The Conditional Ihram

If someone in Ihram fears that he would not be able to perform Hajj owing to his illness or his enemy, he should add this condition to his intention at the time of donning Ihram: "If I am prevented by an obstacle, my place of freedom from this state will be wherever You hold me up." This was reported by Duba'ah the daughter of Zubair. She said: "O Messenger of Allah! I intend to perform Hajj. However, I am ill." The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم directed her to perform Hajj with the conditional statement that she would be free from Ihram wherever she faced an obstacle. One thus learns that if a person in Ihram is obstructed by illness or enemy, it is permissible for him to be free of his state of Ihram and he will not have to pay ransom for it.

Hajj of children:
It is perfectly all right for a child to perform Hajj ,as is borne out by `Abdullah bin `Abbas's رضي الله عنهما report in Sahih Muslim. A woman, while presenting her child to the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Is there Hajj for this (child)?" He replied: "Yes! And you will get the reward." Also there is Sa'ib bin Yazid's report in Sahih Bukhari that he performed Hajj along with the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم at the age of only seven years. However, such Hajj would be regarded as only a Nafl (voluntary) and not a fulfillment of the religious duty. The same holds true for slave men and slave girls in that their Hajj would also be reckoned as a Nafl, and not the compulsory duty. This point is made clear in the Hadith narrated by `Abdullah bin `Abbasرضي الله عنهما He said that the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said:

أيما صبي حج ثم بلغ الحنث فعليه أن يحج حجة أخرى وأيما عبد حج ثم أعتق فعليه حجة أخرى

If a child performs Hajj, he should perform it again after he attains adulthood. And if a slave performs Hajj, he should perform it again after being free.

If a child does not have full understanding, his guardian would express intention for Ihram. He can remove the child's seamed clothes and recite on his behalf "Labbaik" and the child will be regarded in the state of Ihram after his seamed clothes have been removed and the Ridaa and lzaar have been put on. Things that are forbidden for an adult during Ihram will be also forbidden for such a child.

Likewise, a girl who does not have full understanding, her guardian would express intention of Ihram on her behalf and recite "Labbaik." Thus, she will be regarded in the state of Ihram. As 1ong as the girl is in the state of Ihram, all such things forbidden in Ihram would be forbidden for her as if she were a woman. It is essential that their bodies and clothes should be pure and clean at the time of doing Tawaf For Tawaf is similar to the prayers which should be performed in the state of purity. If the boy and the girl are mature enough, they would put on Ihram with the consent of their guardian and take a bath, and apply perfume, etc. They do all of this in the same manner as an adult does at the time of putting on Ihram. Their guardian should supervise these rites and fulfil their need, whether the guardian is a father, a mother or someone else.

As to those rites which children cannot do on their own, they can be performed by their guardian, for example, casting the pebbles. However, they themselves will have to perform all the other rites such as standing at `Arafat, spending the night at mina and Al-Muzdalifah and performing Tawaf and Sa'y, they may be carried in the arms for performing these rituals. In such a condition the person carrying them cannot perform his Tawaf at the same time. Rather, he would make the intention on behalf of such children for performing Tawaf and Sa'y. Then he would perform these rites for himself independently. This is in order to take every possible caution and to follow this saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:

دع ما يريبك إلى ما لا يريبك

Follow what is certain and abandon the doubtful.

However, if the person carrying the child makes intention for both his and the child's Tawaf and Sa'y, it also suffices according to an authentic view. For the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم had not directed that woman to perform separate Tawaf for the child when she asked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم Had it been necessary, he would have definitely instructed her. Mature boys and girls should be told about cleanliness, purity and impurity before they start performing Tawaf. The same is applicable to the adults in Ihram. The guardian acting on behalf of a small boy or girl is not obliged to put on Ihram, for it is a Nafl act. If he does so, it would bring him reward and if he does not do so, there is no sin in that.

