah reward us all here and in the hereafter.
Shukran jazilan.
Wa alaikum Assalam!
May Allah make it possible for you to make Hajj. Ameen!
Jazakillah Khayr for your feedback 🙂
jazzakallahu khair – informative- and tips of immense importance
Alhumdulillah! wa iyyakum
Jazakallah Khair! its indeed a very useful article… I have got very useful tips.. May Allah reward you for your good deed
jazak allahu khayran
MashaAllah ? jazakillah dear sister. It’s like addressing me directly. Currently I’m in Medina and I found this helpful. A good reminder also. Thanks ?
Alhumdulillah!
Jazakillahu kheiran for the informative tips.May ALLAH bless us ALL….Ameen.
Jazakumllau khairan for this reminder.Most of the time,it is we,women,that are guilty of
wasting our time in shopping,even those that could not afford it ,prefers to waste their time
window-shopping,instead of increasing their limited time in Makkah,for quality ibadah.
we heed to these advise.I pray Allah continue to give you useful knowledge and commendable wisdom,amin.
Asalaamu ‘Alaikum
Dear Um Salih, JazaakAllaahu Khayr for these wonderful, much appreciated Hajj tips. We hope we can share them in sha Allah.
Good post! Thanks for sharing. Really very useful and informative post.
JAZAKAALLAH. Great effort. ALLAH PAK bless you with HIS unlimited blessings.
YOU HAVE MISTAKENLY TYPED “HAJAR” INSTEAD OF “HAJARA”. KINDLY MAKE THIS CORRECTION.
Assalam u Alaikum Rabia,
Jazak Allah Khair for your comment. Sister, we say use Hajara in the subcontinent but the name is actually Haajar as mentioned in the hadith texts. You can check the wordings of this hadith: https://sunnah.com/bukhari/67/22
wasalam 🙂
A very Nice Post Umm Salih you are a very good writer.
I have read your blog its really good.