Today, Dhul-Hijjah 8, is the first day of Hajj. Pilgrims are in Makkah and Mina to start their pilgrimage.
Dhul-Hijjah 8: How to Start Hajj
The first steps in Hajj are to put on the clothing of ihram and then to make the intention of ihram at the miqat. The intention of ihram varies according to the mode of Hajj you choose. For detailed information on ihram, its etiquette, its exact location, time limits, and its restrictions, refer to the article “All About Ihram.“
What to do after that depends too on the mode of Hajj as follows:
Tamattu`
Having made the intention of Umrah, you should perform a full Umrah. After finishing it, you automatically go out of the state of ihram. The restrictions of ihram no longer apply to you until you go into the state of ihram once again on Dhul-Hijjah 8, this time for making Hajj.
Ifrad
Having arrived at Makkah, you make the Tawaf of arrival, which is recommended, not obligatory. You can perform Tawaf in the same way you perform the Tawaf of Umrah. (For more details on how to perform Tawaf, you can review the article “How to Perform Umrah.”)
After performing the Tawaf of arrival, you can make the Sa`i of your Hajj. This Sa`i is obligatory and is one of the pillars of Hajj. You can do it either after the Tawaf of arrival or after the second Tawaf of Hajj – Tawaf Al-Ifadah.
You remain in the state of ihram until you finish the major rituals of the Eid day, Dhul-Hijjah 10. You should repeat Talbiyah from time to time until you cast the pebbles of Al-`Aqabah on the day of Eid.
Qiran
Generally speaking, pilgrims who perform Qiran perform the same rituals of ifrad with one exception, they have to offer hadi (animal slaughtered in Makkah as a gift for its poor people.)
Rituals of Dhul-Hijjah 8
If you are performing tamattu` Hajj, put on your ihram clothing again and make the intention of Hajj saying “Labbayka Allahuma Hajjan” (O Allah, I answer Your call by performing Hajj.) Now you are ready to undertake the rituals of Hajj. Pilgrims who perform ifrad or qiran Hajj are already in the state of ihram so they skip this step.
On the morning of Dhul-Hijjah 8, all pilgrims go to Mina where they spend the rest of the day and the night, performing five prayers there, namely Zhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and the Fajr of Dhul-Hijjah 9, shortening the prayers of Zhuhr, Asr, and Isha to two rak`ahs.