✨Yearning for Hajj

Allah Almighty has honored the Muslim community with successive seasons of goodness, consecutive days of mercies, and many means of triumphing with Paradise. The days pass by quickly. For as soon as Muslims bid farewell to Ramadan, the month of blessings and mercy, the season of Hajj arrives, the season of remembrance, magnifying and praising Allah, responding to the call of Allah, standing in Arafat, throwing the jamarat and tawaf (circumambulating) around the ancient House. Allah Almighty said:
Al Hajj (22) 32: That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols [i.e., rites] of Allāh – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.

And from Allah’s magnifying this season, that the souls of the believers yearn to shade under, is that Allah Almighty singled it from other seasons, that He did not entrust the honor of informing people about it and inviting them to it except to His close friend and the best of His creation after our Prophet Mohammad ﷺ; our father Ibrahim, peace be upon him. Allah Almighty said:
Al Hajj (22) 26-27: (26) And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Abraham the site of the House, [saying], “Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform tawāf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate. (27) 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 pass

Hajj, pilgrimage, to Allah’s sacred House is one of the great pillars of Islam. Allah Almighty mandated Hajj once in a lifetime upon His servants who are able to find a way there. Not to multiply through them due to lack and not to get glory through them out of humility. For He is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy. And indeed He bestows His grace and mercy upon people. So whoever obeys Him is guided. And whoever disbelieves does not hurt except themselves and does not harm Allah Almighty in the least bit. Allah Almighty said:
Al Imran 97: And [due] to Allāh from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves [i.e., refuses] – then indeed, Allāh is free from need of the worlds.

And Hajj is specific to this religion and it is the secret of tawhid (affirming the Oneness of Allah). It is the visit of the one who loves to their Beloved and answering His invitation. And one’s dignity is through an ancient phrase that constantly renews, whose echo does not weaken over the centuries and the successive generations.

Labbaika Allahumma Labbaik, Labbaika la sharika laka labbaik.

I respond to Your call O Allah, I respond to Your call, You have no partner, I respond to Your call.

Those of you who intend to perform the pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah, have glad tidings of Allah Almighty’s promise for you as the Prophet ﷺ indicated when responding to a man from among the Ansar (helpers) about what Hajj contains of reward. The Prophet ﷺ said:
As for leaving your home towards the Sacred House; for every step that your riding animal takes, Allah will record a good deed for you, and wipe away a sin. As for your standing in Arafat, Allah Almighty will descend to the sky of this world (in a manner befitting His Majesty) and boast about them to the angels and will say: these servants of Mine have come to Me disheveled from every distant pass, hoping for My mercy and fearing My torment while they have not seen Me, so how about if they saw Me? So if you have (countless) sins like the sands of a great desert or the days of this worldly life or the raindrops of the sky, Allah will cleanse it from you. As for your throwing the jamarat, its (reward) will be stored for you, as for shaving your head, a good deed will be recorded for every hair that falls, then if you perform tawaf around the House (Kaba) you will exit from your sins like the day that your mother gave birth to you. [At Tabarani 426/12, Albani (Saḥīḥ al Jami’) 1360, Grade: Ḥassan]

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺwas asked:
Which of the deeds are the best? He replied faith in Allah and His messenger. Then it was said, what’s next, he said striving in the way of Allah. Then it was said, what’s next, he replied a Hajj Mabroor. [Bukhari 2784, Muslim 85e]

And a Hajj Mabroor is a Hajj that is performed properly in accordance to the requirements and accepted by Allah Almighty. A Hajj that is free from showing off, seeking reputation, sin and unlawfully gained wealth. Therefore, it’s reward was promised by the Lord of the Worlds. And it’s reward is for the Allah conscious. It is the precious wish of the seekers of Allah’s pleasure and the believers race to it. The Prophet ﷺ said:
And the reward for the Hajj Mabrur (an accepted Hajj) is paradise. [Bukhari 1773, Muslim 1349a]

Ibn Shumasah, may Allah have mercy on Him reported:We visited ‘Amr bin Al-‘As (May Allah be pleased with him) when he was on his deathbed. He wept for a long time and said:
When Allah placed the love for Islam in my heart, I went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, extend your right hand, so that I may pledge allegiance to you. He ﷺ stretched out his right hand, but I withdrew my hand. He ﷺ said, What is the matter, Amr?’ I said, I wish to make some conditions. He asked, What conditions do you wish to make? He replied, to be granted forgiveness. He ﷺ said, do you not know that (embracing) Islam wipes out all that was before it (previous misdeeds). And that emigration for the sake of Allah wipes out all the previous sins before it, and that Hajj (pilgrimage) wipes out all previous sins and misdeeds before it. [Muslim 121]

From Allah’s kindness to the Muslims is that if a door of righteousness is closed for someone, He replaces it with another that is in line with their abilities and readiness. For the wives of the Prophet ﷺ requested from him to strive against the adversaries for the sake of Allah for what it contains of great virtue and high stations with Allah Almighty. So the Prophet ﷺ directed them to a deed that takes the its place and is befitting for them. Indeed it is Hajj. For the Prophet ﷺ said:
But the best Jihad (for women) is the Hajj Mabroor (accepted by Allah). Then Aishah said, I did not leave performing Hajj after I heard this from Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. [Bukhari 1861]

There are many virtues of Hajj and Allah’s favor upon us is bigger and greater. It is astonishing for the one knowing these virtues to turn away from Hajj; people whom Allah has blessed with health, well-being, security and abundance of wealth. Rather, they may have gone on trips and travels to all countries and regions. They endure toil and fatigue because of these trips, and may even incur sins because of them. While their toil and spending in Hajj (pilgrimage) is recorded for them with their Lord and is saved for them in the balance of their good deeds. And in spite of this, there are those who are negligent of Hajj. For Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said to her when she performed Umrah:
You will be rewarded in accordance to your effort and spending. [Sahih Al Targheeb (Albani), Grade: Sahih]

And the Prophet ﷺ said:
Perform Hajj and ‘Umrah consecutively; for they remove poverty and sin as the bellows remove impurity from iron, gold and silver. And there is no reward for an accepted Hajj except paradise. [Sunan an-Nasa’i 2630, Grade: Hassan]

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