Q 7: I traveled from Jordan by plane to Jeddah bound for the city of Bishah. I did not have the intention of performing `Umrah or going to Makkah. However, when the plane announced that it had delayed setting out for Bishah, I stayed in Jeddah for two days. I entered Ihram (ritual state for Hajj and `Umrah) from Jeddah and went to Makkah to perform `Umrah. Is my `Umrah valid?

A: Entering Ihram from Jeddah is valid even if you did so without the intention of performing `Umrah. Moreover, you are not required to offer Fidyah (ransom). This is based on the report narrated by Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) that, The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) defined the Miqat for the people of Al-Madinah as Dhul-Hulayfah; that of people of the Levant (the region covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine) as Al-Jahfah; that of people of Najd as Qarn Al-Manazil; that of people of Yemen as Yalamlam. And he said: “And these Miqats are for the people at those very places, and besides them for those who come through those places with the intention of performing Hajj and 'Umrah; and whoever is living within these boundaries can enter Ihram from the place he starts, and the people of Makkah can assume their Ihram from Makkah (Agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) This Hadith is general in application and indicates that whoever wants to enter Ihram for `Umrah should do so from Makkah. However, we can not rely on this apparent meaning because (Part No. 11; Page No. 151) of the ruling stated in the following Hadith. This shows that the person who wants to perform ‘Umrah and is already in Makkah should enter Ihram from outside the Haram. It was narrated that `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stopped at al-Muhassab. He called `Abdul-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr and said to him, 'Take your sister out of the Haram (sanctuary) and let her enter Ihram for `Umrah, then let her circumambulate the House, and I will wait for you both here.' She said: “So we went out and I entered Ihram, then I circumambulated the House and did sa`y between al-Safa and al-Marwah. Then, we came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) at his camp in the middle of the night, and he said, ‘Have you finished?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He gave his companions permission to move on, and he went out to the Ka`bah and circumambulated it before Fajr prayer, then he left for Al-Madinah. (Agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.