Labbaik Allahhuma labbaik! (I am here at your service, Oh Allah, I am here at your service).
Labaik Laa shareeka laka labbaik (I am here at your service, no partner have you, I am here at your service).
Innalhamda, wan ni’imata laka wal mulk (Surely all praise and blessings are Yours and dominion -likewise).
La shareeka lak (No partner have you).

The performance of Hajj is an obligation; the beauty of which can only be experienced; not explained!
As I watch my friends depart for Hajj, I find myself overcome by a desire to share and talk about this journey of faith and to emphasise its status as a pillar of Islam; a core member of a community of rights that affixes the label of Islam on the slaves.
First, let me speak to your mindset as a Muslim and intending Hajji.

People would say ‘Hajj is a call from Allah, when it is time, you will be called’. They seek to propagate the idea that if a man can, but chooses not to perform hajj, then he has not been called to do so by Allah. Nay and by no means! No statement has been further from the truth!! The One Who prescribed it (Allah) stated that “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” – [ Surah Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]. Allah’s messenger described the compelled one as ‘he who is able to attain the means (money and a safe passage)’. The scholars add from the prophetic guidance, that such a one must have attained puberty, physical ability, freedom from debt, discernment and sanity to qualify for compulsion. The correct statement, therefore, is that ‘all are called to perform hajj, who have acquired the means.’ Hence I implore us not to throw lavish parties, wear gold to the tune of thousands of dollars to the neglect of hajj, feeling that “Allah’ has not yet called for hajj to be made!

Some would ignore the needs of their families, existing debt or borrow to perform Hajj. Do not follow suit. The Standing Committee for Research and Fatwa was asked about a man who has a sum of money in an Islamic bank and his income came from the profits of that money which gave him enough to live a moderate lifestyle. Is he obliged to do Hajj using that capital, knowing that this would affect his monthly income and stretch his finances unbearably? They replied: If your situation is as you describe, you are not obliged to perform Hajj because you are not able to in the manner required by sharee’ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” – [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]. And He says (interpretation of the meaning): “and [Allaah] has not laid upon you in religion any hardship” [al-Hajj 22:78] – (Fatwa 11/36).

They also said: Concerning being able to perform Hajj, this means being physically healthy as well as having the means of transportation to the Sacred House of Allaah by plane, car or riding animal, or being able to pay for that, according to one’s situation, as well as having sufficient provisions for the journey there and back. That is in addition to having enough to cover the expenses of those on whom he is obliged to spend until he returns from Hajj – (Fatwa 11/36).

The scholars, past and present, differed concerning the permissibility of a woman travelling to hajj without her husband or a mahram. Some favoured its permissibility if the road is safe and she is with a trustworthy group. Others stick to the clear hadith of the Prophet to declare it non-permissible. However, they were all unanimously against laying claim to a non-mahram as a mahram to make the journey. This effacement of truth is not from the qualities of Muslims and certainly not a quality of the one heading for the house of Allah.

Already you can tell that this is no journey for the unprepared or the jolly seeker. Once your mindset and intentions in the above are set, double down and do the following:

1. a. Take your time, and plan your Hajj: Avoid the late rush. Plan its funding and other requirements, well ahead of time. Do not prepare only at the last minute, lest you receive a late or fake visa or even fall prey to opportunists. A late rush can cause much fluster and throw askew one’s frame of mind. Humility, tranquillity, and sobriety are essential for the journey; do not lose them to a late rush.

