PENALTY FOR VIOLATING THE SANCTITY OF IHRAM

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 The following violations must be paid for by sacrificing a sheep or a goat:

  • Wearing perfume or similar things on any part of the body or henna on the head; wearing a stitched garment or covering one’s head (for men) for a day; shaving at least one-fourth of one’s head; clipping one’s fingernails; omitting one of the necessary things of Hajj; performing the arrival or farewell circumambulation while menstruating; or being in a state of major impurity or doing the obligatory circumambulation of visiting without having wudu’.
  • If one does such things while in the ihram for qiran, two sheep or goats must be sacrificed. If one does such things because of coercion or absolute necessity, one either sacrifices within Makka’s sacred precincts or fasts for 3 days wherever he or she pleases, or gives charity in an amount equivalent to the fitra (that which provides a person with two average-sized meals) to a poor person.
  • Having sexual intercourse while in the state of ihram before or while at ‘Arafat nullifies Hajj. If one has sexual intercourse before shaving oneself or cutting some hair after staying in ‘Arafat, or performs the obligatory cir-cumambulation of visiting in the state of major ritual impurity or menstruation or post-childbirth bleeding, one must sacrifice a cow, an ox, or a camel. If, however, one repeats the circumambulation after being purified, this sacrifice is cancelled. If one has sexual intercourse after shaving one-self or cutting some hair, but before the circumambulation, one must sacrifice a sheep or a goat.
  • If one wears perfume or something similar on some part of the body, wears a stitched garment or covers one’s head for some part of the day, shaves less than one-fourth of one’s head, clips only a fingernail or another person’s fingernails, shaves someone else, or performs the arrival and farewell circumambulation without having performed wudu’, one must give a fitra amount of charity. Plucking a broken fingernail entails no penalty.
  • If one kills one to three grasshoppers, a lice, or fleas on one’s own body or on that of somebody else, he or she must pay charity less than a fitra. If one kills more than three of these vermin, one must pay a fitra amount of charity.
  • If one in the state of ihram kills an animal whose meat is not edible or a game animal, an assessment should be made and then one should make compensation. For an animal whose meat is not edible, this cannot be more than a sheep or a goat. If one has an animal of equivalent value for the animal or game animal killed, one must sacrifice it and give its meat in charity. If one does not have such an animal, its value should be assessed by two just persons, and the person must give that amount of food to the poor. If one does not have enough money for this, he or she must fast according to how many poor people could be fed with that money. For example, if it is estimated that that money could feed 10 needy people, the per-son has to fast for 10 days. The food given to the needy must be enough to satisfy their hunger.
  • If one in the state of ihram cuts off or plucks green grass or trees within Makka’s sacred precincts, and these are not privately owned, their value is given away as charity. If they are privately owned, the compensation doubles, for the owner is indemnified and its value is given to the poor as charity.