Halq: refers to the act of shaving the entire head and Taqsir: involves trimming the hair on the head by at least an inch. Performing Halq or Taqsir is the Wajib act that must be performed to leave the state of Ihram.

Significance:

Allah says in the Quran:

Certainly, Allah had shown to His Messenger the vision with truth: you will most certainly enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah pleases, in security, having their heads shaved and having their hair cut, you will not fear, but He knows what you do not know, so He brought about a near victory before that. [Surah al-Fath, 48:27]

The famous Mufassir Ismail ibn Kathir V writes the following about this verse: In a dream, the Messenger of Allah saw himself entering Makkah and performing Tawaf around the House. He then invoked the mercy of Allah on those who had shaved their heads three times and he supplicated just once for those who had their hair shortened, demonstrating the excellence of shaving the hair completely. The Prophet SAWW said, “Be merciful to those who get their head shaved,” and on the fourth time he added, “And to those who have their hair cut short”. [Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari]

Rulings and Method:

Halq or Taqsir is Wajib. You will not be able to leave the state of Ihram until you have performed one of the two. Abdullah ibn Umar I narrates: Allah’s Messenger SAWW forbade Al-Qaza (leaving a tuft of hair here and there after shaving one’s head). [Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari] It is Sunnah to face the Qibla and start Halq / Taqsir from the right side.

Anas ibn Malik R.A reported:

Allah’s Messenger SAWW came to Mina; he went to the Jamarat and threw pebbles at it, after which he went to his lodging in Mina, and sacrificed the animal. He then gave it to the people. [Narrated in Sahih Muslim] If you have no hair on your head, simply passing a razor over your head will suffice. When doing Taqsir, the minimum amount to trim is the length of a fingertip from all ends of the hair. It is permissible and a common practice to have someone else cut your hair for you. Men and women may also cut their own hair to come out of Ihram. Trimming the Hair for Women Women are not to perform Halq i.e.have their heads shaved. The evidence for this is from the following Hadith narrated by Ali R. A: The Messenger of Allah forbade women to shave their heads. [Narrated in Sunan an-Nasa’i] A woman is simply to trim a fingertip’s length i.e.about an inch from the end of her hair. In the case of a woman’s hair being very short in length, it must still be trimmed to leave the state of Ihram. If you are performing Umrah by cheap umrah packages from London or Hajj al-Tamattu, do not forget to cut your hair before coming back to the hotel. Many women forget to do so and incur penalties due to still being in the state of Ihram. If this happens, a slaughter Is then levied on the pilgrim as expiation.

When and Where For those performing Umrah out of the Hajj season, the hair is cut once after performing Sa’i. For those performing Hajj al-Tamattu, where Umrah and Hajj are performed separately, the hair is cut twice; once during Umrah and once during Hajj, after the Hady is completed. For those performing Hajj al-Qiran, the hair is cut once during Hajj, after the Hady is completed. For those performing Hajj al-Ifrad, the hair is cut once during Hajj and can be performed straight after the pelting of Jamarat al-Aqaba. For all three types of Hajj, the hair must be cut before sunset on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah. The hair can be cut in Makkah, Mina or Muzdalifah. It is Sunnah for those performing Hajj to have their hair cut in Mina. Licensed barbers, on the other hand, charge up to 30 Riyals for a shave. Since barber shops are often busy and to save some money, you also have the option of shaving your head. You can bring hair clippers to cut your hair and use a razor to clean and shave your head.

The two most important pilgrimages in Islam are the Hajj and the Umrah. From the United Kingdom and all around the world, millions of people take part in the Umrah ceremonies in Makkah by booking one of the many available Umrah Packages All Inclusive. Therefore, the four main pillars are the same for hajj and umrah;

1. Assuming the State of Ihram.

• In reality, the pilgrims’ condition of immaculate purity throughout the sacred ceremonies of hajj and Umrah, symbolised by the ihram garments they wear, is the focus of the journey. As a result, the Muhrims have rituals and rules they must follow to maintain their collective holiness and sense of oneness.
• Two white, unstitched sheets are worn by men in Ihram; one covers the upper body and the other the lower. In the state of Ihram, they must not wear anything that has been sewn together.
• A woman’s regular attire can serve as Ihram so long as it is simple, modest, and in accordance with Islamic principles.
• Pilgrims are obligated to do the following before entering Ihram:
• Cut their fingernails.
• Remove any excess hair from your body.
• Ghusl must be done
• Pilgrims are required to enter the state of Ihram before entering the Miqat.
• In particular, you should not do the following when in Ihram:
• Hair and nail maintenance.
• Using olfactory enhancements such as fragrances.
• Having sexual encounters.
• Killing a non-human animal or bug (other than in self-defense).

2. Tawaf of the Holy Kaaba.

• Tawaf is the term for the seven times-around-the-Holy-Kaabah pilgrimage.
Each pilgrim must perform the ritual clockwise, with the Holy Kaabah on his or her left at all times.
• The Tawaf circuit always begins and ends at Hajar-al-Aswad. This, then, is one full cycle.
• After completing the seven circuits, travellers must pray the Salat al-tawaf in Masjid al-haram’s Maqam el-Ibrahim.
• Tawaf can be performed in one of three ways;
• Tawaf al-Qudum (Tawaf Upon Arrival).
• Tawaf al-Ifadah (the circumambulation of the Kaaba during Hajj).
• A farewell tawaf, or Tawaf al-Wida.

3. Sayee of Safah and Marwah Hills.

• Walking or running between the two hills of Safa and Marwah inside the Masjid-al-Haram is called Sayee. Hazrat Hajar (the Prophet Ibrahim’s (while) wife) performed this ritual while she walked across the hills to find water for the Prophet Ismail (AS) when he was an infant.

• The Sayee ritual consists of seven cycles.
• The first round begins at Safah and heads in the direction of Marwah Hill, and so on until the seventh and final round concludes at Marwah Hill.
• The Halq/Taqsir is the next rite of passage for pilgrims after the Sayee.

4. Standing at Arafat (for the Hajj pilgrimage):

One of the most important parts of the Hajj journey is still to stand at Arafat on the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah. It’s an essential part of the pilgrimage, so you can’t skip it. If not, then that person’s hajj isn’t complete.

From midday to evening, pilgrims congregate in the Arafat region. They pray, recite Duas, beg Allah Almighty for pardon, and do other forms of supplication at this time.

All Hajj and Umrah pilgrims must perform these four acts in order to fulfil their religious obligations. These are some piece of knowledge which every pilgrim should know before booking Umrah from any trusted Islamic travel agency uk. Therefore, it provides a chance for spiritual cleansing and for growing closer to God.