b. Find the right hajj operator and early too. The Arabs would say: ‘(choose) the neighbour before the house, the companion before the journey’. Hajj operators are a dime a dozen these days in Nigeria. We tend to look for the ones that give us the most value at the least cost. Whilst not a bad method to adopt, some form of caution is required viz:
- Hajj operators normally have standard prices, please do a survey and then pick the ones with the average amounts in the market. If he’s extremely cheap, your antennas should go up, something major could be wrong.
- For comfort, there’s nothing wrong with having plush accommodation next to the Ka’aba and so on but please remember, hajj is not a holiday! It is ibaadah! Endure and focus on serving your lord, no matter the hardships!
- Enquire about the wali (guardian) in the group. This would ordinarily be the Ustadh or learned person within the group, who will guide the pilgrims and to whom they will refer religious issues to. This all-important inquiry could make or mar one’s hajj. We all want our hajj to be accepted by Allah and for this reason, we need a guide -whom we know no better- to lead us aright. Do not have anything to do with a wali who will engage in innovative things or see the opportunity of leading as an enterprise. It is reassuring to know that days before the start of the hajj, the Saudi authorities provide educational materials, describing the hajj rites. It will be worth a pilgrim’s while to obtain some of these. The pilgrim could also avail himself of “Fortress of the Muslim” a booklet wherein he will find authentic supplications for all aspects of hajj. It is your hajj and you must protect it. Ask, ask and then ask some more. And learn too!
- Attend the hajj seminars hosted by your hajj operator. It should provide good insight into the hajj rights. Please take these and pay attention to the packing list. Here’s a little comfort list that could prove useful:
i. Extra slippers: Don’t waste money on trekkers or sandals, good old Dunlop will do😊, even if you wear socks.
ii. Change of clothes: Thick clothing which protects against the often cold nights is a must-have. The permission for Muslimahs, to wear clothes that observe the etiquette of hijab gives her a range to choose from. An easily identifiable tag with personal information and contact details of one’s chosen hajj operators cum next of kin is important to wear at all times. It will help in the case of emergency and in the event one is lost.
iii. Medication: Consult your doctor about the medications, vaccinations and precautions that you need to arm yourself with. Check with your hajj operator and on the Saudi immigration’s website that your medications are permissible for you to carry on board and to any of the countries you will be traversing to and from hajj (some drugs are permissible, even sold over the counter in some countries while they are controlled drugs in other countries).
iv. Your valuables: Keep all that you consider valuable in a secure pouch around your waist (a waist pouch) that you will wear like your skin. Delay the purchase of other valuables till around your homeward departure.

…Taqwah, loads of patience, humility and alertness must always accompany you. You will need to dispense them in dealing with your fellow pilgrims; most of whom will be strangers to you.

Remember Allah’s words:
“…….Let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj. And whatever good you do, (be sure) Allah knows it. And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best of provisions is Taqwah (the fear of Allah)……… (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:197).

As with all journeys, proper knowledge and the right preparation is key. From the airport, your patience will be tried. With each step, you will recognise how different and yet, the same all Muslims are.
Take note: It is a common sight to see, some hajjis (strange how the name Alhaji, Alhaja, Hajiya means so much to some when in Arabic it translates only to ‘traveller’), spend long periods in the market and foyers of hotels, shopping, shopping and shopping; from the first to the very last day of the hajj. With all funds expended on shopping, some are forced to sell off their purchases to feed when flights are delayed. This recurring phenomenon must be avoided at all costs for Hajj is a journey of faith, an obligation to Allah, and a pillar of your Islam. Though trading is by itself not haram, we must refrain from making it the mainstay of our trip. We must instead seize the opportunity of the journey, to garner from the abundance of reward with Allah for the visitors to His house.

These pages are by no means exhaustive. However, I hope they suffice to project the importance of the journey to the house of the Almighty and highlight some pitfalls.
The first sight of the Ka’aba, making tawaf or praying on the plains of Arafah
The race between Safa and Marwa, the stoning of Jamrah.
The humility in the change of abodes from the plush comfort of Mecca to the humble grounds of Muzdalifah
Beyond words, Hajj is the experience.
May Allah make it easy for us all to make this journey. May it be accepted be from us when we embark on it. We pray Allah to accept the Hajj of our brothers and sisters planning to be on the plains this year. (Amin)