How Many Times Did the Prophet (PBUH) Perform Hajj?
كم مرة حج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، وكم مرة اعتمر؟
It is established that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) performed Hajj once, the Farewell Pilgrimage, in the tenth year of the Hijrah, after Hajj had been made obligatory, as in the two Sahihs and al-Tirmidhi. Qutada reported that he asked Anas Bin Malek: How many times did the Prophet (Peace be upon him) perform Hajj? He replied, once. And he performed Umrah four times: one Umrah in Dhul-Qi’dah, the Umrah of al-Hudaybiyah, one with his pilgrimage, and the Umrah of al-Ji’ranah.
ثبت أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم حج حجة واحدة وهي حجة الوداع في السنة العاشرة من الهجرة، بعدما فرض الحج، كما في الصحيحين والترمذي، عن قتادة قال: قلت لأنس بن مالك: كم مرة حج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ قال: حجة واحدة، واعتمر أربع عمرات، عمرة في ذي القعدة، وعمرة الحديبية، وعمرة مع حجته، وعمرة الجعرانة.
1. The Single Obligatory Hajj: The Farewell Pilgrimage | حجة واحدة بعد الهجرة: حجة الوداع في السنة العاشرة
Asked how many times the Prophet ﷺ performed Hajj, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: once (Sahih al-Bukhari 1778). Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) said that after the Hijrah he performed one Hajj, the Farewell Pilgrimage, and no other, and the narrator Abu Ishaq added that he had performed another in Mecca (Sahih al-Bukhari 4404). The scholar dates it to the tenth year of the Hijrah, after Hajj had been made obligatory (3:97).
وَلِلَّـهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا (سورة آل عمران: 97)
سئل أنس: كم حج النبي ﷺ؟ قال: واحدة (صحيح البخاري 1778)، وقال زيد بن أرقم: حج بعدما هاجر حجة واحدة لم يحج بعدها، حجة الوداع، قال أبو إسحاق: وبمكة أخرى (صحيح البخاري 4404). وجعلها الشيخ في السنة العاشرة من الهجرة بعدما فرض الحج.
2. The Four Umrahs Performed by the Prophet | العُمَر الأربع التي أداها النبي في حياته
Anas also listed his four Umrahs, all in the month of Dhul-Qi'dah except the one with his Hajj: the Umrah of al-Hudaybiyah, where the polytheists turned him back; the Umrah of the following year, under the treaty; the Umrah from al-Ji'ranah, when he divided the spoils, apparently of Hunayn; and the Umrah with his Hajj (Sahih al-Bukhari 1778, 4148). Dhul-Qi'dah is one of the four sacred months, as explained in what an-Nasi' in 9:37 means.
وَأَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّـهِ (سورة البقرة: 196)
وعد أنس عمره الأربع، كلهن في ذي القعدة إلا التي مع حجته: عمرة الحديبية حيث صده المشركون، وعمرة من العام المقبل حيث صالحهم، وعمرة الجعرانة إذ قسم غنيمة حنين، وعمرة مع حجته (صحيح البخاري 1778، 4148).
3. Teaching the Pilgrims the Rites | تعليم المناسك: «لتأخذوا مناسككم»
He taught the rites by doing them. Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him stoning from his mount on the Day of Sacrifice and saying: "Take your rites from me, for I do not know whether I will perform Hajj after this Hajj of mine" (Sahih Muslim 1297). Jabir also says that in the tenth year many people came to Medina, all wanting to follow him and do as he did (Sahih Muslim 1218).
علم الناس المناسك بفعله؛ قال جابر: رأيت النبي ﷺ يرمي على راحلته يوم النحر ويقول: «لتأخذوا مناسككم، فإني لا أدري لعلي لا أحج بعد حجتي هذه» (صحيح مسلم 1297)، وقدم المدينة في السنة العاشرة بشر كثير كلهم يلتمس أن يأتم به ويعمل مثل عمله (صحيح مسلم 1218).
4. The Farewell Sermon at Mount Arafat | خطبة الوداع التاريخية وإعلان حقوق الإنسان
In his sermon at Arafat, as Jabir reports it in Sahih Muslim (1218), he declared the sanctity of life and property, abolished the blood feuds and the usury of the Days of Ignorance, and told them to fear Allah in their treatment of women.
وفي خطبته بعرفة، كما رواها جابر في صحيح مسلم (1218)، قال: «إن دماءكم وأموالكم حرام عليكم»، ووضع دماء الجاهلية وربا الجاهلية، وقال: «فاتقوا الله في النساء».
5. Revelation of the Perfection of the Religion | نزول آية إكمال الدين وتمام النعمة في يوم عرفة
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the verse "Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your way" (5:3) was revealed while the Prophet ﷺ was standing at Arafat, on a Friday (Sahih al-Bukhari 45).
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا (سورة المائدة: 3)
قال عمر بن الخطاب: نزلت (الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ) على النبي ﷺ وهو قائم بعرفة يوم جمعة (صحيح البخاري 45).
Scholarly Insight: Jabir describes the Prophet's years in Medina before the Farewell Pilgrimage (Sahih Muslim 1218): “The Messenger of Allah remained for nine years without performing Hajj. Then, in the tenth year, it was announced to the people that the Messenger of Allah would perform Hajj. Many people came to Medina, all seeking to follow the Messenger of Allah and act as he acted.” See the different forms of Hajj rites. Read more in the tafsir of Surah Ali 'Imran.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How many times did Prophet Muhammad perform Hajj in his life?
He performed Hajj only once after migrating to Medina: the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada') in the 10th year of Hijrah.
How many Umrahs did the Prophet undertake?
He undertook four Umrahs, all in the month of Dhul-Qi'dah except the one he performed with his Hajj (Sahih al-Bukhari 4148).
What momentous ayah was revealed during his Farewell Pilgrimage?
Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:3): Today I have perfected your faith for you and completed My favour upon you (Sahih al-Bukhari 45).
What core principles did he proclaim in his Farewell Sermon at Arafat?
The sanctity of life and property, the abolition of the blood feuds and usury of the Days of Ignorance, and fear of Allah in the treatment of women (Sahih Muslim 1218).
Prepared by Eng. Ghada Homad, founder of IslamFAQ, researched and written in consultation with qualified scholars, reviewed by Professor Khaled Jassem Al-Houli, Associate Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence and Islamic Politics, Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies, University of Kuwait. Read more about the authors and this project →