(10th Year of the Migration, the month of Dhul-Hijjah  / AD 632, March)

It was the 10^th year of the Migration, the month of Dhul-Qada.

The Messenger of God made preparations for hajj. He also ordered the Muslims in Madinah to make preparations for hajj. In addition, he sent Madinah.

Upon this news, thousands of Muslims who wanted go to hajj started to flood into Madinah. Soon, Madinah was full of the light of Islam and luminous faces. Tents were set up around Madinah.

Muslims were experiencing a unique atmosphere of a festival and the Messenger of God was praising and thanking God Almighty in the peace and happiness of seeing the magnificent result of the great cause that he conveyed to people. 

Leaving Madinah

There were five days left for the end of the month of Dhul-Qada. It was Saturday.

The Messenger of God appointed Abu Duja­na as-Saidi as his deputy in  Madinah.[1]He had a bath in his house. He wore some nice perfume and put on new clothes. He left his house toward noon and went to the mosque. He led the noon prayer.[2]

The Prophet set off from Madinah with more than one hundred thousand Muslims who surrounded him like luminous circles and reached Dhul-Hulayfa. He spent the night there with his great congregation. 

The next day, he performed the noon prayer and entered ihram there. Then, he headed toward Makkah with his Companions, each of whom is a star of the humanity.

The Messenger of God was on his camel, Qasva. More than one hundred thousand Companions were like planets that did not lose their orbits around the spiritual sun. They uttered talbiyah: “Labbayk! “Labbayk! Allahumma labbayk! Lab­bay­ka la sharika laka Llabbayk! Innal hamda wan’ni­ma­ta la­ka wa’l-mulka la sharika laka.” (Here I am, O God, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner.)

It was as if the earth was like a single mouth and repeating the same “talbiyah” with hundreds of thousands of tongues. The earth and the sky were virtually sharing the joy and the excitement of the Messenger of God and his Companions. 

Arriving in Makkah

It was Monday, the fourth of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, early in the morning.

The Messenger of God entered Makkah from the upper part of the city called Thaniyyatu’u-Kada with more than one hundred thousand Muslims. When he saw the magnificent Kaaba, the Prophet prayed as follows: “O my Lord! Increase the magnificence, honor and grandeur of this magnificent Kaaba.[3]

Then, the Prophet reached Baytullah. He made istilam toHajaru’l-Aswad[4]and started to circumambulate the Kaaba from that corner. During the first three laps of the circumambulation, he took short steps and jerked his shoulders, walking fast and pompously; he walked slowly during the remaining four laps of the circumambulation.   

After completing the circumambulation by walking around the Kaaba seven times, he went to the Station of Ib­rahim. He performed a prayer of two rak’ahs there.[5]Then, he made istilam to Hajaru’l-Aswad again. Meanwhile, he said to Hazrat Umar, “O Umar! You are strong. Do not shoulder others in order to touch Hajaru’l-Aswad. Do not disturb people especially weak ones. If there are not many people around, touch it. If it is very crowded, greet and kiss it from a distance with your hands; utter, ‘La ilaha illalah and Allahu akbar’.”[6]

The Prophet Performs Sa’y

The Messenger of God went up to Safa Hill after that. He praised and thanked God Almighty there. Then, he came down and performed sa’y between Safa and Marwa seven times.

Going to Mina

After staying in Makkah on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Messenger of God went to Mina on Thursday. He performed the noon, afternoon, evening and night prayers there in congregation. He spent the night there. On Friday, the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, he set off from Minah after performing the morning prayer and headed toward Arafat. [7]