combining Hajj and ‘umrah was preferable. This was the position of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah Most High be pleased with him. ‘Ā’ishah’s statement provides evidence that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, combined Hajj and ‘umrah:
“We set out with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, during the Farewell Pilgrimage and entered ihrām for ‘umrah. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then said: ‘Whoever has a sacrificial animal with him should enter ihrām for Hajj together with ‘umrah, and should not come out of ihrām until he has completed both.’”
For there is no disagreement that he had a sacrificial animal with him that day, having brought it himself.
Abū Dāwūd reported that “the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, asked ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib: ‘What did you do?’ He replied: ‘I said: I enter ihrām for the same rites as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.’ He said: ‘I have brought a sacrificial animal and combined Hajj and ‘umrah.’” He then related the rest of the report. Likewise, it is reported “from Anas ibn Mālik that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, combined Hajj and ‘umrah, and that he heard him say: ‘Here I am at Your service for Hajj and ‘umrah together.’”
A group of scholars held that none of these forms may be described as preferable to the others, because the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, made them all lawful, permitted them, and approved them, without saying that any one was preferable to another. The sounder view, however, is that of Mālik—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—that performing Hajj alone is preferable to performing ‘umrah followed by Hajj or combining Hajj and ‘umrah. These latter two forms are concessions from Allah, and He has required anyone who avails himself of them to offer a sacrificial animal if he is not a resident of Mecca. Thus, whoever does not avail himself of the concession and performs Hajj and ‘umrah on separate journeys does better. Allah knows best. Some of our scholars have said that performing Hajj alone is preferable, followed by performing ‘umrah and then Hajj, because Allah Most High has permitted it in the Quran.
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If Ibn ‘Abbās’s report—that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, pronounced the declaration of ihrām for Hajj when he finished the two units of prayer, when his mount stood up with him on its back, and when he reached al-Baydā’—is authentic, and the differing reports about when he entered ihrām are reconciled on that basis, then the differing reports about which rites he entered ihrām for may likewise be reconciled on that basis. It is possible that, when he finished the two units of prayer, he pronounced the declaration of ihrām for ‘umrah alone. Then, when his mount stood up with him on its back, or when he reached al-Baydā’, he pronounced the declaration of ihrām for Hajj alone, adding it to the ‘umrah for which he had already entered ihrām, thereby combining the two. Thus, whoever heard his declaration of ihrām when he prayed the two units of prayer said