al-Umra wal-Hajj wal-Ziyara fi Daw al-Kitab wal-Sunna
- Author died
- 1440 AH
- Editions
- Safir Press
al-Umra wal-Hajj wal-Ziyara fi Daw al-Kitab wal-Sunna (The Minor Pilgrimage, Major Pilgrimage, and Visitation in the Light of the Book and the Sunna) is a jurisprudential manual on the rites of pilgrimage and visitation by the Saudi scholar Saeed bin Wahf al-Qahtani (d. 1440 AH / 2018 CE).
Overview and Purpose
Published as part of al-Qahtani’s extensive series of thematic legal writings, the work is subtitled Fada'il, wa-Adab, wa-Ahkam, wa-Ad'iya Jami'a ("Virtues, Etiquettes, Rulings, and Comprehensive Supplications"). The author intended the treatise as a concise practical guide covering everything needed by a pilgrim performing umrah or hajj, as well as a visitor to the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, from the initial departure from one's home until returning safely. Every ruling and guideline is substantiated with textual evidence drawn directly from the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah.
Contents and Legal Rulings
The book addresses the essential legal foundations and performance of pilgrimage rites:
- Obligation and Prerequisites: The author details the obligation of hajj based on scriptural texts and consensus (ijma), affirming that it is incumbent once in a lifetime on every capable individual. He establishes the position that umrah is likewise an obligatory duty once in a lifetime for those upon whom hajj is required. He outlines five conditions for the obligation: Islam, sanity, puberty, complete freedom, and capability, alongside the requirement of a male chaperone (mahram) for women travelers, concluding that one who satisfies these conditions must perform the obligation promptly without unwarranted delay.
- Rites and Etiquettes: The treatise details the sequence of pilgrimage rituals, sacred sites, and prohibited acts during ritual consecration (ihram), supplemented by authentic invocations and prayers.
- Visitation (Ziyara): The concluding topics address the regulations governing travel to Medina, emphasizing that journeying for worship is directed specifically to the Prophet's Mosque rather than graves alone, followed by the prescribed manners of greeting the Prophet ﷺ and his companions Abu Bakr and Umar.
Abridgment and Reception
To make the guide even more accessible for travelers, al-Qahtani prepared an abridged summary titled Murshid al-Mu'tamir wal-Hajj wal-Ziyara fi Daw al-Kitab wal-Sunna, finalized in Jumada al-Akhirah 1415 AH. The abridged edition was reviewed and endorsed by scholars Salih al-Fawzan and Abdullah al-Jibreen.
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