‘Umar—I heard him say: ‘If I were to perform ‘umrah and then Hajj, I would perform tamattu‘.’” Ibn ‘Abbās said repeatedly: “No man’s Hajj has ever been complete without tamattu‘” (1).

As for the answer given by our shaykh (2), it is that ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, did not prohibit tamattu‘ at all. He merely said: “Your Hajj and ‘umrah are more complete when you separate them.” Thus, ‘Umar chose the best course for them: undertaking each (3) of the two on a separate journey from one’s hometown. This is better than combining Hajj and ‘umrah under a single consecration, or performing tamattu‘ in its specific sense, without an additional journey. Ahmad, Abū Hanīfah, Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, and others explicitly stated this. This was the separate performance practised by Abū Bakr and ‘Umar, which ‘Umar preferred for the people, as did ‘Alī.

Concerning Allah Most High’s words, “(195) And complete the Hajj and ‘umrah for Allah” [al-Baqarah: 196], ‘Umar and ‘Alī said: “Completing them means entering the state of pilgrimage consecration for them from your family home” (4). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to ‘Ā’ishah concerning her ‘umrah: “Your reward is proportionate to your toil” (5). Thus, if a pilgrim returns to his family home, sets out from there for ‘umrah, performs it before the months of Hajj, and stays until he performs Hajj; or performs ‘umrah during the months of Hajj, returns to his family, and then performs Hajj, he has undertaken each of the two rites from his family home. This is to perform both in their fullest form, and is therefore better than other ways.