When my brother-in-law came for Umrah from Sri Lanka, I was surprised to find him wearing his ordinary clothes. He explained that although he intended to put on his Ihram garments when his plane reached the Meeqat, he discovered while on the plane that these were in his suitcase which was in the luggage hold. When he completed his Umrah, he sacrificed a sheep in compensation for his omission. However, later an imam in our local mosque told me that Ihram is by the intention, not by wearing any clothes. This is very surprising, because I have always been told that to be in consecration, or Ihram, one must wear garments without any stitching. Please explain.
There is no discrepancy between what the local imam told you and what you have always assumed. One enters into the state of consecration, or Ihram, when he or she declares their intention to perform the pilgrimage or the Umrah. On reaching the Meeqat, or the point on his route defined for Ihram, one says: “I am embarking on doing this duty [the pilgrimage or the Umrah], my Lord, so facilitate it for me and accept it from me.” When one says this, or similar wording indicating his intention, the process of performing either duty is started. For that process to be properly done, he or she should be now in Ihram garments because they have already started their Ihram, or consecration. One of the restrictions of Ihram, or consecration, is to wear the type of clothes required. Ihram garments are the full clothes a woman wears normally, covering all her body with the exception of her face and hands, up to her wrists. For a man, Ihram garments consists of two large pieces of cloth, one wrapped round his waist and covering the area from his navel to well below his knees, and the other thrown over his shoulders and covering the upper part of his body. His head must remain uncovered and he may wear slippers, but not shoes. There are a number of restrictions a person observes during Ihram, such as the prohibition of cutting or plucking his hair, using perfume, hunting or killing birds and game for food or for any purpose, sexual play or intercourse with one’s wife or husband, etc. The violation of any of these restrictions does not mean that the person is no longer in Ihram, but it means that he should give some compensation.
Now if a man does not have such garments or cloth, he may wear his ordinary clothes in the same way as he wears those pieces of cloth. He may, for example, wrap his robes round his waist, without putting his arms through the sleeves. If his clothes will not help him with that, and he must remain in his ordinary clothes, he is deemed to be in the state of consecration, observing all its restrictions, but he has violated the rule on the type of garments allowed. He is required to slaughter a sheep for this omission, or to feed three needy persons or to fast 6 days in compensation. The same applies to a person who is ill and his illness prevents him from observing any restriction of Ihram. On his pilgrimage, the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw one of his companions with his head so badly infested with bugs. He said to him: “I could not have imagined that your condition could be that bad. Can you get a sheep?” When the man answered in the negative, he ordered him to shave his head and either fast for 6 days or feed three needy persons. ~
How many Umrahs can one offer on the same journey? Is it possible to offer the Umrah on behalf of deceased parents and relatives? If so, where does one start his Ihram? If one’s parents are alive but he cannot afford to bring them from home, could he offer the Umrah on their behalf?
When people come for pilgrimage or Umrah, we find them offering several Umrahs over a short period of time. They feel that they should not miss the chance that their presence in Makkah affords them to earn more reward from God. The practice is not the best they can do. It is better for them to offer one Umrah only. They should follow it with attending congregational prayers at the Haram as often as possible, and with doing the tawaf as frequently as they can. Tawaf is like prayers, with the only difference that ordinary talk does not invalidate it. Hence, it is a good means of earning reward.
All this applies to a person who is offering the extra Umrahs in his own behalf, like one who offers extra prayers, or rises up at night for worship. He should determine what earns him the best reward and do it. If he is doing the other Umrahs on behalf of other people, the case is different. In any way, the Umrah for a person who is in Makkah starts with Ihram, which begins at the nearest point in the Hill area, such as Taneem. One does not need to go to another city for this purpose, unless he is going, say, to Jeddah or Taif for business, in which case he may start his Ihram there.
If one is offering Umrah on behalf of his parents who are alive, he should consider first of all whether they have the financial means to offer that duty themselves. If so, then they should come over and do it in their own time. He cannot do it on their behalf.
If a person has the financial ability to cover the expenses of the journey, but is too ill to undertake it, he or she should appoint someone else to do the pilgrimage or the Umrah or both on their behalf, covering all the expenses of that person. If a person does not have the financial means, then that person is not required to do the pilgrimage or the Umrah. Ability is a condition for that duty to become applicable.
A son or daughter who is able to cover the expenses of the pilgrimage or the Umrah of one or both of his parents should do so, because then that son or daughter will earn rich reward from God. If such a son cannot afford to do so he finds himself in Saudi Arabia, he may decide to offer the pilgrimage or the Umrah on behalf of one of his parents. While it is not an incumbent duty on either, considering their poverty, he will be doing an act of dutifulness, which earns his parents and himself good reward.
Offering the Umrah on behalf of deceased relatives is perfectly appropriate. If those relatives are alive, then the whole thing does not apply. ~
I lead a very wretched life, as I am often the victim of injustice at the hands of people who are close to me. When I complain, the result is often repeated abuse. I frequently think of cursing those people who cause my agony but then I refrain from doing so. Sometimes when I offer my prayers I burst out crying. Should I stop and repeat the prayer again when I am calm and able to concentrate better? Is it a sin to even think of cursing people for their injustice?
The short answer to both parts of the question is simply, ‘No’. When you pray, try to concentrate as much as you can on your prayers, but if your emotions overpower you and you are in tears, just take the matter calmly, and wait a while until you are able to compose yourself and continue your prayer. May be a short supplication for God’s help to remove your distress can get you to calm down more quickly. But do not interrupt your prayer for such an overpowering emotion. Continue with it as best as you can, giving yourself a chance to cool down.
When we think of doing something forbidden, but do not carry out that intention, God does not hold us to account for such thoughts. This is part of God’s grace, which He bestows on us all.
However, thinking about cursing people when they have caused us harm, or done us injustice, is a natural feeling. But a curse is not the proper thing to do in order to seek God’s help to remove the injustice inflicted on you.
When we are in a position of weakness, unable to remove injustice, we can put our complaint to God and appeal to Him to help us remove it and punish the perpetrator. This is the proper way.
Another thing we may do is to try to get support from others who may have an influence on the offender. If this is not possible, then we may consult some people who may appreciate the problem and give us advice. But it is important to try hard to break away from such injustice as you have described.
My advice to you is to seek God’s help in solving problem. Get someone respected by the other party to talk to them on your behalf. And defy those unjust people and, if necessary, to break away from them.
Certainly it is wrong to be in a situation where one is subjected to repeated ill treatment, with no solution in sight.