The importance and virtues of Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam The True Path

With the commencement of Hajj days, people from all corners of the world are approaching the holy city of Makkah with the beautiful slogan of ‘labbaik’ on their lips. Some are already on the way while others are preparing to set off.

To demonstrate their immense love for Allah, soon pilgrims in millions will be reaching the holy places – Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah – to perform the fifth most important pillar of Islam, leaving behind all worldly pomp and show and will associate themselves with the glorious examples of sacrifice set out by Ibrahim and Ismail (AS) by performing Hajj in accordance with the teachings of our beloved prophet, Muhammad (PBUH).
Hajj is considered a love-manifesting act of worship because every action carried out by a Pilgrim demonstrates love and devotion to Allah.

Another feature that makes Hajj a prominent form of worship is that it simultaneously comprises all the three spiritual, physical and financial forms of worship. No other form of worship carries all the three aspects within except Hajj.

Once Hajj becomes obligatory, it should not be delayed: 

Much emphasis has been laid on performing Hajj by several hadiths reported from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). On the other hand, those obliged to do Hajj yet delaying it out of negligence or without any valid excuse are severely warned and condemned by the Messenger (PBUH) in a number of hadiths. To quote a few:

• Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Make haste to perform Hajj, because one knows not what lies ahead.” (Musnad Ahmad) 
• Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) also narrated from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that he said: “Whoever wants to perform Hajj (i.e. whosoever is obliged to do), let him hasten to do so.” (Abu Dawood)  
• Abu Umamah (RA) reported the Prophet (PBUH) to have said: "Whosoever dies without performing Hajj while he is not under some difficult circumstances - whereby it's impossible to go for Hajj - or is not allowed to leave because of an unjust ruler, or is chronically sick - or seriously sick during the Hajj season - then let him die if he wants as a Jew or a Christian." (Related by al-Darimi)  
• ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA) once remarked: “I was about to send envoys to the towns (on the outskirts of the Muslim empire) to check on all those who have the means to make Hajj but do not perform it, in order to impose Jizyah (tax) upon them. Such people are not believers, he said it twice. Similarly, it is reported from Ali (RA) that he said: “Whoever does not perform Hajj while being capable to do, let him die if he wants as a Jew or as a Christian.” (Related by Sa’eed in his Sunan)   

The importance and virtues of performing Hajj:

Much emphasis has been laid on and numerous virtues have been promised for performing Hajj. A few hadiths are as follows:

• Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) was asked, "Which deed is the best?" The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Belief in Allah and His Messenger." He was asked again, "What is next?" The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Jihad [striving] in the cause of Allah." He was further asked, "And what is next?" He said, "Hajj mabroor [i.e. Hajj accepted by the Almighty Allah]". (Bukhari and Muslim)  
• Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, “Whoever performs Hajj to seek Allah’s pleasure and does not commit any obscenity or transgression shall return [free from sins] as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him." (Bukhari and Muslim)  
• Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said,"An Umrah to another Umrah will be redemption of sins for whatever (minor) occurs between them and the reward for a Hajj Mabroor is nothing but Paradise" (Bukhari and Muslim) 
• Umar al-Farooq (RA) narrated from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that he said: “Perform Hajj and Umrah consecutively; for they remove poverty and sin as bellows removes impurity from iron.” (Ibn Majah)' 
• Amr ibn al-'Aas (RA) narrates, "When Islam entered my heart, I went to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said, 'Give me your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you.' The Prophet (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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)  
• Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (RA) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “Whoever performs Hajj riding he receives seventy rewards for every step his ride takes and whoever makes Hajj walking he receives seven hundred rewards from the rewards of the Haram. The Messenger was asked, “How much does the reward of Haram count?” “One reward (of Haram) is equivalent to a hundred thousand rewards”, the Messenger (PBUH) said. (Bazzaz, Kabir, Awsat)  

Hajj Mabroor: the best form of Jihad for women

• Aishah, the Mother of the Believers (RA) said that she asked the Prophet PBUH), "O Allah's Apostle (PBUH)! We consider Jihad as the best deed. Should we not fight in Allah's Cause?" He said, "The best Jihad (for women) is Hajje Mabrur (i.e. Hajj which is done according to the Prophet's (PBUH) tradition and is accepted by Allah)." (Bukhari) 
• Aishah, the Mother of the Believers (RA) said that she asked the Prophet (PBUH),‘whether or not women are required to take part in Jihad’. He replied: “Yes, upon them is Jihad which does not contain fighting: al-Hajj al-Mabroor.” (IbneMajah)  

The Pilgrims are delegation of Allah and their prayers are answered:

• Abu Hurairah (RA) states that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has said: “Those who perform Hajj and those who perform Umrah are the guests of Allah. If they supplicate Him, He responds to them and if they seek Him forgiveness, He forgives them.”(Ibn Majah)  
• Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "When you meet anyone who has performed Hajj, greet him, shake hands with him, and beseech him to pray for the forgiveness of your sins before he reaches his home, for he is in the state that decision of forgiveness has been taken for him (and it is confidently expected that his supplication will be accepted)." (Musnad Ahmad)  

Virtue of Hajj lies in feeding people, being lenient in talk and greeting them with Salam: 

• Jabir (RA) narrated from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that he said: “The reward of al-Hajj al-Mabroor is Paradise.” He was asked, ‘what is the virtue of Hajj?’ “The Virtue of Hajj lies in feeding people and talking to them softly”, he said. (Reported by Ahmad and by al-Tabarani in his al-Mojam al-Awsat as well as by IbneKhuzaimah in his Sahih). The narration recorded by Ahmad and al-Baihaqi says, ‘The virtue of Hajj lies in feeding people and greeting them much.”

