Adab al-Umrah wa Ahkamuha - Hutaiba
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Adab al-Umrah wa Ahkamuha - Hutaiba
Adab al-Umrah wa Ahkamuha (Etiquette and Rulings of Umrah) is an instructional treatise on Islamic jurisprudence by Ahmad Hutayba, focusing on the practical rulings, prerequisites, rites, and proper conduct of the minor pilgrimage (Umrah) .
Purpose and Definition
The work aims to explain the legal rulings necessary for a Muslim pilgrim to execute the rites of Umrah correctly in accordance with the Quran and the Sunnah . The author notes that linguistically, ʿumrah denotes visiting (al-ziyarah) or directing one's intention (al-qasd), and specifically refers to intending the Ka'bah as it is an inhabited site (mawdiʿ ʿamir) . Legally, the majority of jurists define it as circumambulating the House (al-tawaf bi-l-bayt) and traversing between Safa and Marwa (al-saʿy) while in a state of ihram .
Scope and Contents
The text covers the legal framework and procedural details of the pilgrimage across several primary themes:
- Etiquette of Travel: The treatise discusses the recommended manners for journeys undertaken for worship, emphasizing travel in the company of a group rather than in isolation, appointing the most judicious member of the party as a leader (amir), traveling in the latter portion of the night, and assisting fellow travelers .
- Temporal and Spatial Boundaries: It establishes that the entire year is valid for entering ihram for Umrah without reprehensibility (karahah)—the view attributed to Malik, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and the majority of scholars—and that performing multiple Umrahs within a single year is recommended rather than disliked . It enumerates the designated spatial stations of ihram (al-mawaqit), including Dhu al-Hulayfah for the people of Medina, Al-Juhfah for the Levant, Qarn al-Manazil for Najd, Yalamlam for Yemen, and Dhat ʿIrq for Iraq .
- Prerequisites and Rites of Tawaf: The author details the conditions for the validity of tawaf, including purity from ritual and physical impurities on one's body, clothing, and path, covering the ʿawrah, and forming the intention . It highlights specific sunnahs such as al-idtibaʿ (baring the right shoulder and casting both ends of the upper garment over the left shoulder) for men during the tawaf of Umrah .
- Rulings for Women and Expiations: The work addresses specific distinctions for female pilgrims, noting that women circumambulate along the outer edge of the crowd rather than crowding near the Ka'bah, walk the entirety of the course between Safa and Marwa without running, and shorten their hair rather than shaving, which is preferred for men . It also outlines the expiation (fidyah) incurred for violating restrictions such as shaving hair or clipping nails, where the pilgrim chooses between slaughtering a sheep, fasting three days, or feeding six needy individuals with half a saʿ of food each .
Answer updated