2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Muthanna’ from Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far , has said, ‘The months of al-Hajj are well known; they are Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa’dah and Dhu al-Hajj ah. One must not assume the state of Ihram for al-Hajj in other months and one must not assume the state of Ihram before Mawaqit (places for assuming the state of Ihram) designated by the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. To do so is like performing four Rak‘ats Salat (prayer) on a journey and ignoring the fact that one’s duty is to perform two Rak‘ats only.’”