Importance Of Hajj & Warnings For Not Permorming It

[ummtaalib]

Importance of Hajj

 

If a person has wealth which is over and above his basic necessities and which will be sufficient for him to make the onward and return journey for hajj, then hajj becomes fard upon him. There are great virtues in performing hajj. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "There is nothing in return for a hajj that is free of sins and evils except paradise." Similarly, great rewards have been mentioned for performing umrah. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "Hajj and umrah wipe out sins just as a furnace removes the rust that has settled on steel."

 

 

 

Warnings for  Not Performing Hajj (When it becomes Compulsory)

 

Severe warnings have been mentioned with regard to the one who does not perform his hajj despite it being fard upon him. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "The person who has food, drink, and the means of transportation in order to undertake the journey of hajj and still does not go - Allah Ta'ala has no concern if the person dies as a Jew or a Christian." He has also said that the abandoning of hajj is not the way of Islam.

From Bahishti Zewar by Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanwi

 

 

 

 

(حديث مرفوع) حَدَّثَنَا سَلَمَةُ بْنُ شَبِيبٍ , قَالَ : ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ , قَالَ : أنا الثَّوْرِيُّ ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ، عَنْ فُضَيْلٍ ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا , قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " تَعَجَّلُوا إِلَى الْحَجِّ ، يَعْنِي الْفَرِيضَةَ ، فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لا يَدْرِي مَا يَعْرِضُ لَهُ "

 

Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) said, Hasten to do Hajj, for no one of you knows what will happen to him."

 

من مات ولم يحج وله جدة فلا عليه أن يموت يهوديا أو نصرانيا

Sayydina Umar ibn al-Khattaab (RA) said, “Whoever dies without having done Hajj when he had the means to do so, he might as well die as a Jew or as a Christian.”

 

 

Rulings Regarding Hajj

(Bahishti Zewar)

 

1. Hajj is fard at least once in a life time. If a person performs the hajj several times, the first one will be regarded as fard and the rest will be regarded as nafl hajj. There is also great reward in offering nafl hajj.

 

2. Hajj that is offered before one can reach the age of maturity is not considered. If a person is rich, hajj will become fard upon him once he reaches the age of maturity. The hajj that he performed before maturity will be regarded as nafl hajj.

 

3. Hajj is not fard on a blind person irrespective of how rich he may be.

 

4. Once hajj becomes fard on a person, it becomes wajib on him to go for hajj in that very year. It is not permissible to delay in performing the hajj without a valid reason. It is also not permissible for a person to think that he is still young and that there is still plenty of time to perform the hajj. If a person delays in performing his hajj and performs it after a few years, his fard duty will be fulfilled but he will still be regarded as a sinner.

 

5. If a woman is going on hajj, it is necessary for her to be accompanied by her husband or some other mahram. It is not permissible for her to go on hajj without a mahram. However, if a woman lives within 77 kilometres of Makkah, it is not necessary for her to go with her husband or a mahram.

 

6. If the mahram has not reached the age of maturity, or he is so irreligious that he cannot even be trusted with his mother, sister, etc. it will not be permissible to travel with such a mahram as well.

 

7. Once a woman finds a reliable mahram, her husband cannot prevent her from going on hajj. Even if he prevents her from going, she should not pay any heed to him and she should continue on her journey.

 

8. A girl who is on the verge of reaching the age of maturity cannot go for hajj without a shar'ee mahram. She cannot even go alone.

 

9. If a mahram takes a woman for her hajj, all his expenses will have to be borne by the woman. It is wajib upon her to pay him for all his expenses.

 

10. If a woman cannot find a suitable mahram throughout her life, she will not be sinful for not performing her hajj. However, at the time of her death it is wajib on her to make a bequest that hajj be performed on her behalf. After her death, her inheritors should find someone to perform the hajj on her behalf. The expenses for this hajj should be paid from the money that she left behind. In this way she will be absolved of the duty of performing hajj. This type of hajj is known as hajj-e-badal.

 

11. If hajj was fard on a person but he delayed performing it until such a time that he became blind or became so sick that he is unable to undertake the journey, then he will also have to make a bequest for hajj-e-badal.

