Sahih al-Bukhari

Sahih al-Bukhari 1572

"This is for him whose family is not present at the Al-Masjid-al-Haram"
Hajj (Pilgrimage) Search within the hadiths
Sahih al-Bukhari 1572
Arabic hadith text
وَقَالَ أَبُو كَامِلٍ فُضَيْلُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْشَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ مُتْعَةِ الْحَجِّ، فَقَالَ أَهَلَّ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ وَالأَنْصَارُ وَأَزْوَاجُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ وَأَهْلَلْنَا، فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا مَكَّةَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ اجْعَلُوا إِهْلاَلَكُمْ بِالْحَجِّ عُمْرَةً إِلاَّ مَنْ قَلَّدَ الْهَدْىَ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَطُفْنَا بِالْبَيْتِ وَبِالصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ وَأَتَيْنَا النِّسَاءَ، وَلَبِسْنَا الثِّيَابَ وَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ قَلَّدَ الْهَدْىَ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَحِلُّ لَهُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْهَدْىُ مَحِلَّهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ أَمَرَنَا عَشِيَّةَ التَّرْوِيَةِ أَنْ نُهِلَّ بِالْحَجِّ، فَإِذَا فَرَغْنَا مِنَ الْمَنَاسِكِ جِئْنَا فَطُفْنَا بِالْبَيْتِ وَبِالصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ فَقَدْ تَمَّ حَجُّنَا، وَعَلَيْنَا الْهَدْىُ كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ‏{‏فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ الْهَدْىِ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فِي الْحَجِّ وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ‏}‏ إِلَى أَمْصَارِكُمْ‏.‏ الشَّاةُ تَجْزِي، فَجَمَعُوا نُسُكَيْنِ فِي عَامٍ بَيْنَ الْحَجِّ وَالْعُمْرَةِ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَنْزَلَهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ وَسَنَّهُ نَبِيُّهُ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَبَاحَهُ لِلنَّاسِ غَيْرَ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ، قَالَ اللَّهُ ‏{‏ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَهْلُهُ حَاضِرِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ‏}‏ وَأَشْهُرُ الْحَجِّ الَّتِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى شَوَّالٌ وَذُو الْقَعْدَةِ وَذُو الْحَجَّةِ، فَمَنْ تَمَتَّعَ فِي هَذِهِ الأَشْهُرِ فَعَلَيْهِ دَمٌ أَوْ صَوْمٌ، وَالرَّفَثُ الْجِمَاعُ، وَالْفُسُوقُ الْمَعَاصِي، وَالْجِدَالُ الْمِرَاءُ‏.‏
Translation
Ibn 'Abbas said that he has been asked regarding Hajj-at-Tamattu' on which he said

"The Muhajirin and the Ansar and the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) and we did the same. When we reached Makkah, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Give up your intention of doing the Hajj (at this moment) and perform 'Umra, except the one who had garlanded the Hady." So, we performed Tawaf round the Ka'bah and [Sa'y] between As-safa and Al-MArwa, slept with our wives and wore ordinary (stitched) clothes. The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "Whoever has garlanded his Hady is not allowed to finish the Ihram till the Hady has reached its destination (has been sacrificed)". Then on the night of Tarwiya (8th Dhul Hijjah, in the afternoon) he ordered us to assume Ihram for Hajj and when we have performed all the ceremonies of Hajj, we came and performed Tawaf round the Ka'bah and (Sa'y) between As-Safa and Al-Marwa, and then our Hajj was complete, and we had to sacrifice a Hady according to the statement of Allah: "... He must slaughter a Hady such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, he should observer Saum (fasts) three days during the Hajj and seven days after his return (to his home)…." (V. 2:196).And the sacrifice of the sheep is sufficient. So, the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions joined the two religious deeds, (i.e. Hajj and 'Umra) in one year, for Allah revealed (the permissibility) of such practice in His book and in the Sunna (legal ways) of His Prophet (ﷺ) and rendered it permissible for all the people except those living in Makkah. Allah says: "This is for him whose family is not present at the Al-Masjid-Al-Haram, (i.e. non resident of Makkah)." The months of Hajj which Allah mentioned in His book are: Shawwal, Dhul-Qa'da and Dhul-Hijjah. Whoever performed Hajj-at-Tamattu' in those months, then slaughtering or fasting is compulsory for him.The words: 1. Ar-Rafatha means sexual intercourse. 2. Al-Fasuq means all kinds of sin, and 3. Al-Jidal means to dispute.

