Hajj: Its
Virtues and Benefits
Praise be to Allaah and peace
and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah
This is a brief discussion of
Hajj – its virtues, benefits and a little about its rulings
1. When Hajj was
prescribed
According to the correct
view, Hajj was made obligatory in 9AH, the year of the
Delegations (al-Wufood), in which Soorat Aal ‘Imraan
was revealed, in which Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And Hajj (pilgrimage to
Makkah) to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to
Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s
conveyance, provision and residence).” [Aal ‘Imraan
3:97]
2. The ruling on Hajj
Hajj is a fareedah
(obligatory duty), one of the pillars of Islam. The evidence (daleel)
for this is the aayah mentioned above, and there is also
evidence in the Sunnah which indicates the same thing
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with them both) said: the Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is
built upon five (pillars): testifying that there is no god but
Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah,
establishing regular prayer, paying zakaah, Hajj and fasting
Ramadaan.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 8; Muslim, 16).
3. Is Hajj
obligatory straight away?
Yes, it should be done
straight away. The evidence for this is the aayah referred to
above. This (doing things straight away) is the guiding
principle concerning the commands of sharee’ah. The evidence in
the Sunnah which indicates this is as follows:
a. Abu Hurayrah
said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave a sermon (khutbah)
and said: “O people, Allaah has enjoined Hajj upon you so do
Hajj.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1337)
b. Ibn ‘Abbaas
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever wants
to go for Hajj, let him hasten to do it, because he may fall
ill or some other problems may arise.” (Narrated by
Abu Dawood, 1732, without the phrase “because he may…”’ also
narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2883 and Ahmad, 1836).
According
to a report narrated by Ahmad “Hasten to do Hajj –i.e., the
obligatory Hajj – for none of you knows what may happen to
him.”
These two reports strengthen
one another. (See Irwaa’ al-Ghaleel by al-Albaani, 4/168
The Shaafa’is say that Hajj
may be delayed, because the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delayed his Hajj until 10
AH. But the answer to this is as follows:
a.He only delayed it
for one year, but they say it may be delayed indefinitely!
b.He
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to purify the House
(the Ka’bah) of the Mushrikeen and those who performed Hajj
naked
c.He was kept busy with
the delegations who had started to come to Madeenah one after
another to announce their Islam
(See al-Sharh al-Mumti’
by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 7/17, 18)
4. It is obligatory to do
Hajj once in one's lifetime
Abu Hurayrah said: The
Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave a sermon (khutbah)
and said: “O people, Allaah has enjoined Hajj upon you so do
Hajj.” A man said, Is it every year, O Messenger of Allaah?
He remained silent until the man had said it three times, then
he said, “If I say yes, it will become obligatory and you will
not be able to do it.” Then he 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.” (Narrated by Muslim,
1337)
5. The virtues of Hajj
There are many ahaadeeth which
speak of the virtues of Hajj, including the following:<o:p></o:p>
a.From Abu Hurayrah,
that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked which deed is
best. He said, “Belief in Allaah and His Messenger.” He was
asked, then what? He said, “Jihaad for the sake of Allaah.” He
was asked, then what? He said, “An accepted Hajj.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 26; Muslim, 83).
An accepted Hajj means:
1. It must be
paid for with halaal money
2.One
should keep away from evil, sin and unjust disputes during
Hajj.
3.One
should observe all the rituals according to the Sunnah.
4.One should not show
off by doing Hajj; it should be purely and sincerely for the
sake of Allaah.
5.One should not follow
it with acts of disobedience and sin.
b.Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever does Hajj
for the sake of Allaah and does not have sexual relations (with
his wife), commit sin, or dispute unjustly during the Hajj,
will come back like the day his mother gave birth to him.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1449; Muslim, 1350)
c.Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “‘Umrah is an
expiation for the time between it and the previous ‘Umrah, and
an accepted hajj has no less a reward than Paradise.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1683; Muslim, 1349).
d. ‘Aa’ishah,
the Mother of the Believers (may Allaah be pleased with her)
said: I said, 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 Hajj, an accepted
pilgrimage.” ‘Aa’ishah said, I never stopped going for Hajj
after I heard that from the Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him). (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
1762
e.‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Hajj wipes out
whatever (sins) came before it.” (Narrated by Muslim, 121).
f. ‘Abd-Allaah
ibn Mas’ood said: the Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Keep on doing
Hajj and ‘Umrah, for they eliminate poverty and sin just as the
bellows eliminate impurities from iron and gold and silver.”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 810; al-Nasaa’i, 2631. The hadeeth
was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani – may Allaah have mercy on
him – in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1200).
g.Ibn ‘Umar reported
that the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 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.”
(Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2893. The hadeeth is hasan and was
classed as such by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilat al-Saheehah,
1820).
6. The benefits of Hajj
Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“That they may witness
things that are of benefit to them” [al-Hajj 22:28]
The benefits are both worldly
and religious (spiritual).
With regard to the religious
benefits, the one who goes for Hajj earns the pleasure of his
Lord, and comes back with all his sins forgiven. He also earns
the immense reward which he cannot earn anywhere else than in
these places. One prayer in al-Masjid al-Haraam, for example,
is equal to a hundred thousand prayers elsewhere, and Tawaaf
and Saa’ee cannot be done anywhere except in these places
Other benefits include
meeting other Muslims and discussing their circumstances, and
meeting scholars, learning from them and asking them about
one’s problems.
Worldly benefits include
trade and business, and other kinds of earnings that have to do
with Haj
7. The ruling on Hajj and its
spiritual effects on a person
There are many virtues of the
rituals of Hajj, and much wisdom behind them. Whoever is blessed
with proper understanding of them is blessed with much goodness.
For example:
a.When a person travels
to carry out the rituals of Hajj, he is reminded of his journey
to Allaah and the Hereafter. When he travels, he leaves behind
his dear friends, wife, children and homeland, and the journey to
the Hereafter is like that
b.The one who goes on
this journey equips himself with enough provision to help him
reach the sacred land, so let him remember that for his journey
to his Lord, he needs to have sufficient provision to help him
get there safely. Concerning this, Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning): “And take a provision (with you) for the
journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwaa (piety,
righteousness, etc.).” [al-Baqarah 2:197]
c.Travelling is a kind of
torment, and the same is true of the journey to the Hereafter,
only much more so. Ahead of man there is his dying, death, the
grave, the gathering, the accounting, the scales and al-Siraat,
followed by either Paradise or Hell. The blessed one will be the
one whom Allaah saves.
d.When the pilgrim puts
on the two garments of his ihraam, he cannot help but be reminded
of the shroud in which he will be wrapped [after he dies]. This
prompts him to give up disobedience and sin. Just as he has given
up his regular clothing [for Hajj], so he has to give up sin.
Just as he has put on two clean, white garments, he has to make
his heart clean and white [pure], and keep his faculties clean
and pure, uncontaminated by the stain of sin and disobedience.
e.When he says
“Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk” at the Meeqaat [station
of entering ihraam], he means that he has responded to his Lord,
so how can he insist on still sinning and not respond to his
Lord’s call to give it up? When he says “Labbayk Allaahumma
labbayk”, he means, “I am responding to Your prohibition of
it and this is the time I am giving it up.”
f.When he gives up haraam
things during his ihraam, and keeps himself busy with the
talbiyah and dhikr, this shows him how the Muslim
should be. He trains himself to give up some things which in
principle are halaal, but Allaah has forbidden them to him at
this time [during his ihraam], so how can he violate the
prohibitions of Allaah by doing things which are haraam at all
times and in all places?
g.When he enters the
Sacred House of Allaah, which Allaah has made a sanctuary for
mankind, he remembers the sanctuary of the Day of Resurrection,
which no one can reach without striving hard and making a
concerted effort. The greatest thing which will keep a person
safe on the Day of Resurrection is Tawheed and avoiding Shirk
(associating others with Allaah). Concerning this, Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): “It is those who believe (in
the Oneness of Allaah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse
not their Belief with Zulm (wrong, i.e. by worshipping others
besides Allaah), for them (only) there is security and they are
the guided.” [al-An’aam 6:81].
