Sincerity in Hajj: Fatwa Of Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Saleh Al 'Uthaymeen
Islamic Perspectives - Muslim JournalsArab News
& Information - By Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Saleh Al 'Uthaymeen
Question:
How can the pilgrim be sincere towards Allaah in
performing the ritu-als? If he wants to do business
and seek to earn a living as well as doing Hajj, does
that mean that he is not being sincere towards Allaah?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Sincerity (ikhlaas) is a
necessary condition in all acts of worship, and no act
of worship is valid if anything or anyone is
associ-ated with Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
1."So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let
him work righteousness and associate none as a partner
in the worship of his Lord" [al-Kahf 18:110]
2. "And they were commanded not, but that they should
worship Allaah, and worship none but Him Alone
(abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and
perform As-Salah (prayer) and give Zakaah, and that is
the right religion" [Al-Bayyinah 98: 5]
So worship Allaah (Alone) by doing religious deeds
sincerely for Allaah's sake only.
3. "Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the
obedience) is for Allaah only" [al-Zumar39:2-3]
According to a saheeh hadeeth qudsi, the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah,
may He be blessed and exalted, says: 'I am so
self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an
associate. Thus he who does an action for someone
else's sake as well as Mine will have that action
renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me.'"
What is meant by sincerity towards Allaah in worship
is that nothing motivates the person to do that act of
worship except love and veneration for Allaah, and the
hope for His reward and pleasure. Hence Allaah says of
Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him):
"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. And those who
are with him are severe against disbelievers, and
merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and
falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty
from Allaah and (His) Good Pleasure" [al-Fath 48:29 -
interpretation of the meaning]
No act of worship, whether it is Hajj or anything
else, will be accepted if a person is doing it to show
off to other people, or he is doing it so that other
people will see him and say, "How pious So and so is,
how much he worships Allaah" and so on.
No worship will be accepted if the motivation behind
it is to see places or see people, or other such
things that are contrary to sincerity. Hence the
pilgrims who go to the Sacred House must make their
intention sincerely for the sake of Allaah and not
make it their intention to see the Muslim world, or to
do business, or so that it will be said that So and so
goes for Hajj every year, and so on.
There is nothing wrong with a person seeking the
bounty of Allaah by doing business whilst travelling
to the Sacred House, because Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"There is no sin on you if you seek the Bounty of your
Lord (during pilgrimage by trading)" [al-Baqarah
2:198]
What goes against sincerity is when a person's only
intention is to busi-ness and earn money. This is a
person who seeks worldly gain by doing actions that
have to do with the Hereafter. This means that the act
of worship is invalid or that it is sorely lacking.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Whosoever desires (by his deeds) the reward of the
Hereafter, We give him increase in his reward, and
whosoever desires the reward of this world (by his
deeds), We give him thereof (what is decreed for him),
and he has no portion in the Hereafter" [al-Shoora
42:20]
Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 21/18.
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