"EHRAAM" AND INJUNCTIONS THEREOF  

Q.1: What should one do before adopting Ehraam?  

1. One should, prior to putting on Ehraam, take bath washing oneself well. If can not then  perform Wudu (ablution). Anoint the hair with fragrant oil and comb them. If possible, get the  head shaved off thereby relieving oneself of taking care of the hair. Pare the finger-nails, get the  beard trimmed as per the Shari'ah, remove the hair of armpits and pubes. Applying perfume to  oneself is Sunnat. Divest oneself of sewn cloths and put on two new or washed and clean sheets  of cloth preferrably white. One covering the upper half of the body and the other covering the  lower half.  

Reaching Meeqaat offer two Rak'at prayer with the intention of Ehraam reciting "Surah Al Kaaferoon" in the first Rak'at after "Surah Al-Faateha" and Surah Al-Ikhlaas" in the second  Rak'at and after completing the prayer form Niyat of Hajj or 'Umrah as the case may be and then  say loudly "Talbiyah" i.e. "Labbaiek". This is Ehraam that brings the pilgrim under sanctions.  

Q.2: Which things are unlawful in the state of Ehraam?  

1. The following things,acts are unlawful in the state of Ehraam:  

(1). Sexual intercourse or kissing or such carnal things, (2). lustful talks before women, (3).  Vulgarity which is unlawful in normal course of life, becomes even worse in the state of Ehraam,  (4). Querrel even with one's own servant or subordinate, (5). Hunting or aiding it, (6). To break,  cook, fry, sell, purchase or eat eggs or birds or to tease them or milk the wild animals, (7). To  pare the finger-nails or strip off any hair of the body from head to toe. Cropping or shaving the  beard is even more "Haraam" (unlawful) in the state of Ehraam, (8). To cover the face or head  with a piece of cloth or to put/carry a bundle of cloths or bed on the head, (9). To don  "Amaamah" (turban) or cap or wear "Burqa" (gown-like veil covering the body from head to toe)  or gloves or socks that cover the ankle or to put on sewn cloth(s), (10). to apply perfume to the  hair or body or cloth(s), (11). To wear the cloth(s) dyed with the sandal-wood colour or with any  other fragrant colour if still giving off aroma, (12). To eat or to tie by the corner of stole or keep  a pure perfume, cloves, cardamom, cinnamom, saffron etc. in any manner on one's person, (13).  To wash the head or beard with a fragrant substance or with such a thing that kills lice, (14). To  apply hair-dye or to colour the hair with "Wasmah" (a kind of leaves that are used to dye the  beard or head) and to apply black-dye is always "Haraam" (unlawful) in normal course of life  and in the state of Ehraam such acts are even worse, (15). to set the hair with gum, (16). to apply  olive-oil or sesame-oil, although it is odourless, to the body or the hair, (17). to shave off the  head of someone even though he is not attired in Ehraam, (18). To kill a louse or throw it away  or ask,signal somebody to kill it, (19). To wash cloths or place them in the sunlight to kill lice  and (20). To apply any chemical like "Paarah" (poisonous substance) to the hair to kill lice or to  cause killing of lice in any way.  

Q.3: Which things are "Makrooh" in the state of Ehraam?  

1. The following things,acts are "Makrooh" (undesirable) in the state of Ehraam: (1).To remove  the dirt from the body or wash the hair or the body with odourless soap or oil-cake, (2). To comb  the hair or ruffle the hair or scratch the head in such a way that hair or louse falls off, (3).to put  coat or robe on the shoulders in wear-like style, (4). To put on cloth(s) or cover oneself with a  sheet of cloth fumigated with some fragrance that is stih giving off aroma, (5). To smell  fragrance deliberately although it may be a fragrant fruit or leave like lemon and mint, (6). to 

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bind or cover the head or face with a strip of cloth or to cover the nose or any part of the face  with a piece of cloth, (7). To enter inside "Ghilaaf-e-Ka'bah" (the blessed cover of the House of  Allah in such a way that it touches one's head or face, (8). To eat or drink some thing containing  aromatic substance which has neither been cooked nor its fragrance suppressed, (9). To put on  the unsewn cloth which is darned or patched, (10). To lie prone resting the face on a pillow.  However, it is not "Makrooh" to place a pillow under one's head or cheek, (11). To touch  fragrant perfume. However, if it sticks to the hand then it is unlawful, (12). To tie an  amulet,talisman round the arm or the neck even though it is wrapped-up in an unstitched piece of  cloth, (13). To bandage the body unnecessarily. However, it is permissible to bandage a wound  on any part of the body except the face and head, (14). to do one's make-up. However, it is not  Makrooh to see in the mirror, (18). To wrap oneself up in a sheet of cloth knotting its corners  with each other provided that the head is not covered otherwise it is "Haraam", (16). To knot the  corners of "Taihband" (a sheet of cloth used as garment for the lower part of the body) and (17).  To tie "Taihband" with a drawer-string,waist-band.  

