Virtue of Hajj
Hajj: Its Obligation And Its Tremendous Virtues
Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said: “That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days..” (al-Hajj: 28)
And He, the Most High, said: “In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for whoever is able to find to it a way. But whoever disbelieves – then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.” (Aali Imraan: 97)
Allaah, the Most High, said: “And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant [mountain] pass.” (al-Hajj: 27)
Ibn Umar (radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa) said that Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu `alaihi wassallam) said: “Islaam is built upon five: To testify that none has the right of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; to establish the Salaah; to pay the Zakaah; to perform Hajj and to fast the month of Ramadaan.” (Bukhaaree, no. 8. Muslim, no. 16)
Abu Hurairah (radiyallaahu anhu) said that Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahualaihi wassallam) said in a Khutbah: “O people! Indeed Allaah has made Hajj obligatory upon you, so perform the Hajj.” A man said: “Every year, O Allaah’s Messenger?” So he stayed quiet, until the man repeated himself three times. So Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu `alaihi wassallam) said: “If I say yes, it would become obligatory, and you would not be able.” (Muslim, no. 1337)
In the narration of Ibn Maajah (2884): “No. If I was to yes it would have become obligatory upon you.” And in a narration: “Rather it is once and whoever can perform voluntary Hajj [after the one obligation] let him do so.” (Ibn Maajah, no. 2886)
Abu Saeed al-Khudree (radiyallaahu anhu) said that Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu `alaihi wassallam) said: “Allaah, the Most High, said: Indeed I have given a servant good health in his body and I have given him [provision and] an expansive sustenance, yet five years have passed and he has not visited me as one performing Hajj.” As-Saheehah 4/22, Ibn Hibbaan, no. 3703.
All of these verses and narrations show us the importance of Hajj – that it is a Pillar of Islam and a mighty obligation. The most correct opinion of the Scholars is that Hajj becomes an obligation with immediate effect for the one who has the ability. The one who has the ability to reach the House of Allaah in Mecca yet refuses to perform Hajj is in a grave situation. He does not know whether this opportunity will come to him again – so he misses out on this tremendous pillar.
From Ibn Abbaas or al-Fadl that Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu `alaihi wassallam) said: “Whoever intends to perform Hajj, then let him make haste, for he may fall sick, lose his mount, or be faced with some need.” (Ibn Maajah, no. 2883)
From The Virtues Of Hajj
Firstly: Hajj wipes out whatever sins were previously committed. It is reported from Amr Ibn al-Aas (radiyallaahu anhu) regarding him becoming a Muslim, he said: “I remember when no one was more hated to me than Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahualaihi wassallam) and there was nothing I wanted more than to overpower him and kill him. If I had died at that time, I would have been one the people of Hellfire. But when Allaah placed Islaam in my heart, I came to the Prophet and said: “Hold out your right hand so I may pledge my allegiance to you.” So he held out his right hand, but I withdrew my hand. He (salallaahu alaihi wassallam) said: “What is the matter O Amr?” I said: “I wish to stipulate a condition.” He said: “What is it that you wish to stipulate?” I said: “That I will be forgiven.” So the Messenger (salallaahu alaihi wassallam) said: “Do you not know, O Amr, that Islaam wipes away whatever came before it, Hijrah wipes away whatever came before it, and that Hajj wipes away what came before it?” Then no man was more beloved to me than the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu `alaihi wassallam), and no one was dearer in my eyes. I could not even look him in the eye due to awe and reverence. If I was asked to describe him, I could not do so because I could not look him in the eye. If I had died in that state, I hope that I would have been from the People of Paradise. Then we were appointed to positions [of authority] in which I do not know what my status is. If I die, do not let any wailing woman or fire accompany me. When you bury me, fill the gave well, with earth over me – then stay near my grave for the length of time it takes to slaughter a camel and distribute its meat, so that I may be comforted by you and I see how I will answer the messengers of my Lord (the Angels).” (Muslim, no. 192)
Abu Hurairah (radiyallaahu anhu) narrated that Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahualaihi wassallam) said: “Whoever performs Hajj for Allaah without indulging in sexual passions and without committing sin, he will return home like the day his mother gave birth to him.” (Bukhaaree, no. 1521. Muslim, no. 1350)
Secondly: Hajj is the most virtuous act after Imaan and Jihaad. Abu Hurayrah (radiyallaahu anhu) narrated that Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahualaihi wassallam) was asked: “Which deed is most virtuous?” He replied: “Imaan in Allaah and His Messenger.” It was said: “Then what?” He responded: “Jihaad in the Path of Allaah.” He was asked: “Then what?” He said: “A righteous accepted Hajj.” (Bukhaaree, no. 26. Muslim, no. 83)
Thirdly: The wealth spent upon Hajj multiplies the reward for the one who spends it just as the reward of the Mujaahid is multiplied. Buraidah (radiyallaahu anhu) stated that the Prophet (salallaahu alaihi wassallam) said: “Spending one’s wealth for Hajj is like spending it in Allaah’s cause, it is multiplied by seven hundred.” (Musnad of Ahmad, 5/355)
Fourthly: If one’s Hajj is performed sincerely for Allaah’s sake, in accordance to the Sunnah of the Prophet (salallaahu alaihi wassallam) using wealth from good Halaal earnings, then the reward is Jannah. Abu Hurairah (radiyallaahuanhu) said that Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu alaihi wassallam) said: “An Umrah to an `Umrah is an expiation for whatever sins are committed between them, and there is no reward for the righteous accepted Hajj except Paradise.”
