Performing the Prophet’s Hajj: A Practical Guide for Bangladeshi Pilgrims

Overview of the Prophet’s Hajj

1. Prehistoric Hajj in the Arab
2. First Hajj attempts | Short brief context
3. Final Hajj attempts and the complete Hajj (10 AH)
   • The journey to Makkah
   • Reaching Makkah
   • The day of Arafah
   • The sacrifice of animals
   • Return to Madinah

1. Prehistoric Hajj in the Arab

Hajj of the Arab Mushriks (polytheists)

Before the Islamic period in Makkah, the Arab Mushriks (polytheists) performed Hajj, but their rituals had become heavily corrupted. Although they maintained some elements of the original Abrahamic pilgrimage, they introduced various innovations and practices rooted in idolatry and superstition. They worshipped multiple idols placed around the Kaaba and performed Tawaf (circumambulation) in inappropriate ways—sometimes even unclothed—believing it was a sign of purity. They also changed other rituals to suit tribal pride and personal convenience, stripping Hajj of its spiritual essence and monotheistic foundation.

Abrahamic Hajj

The original and pure form of Hajj began with Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, عليه السلام) and his son Ismail (عليه السلام). They were chosen by Allah to rebuild the Kaaba as a sacred place for worship. Together, they laid down the main pillars of the Hajj we know today, such as walking around the Kaaba (Tawaf), running between the hills of Safa and Marwah (Sa’i), standing at Arafah, and offering an animal sacrifice.

Their Hajj was centered on the belief in one true God (Tawhid) and complete devotion to Him. There were no idols, no superstitions, just pure worship and sincere submission to Allah’s commands. This is the Hajj that our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ later restored for all Muslims.

2. First Hajj attempts | Short brief context

From the early days of his prophethood, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ longed to perform Hajj, just as his forefather, Prophet Ibrahim (عليه السلام), had done. However, the Quraysh, who held control over Makkah, refused to allow the Prophet ﷺ and his followers access to the Kaaba.

This began to change in 628 CE (6 AH), when the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was signed between the Muslims and the Quraysh. It was a peaceful agreement that permitted Muslims to enter Makkah without conflict. This treaty marked a key turning point and paved the way for a proper and peaceful Hajj in the years to come.

The conquest of Makkah (8 AH / 630 CE)

Two years later, the Muslims peacefully conquered Makkah. All the idols inside and around the Kaaba were destroyed, and the sacred house was purified and restored for the worship of Allah alone, just as it was originally intended by Prophet Ibrahim (عليه السلام). This historic moment fully reopened Makkah for Islamic worship and set the stage for the Prophet’s final Hajj.

The year of delegations (9 AH)

Following the conquest of Makkah and the Prophet’s return from the Battle of Tabuk, tribes from across the Arabian Peninsula began coming to Madinah to embrace Islam. The Prophet (PBUH) remained in Madinah throughout the year to receive these groups. As a result, 9 AH came to be known as “The Year of Delegations.”

The Hajj of 9 AH

Due to his responsibility of welcoming and guiding the new Muslim tribes, the Prophet (PBUH) did not perform Hajj in 9 AH. Instead, he appointed his trusted companion, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه), to lead the pilgrimage on his behalf.

This Hajj, led by Abu Bakr, was a significant moment. It served as a preparation and introduction to the final and complete Hajj, the Farewell Hajj (Hajjat al-Wida), which the Prophet (PBUH) would perform personally the following year, in 10 AH.

3. Final Hajj attempts and the complete Hajj (10 AH)

Early in 10 AH (631 CE), the Prophet (peace be upon him) declared his intention to personally conduct the hajj. After this, an invitation was sent to the Muslim community to accompany Rasulullah (peace be upon him).

The news spread, and people traveled to Madinah in their crowds, on foot or on mounts, with the hope of performing Hajj in the blessed and most expected company of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The journey to Makkah

On Friday, the 24th of Dhul Qadah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered a Friday sermon. It was full of teaching and reminding words that were essential for the hajjis. The Prophet (peace be upon him), dedicated to educating the pilgrims, answered questions directed at him whilst standing on the pulpit.

On the 25th of Dhul Qadah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) left Madinah and started the hajj journey. He was accompanied by Muslims from all walks of life. Men, women, and children all joined the gathering. Some of whom were riding camels and horses, while others walked.

Later that afternoon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions arrived at Dhul Hulayfah. Since it was an open area located about 9 kilometers southwest of Madinah, in Wadi al-Aqeeq, it was used as a gathering place for pilgrims, allowing them to organize themselves and travel to Makkah in one body.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) set up camp there and performed Asr salah in Qasr mode, observing two rak’ahs instead of the usual four.