 

12. If a person dies, leaving behind so much of wealth that after paying all his debts, there is sufficient money to pay for the hajj-e-badal from one third of his wealth, then it is wajib on the inheritors to fulfill his bequest for hajj-e-badal. But if the money is so little that hajj-e-badal cannot be made from one third of his wealth, then the person's relatives should not undertake to have the hajj performed. The inheritors could also take the entire one third for the purpose of hajj-e-badal and supply the balance of the money from their own side so that the hajj-e-badal could be made. In other words, they should not give more than one third from the wealth of the deceased person. However, if all the inheritors happily agree to give their share of the inheritance for the performance of hajj-e-badal, it will be permissible to use more than one third of the wealth of the deceased. However, the permission of immature inheritors is not considered in the Shariah. Therefore, no money should be taken from their share.

 

13. A person made a bequest for hajj-e-badal and thereafter passed away. However, the wealth that he left behind was very little and hajj-e-badal could not be made from the one third. In addition to this, the inheritors refused to forego their shares in order for the hajj-e-badal to be performed. Bearing all this in mind, if the hajj is not performed, there will be no sin on the deceased.

 

14. The same rule applies to all bequests. If a person had many fasts to keep, many salaats to make qada of or some zakaat to be given, he therefore made a bequest for all this and passed away, then all these payments will have to be made from the one third. It is not permissible to use more than one third without the permission of all the inheritors.

 

15. If a person did not make a bequest for hajj-e-badal, it will not be permissible to do so by using the money which he had left behind. But if all the inheritors agree to this, it will be permissible. Insha Allah, the obligation of hajj will be fulfilled. But it should be borne in mind that the permission of an immature inheritor is not considered.

 

16. If a woman is in her iddah, she cannot go for hajj.

 

17. If a person has sufficient funds for the onward and return journey to Makkah but not sufficient enough to visit Madinah as well, hajj will still be fard upon him. Many are of the incorrect opinion that as long as you do not have sufficient funds to go to Madinah as well, hajj does not become fard. This notion is absolutely wrong.

 

18. When a woman is in her ihraam, she cannot cover her face in such a way that the piece of cloth touches her face. These days, a latticed screen or fan is available for this purpose. It should be tied to the face with the screen in line with the eyes and with the burqah worn loosely above it. This is permissible.

 

19. The rules and regulations of hajj cannot be understood and remembered without really going on hajj. On going for hajj, one is taught all the rites of hajj, etc. We therefore do not feel it necessary to enumerate these rules and regulations. Similarly, the method of performing umrah can be learnt by going to Makkah.

[ummtaalib]

Delaying Hajj

By Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

 

Hajj is one of the fundamental pillars of Islām, and obligatory for every Muslim male or female who meets its requirements and whom Allāh ta‘ālā grants the capability to carry it out. If there are no Shar‘ī excuses to prevent you from fulfilling the obligation of hajj, you should not delay.

 

Shaytān’s Ploy

Every year, however, Shaytān whispers the following thought in the minds of those who are under an obligation to go for hajj: “I have some important reasons preventing me from going this year, but I will definitely go next year, no matter what happens, and I will absolve myself of this obligation.” In this way Shaytān secures a year’s grace for himself. The following year, just before hajj, he will play the same trick again and secure yet another year. Shaytān leads people on in this manner right up to their graves.

 

It is another amazing trick of Shaytān that whatever he whispers to people, he never encourages them to rule out the intention of fulfilling any of Allāh ta‘ālā’s commands. Someone who has been neglecting salāh for years will not think to himself that he intends never to perform salāh. And likewise with sins: Shaytān never makes people feel they will never give up a particular disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā. Someone who indulges in drinking alcohol, for example, will never think that he is never going to give it up, but will always intend one day, possibly when Ramadān comes, to definitely give it up. This is the very condition of many Muslims regarding hajj; not for a moment do they entertain the thought of leaving this world without having fulfilled the obligation of hajj, but on the other hand, they never make a firm decision to do it either.

