reading time ~11 mins

This is a compilation of the most practical tips for preparing for Hajj. It will not go into the details of the spiritual or religious aspects of Hajj. Other articles could be written about that and referenced here

1. To learn
2. Spiritual Tips
3. To Pack
   1. Accessories
   2. Clothing
   3. Toiletries
   4. Temperature
   5. Medicine
4. Logistics & Getting Around
   1. Learn Basic Arabic
   2. Google Maps
   3. Food / Shopping
   4. Taxi / Uber / Careem
   5. Telephone / Internet
   6. Money
5. Clarifying some topics 
   1. Collecting Dua lists or seeking forgiveness before leaving
6. Hajj Akbar vs Hajj Asghar
   1. 9AH Muslims & Mushrikeen performed Hajj together
   2. 10 AH – The Prophet SAW performed Hajj
7. Additional Reading

To learn

• Learn about Hajj. One of the best summaries
• Hajj infographics  
• Types of Hajj
• The Prophet’s ﷺ Hajj
• Duas/Dhikr during Hajj rituals another source (verify if these are authentic and from the sunnah)
• Purpose & meaning behind Hajj and the rituals

Spiritual Tips

• Once you make intention for Hajj (or any other good deed) – other things fall into place by permission of Allah – do not let money or other responsibilities come in the way of making a sincere intention
  • Unfortunately we focus on the obstacles (money, children, work, temperature) and not on the goal of going for Hajj
• The day of Arafah is the best day of your life. There is a special closeness to Allah felt in your heart 
• Hajj is the best example of voluntary submission
  • I am here ya Allah with my own happiness (not out of obligation)
  • I leave all my worldly belongings & comforts behind happily and voluntarily
  • This is the feeling when you say talbiyah (Labaik)
• The feeling you get when you look at the Kaaba cannot be explained. You can just keep looking 
• Learn about the rituals of hajj and keep an open mind for difference of opinion. No school of fiqh is 100% correct and has monopoly on all the rulings

To Pack

Accessories

1. Backpack for both male and female participants
2. Black or dark small umbrella (against the sun)
3. Soft Musalla (can also be used for sleeping anywhere)
4. Insulated Water bottle (~0.5 – 1 l)
5. Sleep Eye Mask (get ones with 3d contour)
6. Face masks
7. Ear plugs
8. Energy Bars
9. Belt with pockets for documents, etc (especially for men during state of Ihram)
10. Power Bank (5,000-10,000 mAh if possible)
11. Power Adapter for Saudi Arabia (check voltage of devices too)
12. Extension cable (5+ ports) – this is highly in demand in Mina
13. Quran (if you prefer a physical copy, otherwise on phone)

Clothing

1. Light airy clothing (preferably white due to sun)
2. Socks with foam at the bottom are also useful
3. Comfortable slippers and shoes
4. A clean/new set of shoes can be kept for inside the mosque (keep them in a bag, only put them on when entering the mosque, and remove them again when leaving)
5. Make sure to keep a bag to carry shoes inside your backpack. The place where you enter a mosque is usually not the place where you leave, so you have to carry your shoes with you everywhere (and not leave them at the entrance)

Toiletries

1. Perfume free soap
2. Vaseline/perfume free cream or lotion
3. Rash prevention cream for inner thighs (especially helpful when waking a lot in ihram. Get perfume free) 
4. Toothpaste
5. Toothbrush
6. Comb
7. Hair Trimmer
8. Hygiene / anti bacterial spray or wipes

Temperature

1. Battery operated necklace fan
2. Small towels for face, shoulders, etc
3. Small water spray bottles

Medicine

1. Paracetomol
2. Ibuprofen
3. Imodium
4. Throat lozenges
5. Anti allergy
6. Wound cream

Logistics & Getting Around

Learn Basic Arabic

1. List of basic phrases in Arabic
   1. Arabic words to know
   2. 10 basic phrases to learn video
   3. Learn Vocabulary for hajj video

Google Maps

1. Familiarise yourself with Makkah, Madina, Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifa, etc on google maps
2. If possible, find out where your hotel will be in Makkah and where the camp will be in Mina. Knowing the area is essential for getting around
3. Make sure to download the general area of Makkah, Mina, etc for offline navigation on google maps. See how to guide here 