A remarkable incident happened that night. Asma bint Umais (May Allah have mercy upon her) gave birth to a boy who was named Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. Her husband, Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy upon him), informed the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him what to do. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed her to bathe, to bandage herself sufficiently with a piece of cloth, and then to assume Ihram. She was permitted to observe all Hajj rituals with the exception of Tawaf.

On the next day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) put on his Ihram cloth before performing two rak’ahs of Dhuhr salah, making his niyyah and pronouncing Talbiyah at his place of prayer thereafter. His Talbiyah was as follows:

لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْك، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْك، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ

"Labbayka Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk, inna-l-hamda wa n-niaʿmata, laka wa l-mulk, la sharika lak."

Meaning: At your service, Allah, at your service. At your service, you have no partner. Truly, all praise, favor, and sovereignty are Yours; You have no partner.

All the Muslims followed the Prophet (peace be upon him) in pronouncing Talbiyah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) decided to undertake Hajj al-Qiran (combining both Hajj and Umrah without leaving Ihram).

Educating pilgrims

As the journey progressed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) continued to focus on educating and guiding his companions (may Allah have mercy upon them). It was part of preparing them for the upcoming Hajj. The companions (may Allah have mercy upon them) were highly enthusiastic to learn from the Prophet (Peace be upon him).

Reaching Makkah

The Prophet (peace be upon him) with his companions entered Makkah on Sunday, the 4th of Dhul Hijjah. He got down from his camel as he arrived at the entrance of the Kaaba. The first thing the Prophet (peace be upon him) did on reaching Makkah was the ablution, and then he performed Tawaf of the Kaaba.

As the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached the Hajar al-Aswad, he put his hands on the blessed stone and glorified Allah, then kissed the stone. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then performed Tawaf, circumambulating the Kaaba seven times. He was wearing a green Yamani mantle, which he had wrapped under his right armpit and over his left shoulder, exposing his right shoulder and right arm (Idtiba).

Dua between the corners

The Prophet (peace be upon him) made dua as he walked between the Rukn al-Yamani and the Hajar al-Aswad. He recited the following Quranic verse:

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Meaning: O our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the next world and guard us against the torment of the Fire. [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:201]

Maqam Ibrahim

Upon completion of Tawaf, the Prophet (peace be upon him) walked towards Maqam Ibrahim and recited the following verse loudly.

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا ٱلْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًۭا ۖ وَٱتَّخِذُوا۟ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ مُصَلًّۭى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلْعَـٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ

Meaning: And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], 'Purify My House for those who perform ṭawāf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer]. [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:125]

Standing between Maqam Ibrahim and the Kaaba, the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed two rakah of salah, reciting Surah al-Kafirun (Surah 109) in the first rakah and Surah al-Ikhlas (Surah 112) in the second rakah.

Sa’i between Safa and Marwa

The next ritual that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed was Sa’i between Safa and Marwa. He recited the following Quranic verse as he approached the hill of Safa.

إِنَّ ٱلصَّفَا وَٱلْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَآئِرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنْ حَجَّ ٱلْبَيْتَ أَوِ ٱعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا ۚ وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًۭا فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌۭ

Meaning: Indeed, Safa and Marwa are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs Umrah, there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers well, then indeed, Allah is appreciative and knowing. [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:158]

At Safa

The Prophet (peace be upon him) began his Sa’i from Safa. When he ascended Safa, he faced the Kaaba, looked at it, and declared the oneness of Allah and glorified the Almighty by saying:

الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَلَآ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَاَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ❁

Meaning: All praise is due to Allah; there is no God but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. [Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2695)]

لَآ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ ❁ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ ❁ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ❁ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ❁

Meaning: There is none worthy of worship but Allah alone; no partners are unto Him; He is the dominion, and He is the praise. He gives life, and He gives death, and He is capable of everything. [Sahih Muslim (Hadith 269) and Sahih al-Bukhari [Hadith 6404]

لَآ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ ❁ صَدَقَ وَعْدَهُ ❁ وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ ❁ وَهَزَمَ اَلْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهُ ❁

Meaning: There is none worthy of worship but Allah alone, who fulfilled His promise, gave victory to His servant, and defeated the confederates alone. [Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1218) and Sunan an-Nasa'i (Hadith 2817)]

Towards Marwa

As the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached the bottom of the valley, he started to move quickly, which caused his lower garments to move vigorously between his legs. He then returned to a normal walking pace as the valley started to ascend.

Upon reaching Marwa, he did the same as he had earlier done at Safa. He performed a total of seven laps between Safa and Marwa.

After the completion of Sa’i, he ordered everyone who had not brought a sacrificial animal to release themselves from Ihram completely, whether they had intended to combine Hajj and Umrah (Hajj al-Qiran) or to perform Hajj separately (Hajj al-Ifrad). They were instructed to remain in this state until Yawm al-Tarwiya (8th of Dhul Hijjah), at which point they would assume Ihram for Hajj.