 

The Affection of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam for his Ummah

Being so affectionate, kind and merciful, anything that places his Ummah in difficulty bears heavily on Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam. Allāh ta‘ālā describes this quality in the Qur’ān:

 

Surely there has come to you, from your midst, a Messenger who feels it very hard upon himself if you face a hardship, who is very anxious for your welfare; and for the believers he is very kind, very merciful. (9:128)

 

At every juncture, Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has tried to save us from harm. He has said regarding those people upon whom hajj is fard, and who have made the intention to go:

 

Whoever intends hajj should hurry! (Abū Dāwūd)

 

This is because even when someone makes the intention to go for hajj, Shaytān erects obstacles and whispers all sorts of thoughts and worries into the heart. Our beloved Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam warns us not to be deterred by these tricks, but to start preparations straight away.

 

Trust in Allāh ta‘ālā

Everything is in the hands of Allāh ta‘ālā, and when a servant of his makes the firm intention to go for hajj, He removes all the difficulties and obstacles. Some people, misled by Shaytān, worry about their children or their parents, while others worry about their businesses and earnings. All this is actually a test from Allāh ta‘ālā to see whether His servant is prepared to sacrifice everything in order to fulfil the obligation he has to Allāh ta‘ālā. If you steel yourself to make these sacrifices, Allāh ta‘ālā will make your heart firm, grant you courage and take over the responsibility of settling all your affairs.

 

Look to the example of the People of the Cave described in the Qur’ān. A handful of young men were up against an idolatrous people and an idolatrous king. There were nothing but obstacles in their path of upholding tawhīd, yet when they rose to the challenge, Allāh ta‘ālā strengthened them and protected them:

 

We made their hearts firm when they stood up and said: “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth...” (18:14)

 

An Invitation from Allāh ta‘ālā is a Great Honour

Allāh ta‘ālā does not invite just anyone to His House; it is a great honour to be given the opportunity to visit the sacred cities of Makkah Mukarramah and Madīnah Munawwarah. If we had true love for Allāh ta‘ālā, we would long to visit His House, even if it was not obligatory upon us, and we would be prepared to undergo any hardship to get there. Those who, despite having the means, have not yet received the tawfīq to undergo the journey should be concerned about their condition: could it not be that Allāh ta‘ālā is displeased with them and so does not want them to be guests of His House? Tawbah and istighfār should be made immediately in abundance, and humility adopted, beseeching Allāh ta‘ālā to grant us the privilege of visiting the Haramayn.

 

Perform Hajj Before it is Too Late

We need to consult the ‘ulamā and muftīs concerning our own circumstances to find out if we really do have a Shar‘ī excuse to postpone going for hajj. People postpone hajj for all sorts of reasons: some do not go because they want their parents to perform hajj first; some wives, who have a mahram available to accompany them, put off hajj in order to go with their husbands; some husbands wait for their wives, etc. If a person were to die without having fulfilled the obligation of hajj, there are dire consequences in the hereafter.

 

If someone leaves a wasiyyah requesting his next of kin to perform hajj on his behalf, it is hoped that Allāh ta‘ālā will grant forgiveness once the hajj is performed, but he is still a sinner for failing to perform hajj despite having the means during his life. And it is a sad fact that even if a wasiyyah is left, people nowadays have so much love for wealth that they are not prepared to spend even a pound for the sake of their departed parents. They do not have the time or the concern to make the journey, even if the money their parents left them is more than sufficient to cover the costs. Therefore each individual should ensure that the obligation of hajj is fulfilled at the earliest opportunity.

 

May Allāh ta‘ālā grant a safe journey to all those who are going for hajj this year and grant them hajj mabrūr. May He guide those upon whom hajj is fard but who have not resolved to go yet, and may He grant all the necessary means to those who long to go for hajj yet are unable to do so. Āmīn.

 

© Riyādul Jannah (Vol. 17 No. 10/11, Oct/Nov 2008)

[JawedIqbal]

Umrah can be done along with Hajj and in other additional days as well.‘Umrah can be completed through anytime in the year, there is no fixed time for ‘Umrah.

Masha Allah , good knowledge, thanks for sharing nice info