Hajj - Common mistakes

Some common MISTAKES people make and should be avoided are:

In our experience, we have found the following to be some of the most common actions many pilgrims opt to do, which do not conform to the sunnah:

• Passing the meqaat without adopting Ihraam.
• Adopting the Ihraam in Jeddah and refusing to perform the expiation.
• Women wearing turbans or hats on their head, to avoid the veil touching their faces.
• Men wearing an Ihraam with studs to keep it closed.
• Performing a special prayer (salah) after putting on the Ihraam.
• Keeping the right shoulder uncovered all the time.
• Women refusing to enter into Ihraam while in their menses.
• Women insisting on wearing white clothes for Ihraam.
• Pilgrims not keeping themselves clean by refusing to bath, shower, or change their clothes while in Ihraam.
• Uttering a special niyah to perform tawaaf and sa'ee.
• Reciting loudly (or behind a group) during tawaaf and sa'ee.
• Performing tawaaf and sa'ee in large groups.
• Kissing the Rukn-al-Yamani corner.
• Kissing and touching/rubbing the Maqaam Ebraheem.
• Stopping at the starting place and repeating "Allahu-Akbar" many times.
• Adhering to special booklets that contain specific dua for each circuit.
• Adding to the sunnah dua read between the Yamani corner and the black stone.
• Hiring a special guide for tawaaf to read aloud for you to follow.
• Reciting the verse: "Inna Safaa wal-Marwatta…" at the beginning of each round in sa'ee.
• Men cutting only a few strands of hair.
• Performing multiple Umrahs and missing the fardh salah due to tiredness.
• Performing salah outside the Haram even though there is space inside.
• Men and women standing next to each other while performing salah.
• Women standing in front of men during salah.
• Pushing and hurting fellow pilgrims, in order to kiss the black stone.
• Insisting on entering the Haram from Baab as-Salaam.
• Fasting instead of paying for the Hady, even though they can afford it.
• Performing their Hady (sacrifice) before the 10th.
• Having the Hady slaughtered in their home country.
• Tamattu pilgrims performing two sacrifices, believing one is a penalty (for performing Umrah) and one is the Hady.
• Pilgrims entering Makkah (early) without performing Umrah, and then perform it after Hajj in order to avoid performing the Hady.
• Tamattu pilgrims performing nafl tawaaf and then sa’ee for Hajj on the 8th.
• Not stopping or staying at least a part of the night in Muzdalifah.
• Insisting on collecting the pebbles in Muzdalifah.
• Washing the pebbles.
• Not performing Salatul-Witr in Muzdalifah.
• Not performing the two sunnah rak'at for Salatul-Fajr in Muzdalifah.
• Pelting the jamr'at before zawaal (11th, 12th & 13th).
• Deputising the pelting due to fear of the crowds.
• Staying in Makkah during the days/nights of Tashreek.
• Refusing to shorten their salah while in Mina.
• Refusing to join Salatul-Dhuhr and Asr on Arafat.
• Intentionally omitting an action and performing the expiation instead.
• Omitting Tawaaf-al-Wadaa.