Yawm al-Tarwiyah—8th of Dhul Hijjah

The Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Fajr at al-Abtah on Thursday, the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, and left for Mina in mid-morning. When the caravan left al-Abtah, those of his companions who had previously left the state of Ihram after having performed Umrah reentered the Ihram to perform Hajj.

They repeated the Talbiyah with their exit for Mina. The Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions spent the rest of the day and the night at Mina, observing the Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr prayers during their stay there.

The day of Arafah (9th of Dhul Hijjah)

After performing Fajr at Mina, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked everyone to remain in their places and glorify almighty Allah with the following words: ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah, wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahil Hamd.’. He uttered these words after each prayer until Asr of the last day of Tashreeq. He stayed a little longer until the sun had risen before proceeding to Arafat.

During the journey to Arafat, some companions continued to raise their voices in pronouncing the Talbiyah, while others pronounced the Takbir. No objection was made by the Prophet (peace be upon him) as to what was said.

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached Nimrah, an area just before Arafat, he addressed his companions with a powerful nasiha. This speech is now known as Khutbat al-Wida (Arabic: خطبة الوداع; “The Farewell Sermon”).

After the sermon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed both Dhuhr and Asr together at the time of Dhuhr with one Adhan and two Iqamas.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) made du’a for himself and his Ummah and said that du’a made on the Day of Arafat is the best of supplications. Amr ibn Shu’aib narrates from his grandfather that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

The best of supplication is the supplication of the Day of Arafat. And the best of what I and the prophets before me have said is:

لَآ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Meaning: None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, without a partner. To Him belongs all that exists, and to Him is the praise, and He is powerful over all things. [Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 6404) & Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2691)]

Journey to Muzdalifah

After the sun had set and the afterglow had dissipated somewhat, the Prophet (peace be upon him) left Arafat for Muzdalifah. During his journey, the Prophet (peace be upon him) proclaimed Talbiyah abundantly.

Upon reaching Muzdalifah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions performed the two prayers of Maghrib and Isha together, shortening the latter to two rak’ahs during the time of Isha.

After dawn broke on Saturday, the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Fajr salah with one Adhan and one Iqama, then departed for Mina just before sunrise.

Yawm al-Nahr—10th of Dhul Hijjah

The Prophet (peace be upon him) went to Jamrat al-Aqaba, stopped uttering the Talbiyah, and began to stone the pillar, reciting Takbir as he threw each of his seven stones. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) informed his companion Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bujali (may Allah have mercy upon him), who was a tall man with a loud voice, to gather the companions as he wanted to address them.

The sacrifice of animals

After delivering the sermon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) went to his place of encampment in Mina. He then headed to the place of sacrifice to offer his Hady.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) had brought 63 camels with him from Madinah, whereas Ali had brought 37 from Yemen, making 100 sacrificial animals in total. The Prophet (peace be upon him) slaughtered 63 himself and ordered Ali to sacrifice the remainder.

Scholars have mentioned that the rationale behind offering 63 sacrificial animals was that the number was equal to that of his age. In other words, he offered one camel in gratitude for each one of his years.

Shaving head

After the sacrifice, the Prophet (peace be upon him) called for Ma’mar ibn Abdullah al-Adwi (may Allah have mercy upon him) to shave his head with a razor.

After having shaved his head, the Prophet (peace be upon him) put on his ordinary clothes, removing the two Ihram garments.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then mounted his she-camel and headed to Makkah to perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah.

During the days of Tashreeq, the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered another address, conveying a message that was similar to his previous sermons during the pilgrimage.

Before the departure from Makkah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed some of the rituals along with Tawaf al-Wida.

Return to Madinah

After completing the Hajj by the grace of almighty Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) left for Madinah on the morning of Wednesday, the 14th of Dhul Hijjah. He stayed in Makkah, Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah for a total of 10 days.

When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) arrived in Madinah from the Hajjat al-Wada, he mounted the pulpit, praised Allah, and gave a speech.

The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) journey of Hajj was full of teachings and wisdom for his ummah. It is of great importance for Muslims today to study the journey with utmost attention. May almighty Allah bless us and guide us to learn from the life of His Messenger (peace be upon him).

Embark on a Hajj or Umrah journey with Hijaz Hajj Umrah Ltd.!

Experience Hajj the way the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed it. Hijaz Hajj Umrah Ltd. ensures you follow the Sunnah every step of the way. From Ihram to Tawaf, Arafah to Mina—our expert scholars and guides provide clear instructions and historical insights. We also offer exclusive Hajj or Umrah packages and create spiritual reflections to enhance your pilgrimage.

Apply for Hajj pre-registration Bangladesh 2026

Pre-registration for the Hajj in 2026 - 2027 from Bangladesh has not yet been given specified dates or conditions. Closer to the time of pre-registration, it is advised that you stay informed via official channels and get in touch with your neighborhood Hajj travel agent for further details.