Fifthly: Performing Hajj and Umrah is from the greatest means of avoiding poverty and gaining wealth. IbnAbbaas (radiyallaahu anhumaa) said that Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu alaihi wassallam) said: “Follow up between the Hajj and `Umrah consecutively for they remove poverty and sin as the bellows remove impurities from iron.” (An-Nasaa’ee, no. 2630)
Virtue of the Du’aa of the Haajj (Pilgrim)
Ibn Umar (radiyallaahuanhumaa) said that Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu alaihi wassallam) said: “The pilgrim performing Hajj and Umrah are a delegation to Allaah. He invited them and they answered his invite – and they ask Him and He gives.” (Ibn Maajah, no. 2893, Hasan) Umm Dardaa (radiyallaahu anhaa) said to her son-in-law, Safwaan Ibn Abdillaah: “Do you intend to make Hajj this year?” He said: “Yes.” So she said: “Then make duaa to Allaah for us to grant us goodness for the Prophet (salallaahu `alaihi wassallam) used to say: “The supplication of a man for his brother in his absence will be answered. By his head is an Angel who says Ameen to his supplication. And each time he prays for his brother, the Angel says: “Ameen, and the same to you.” (Ibn Maajah, no. 2895, Saheeh) Read More...
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar – radiAllaahu anhuma – who said: I was sitting with the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – in the masjid in Mina when a man from the Ansaar came and a man from the Thaqeef, they gave Salaam and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, we came to ask you questions.”
So the Messenger said: “If you want I can inform you why you came and what you want to ask, and I will do so, and if you want I will hold back and you can ask me and I will answer you.”
They said: “Tell us O Messenger of Allaah!”
The man from Thaqeef said to the Ansaari: “Ask.” So the Ansaari man said: “Inform me O Messenger of Allaah!”
The Messenger of Allaah said: “You came to me, to ask about leaving your house and aiming for the Bait-ul-Haraam and the reward for it; about praying two Rakah after Tawaaf and the reward for it; going between as-Safa and Marwa and the reward for it; your staying the evening in Mina, and the reward for it; stoning the Jamarah and the reward for it; slaughtering an animal and the reward for it; and the Tawaaf of al-Ifaadh.”
The man said: “I swear by the One who sent you with the truth! This is what I came to ask you about.”
The Prophet said: “As for you leaving your homes aiming for the Bait-ul-Haraam: then your she-camel does not place its foot nor does it raise it except that Allaah writes for you a reward due to it, and wipes off one of your sins.
As for the two Rakah after the Tawaaf, then it is equivalent to freeing a slave from the Children of Ismaeel.
As for your circuiting of as-Safa and al-Marwa, then it is the same as freeing 70 slaves.
As for you staying till the evening in Arafah, then Allaah descends to the sky of the Duniya and He boasts about you to the Angels, and says: ‘My slaves have come to Me, looking rough, from every deep valley hoping for My mercy, so if your sins were equivalent to the amount of sand or the drops of rain or like the foam on the sea I will forgive them. So go forth My slaves! Having forgiveness and for what or who you have interceded for.’
As for stoning the Jamaar (the pillars), then for every stone that you throw, it removes a big sin from the deadly sins.
As for your slaughtering, then it is saved for you with your Lord.
As for shaving your head, then there is a reward for every strand of hair that you shaved, and a sin is wiped off by it.
As for you performing Tawaaf of the House after all this, then by this time your are performing Tawaaf with no sin upon you and an Angel comes and places his hand between your shoulders saying: “Perform good deeds in what you face of the future for verily your past sins have been forgiven.”
Reported by at-Tabarani in his book “al-Kabeer” and by al-Bazaar. Shaykh Al-Albani graded it Hassan. Taken from ‘Saheeh al-Targheeb wa Tarheeb’. Volume 2, Page 9-10, hadeeth no. 1112
