Ever since Allaah
The Almighty commanded His Khaleel (intimate friend) Ibraaheem (Abraham) to proclaim Hajjto the people, hearts have been in longing for this House and location, and
crowds of visitors come to it from every distant pass in response to the call
of Allaah The Almighty. In this respect, Ibn ‘Abbaassaid,
When Ibraaheem finished building the House, it was
said to him (by Allaah): “Proclaim (Hajj) to the people.” He said, “O Lord, to
what extent would my voice reach?” He said: “It is your duty to proclaim, and
it is incumbent upon Me to convey (your voice to everywhere in the world).”
Ibraaheem then called, “O people, (the obligatory duty of) Hajj has been
enjoined upon you to the ancient House, so come to perform Hajj.” All what is
between the heaven and earth heard his voice. Do you not see the people coming
from the farthest ends of the earth announcing (with Talbiyah (the Hajj related
chant)) their response (to the call)?
The obligatory duty of Hajj was made
obligatory by Allaah The Almighty upon the capable among His salves once in
lifetime, as He States (what means): {And [due] to Allaah from the people is
a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But
whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allaah is free from need of the worlds.}
[Quran 3:97] The obligation of Hajj is among the indisputably
established facts of Islam.
Allaah made the outcome of performing this act of
worship the great reward that stimulates the Muslim’s zeal, whets his will
power and makes him proceed to it with an expanded chest and energetic
determination in the hope of the reward and forgiveness of Allaah and what has
been prepared of good by Allaah to the pilgrims of His honorable House. There
are many texts about the merits of Hajj and ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage),
of which a mention may be made of the following:
Hajj
effaces sins and misdeeds that are committed before it
Hajj is
among the greatest means of the forgiveness removal of sins and misdeeds. If
one performs Hajj Mabroor (which is a Hajj that is accepted by
Allaah), he would return from Hajj (as pure from sins) as a newborn on
the day his mother gave birth to him, that is, purity from all sins and
mistakes. It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrahthat
he said that he heard the Prophet,,
say: “Whoever performs Hajj, during which he neither has sexual activity
(with his wife) nor commits sins, he will return (as sinless) as a newborn
child on the very day his mother delivered him.”[Al-Bukhaari] The Hadeethvery clearly confirms the forgiveness of sins, be they minor or major,
according to Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar.owever, this forgiveness is, according to the Hadeeth,
conditional on abstention from having sexual activity (intercourse and foreplay
with one’s wife) and disobedience to Allaah during the Hajj.
It was narrated in an authentic Hadeeth that ‘Amr
ibn Al-‘Aascame
to the Prophet,,
to embrace Islam and he put a condition that his previous sins should be
forgiven for him, thereupon the Prophet,,
mentioned to him three things, each of which removes the sins and mistakes prior
to it. Thus, it was narrated on the authority of ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aasthat
he said,
When Allaah placed the love of Islam in my heart, I
went to the Prophetand said, “Stretch out your hand so that I can give you the pledge of
allegiance.” However, when he stretched out his hand, I withdrew mine. He said:
“What is the matter with you, O ‘Amr?” I replied, “I want to place a certain
condition on this.” He asked: “What condition do you wish to place?” I said,
“That I should be granted forgiveness.” He said: “Do you not know that
(embracing) Islam effaces all the previous misdeeds committed before it as does
the Hijrah (emigration) and Hajj?”[Muslim]
Thus, Hajj was made among the acts of worship
that remove all sins previously committed.
The reward of a Hajj Mabroor is Paradise
Allaah The Almighty promises His slaves reward for
their obedience to Him and made for Hajj no reward other than Paradise.
It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrahthat
the Prophet,,
said: "The performance of two ‘Umrahs expiates the sins that are
committed in the interval between them; and the Hajj Mabroor (that is accepted
by Allaah as being performed with sincerity and according to the rules of Sharee‘ah)
has no reward other than Paradise."[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] However,
this reward is contingent on the condition of its being accepted, as not every Hajj
will be rewarded with Paradise. That reward is restricted only to the a Hajj
Mabroor, and a Hajj Mabroor is that which complies with the
teachings and principles of Sharee‘ah in deed and belief, and is not
contaminated with anything of Shirk, (polytheism) sin, sexual relations
or disobedience.
Among the signs of Hajj Mabroor is that the
Muslim’s condition after Hajj becomes better than before it. The
evidence for that is the statement of Allaah The Almighty (which means): {And
those who are guided - He increases them in guidance and gives them their
righteousness.} [Quran 47:17] Al-Hasan Al-Basrisaid,
“(The sign of) a Hajj Mabroor is that the pilgrim returns (from it) having
no desire for this world and seeking the Hereafter.” Overall, Hajj
Mabroor, as Al-Qurtubiput
it, “Is that whose rulings are fulfilled and which is performed perfectly
according to what is required from the one competent for religious assignment.”
Hajj
is among the best righteous deeds
Righteous deeds are numerous and vary in rank and
degree of reward and excellence. Since one’s lifetime is very short, the deeds
are numerous and he may not know which of them should be given priority, it is
incumbent upon the slave to be eager to understand the ranks of deeds to get
closer to Allaah with the dearest of deeds to Him, and give it priority over
what is lesser in rank and excellence. The Prophet,,
put the deeds in order (according to their ranks) in the Hadeethnarrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrahwhen
the Messenger of Allaah,, was
asked about the best deed, he replied: “To believe in Allaah and His
Messenger (Muhammad)." The questioner then asked, “What comes next
(in goodness)?" He replied: “To participate in Jihaad (religious
fighting) in the cause of Allaah." The questioner then asked, “What
comes next (in goodness)?" He replied: “To perform a Hajj
Mabroor." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
In clarification of why Hajj was given such
preference and rank, one of the righteous predecessors said, “I have
reflected on all the righteous deeds and found that the prayers exhaust only
the body and not wealth, as does fasting, and found that charity exhausts only
wealth but not the body, whereas Hajj exhausts both; thus, I saw it as the
best.” Hajj then is a financial as well as a physical worship.
Article by: islamweb.net
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