by Muhammad Alshareef
When Ibrahim alayhis salaam completed the structure of the Ka’bah, Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala commanded him to call the people to Hajj. Ibrahim alayhis salaam pleaded, “O Allah! How shall my voice reach all of those people?” Allah subhanahu wa ta’aala told him that his duty was only to give the call and it was up to Allah to make it reach the people.
Ibrahim alayhis salaam then climbed Mount Arafat and called out in his loudest voice, “O People! Verily Allah has prescribed upon you Hajj, so perform Hajj.”
Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala revealed in the Qur’an:
And proclaim the Hajj among mankind. They will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways (Al-Hajj 22/28).
To this very day millions upon millions of Muslims continue to answer the call of Prophet Ibrahim alayhis salaam. Perhaps this year you shall be amongst those who answer the call.
‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas narrates that when his heart entered Islam he went to the Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam and said, “Give me your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you.” The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam spread his hand, but ‘Amr withdrew his.
The Prophet sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam asked, “What is wrong ‘Amr?”
Amr said, “I want to make a condition.”
“And what is that?” asked the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
“That Allah will forgive me.”
Then the Messenger of Allah 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)!
Hajj is the fifth pillar upon which Islam stands. Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala made it compulsory upon every able Muslim male and female to perform it, at least once in a lifetime.
Allah revealed:
Hajj thereto is a duty mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the journey, but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures (A’le-Imran 3/97).
Performance of the Hajj washes away all sins.
Abu Hurairah narrates, “I heard the Prophet say, ‘Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any rafath (obscenity) or fusooq (transgression), he returns (free from sin) as the day his mother bore him’” (Sahih Bukhari).
Hajj is one of the greatest deeds one can accomplish in his or her lifetime.
Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet was asked, “What deed is the best?”
He said, “Eman in Allah and His Messenger.”
“Then what?”
“Jihaad in the cause of Allah.”
“Then what?”
“Hajj Mabroor, a Hajj accepted by Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala.”
Abu Sha’thaa’ said, “I contemplated the good deeds that a person does. I found that salaat as well as fasting are a jihaad of the body. And that sadaqa is a jihaad of someone’s wealth. But Hajj is a jihaad of both body and wealth.”
Hajj is the greatest jihaad. Aishah radi Allaahu anha asked the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, “We find that jihaad is the best deed, shouldn’t we (women) do jihaad?”
The Prophet replied, “Rather the best jihaad is a Hajj Mabroor!”
Aishah later said, “I’ll never cease performing Hajj after I heard that from RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam” (Agreed upon).
The du’a of the one in Hajj shall be accepted.
The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“The soldier in the path of Allah and the one who performs Hajj and the one who performs ‘Umra, all are the delegation of Allah! He called them and they answered. And they asked Him, and He shall grant them (what they ask for)” (Authentic, narrated by Ibn Majah and Ibn Hibban)!
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