Do not violate the signs appointed by Allah nor the sacred month...

Do not violate the signs appointed by Allah nor the sacred month, nor (interfere with) the offerings, nor the sacrificial animals with garlands, nor those going to Sacred House seeking the grace and pleasure of their Lord, and when you are free from obligations of the pilgrimage, then hunt, and let not hatred of a people –because they hindered you from the Inviolable Mosque (the Kaaba)- incite you to exceed the limits, and help one another in goodness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and aggression, and be careful of your (duty to) Allah; surely Allah is severe in requiting (evil).” [^4] About staying in Mina, God says: “Then whoever hastens (his departure) in two days, there is no blame on him, and whoever remains behind, there is no blame on him, (this is) for him who guards (against evil), and be careful (of your duty) to Allah, and know that you shall be gathered together to Him.” [^5] Taqwa, in relation to the Hajj, is a special Taqwa, for the Hajj itself is distinct from other religious obligations in different dimensions.

One has to observe piety from the very beginning; that is to say that one must prepare himself for this spiritual journey. One must realize that it is an obligatory duty and any delay in it is a sin. One who denies it, is considered as an unbeliever.

One must take great care in providing the money which must be well-gotten, saying goodbye to his family, getting acquainted with the rituals of the Hajj and how to behave with other co-travelers, choosing a friend of journey, knowing the priorities of the journey like intention, purification of body (Ghusl), supplication, charity, performing a two-rak’a prayer, reciting the sura of al-Hamd, the verse of al-Kursi (throne, 2:255), the suras 113 and 114 beginning with “Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn” and “Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of people”, and the Sura of Tawheed (112), remembrance, glorifying Allah, saying Tahleel and Takbeer,[^6] taking soil (from the area of the tomb of) of Imam Hussain (AS) with him, wearing a finger-ring of agate and turquoise.

He should ponder on what journey he is going on, a journey that most of the prophets and the imams went on their feet more than twenty times, a journey that one is accompanied by one of the infallibles knowingly or unknowingly. He should have conviction that Imam Mahdi (AS) accompanies the Hajj pilgrims every year.