©  EsinIslam.Com

Hajj And Umrah Guides, Pilgrimage Essentials, Mecca & Medina Topics Links:

Advice To Pilgrims | A Step by step Hajj and 'Umrah | Adhkar (Pertaining to the remembrance of Allah) | A Lasting Word For Hajj And 'Umrah | An Account of the Miqat | An Account of visiting the Prophet's Mosque | Ayaam at-Tashreeq | Binding on the pilgrim to refrain from sins | Command about the Menstruating and similar women | Conditional Ihram | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day One | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Two | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Three | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Four | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Five | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Six | Day of Arafah | Day to Day Activities of Hajj | Dhabh | Duties of pilgrims at 'Arafah | Entering Mecca | Entering Al-Masjid-al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque) and Tawaf | Errors Often Committed by Pilgrims | Etiquette of Ihram | Etiquette of Visiting the Prophet's (P.B.U.H) Grave | Farewell Pilgrimage of the Messenger of Allah | Farewell Tawaf | Farewell Tawaf is binding on everyone except the menstruating and women with post childbirth bleeding | Fixed time for Hajj | Fixed time for Hajj | Four Khutbahs in Hajj | Hajj in Pre-Islamic Times | Hajj of a woman | Hajj, Umrah & Ziyarah At a Glance | Halq or Qass | Halq or Qasr: Shaving or Clipping | Ihram | Ihram for youngsters | Ihram: Introduction And Significance | Innovations of `Arafah | Innovations Before Ihraam | Innovations of Hajj, `Umra and Visiting Madinah | Innovations of Ihraam and Talbiyyah, etc. | Innovations of Muzdalifah | Innovations of Sacrifice and Shaving the Head | Innovations of Sa'y Between Safaa and Marwah | Innovations of Stoning | Innovations of Tawaaf | Innovations of Visiting Madinat-ul-Munawwarah | Innovations of Visiting Bait-ul-Maqdis | Innovations: Various Innovations | Istilaam | Kinds of Ihram | Leaving Arafah to spend night in Al Muzdalefah | Many `Umrahs after Hajj is not encouraged by the Shari`ah | Maqaam Ibraaheem | Meeqaat | Merits of Hajj | Merits of 'Umrah | Minaa | Neglecting and delaying the throwing of pebbles | No Specific Supplication for Tawaf and Sa'y | Not allowed to shave the beard | Not obligatory to visit the Prophet's Mosque | Objective of Hajj - To seek the Divine Pleasure | Obligations during Hajj and Umrah | Performing Hajj on behalf of others | Permitted and Forbidden things in the State of Ihram | Pilgrim with Sacrificial Animal in the month of Hajj should intend Qiran (accompanied Hajj) and the one | Pillars of Hajj | Prayers at Arafah | Preparations for Hajj, Umrah and travelling to the holy lands | Preparing for Hajj or 'Umrah | Prerequisites and Sunnahs of valid Tawaf | Ramy | Reaching Miqat at a Time other than the Hajj Season | Regulations Concerning Hady (Sacrificial animals) | Restrictions of Ihram | Rites, obligations and Sunnahs of Umrah | Sa'y | Sa'y between Safa and Marwah | Sa'y and its rituals | Sacrificial animals | Shaving or clipping hair | Sunnah and allowed throwing | Sunnahs of Tawaf | Supplication at the beginning of the journey | Supplication on entering the Mosque | Supplications at Arafah | Supplications: Some All-Inclusive Supplications | Supplications: Some Supplications which may Be Recited At 'Arafat, at the Sacred Sites, and at Other Places of Supplication | Talbeeyah | Tawaaf | Tawaaf al-Ifaadah | Throwing Al Jemar | Throwing pebbles on behalf of other people | Types of Hajj | Umrah | Veiling and giving up the display of beauty is compulsory for women | Verdict on spending the night at Mina | Visitation of the Prophet's Mosque | Visiting Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi | Visiting Quba Mosque and Al-Baqi' cemetery | What a Pilgrim should do when he reaches the Miqat | What Is Required of the Pilgrims | What is allowed to a Muhrim | Where to pick the pebbles from and the number and size of pebbles | Woman's Hajj with Mahram, expenses of Hajj, taking husband's permission | Woman may enter into the Ihram in any dress | Wuqoof 'Arafaat | Wuqoof Muzdalifah | Zamzam