Doubts About Having Committed a Contravention at Hajj

Answered by Sidi Waseem Hussain

Question: When I entered my state of ihram I went and without thinkingI think I may have washed my hands with scented soap. I don’t really remember for certain, I smelled my hands shortly thereafter and they smelled like I may have washed them with that soap? Should I offer a sacrifice? I was going to offer a sacrifice anyway for something I may have missed along the way although I don’t remember missing anything in particular. I thought since I jumped schools of thought on some issues it may have be a good idea.

Answer: Assalamu Alaykum Warahmatullah,

Congratutaltions on your Hajj, May Allah accept it from you, everyone else you made Hajj with and all the muslims. They say, that a person who recently went on Hajj has more acceptance in his dua. So please remember us all in your du’as.

As for you questions:

Certainty is not lifted by doubt. You are certain that you did not use soap, but in doubt whether you used it or not. Hence you will act on certainty and assume you did not use soap.

You do not need to offer any sacrifice, even if you jumped in between madhabs during Hajj. Hajj is a unique case where one sometimes finds oneself in a position where one has no choice, but to take a dispensation from another madhab. Doing so will not require any sacrfice.

However, sacrificing an animal is a general act of good, and if you want to do it then it will be rewarded. But there is no obligation to do so.

And Allah knows best,
Waseem Hussain

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani