Disciplines to Maintain in the State of al-’Ihram

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you want to scratch your head while you are in the state of Ihram, then scratch very gently. You must not scratch with your finger nails, but scratch with the tip of your fingers.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one who is in the state of Ihram takes Ghusl (bath) due to sexual relation (because of which Ghusl (bath) is obligatory), he can pour water over his head and separate the hairs from each other with his fingers.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful for one in the state of Ihram to use bath houses but he must not scrub and massage his body.’”

“One who is in the state of Ihram must not answer anyone who calls him with the word ‘Labbayka’ until his Ihram is complete.“ I then asked, “How must he say it?“ He (the Imam) said, “He can say, ‘O Sa‘d.”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who uses a toothpick while he is in the state of Ihram. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who is in the state of Ihram; if he can brush his teeth. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is of the Sunnah.’ It is also narrated that one must not make his teeth bleed.”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who is in the state of Ihram; if he can scratch his head and wash it with water. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can scratch his head as long as he is certain of not killing a moving thing but it is not harmful to wash with water unless one’s head is treated with talbid (a medicine against lice), in which case one must not pour water over his head except because of wet-dream.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is undesirable for one in the state of Ihram to sit in Masjid al-Haram facing al-Ka‘bah in al-‘Ihtiba’ position (with one’s knees raised and legs against thighs with hips on the ground).”’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of two men who fought each other while in the state of Ihram. He (the Imam) said, ‘Allah is free of all defects, how bad is what they have done!’ I said, ‘They have done it but what must they do?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘They must each offer one animal as offering.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a man who is in the state of Ihram; if he can fight a contest. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, because he may sustain injuries or his hair may fall.’”

“‘Abd al-Rahman once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man’s treating the backside of a camel while in the state of Ihram. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can throw away bugs but must not make it bleed.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who is in the state of Ihram and has itches that irritate him. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can scratch it and if it bleeds it is not harmful.’”