Practical Hajj Guide

Regulations Specific to Women

1. She must have a mahram with her. The mahram of a woman is her husband or someone from her near male relatives whom she is permanently prohibited to marry according to the Sharee’ah. The evidence for this is very clear in the authentic ahaadeeth in which the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to travel the distance one travels in a day and a night, except that she has with her Hurmah (i.e. a mahram). (al-Bukhaari and Muslim)

2. If a woman begins menstruation or gives birth on her way to Hajj, she continues the journey and does not wait until the bleeding stops. When she reaches the meeqaat in this state (menstruating or having post natal bleeding), then she enters ihraam like any other woman as it is not a condition to be free of such bleeding in ihraam. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to Asmaa bint ‘Umais, as in the hadeeth found in saheeh Muslim, “take a bath, secure the area (i.e. place something at the private part to prevent blood from leaking) and get into ihraam”. She had given birth at the meeqaat and being uncertain as to what to do, she had sent a question to the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to which he responded as above.

We conclude from what has been mentioned then the following:

· She enters into the state of ihraam from the meeqaat as other women and abstains from the prohibitions of ihraam and proceeds to Makkah in the state she is in.

· She does not wear gloves or a niqaab.

· She wears her “normal” clothing while in ihraam, but keeping in mind the rules of hijaab. There is no specific colour for a woman’s ihraam garments.

What she is not allowed to do is perform tawaaf until such time that she stops bleeding, then purifies herself by taking a bath.

3. When the day of ‘Arafah comes and if the woman has not completed her cycle yet while having entered into ihraam with the intention of doing tamattu’, then at this point she enters ihram for Hajj and now she will be considered to be doing qiraan. She will do everything from the acts of Hajj with the exception of tawaaf (until her cycle ends and she takes a bath) as in the hadeeth in which the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to ‘Aaisha (may Allaah be pleased with her): “Do as the pilgrim does except that you do not perform tawaaf until you become clean (i.e. from menses).” (al-Bukhaari and Muslim). Then when she is free of bleeding, she does the tawaaf and walks between as-Safaa and al-Marwah (7 rounds each) and this will suffice her for both her Hajj and ‘Umrah.