He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked:

“Regarding the Hajj of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: did he perform Hajj alone, combine Hajj and umrah in a single state of ihrām, or perform umrah followed by Hajj with a release from ihrām between them? Which is best for someone performing Hajj? People have discussed this at great length, adding and omitting much, and the aim is to bring the truth about these matters to light. What of some people’s claim that one of the Companions performed an umrah starting from Mecca? And is the hadith they narrate authentic or not:

‘An umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to such-and-such a number of Hajj pilgrimages’?”

He replied:

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Regarding the Hajj of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the correct view is that he combined Hajj and umrah in a single state of ihrām and brought his sacrificial animal with him. Upon arriving, he performed only one circumambulation of the House and one traversal between Safā and Marwa. In addition to these two rites, however, he performed tawāf al-ifādah (the main Hajj circumambulation).

What we have stated is the correct, firmly established conclusion among those versed in hadith who have collected their various chains of transmission and understood their purport. Abū Muhammad ibn Hazm compiled a fine book on the Farewell Pilgrimage addressing this subject.

Imam Ahmad said:

“I have no doubt that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was