Commentary

Overview & Central Theme

This hadith, transmitted by Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), encapsulates the legislative wisdom behind the Prophet's (ﷺ) command to the Companions during the Farewell Pilgrimage to convert their initial intention of Hajj into 'Umrah (Tamattu'). It establishes the permissibility of performing 'Umrah within the months of Hajj followed by Hajj in the same journey, with a required sacrificial offering (Hady) or fasting as an alternative. The central theme is divine facilitation (Taysir) and the abrogation of pre-Islamic rigidity, demonstrating how the Prophet (ﷺ) pragmatically guided the Ummah to combine worship acts while preserving the sanctity of the rites. It also clarifies the geographical scope of this concession—exempting residents of Makkah—and defines the precise months of Hajj, alongside the prohibition of sexual intercourse, sin, and disputation during the sacred state (Ihram).

Context & Linguistic Insights

The narration occurs during the Hijjat al-Wada' (Farewell Pilgrimage) in 10 AH, when the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions intended Hajj but, upon reaching Makkah, he commanded those without sacrificial animals to break their Ihram and perform 'Umrah instead. This was a test of obedience and a practical demonstration of the Quranic verse (2:196) permitting Tamattu'. Linguistically, "Ar-Rafatha" (رَفَثَ) denotes sexual intercourse or its preliminaries, "Al-Fasuq" (فُسُوق) encompasses all acts of disobedience and sin, and "Al-Jidal" (جِدَال) refers to contentious disputation or quarrelling—all strictly prohibited during Ihram. The term "Hady" (هَدْي) refers to the animal sacrificed in the Sanctuary, and "garlanding" (taqlid) marked the animal as dedicated, preventing the pilgrim from exiting Ihram until it was sacrificed. The phrase "Tarwiya" (تَرْوِيَة) refers to the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, named for the traditional watering of camels in preparation for 'Arafat.

Key Scholarly Insights & Legal Benefits

  • Tamattu' (performing 'Umrah before Hajj with a break of Ihram) is legally valid and superior for non-residents of Makkah, as explicitly practiced and endorsed by the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions.
  • The obligation of a Hady (sacrificial animal) for Tamattu' is derived from Quran 2:196; if unaffordable, fasting three days during Hajj and seven upon return becomes obligatory—demonstrating graded ease in Islamic law.
  • The concession is exclusively for those whose families are not resident within the boundaries of the Haram (Makkah), as per the Quranic stipulation, preserving the distinction between local and non-local pilgrims.
  • The months of Hajj are specifically Shawwal, Dhul-Qa'dah, and the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah; initiating Ihram for Hajj outside these months is invalid, and Tamattu' must occur within them.
  • Prohibition of Rafath (sexual intimacy), Fusuq (sinful acts), and Jidal (quarrelling) during Ihram underscores the spiritual discipline required, transforming the pilgrimage into a holistic exercise of self-restraint and devotion.
"The Prophet (ﷺ) intended, by commanding the Companions to break their Ihram, to establish a ruling that would remain until the Day of Judgment, and to refute the pre-Islamic practice of delaying Hajj. He thus made Tamattu' a mercy and an ease for the Ummah, as stated by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in Fath al-Bari."

Daily Life & Spiritual Application

This hadith teaches believers the virtue of complete submission to prophetic command, even when it contradicts personal intention—as the Companions had initially entered Ihram for Hajj but readily changed to 'Umrah upon the Prophet's (ﷺ) instruction. In daily life, this translates into prioritizing divine guidance over personal preference, trusting that Allah's legislation is always rooted in wisdom and ease. When performing Hajj or 'Umrah, a Muslim should embrace the concession of Tamattu' with gratitude, ensuring the Hady is offered with sincerity or the fasts are observed if unable. Moreover, the prohibitions of Rafath, Fusuq, and Jidal extend beyond Ihram as lifelong ethical principles: guarding one's chastity, avoiding all sins, and abstaining from futile arguments. This cultivates a character of patience, humility, and mindfulness—transforming every action into worship and every conflict into an opportunity for restraint and peace.