Expending money for Hajj and Umrah entails great reward:

• Buraidah (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Spending during Hajj is akin to spending in the cause of Allah, and every dirham thus spent will be rewarded seven hundred times over.'' (Musnad Ahmad)  
• Aishah (RA) reported the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) to have said: “The reward of your Umrah is according to your expenditure.” It simply means the more you spend, the more you will be rewarded. (Reported by al-Hakim)  

Labbaik: the Hajj slogan  

• Sahl ibn Sa’d (RA) narrated from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that he said: “When a Muslim recites the Talbiyah then whatever is present to his right and to his left including stones, rocks and clouds, reciteTalbiyah with him, and this continues to the farthest point till the send of the world (Tirmidhi, IbneMajah).

Tawaf: the Circumambulation of the Ka’bah

• Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) reports that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “One hundred and twenty mercies descend upon the Ka’bah every day and night; sixty for those performing Tawaf, forty for those engaged in Salah and twenty for those who are merely looking at the Ka’bah.” (Tabrani) 
• It was narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) said: I heard Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) saying, “Whoever performs Tawaf around the House and prays two rak’ahs, it is as if he freed a slave.” (IbneMajah)  

Al-Hajar al-Aswad (the Black Stone), Maqam-e-Ibrahim and al-Rukn al-Yamani: 

• The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Al-Hajr al-Aswad and Maqam-e-Ibrahim are two precious stones. Allah,the Exalted, concealed their radiance. Had He not done so, they would illuminate everything between the East and the West.” (IbneKhuzaimah) 
• The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “The Black Stone came down from heaven in a state whiter than milk. Then, the sins of the Children of Adam blackened it.” (Tirmidhi) 
• Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Allah will surely resurrect the Black Stone on the Day of Judgment, with two eyes to see, and a tongue to utter, testifying to those who would have righteously kissed or touched it.” (Tirmidhi, IbneMajah)  
• Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying: “Touching these two stones (the Black Stone and al-Rukn al-Yamani) wipes out sins.” (Tirmidhi) 
• Abu Hurairah (RA) narratedthat the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Seventy thousand angels are appointed atal-Ruknal-Yamānī. 

Whoever says,اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَوَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ،   رَبَّنَاآتِنَافِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَاعَذَابَ النَّار

‘Allahumma inni as’alukal ‘afwawal‘āfiyah fid dunyā wal ākhirah. Rabbanā ātinā fid dunyā hasanahwa fil ākhirati hasanah waqinā ‘adhābannār’

(O Allāh! I ask of You forgiveness and safety in the world and the Hereafter, Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of Fire). The angels say ‘Amen’ (O Allāh accept [this prayer]).

The Hateem: a part of the House of Allah  

• Aishah (RA) narrated: “I wanted to enter the House (i.e. Ka’bah) and pray inside. Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) took me by my hand and led me inside Hijr (Hateem) and said: ‘If you want to go inside the House then pray here, for it is a part of the House, but your people reduced its area when they rebuilt it (due to lack of lawful funds for construction and thus this original portion of the House was left out).'” (Nasa’i)

Zamzam Water:

• Jabir ibn Abdullah (RA) narrated from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that he said: “The water of Zamzam is for whatever purpose it is drunk for.” (IbneMajah)  
• Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “The best water on the surface of the earth is Zamzam. In it there is a food for the hungry and a cure for the ill”. (Tabrani)  
• Aishah (RA) used to carry Zamzam water (to Madinah) and said that the Prophet (PBUH) used to carry as well. (Tirmidhi)

 The Day of Arafah:

• Aisha (RA) narrated that Allah's Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “There is no day other than the day of Arafah when Allah releases more of His slaves from Hell. Indeed, He draws near and proudly tells His angels about the Pilgrims. Then He asks: What do these slaves of Mine seek? (Muslim)  
• Talhah (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Apart from the day of the Battle of Badr, there is no day on which the Shaytan is seen to be more humiliated, more rejected, more depressed and more infuriated, than on the day of Arafah, and indeed all this is only because of beholding the abundance of descending mercy (on the day) and Allah’s forgiveness of the great sins of the servants.” (Mishkat)  

Death while travelling for Hajj or Umrah 

• “Whoever sets out to perform Hajj and passes away in the way, for him the reward of a Haaji (one who performs Hajj)will be written until the Day of Resurrection; and whoever sets out to perform Umrah and passes away in the way, for him the reward of a Mu’tamir (one who performs Umrah) will be written until the Day of Resurrection.” (IbneMajah)

May Allah grant all the Pilgrims Hajj Mabroor. Amen!