Q.4: Which things are permissible in the state of Ehraam?  

1. The following things.acts are permissible in the state of Ehraam:  

(1).To put coat,shirt or robe over oneself in such a way that the head and face are not covered,  (2). To tie coat, shirt, robe or trouser round the waist or to put the corner of sheet inside the lower  garment, (3). To tie a purse or belt or weapon round the waist, (4). To go under water even  though the head disappears in the water. In this condition one can also take bath without  removing dirt from the body, (5). To wash cloth(s). But it should not be meant for killing lice,  (6). To brush the teeth with "Miswaak" or wear a ring or apply odourless antimony to the eyes,  (7).to sit under the shade of something or to put up an umbrella to shelter oneself from rain or  sunlight, (8).to remove the loose grinder or dislodged finger-nail or the hair, if falls, in the eye or  to circumcise, (9).to have one's vein opened to bleed without shaving off the hair (of any part of  the body) or burst pustule or abscess, (10).to scratch the head or body in such a way that neither  the hair falls nor louse, (11).to let the aroma of perfumes applied before adopting Ehraam  remain, (12).to slaughter, cook or eat flesh of or milk a domesticated lawful animal or to break,  fry or eat egg(s), (13).to catch fish for food or hunt an aquatic animal for medicine. It may be  noted that hunting of wild animals or of aquatic ones for sport is unlawful and doing so in the  state of Ehraam is even more "Haraam", (14).to place one's own or other's hand on the head or  nose, (15).to cover the nape or ear(s) with a piece of cloth or cloth touches the beard beneath the  chin, (16).to carry a tray or bag full of material on the head, (17).to eat cooked food containing  musk etc. even though it still gives off aroma or to eat such food item which is sprinkled with  some fragrance after it is cooked but does not emit aroma, (18).to apply mustard-seed or coconut  or gourd,pumpkin or lethuce oil, that is not scented, to the body or hair (head), (19).to put on the  cloth which has been dyed with some aromatic substance but is odourless now. However, putting  on saffron coloured cloth(s) is unlawful for man, (20).to argue or fight for the sake of Islamic  faith. It is "Fard" and "Waajib" when needed, (21).to wear such a pair of shoe that does not cover  the insteps of the foot, (22). To put an amulet,talisman wrapping up in an unsewn piece of cloth  round the neck, (23).to touch such a fragrance that does not give off aroma at present like aloe,  frankincense and sandal-wood or tie it by the corner of stole, (24).to hold "Nikaah" (to solemnise  marriage), (25).to strip off grass grown in the outskirts of "Haram" (Holy Ka'bah) or cut down  trees, (26).to kill dangerous and filthy animals like kite, crow, chameleon, lizard, bug, snake,  scorpion, mosquito, flea, fly etc. and (27).to eat the flesh of such an animal that was hunted by a  "Ghair-Mahram" (the one to whom a woman can be married) and no "Mahram" (the close  relatives to whom a woman can not be married) helped him in it in whatsoever way provided that  the animal was neither of "Haram" nor was slaughtered in the "Haram". 

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Q.5: Do these injunctions apply to men and women equally or not?  

1. These injunctions are equally applicable to men and women. However, somethings are  permissible for women: (1). To cover the head. It is "Fard" (obligatory) for prayer and to hide  from "Naa-Mahram" (one other than a close relative)'s eyes. So carrying a bundle on the head is  permissible, (2).to set the hair with gum, (3). to bind a strip of cloth round the head even to tie an  amulet,talisman round the arm or put round the neck even though it is sewn up in a piece of  cloth, (4).to enter inside the "Ghilaaf-e-Ka'bah" (the blessed cover of the House of Allah) in such  a way that it touches,covers the head with the face uncovered, (5).to wear gloves, socks and sewn  cloth(s), (6).women should not utter "Labbaiek" so loudly that "Naa-Mahram" may hear her  voice. However, it is must for all (irrespective of man and woman) to recite (Quranic  chapter(s),verses and "Labbaiek" etc: so audibly that one could hear his/her own voice.  

NOTE: Covering the face in the state of Ehraam is also unlawful for woman. So she should use a  fan etc. as cover to hide her face from Naa-Mahram's eyes. But it should not touch the face.  

Q.6: What injunction is there about unintentional occurance of such things that are impermissible  in the state of Ehraam?  

1. There is no sin if something,act that is impermissible and unlawful is done in the state of  Ehraam due to any excuse or inattention,forgetfulness. However, the penality prescribed for such  impermissible thing, act will be due whether it is done intentionally or unintentionally under  duress or during sleep, knowingly or unknowingly, in ignorance, in consciousness or  unconsciousness.