By Mufti Taqi Usmani

Beginning of the Ashur-ul-Hajj

Shawwal is the first of the three months named as "Ashhur al-Hajj" (i.e. the months of Hajj). Although the major acts of Hajj are normally performed in the first ten days of Zulhijjah, yet the whole period starting from the first of Shawwal up to the 10th of Zulhijjah is held to be the period of Hajj because some acts of Hajj can be performed any time during this period. For example, the Tawaf-ul-qudum, followed by the Sai' of Hajj cannot be performed before Shawwal, while it can be performed any day after the beginning of Shawwal. Similarly, an 'Umrah performed before Shawwal cannot be treated as the 'Umrah of Tamattu: while the 'Umrah performed in Shawwal can be affiliated to the Hajj, making it a Hajj of Tamattu: Moreover, ihram of Hajj should not be started before Shawwal, because it makruh. For these reasons these three months have been named as the 'months of Hajj' and the month of Shawwal has the distinction of being the first of these.