Definition
Obligatory once in a lifetime upon every able Muslim with the means and physical ability. Performed in the months of Shawwāl, Dhū al-Qa‘dah, and the first ten days of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, with the major rites on the 8th–13th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah.
Pronunciation: ḥajj
Etymology & Root
From ح-ج-ج (ḥ-j-j), meaning 'to intend, to head toward (with purpose).' Ḥajj is the journey of intention to Allah's Sacred House.
Usage in the Qur'an
'And ḥajj to the House is a duty owed to Allah by those people who are able to undertake the journey.' (Āl ‘Imrān 3:97)
Usage in the Sunnah
'Whoever performs ḥajj for Allah's sake without committing obscenity or transgression returns as on the day his mother bore him.' (Bukhārī 1521)
Practical Application
Save with the intention of ḥajj from the time of capability — do not procrastinate, for none knows when the means or the ability will pass.
Mentioned in articles
Search across the corpus
Related Terms
More from Fiqh Terms
Disliked but not forbidden.
Scholarly effort to derive rulings from evidence.
Consensus of qualified scholars.
The lesser pilgrimage — performed any time of year.
Permissible in the Sharī‘ah.
The direction of the Ka‘bah faced in prayer.