and he asked about those present until he came to me. I said, ‘I am Muhammad ibn ‘Alī ibn Husayn,’ and I] was then a young man. He welcomed me warmly and prayed for me. They said, ‘We have come to ask you some questions.’ He said to me, ‘Ask whatever you wish, my nephew.’ I said, ‘Tell me about the hajj of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.’ He gestured with his hand, indicating nine with his fingers, then said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, remained for nine years without performing hajj. Then, in the tenth year, an announcement was made to the people that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would perform hajj. Great numbers came to Medina, all seeking to follow the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and do as he did.
We set out with him until we reached Dhū al-Hulayfah, where Asmā’ bint ‘Umays gave birth to Muhammad ibn Abī Bakr. She sent word to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asking, ‘What should I do?’ He replied, ‘Bathe, secure a cloth between your legs, and enter consecration.’
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed in the mosque and then mounted al-Qaswā’. When his she-camel brought him onto the open plain, I looked ahead and saw riders and people on foot as far as the eye could see, with as many to his right, to his left, and behind him. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was among us, receiving the revelation of the Quran and understanding its meaning. Whatever he put into practice, we put into practice.
He proclaimed Allah’s oneness in his response to the call to hajj:
‘Here I am, O Allah, here I am. You have no partner; here I am. All praise and blessing are Yours, and all dominion. You have no partner.’
The people recited the invocations they used, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, did not reject any part of them. He himself kept to his own invocation.
Jābir said: We intended only hajj; we knew nothing of ‘umrah. When we reached the House with him, he touched the corner containing the Black Stone, then trotted for three circuits and walked for four. He then went to the Station of Abraham and recited:
‘Take the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer.’ [Al-Baqara: 125]
He positioned himself with the Station between him and the direction of prayer. Ja‘far said: My father used to say—and, so far as I know, he related this only from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him—that in the two units of prayer he would recite:
‘Say: He is Allah, One.’ [Al-Ikhlās: 1]
and:
‘Say: O disbelievers.’ [Al-Kāfirūn: 1]
Then he returned to the corner and touched it, before going out through the gate towards al-Safā. As he approached al-Safā, he recited:
‘Indeed, al-Safā and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.’ [Al-Baqara: 158]
He began with what Allah had mentioned first, starting at al-Safā. He climbed it until he could see the House, then faced the direction of prayer, proclaimed Allah’s oneness and greatness, and said:
‘There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion, and His is all praise, and He has power over all things. There is no god but Allah alone. He fulfilled His promise, granted victory to His servant, and defeated the confederates alone.’
He made supplication in between, repeating these words three times. Then he descended towards al-Marwah. When his feet reached the valley floor, he ran through the valley; when they began to ascend, he walked until he reached al-Marwah. He did at al-Marwah as he had done at al-Safā. When he reached al-Marwah on the final passage, he said: