Ibn Uthaymin
al-Manhaj li-Murid al-Umra wal-Hajj
- Author died
- 1421 AH
- Editions
- al-Jāmiʿah al-Islāmīyah
al-Manhaj li-Murid al-Umra wal-Hajj (Arabic: المنهج لمريد العمرة والحج, "The Methodology for the Aspirant of Umrah and Hajj") is a concise guide to the rites and jurisprudence of the Islamic pilgrimages by the Saudi jurist Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin (d. 1421 AH / 2001 CE) .
Composition and Purpose
The author completed the writing of the treatise on 7 Sha'ban 1387 AH (December 1967 CE) and finalized its correction on the morning of Thursday, 13 Ramadan 1387 AH (December 1967 CE) . Ibn Uthaymin states in his introduction that pilgrimage is among the greatest acts of worship and a pillar of Islam . Because worship is accepted only when performed with sincere devotion (ikhlas) to God and adherence (ittiba') to the prophetic model, he compiled this summary of the rites grounded directly in the evidence of the Quran and the Sunnah .
Structure and Contents
The manual begins with introductory sections addressing travel before systematically setting out the practical procedures of the pilgrimage rites, followed by Medina and detailed jurisprudential addenda:
- Etiquette of Travel and Prayer: Discusses spiritual intention, noble character, provisioning, and travel invocations . It outlines the prohibition of a woman traveling without a mahram, defining the categories of mahrams by kinship, fosterage, and marriage . It also explains travel concessions for prayer, including shortening (qasr) four-unit prayers and combining (jam') prayers when needed .
- Stations and Types of Pilgrimage: Details the five spatial stations (mawaqit): Dhu al-Hulayfa (Abyar Ali), al-Juhfa (Rabigh), Yalamlam, Qarn al-Manazil (al-Sayl), and Dhat 'Ira (al-Dariba), along with rules for travelers by air or those entering Mecca for other purposes . It describes the three forms of pilgrimage (al-ansak): tamattu' (performing Umrah then Hajj), ifrad (Hajj alone), and qiran (combining both), emphasizing the superiority of tamattu' . It also details the sacrificial offering (hady) incumbent upon the pilgrim of tamattu' and qiran, the alternative fast, and the days and locations for slaughter .
- The Rituals of Umrah and Hajj: Explains the ritual sequence of Umrah, covering the pre-ihram bath (ghusl), perfuming, conditional stipulation (ishtirat), the circumambulation (tawaf) with idtiba' and ramal, the two rak'ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim, the traversal (sa'i) between al-Safa and al-Marwa, and head shaving (halq) or trimming (taqsir) . For Hajj, it covers the departure to Mina on the 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah (Yawm al-Tarwiya), the standing at Mount Arafat on the 9th, the night at Muzdalifah, and the day of sacrifice (10th of Dhu al-Hijjah) involving the stoning of Jamrat al-Aqaba, slaughter, shaving, Tawaf al-Ifada, and sa'i, followed by the days of Tashriq at Mina and the farewell circumambulation (Tawaf al-Wada') .
- Visiting the Prophet's Mosque: Discusses the etiquette of journeying to Medina with the intention of visiting the Prophet's Mosque, praying in the Rawdah, conveying greetings at the Prophet's grave and to Abu Bakr, and visiting the martyrs of Uhud .
- Supplementary Benefits (al-Fawa'id): Concludes with seventeen numbered legal benefits covering decorum, prohibitions of ihram (categorized by gender), expiations (fidyah), proxy pilgrimage (al-istinaba), changing ihram garments, doubt in circumambulation circuits, boundaries of Arafat and Mina, and rulings on stoning and desanctification (al-tahallul) .
Reception
The treatise is frequently cited in contemporary legal manuals and fatwas on pilgrimage, and is recommended alongside works such as Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz's al-Tahqiq wal-Idah as a foundational, evidence-based reference for pilgrims undertaking Hajj and Umrah .
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