Arafat
A desert location approximately nine miles from Mecca where the pilgrim spends the 9th of Zul-al-Hijja as a rite of Hajj.
Ayyam Al Tashreeq
The 11th, 12th, and 13th of the month of Zul-al-Hijja when the pilgrim performs Rummy in Mina on these days.
Hajj
Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is a set of acts of worship prescribed by Allah and Allah's Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) to be performed in and around Mecca at least once in a lifetime by every Muslim satisfying certain conditions.
Halq
On the 10th of Zul-al-Hijja, the male pilgrim completely shaves the head by which is the last thing before getting out of the state of Ihram. For female pilgrims, the requirements of Halq and Taqseer are satisfied if they trim their hair by approximately half an inch.
Ihram
Ihram is a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the Hajj or Umrah.
Ihram is not just about the clothes you put on, it’s about a state of being you put yourself in before entering the sacred territory intending to perform Hajj or Umrah.
Istilam
The act of kissing Hajar-Al-Aswad at the beginning and the end of every circumambulation of the Kaa’bah during Tawaf.
Jamrat
The three stone pillars in Mina which symbolically represent the locations where the devil is stated in tradition to have tried to tempt Prophet Ibrahim in an effort to dissuade him from the path of Allah. The pilgrim symbolically stones these pillars on the 10th through the 13th of Zul-al-Hijja in commemoration of the rejection of the devil by Prophet Ibrahim, and of his steadfastness to the cause of Allah. The Jamrat are located within a few hundred feet of one another in a line and are named as follows:
Jamrat-Al-Oola
The first stone pillar in the line.
Jamrat-Al-Wusta
The second (middle) stone pillar in the line.
Jamrat-Al- Kubra
The last stone pillar in the line.
Marwah
A small knoll located approximately one hundred yards from the Kaa’bah inside Al Masjid Al Haram. The pilgrim performs the devotional rite of Sai between the knolls of Safa and Marwah.
Mahram
The husband, or a male companion of a female pilgrim to whom her marriage is expressly prohibited (e.g., father, brother, uncle, nephew, etc.) A woman must necessarily be accompanied by a Mahram for Umrah and Hajj.
Masjid Al Haram
The mosque around the Kaa’bah also known as Haram Al Shareef.
Mina
A desert location approximately three miles from Makkah where several rites of Hajj are performed.
Muhrim
A pilgrim in the state of Ihram.
Maqam -Ibrahim
The step-stone used by Prophet Ibrahim during the original construction of the Kaa’bah. The stone carries the imprints of his feet, and is housed in a glass enclosure on the north side of the Kaa’bah.
Muzdalifah
A desert location approximately midway between Mina and Arafat. The pilgrim spends the night of the 10th of Zul-al-Hijja there.
Niyah
Intention. All acts of worship are preceded by an appropriate Niyah.
Rummy
The act of stoning the devil in Mina on the 10th through the 13th of Zul-al-Hijja. This commemorates the tradition that Prophet Ibrahim was tempted three times by the devil, and rejected all three of his overtures by stoning him, and driving him away. These three locations are symbolized by three stone pillars in Mina.
Safa
A small knoll approximately half a mile from the Kaa’bah inside Al Masjid Al Haram. The pilgrim performs the devotional act of Sai between the knolls of Safa and Marwah.
Sai
The devotional act of walking seven times back and forth between the knolls of Safa and Marwah. This act retraces the footsteps of Hajar (wife of Prophet Ibrahim), during her desperate search for water for her infant son Ismail after they were left in the desert by Prophet Ibrahim in response to a divine vision
Salat
Obligatory or supererogatory prayers.
Shawt
One complete circumambulation, or circuit, of the Kabah. Each shawt (pl. ashwaat) starts and ends at Hajar ul Aswad. Seven ashwaat constitute one Tawaf.
Taqseer
Shortening or clipping of the whole head of hair by the male pilgrim following the completion of Hajj. This may be performed in lieu of Halq. However, snipping off a few hairs here and there is not acceptable.
Tawaf
The devotional act of circumambulating the Kaa’bah while reciting prayers. It constitutes an integral part of Umrah and Hajj.
Umrah
A set of religious and devotional rites performed in Makkah. Umrah can be performed at any time of the year and, unlike Hajj, does not involve the rites at Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat.
Yawm Al Naher
The 10th of Zul-Al-Hijja. This day is designated as the preferred day of sacrifice during Hajj.
Yawm Al Tarwiyah
The 8th of Zul-al-Hijja signifying the start of Hajj. The pilgrim proceeds to Mina on this day.
Zul-Al-Hijjah
The last month of the Islamic calendar during which Hajj is performed.
Kaaba
The Kaaba, also referred to as al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah, is a building at the center of Islam's most important mosque, Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām, in the Hejazi city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the most sacred site in Islam.
Talbiyah
The Talbiyah is a prayer as well as an assertion of the pilgrim’s conviction that he intends to perform Hajj only for the glory of Allah. The pilgrim starts the recital upon changing into the Ihram, and continues to recite it frequently throughout Hajj. Male pilgrims recite the Talbiyah loudly whereas female pilgrims are required to recite it in a low voice.
The devotional recital of the following words by the pilgrim during Umrah and Hajj are:
“Labbayk Allahumma labbayk. Labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk.
Innal-hamda wan-ni’mata laka wal mulk. Laa shareeka lak.”
“Here I am O Allah, Here I am. Here I am, you have no partner, here I am.
Surely all praise, grace and dominion are yours, and you have no partner.”