By ADIL SALAHI ARABNEWS

When people embark on the journey of pilgrimage, they often ask which method is better. Since both the Umrah and the pilgrimage are duties, people should do both duties on the same journey. There are three methods to complete this: The two duties are joined together, or one of the two duties is done before the other. There is often debate among pilgrims about which of the three methods is preferable. The following Hadith gives us a clear answer.

Jabir ibn Abdullah reports that he offered the pilgrimage with the Prophet (peace be upon him), mentioning that the Prophet took with him the camels he intended to sacrifice and that the Prophet’s companions declared their intention to offer the pilgrimage on its own. The Prophet said to them: “Release yourselves from the state of consecration, i.e. ihram, after you complete your tawaf at the Kaaba and your sa’ie between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah. You then cut your hair. After that, you stay in Makkah, released from ihram, until the Day of Tarwiyah (8 Dul Hijjah) when you will declare your intention to do the pilgrimage as you go back into consecration. You will thus make your worship as you arrive here a tamattu’.” They asked him: “How can we make it a tamattu’ when we have already named it a pilgrimage?” He said: “Do as I have told you. Had it not been for the fact that I brought my sacrifice with me, I would have done that myself. In my case, however, I cannot release myself from ihram until my sacrifice has been done.” They did as they were told.

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