The Quran

196

وَأَتِمُّوا الحَجَّ وَالعُمرَةَ لِلَّهِ ۚ فَإِن أُحصِرتُم فَمَا استَيسَرَ مِنَ الهَديِ ۖ وَلا تَحلِقوا رُءوسَكُم حَتّىٰ يَبلُغَ الهَديُ مَحِلَّهُ ۚ فَمَن كانَ مِنكُم مَريضًا أَو بِهِ أَذًى مِن رَأسِهِ فَفِديَةٌ مِن صِيامٍ أَو صَدَقَةٍ أَو نُسُكٍ ۚ فَإِذا أَمِنتُم فَمَن تَمَتَّعَ بِالعُمرَةِ إِلَى الحَجِّ فَمَا استَيسَرَ مِنَ الهَديِ ۚ فَمَن لَم يَجِد فَصِيامُ ثَلاثَةِ أَيّامٍ فِي الحَجِّ وَسَبعَةٍ إِذا رَجَعتُم ۗ تِلكَ عَشَرَةٌ كامِلَةٌ ۗ ذٰلِكَ لِمَن لَم يَكُن أَهلُهُ حاضِرِي المَسجِدِ الحَرامِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعلَموا أَنَّ اللَّهَ شَديدُ العِقابِ

Muhammad Asad

AND PERFORM the pilgrimage and the pious visit [to Mecca]¹ in honour of God; and if you are held back, give instead whatever offering you can easily afford. And do not shave your heads until the offering has been sacrificed;² but he from among you who is ill or suffers from an ailment of the head shall redeem himself by fasting, or alms, or [any other] act of worship. And if you are hale and secure,³ then he who takes advantage of a pious visit before the [time of] pilgrimage shall give whatever offering he can easily afford;⁴ whereas he who cannot afford it shall fast for three days during the pilgrimage and for seven days after your return: that is, ten full [days]. All this relates to him who does not live near the Inviolable House of Worship.⁵ And remain conscious of God, and know that God is severe in retribution.⁶

The Mecca pilgrimage (hajj) takes place once a year, in the month of Dhu'l-Hijjah, whereas a pious visit ('umrah) may be performed at any time. In both hajj and 'umrah, the pilgrims are required to walk seven times around the Ka'bah and seven times between As-Safa and Al-Marwah (see notes 127 and 128 above); in the course of the hajj, they must, in addition, attend the gathering on the plain of 'Arafat on the 9th of Dhu'l-Hijjah (see note 182 below) irrespective of whether they are performing a full hajj or only an 'umrah, the pilgrims must refrain from cutting or even trimming the hair on their heads from the time they enter the state of pilgrimage (ihram) until the end of the pilgrimage, respectively the pious visit. As mentioned in the sequence, persons who are ill or suffer from an ailment which necessitates the cutting or shaving of one's hair are exempted from this prohibition.
Lit., "until the offering has reached its destination" - i.e., in time or in place; according to Razi, the time of sacrifice is meant here, namely, the conclusion of the pilgrimage, when those who participate in the hajj are expected - provided they can afford it - to sacrifice a sheep, a goat, or the like; and to distribute most of its flesh in charity.
The expression idha amantum (lit., "when you are safe") refers here to safety both from external dangers (e.g., war) and from illness, and is, therefore, best rendered as "hale and secure" - the implication being that the person concerned is in a position, and intends, to participate in the pilgrimage.
This relates to an interruption, for the sake of personal comfort, of the state of pilgrimage (ihram) during the time intervening between the completion of an 'umrah and the performance of the hajj (cf. Manar 11, 222). The pilgrim who takes advantage of this facility is obliged to sacrifice an animal (see note 175 above) at the termination of the pilgrimage or, alternatively, to fast for ten days.
Lit., "whose people are not present at the Inviolable House of Worship" - i.e., do not permanently reside there: for, obviously, the inhabitants of Mecca cannot remain permanently in the state of ihram.
This refers not merely to a possible violation of the sanctity of the pilgrimage but also, in a more general way, to all deliberate violations of God's ordinances.