Food / Shopping

1. Food is easy to find in Makkah and Madina. Google maps will usually give you loads of options
2. Make sure to carry some local currency to be able to pay, as some places might not be accepting credit cards
3. Feel free to check brands on the BDS website which are on the boycott lists. We do not want to do business with companies who fund oppression on our brothers and sisters in Palestine

Taxi / Uber / Careem

1. Taxis are scarce and overpriced during Hajj season. Make sure to negotiate if possible but remember there will be times and places where you will have no leverage and too many other customers would keep prices high
2. See this guide for general idea about prices
3. You can also use Uber and Careem but bear in mind that during Hajj season many areas are blocked and services may not be running
4. Usually there are no taxis or rideshares available in Mina (at least when I was there in 2018)

Telephone / Internet

1. Make sure that all family members who have mobile phones get internet connectivity. You cannot always be together, especially men and women need to separate several times and connectivity is essential to stay in touch
2. If you have a phone with e-sim look up Airalo. This is a data-only e-sim which can be bought and set up before you even arrive in Saudi Arabia. Prices are good
3. You can get a local sim (STC, Zain, Mobily) but be prepared to stand in queues. It’s easier to go with ladies (they get priority in the queue)
4. See this article on how to get a sim in Saudi Arabia

Money

1. Usually Credit cards work in most places but it is beneficial to carry some local currency for food, etc
2. Pay in local currency when using credit cards (usually the banks will give you a better rate of conversion than the local seller)

Clarifying some topics 

Collecting Dua lists or seeking forgiveness before leaving

Some muslims would call others asking them to provide a list of duas or to seek forgiveness before they leave for Hajj

There is no evidence in the sources that one should call friends and family and ask them for a list of duas or ask them forgiveness before going to Hajj. This is not a prerequisite for Hajj

If you have wronged someone, ask them for forgiveness immediately and try your best to repay what you have wronged them with. There is no need to wait for Hajj to do this

You may ask for Duas, but remember that this was not practised by the early generations (at least I could not find any evidence of this). You can always make generic duas for Affiya, khair, maghfira & success in dunya and akhira for your family, friends and all muslims around the world alive (or deceased as applicable)

Hajj Akbar vs Hajj Asghar

The term Hajj Akbar is used in two ways

1. Hajj Akbar: Hajj which is obligatory on muslims. Hajj Asghar: Umrah (bukhari 3177)
2. Day of Hajj Akbar: Day of Eid ul Adha (10 Dhul Hijjah) (abi dawud 1945) (tirmidhi 3088).
   1. Most of the rites and activities are performed on this date

There is a misconception that Hajj e Akbar is a special Hajj when Arafah (9 dhul Hijjah) occurs on Friday and has special reward associated with it – but I could not find any evidence for this claim in the sources. See this article  In fact the 10 of Dhul Hijjah is called the day of Hajj Akbar according to hadith (which is the day of sacrifice and eid) see here and this has nothing to do with 9 Dhul Hijjah or Arafah falling on a Jumma

9AH Muslims & Mushrikeen performed Hajj together

• The same year Surah Tauba was revealed, it was announced on the day of Hajj Akbar (10 Dhul Hijjah) that no Mushrikeen will be allowed after that year
  • “O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Ḥarām after this, their [final] year.” (Quran 9:28) 
• “No pagan shall perform Hajj after this year, and none shall perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba in a naked state.” (bukhari 4655) (bukhari 4656) (bukhari 4657)
• Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) sent `Ali bin Abi Talib (after Abu Bakr) and ordered him to recite aloud in public Surat Bara’a. Abu Huraira added, “So `Ali, along with us, recited Bara’a (loudly) before the people at Mina on the Day of Nahr and announced; “No pagan shall perform Hajj after this year and none shall perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba in a naked state.” (bukhari 4655)
• Bara’a is another name for Surah Tauba

10 AH – The Prophet SAW performed Hajj

When the Prophet SAW performed Hajj, he gave a speech on 9th Dhul Hijjah (on a friday) in Arafah. The Aya “Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your way” (Quran 5:3) was revealed on 9th Dhul Hijjah on the day of ‘Arafah (bukhari 45) (muslim 3017b)

He also gave a speech on 10 Dhul Hijjah in Mina between Jamarat. Blood, properties and honour are sacred like the day, month and location is sacred where they were. Today is the day of Hajj Akbar. (bukhari 1742)

AH: After Hijri

Additional Reading

1. 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah