Please contribute generously in order to ensure the continuity of our website InshaAllah.
What are the essential parts, obligatory actions and Sunnahs of Hajj?
Praise be to Allah.
The essential parts of Hajj are four, the obligatory actions are seven and everything other than the essential parts and obligatory actions is Sunnah. A detailed discussion follows:
Al-Bahuti (may Allah have mercy on him) said in ar-Rawd al-Murbi‘ (1/285):
“The essential parts of Hajj are four:
The obligatory actions of Hajj are seven:
[If the pilgrim is doing tamattu‘ (‘umrah followed by Hajj, exiting ihram in between) or qiran (‘umrah followed by Hajj without exiting ihram in between), then he must offer a sacrifice (by slaughtering a sheep), because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “whosoever performs the ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj, before (performing) the Hajj, (i.e. Hajj-at-Tamattu‘ and Al-Qiran), he must slaughter a Hady such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, he should observe Saum (fasts) three days during the Hajj and seven days after his return (to his home), making ten days in all. This is for him whose family is not present at Al-Masjid-al-Haram (i.e. non-resident of Makkah)” [al-Baqarah 2:196]].
The rest of the actions and words of Hajj are Sunnah, such as:
The essential parts of ‘umrah are three: ihram, tawaf and sa‘i.
The obligatory parts are two: shaving the head or cutting the hair, and entering ihram from the miqat.”
Difference between essential, obligatory and Sunnah acts of hajj
The difference between an essential part, an obligatory action and a Sunnah action is that Hajj is not valid without an essential part, whereas if an obligatory act is omitted, Hajj is still valid, but the one who omits it must offer a compensatory sacrifice (a sheep), according to the majority of scholars. As for Sunnah actions, the one who omits them does not have to do anything.
Reference: Ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 7/380-410.
And Allah knows best.