while it remains an emphatically recommended act in both Hajj and ʿUmrah.

2 – It is recommended for men to raise their voices when pronouncing the talbiyah. Women, however, are instructed to keep their voices low. Ibn al-Mundhir and others state: “The scholars unanimously agree that the Sunnah for a woman is not to raise her voice.” The ruling of dislike applies only when no unrelated man can hear her; if an outsider can in fact hear her, raising the voice becomes prohibited.

3 – Some elements of the Sunnah come by Divine revelation, transmitted by Gabriel to the Prophet ﷺ.

4 – The scholars unanimously agree that the talbiyah is prescribed for the rites, for it is the hallmark of both Hajj and ʿUmrah. On the soundest view it continues until one begins stoning the Jamrah of al-ʿAqabah in Hajj and until one commences ṭawāf in ʿUmrah; details will follow, God willing.

Disagreement among the scholars

Regarding the legal status of the talbiyah, the scholars hold three views:

• Al-Shāfiʿī and Aḥmad consider it a Sunnah; omitting it is not sinful, for they see no conclusive proof of obligation, and the default is non-obligation.

• Abū Ḥanīfah, the Ẓāhirīs, al-Thawrī, ʿAṭāʾ, and Ṭāwūs say it is a pillar (rukn) without which the Hajj is invalid—like the opening takbīr in prayer.

• Mālik, his companions, and some Shāfiʿīs hold that it is obligatory; if one neglects it, a compensatory sacrifice is due. The evidence for obligation is strong: the talbiyah is the very emblem of pilgrimage; the Prophet ﷺ never omitted it and said, “Take your rites from me.” The ḥadith under discussion contains a command, and a command implies obligation. By Allah’s grace, Muslims have consistently adhered to it in their rites—you will scarcely find a pilgrim in ihram except that he is continually repeating it.