Kissing the Black Stone, which
is the first ritual to be undertaken, teaches the visitor to
honour the Sunnah and not to oppose the laws of Allaah with his
feeble reasoning. He recognizes that there is wisdom and goodness
behind the laws and rituals which Allaah has prescribed for
mankind, and he trains himself to submit himself totally to his
Lord, may He be exalted. Concerning this, ‘Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said, after he kissed the Black Stone: “I
know that you are only a stone and that you can neither benefit
nor harm. If I had not seen the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kiss you, I would not have
kissed you.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1520; Muslim,
1720).
h.When he does Tawaaf, he
is reminded of his father Ibraaheem (peace be upon him), who
built the House to be a place of resort for mankind and a place
of safety, and that he called them to perform pilgrimage to this
House. And our Prophet Muhammad
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also called them to perform
pilgrimage to this House. Moosa, Yoonus and ‘Eesaa (peace be upon
them) also performed pilgrimage to this House. This House was a
symbol and a meeting place for these Prophets; how could it be
otherwise, when Allaah had commanded Ibraheem (peace be upon him)
to build it and venerate it?
i.When he drinks the
water of Zamzam, he is reminded of the blessing which Allaah has
bestowed upon mankind in the form of this blessed water, from
which millions of people have drunk throughout the long ages, but
it has never dried up. He is encouraged to make du’aa’ when he
drinks it by the hadeeth which has been reported from the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him)” “The water of Zamzam is
for whatever it is drunk for.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3062;
Ahmad, 14435. This is a hasan hadeeth; classed as hasan by Ibn
al-Qayyim – may Allaah have mercy on him – in Zaad al-Ma’aad,
4/320).
j.When he does al-Saa’ee,
running between al-Safaa’ and al-Marwah, he is reminded of the
trial endured by Haajir, the mother of Ismaa’eel and the wife of
al-Khaleel [Ibraaheem] (peace be upon him), and how she ran back
and forth between al-Safaa’ and al-Marwah, searching for water
which would save her from what she was suffering, and especially
so that she could give her little son – Ismaa’eel – water to
drink. Since this woman was patient in the face of this adversity
and turned to her Lord, this teaches man that doing this is
better and more appropriate. When a man remembers the struggle
and patience of this woman, it makes it easier for him to bear
his own problems, and a woman who is of her own kind will find
her problems easier to bear.
k.The standing (wuqoof)
in ‘Arafaah reminds the pilgrim of the throngs of people on the
Day of Gathering. If the pilgrim feels tired from being in a
crowd of thousands, how will it be in the crowds of barefoot,
naked, uncircumcised people, standing for fifty thousand years?
l.When he throws the pebbles at the
Jamaraat, the Muslim trains himself to obey Allaah
unquestioningly. Even if he does not understand the reason and
wisdom behind this throwing (ramy), and cannot make the
connection between rulings and their purpose, this is a
manifestation of complete submission (‘uboodiyyah) to Allaah
m.When he slaughters his
sacrifice (hady), he is reminded of the great event when
our father Ibraaheem submitted to the command of Allaah to
sacrifice his only son Ismaa’eel, after he had grown up and
become a help to him. He is also reminded that there is no room
for emotions which go against the commands and prohibitions of
Allaah. This teaches him to respond to what Allaah commands, as
Ismaa’eel said (interpretation of the meaning): “‘O my father!
Do that which you are commanded. In shaa Allaah (if Allaah
wills), you will find me of al-saabireen (the patient ones).’”
[al-Saaffaat 37:102].
n. When
he comes out of his ihraam and things that had been forbidden to
him once again become permissible, this teaches him about the
consequences of patience and that after hardship comes ease. The
one who responds to the call of Allaah will have joy and
happiness, and this joy cannot be known by anyone except those
who have tasted the sweetness of obedience, such as the joy felt
by the one who fasts when he breaks his fast, or by the one who
prays Qiyaam during the last part of the night, after he has
finished praying.
o.When he has finished
performing all the rituals of Hajj as they were prescribed by
Allaah and in the manner that Allaah loves, he has the hope that
his Lord will forgive him all his sins, as the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) promised in the hadeeth,
“Whoever does Hajj for the sake of Allaah and does not have
sexual relations (with his wife), commit sin, or dispute unjustly
during the hajj, will come back like the day his mother gave
birth to him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1449; Muslim, 1350).
This invites him to start a new page in his life, free of sin.
p.When he comes back to
his wife and children, and experiences the joy of meeting them
again, this reminds him of the greater joy of meeting them in
Paradise. This also teaches him that the greatest loss is losing
oneself and one’s family on the Day of Resurrection, as Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): “The losers are those
who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of
Resurrection. Verily, that will be a manifest loss!” [al-Zumar
39:15].
We ask Allaah to help us to obey
Him and to reach His House and to do all that He has enjoined
upon us. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.