Delaying Hajj

[ummtaalib]

By Shaykhul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat dāmat barakātuhum

 

 

Hajj is one of the fundamental pillars of Islām, and obligatory upon every Muslim male or female who meets its requirements and who has been granted the capability to carry it out by Allāh ta‘ālā. If there are no Dīnī 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 matters 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 misleads people in this manner right up to their graves.

It is another cunning ploy of Shaytān that whatever he whispers to people, he never encourages them to rule out the intention of fulfilling any of the Commands of Allāh ta‘ālā. For example, someone who has been neglecting salāh for years will not think to himself that he never intends to perform salāh. Similarly, someone who indulges in drinking alcohol will never think that he is never going to 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 fulfilling 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 would place his Ummah in difficulty bore 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 sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam 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 in his path and whispers all sorts of thoughts and worries into his heart. Our Beloved Nabī sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam warned us not to be deterred by these tricks, but to start preparations straight away.

Trust in Allāh ta‘ālā

Everything is in the Control of Allāh ta‘ālā, and when a servant of His makes the firm intention to go for hajj, He removes all difficulties and obstacles. Some people, misled by Shaytān, worry about their children or their parents, while others worry about their businesses and earnings. All of 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 resolve to make these sacrifices, Allāh ta‘ālā will make your heart firm, grant you courage and take over the responsibility of settling all of your affairs.

Look at the example of the ‘People of the Cave’ described in the Qur’ān. A handful of young men were up against an idolatrous king and his idolatrous people. 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 Rabb is the Rabb 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 undertake 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 them 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 Dīnī 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. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has said:

Whoever has wealth that will make him reach the hajj of the House of His Rabb or as a result of which zakāh becomes obligatory upon him, but he does neither (of the two), then he shall at the time of death beg to return (back to the world so that he can have another chance of acquiring Jannah by fulfilling the two obligations). (At-Tirmidhī)

If someone leaves a wasiyyah (bequest) 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 lifetime. (Raddul-Muhtār ‘alad-Durril-Mukhtār) 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 even spend 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 al-hajjul-mabrūr (accepted hajj). May He guide those upon whom hajj is fard but who have not yet resolved to go, and may He grant all the necessary means to those who long to go for hajj but are unable to do so. Āmīn.

Taken  from 'Inspirations' (Volume 1) published by Islāmic Da'wah Academy

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