In the name of Allaah, Most Beneficent and Most Merciful
Ibn ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Islaam is built upon five (pillars): testimony that there is no God but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, establishing regular prayers, paying the Zakaah, Hajj and fasting (the month of) Ramadhaan.” (Bukhaari & Muslim)
Hajj is one of the five pillars upon which Islam stands. Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) made it compulsory upon every able Muslim male and female to perform it, at least once in a lifetime.
Allah revealed:
Surat Ali Imran, Ayat 97:
“Hajj thereto is a duty mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the journey, but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures.”
Surat Al-Hajj, Ayat 28:
“And proclaim the Hajj among mankind. They will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways”.
When Ibrahim (Alaihis salaam) completed the structure of the Kabah, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) commanded him to call the people to Hajj. Ibrahim (Alaihis salaam) pleaded, “O Allah! How shall my voice reach all of those people?” Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) told him that his duty was only to give the call and it was up to Allah to make it reach the people.
Ibrahim (Alaihis salaam) then climbed Mount Arafat and called out in his loudest voice, “O People! Verily Allah has prescribed upon you Hajj, so perform Hajj.”
To this very day millions upon millions of Muslims continue to answer the call of Prophet Ibrahim (Alaihis salaam). Perhaps this year you shall be amongst those who answer the call.
On Whom Does Haj Become Fardh!!
To afford journey to that House (i.e. the Ka’ba) means that apart from one’s day-to-day necessities of life one has sufficient funds to meet all the expenses of journey to and from the house of Allah at Mecca as well as the Expenses during the period of one’s stay there. Moreover, one should be able to manage the Wajib (obligatory) maintenance of one’s dependants upto one’s return from the journey.
There are severe warnings in the ‘Holy Quran’ and ‘Hadith’ for a man who does not perform the ‘Hajj’ Pilgrimage despite his being capable as mentioned above.
Can we delay!!
Hajj must be performed straight away; the proof for this is the verse referred to above. This (i.e., doing things straight away) is the guiding principle concerning the commands in the Sharee’ah (jurisprudence). The evidence of it in the Sunnah is as follows:
- a. Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam gave a sermon and said: “O people, Allaah has enjoined Hajj upon you, so do Hajj.” (Muslim)
- b. Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Whoever wants to go for Hajj, let him hasten in doing so because he may fall ill or some other problems may arise.” (Ibn Maajah & Abu Dawood) He also said, “Hasten to do Hajj (i.e., the obligatory Hajj) for none of you knows what may happen to him.” (Ahmad)
HAJ FARDH ONCE IN A LIFETIME!!!
It is obligatory to do Hajj once in one’s lifetime. Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam gave a sermon and said, “O people, Allaah has enjoined Hajj upon you so do Hajj.” A man asked, “Every year, O Messenger of Allaah?” He remained silent until the man had repeated it three times, then he said, “If I say yes, it will become obligatory and you will not be able to do it.” He, then, said, “Do not push me to tell you more than what I have left you with, for those who came before you were destroyed because they asked too many questions and argued with their Prophets. If I command you to do a thing, do as much of it as you can, and if I forbid you to do something, then avoid it.” (Muslim)
VIRTUES OF PERFORMING HAJJ
There are many Hadeeth which speak about the virtues of Hajj, including the following:
- It is narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was asked which deed was best, so he replied, “Belief in Allaah and His Messenger.” He was asked, then what (was the next best deed), and he said, “Jihaad for the sake of Allaah.” He was asked, then what (after that) and he sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam replied, “An accepted Hajj.” (Bukhaari & Muslim)
An accepted Hajj denotes that:
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- It must be paid for with legal earnings.
- One should keep away from evil, sin and unjust disputes during it.
- One should observe all its rituals according to the Sunnah.
- One should not show off by doing Hajj – it should be purely and done sincerely for the sake of Allaah.
- One should not follow it with acts of disobedience and sin.
- Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “I heard the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam say: “Whoever does Hajj for the sake of Allaah and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commits a sin or disputes unjustly during the Hajj, will come back (free from all sins) like the day his mother gave birth to him.” (Bukhaari & Muslim)
- Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, also reported that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “From one ‘Umrah to another is an expiation for the sins committed between them, and the accepted Hajj has no less a reward than Paradise.” (Bukhaari & Muslim)
- ‘Aa’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, may Allaah be pleased with her, asked the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “O Messenger of Allaah, can we not go out on campaigns and fight in Jihaad with you?” He said, “But the best and most beautiful of Jihaad is an accepted Hajj.” ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said, “I never stopped going for Hajj after I heard that from the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.” (Bukhaari)
- ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Hajj wipes out whatever (of sins) came before it.” (Muslim)
- ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas narrates, “When Islam entered my heart, I went to the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘Give me your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you.’ The Prophet spread his hand, but I withdrew mine. He said, ‘What is wrong ‘Amr?’ I said, ‘I want to make a condition.’ ‘And what is that?’ he said. I said, ‘That Allah will forgive me.’ Then the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Did you not know that Islam wipes out what came before it, and that Hijrah wipes out what came before it and that Hajj wipes out what came before it!” (Sahih Muslim).
- ‘Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Keep on doing Hajj and ‘Umrah, for they eliminate poverty and sin just as the bellows eliminate impurities from iron, gold and silver.” (Tirmidhi & An-Nasaa’i)
- Ibn ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The one who fights for the sake of Allaah and the pilgrim who goes for Hajj or ‘Umrah are all guests of Allaah. He called them and they responded; they ask of Him and He will give them.” (Ibn Maajah)