The months of Hajj are well-known. Whoever intends to perform Pilgrimage in these months shall abstain from sensual indulgence, wicked conduct and quarrelling; and whatever good you do, Allah knows it. Take your provisions for the Pilgrimage – but, in truth, the best provision is piety. O men of understanding, beware of disobeying Me.
(Al-Qur’an – 2:197)
Those who intend to undertake Hajj pilgrimage make preparation for it from every aspect – mental, physical, financial and of course spiritual. In this process they have to follow certain dos and donts. In the state of consecration (ihram) husband and wife have to refrain from not only sexual intercourse but also lascivious conversation and any act which either stems from or is likely to stimulate sexual desire.
Hajj pilgrims should also refrain from wicked conducts such as quarrelling with fellow beings. In the state of ihram it is a sin even to rebuke one’s servant.
In the Age of Ignorance it was considered an act of gross worldliness for anyone to carry provisions while on Hajj journey. This misconception has been removed here as abstention from carrying provisions is not necessarily an act of righteousness. Righteousness lies in the fear of God, in abstaining from violating His commands, and in leading a pure and decent life. If a person has piety and his moral conduct is good enough, he will be exalted by God and respected by human beings, regardless of the amount of provisions he carried during the Hajj journey. Therefore, pilgrims have been encouraged to carry their necessities of life while on Pilgrimage.