The Merits of Hajj

People of the world are usually aware of two kinds of journeys: journeys made to earn livelihood and journeys undertaken for pleasure and sight-seeing. In both these types of journeys, a man is impelled to go abroad by his material need or his physical desires. He leaves home for personal reasons, he spends his money or time to fulfill personal needs or desires.

Therefore, no question of selfless sacrifice arises in such journeys, all sacrifices of wealth and time are for particular material returns which are sought or expected. However, the journey which is called Hajj is quite different from those other journeys. This journey is not meant to gain any personal end or to fulfill any desire. It is intended solely for Allah; fulfillment of a duty prescribed by Allah. No person can prepare himself to undertake this journey unless he has true love of Allah in his heart as well as fear of Him and feels strongly that this religious rite ordained by Allah is obligatory on him.

Therefore, whosoever sets out for Hajj parting from his family and relatives for a long period, allowing his business to suffer, spending money and bearing the rigors of the travel, he furnishes by his act of devotion a proof of the fact that there is in his heart fear of Allah and love for Him as also a sense of duty and that he possesses the strength to leave his home when called upon to do so, for the cause of Allah and that he can face hardships and willingly sacrifice his wealth and comfort for the pleasure of Allah.

The outward forms of worship in Islam fall under two general categories: physical, like Salaah and Saum and monetary like Zakaah and charity. Hajj combines both of these categories in its rites. It also simultaneously develops in man all of the spiritual and moral goals for the various forms of worship in Islam such as sincerity and piety, humility and obedience, sacrifice, submission etc.

The physical demands of Hajj which involve circling the Ka'bah, walking between mounts Safaa and Marwah along with millions of others as well as journeying to Mina, Arafaat and Muzdalifah, far surpass those of Salaah and Saum. Thus, the self control, humility and obedience produced by Salaah and Saum can all be found in pilgrimage to Makkah. Giving charity and Zakaah cleanses the heart of greed deposited by the love of this world. It builds generosity and develops in the individual a willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Allah. Hajj serves a similar spiritual purpose as Zakaah; the pilgrim spends from his wealth and offers sacrifices in gratitude to Allah and in order to win Allah's approval.

During Hajj, one enjoys the privilege of offering many of his prayers in the great Masjid towards which he had been turning his face in prayer from his home along with the rest of the Muslim world. His prayers there are far superior in reward to similar prayers made anywhere else in the world. In fact, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) stated that a single prayer in al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah is worth one hundred thousand (100,000) prayers performed elsewhere.

However, there remain some even greater merits of Hajj. Two of which all true believers yearn for: self purification of sins and a guaranteed place in Paradise. The first of these two benefits was expressed by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in the following simile: The person who makes pilgrimage to Allah's house without committing any acts of indecency or disobedience to Allah will return home as (pure from sins as) he was on the day his mother bore him. As for the second benefit, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) categorically stated: The reward for a Hajj Mabroor (accepted into Allah's grace) is nothing less than Paradise.

The attainment of these benefits, as one can imagine, is not easy. Consequently the routine performance of the rituals and rites of Hajj will not in itself earn these benefits. For Hajj to be accepted, it has to have an internal dynamism born of true and pure belief in God.
It is this belief which drives the pilgrim to such spiritual heights that he or she is always consciously seeking the spiritual goals behind the physical rites and rituals of Hajj. It is only in this way that a pilgrim to the House of Allah can avoid negative actions and reactions which may spoil his or her Hajj.

During Hajj, one is thrown into the world's largest melting pot with little or no time to adjust. Conflicting habits and customs amidst the crush of the crowds are bound to cause misunderstandings. And, coupled with the fact that some pilgrims come to Hajj with dishonorable intentions, there is no way to avoid hurt feelings, bruised bodies and picked pockets (literally and figuratively). But just as it is only in the heat of the blast furnace that gold ore is separated from its impurities; likewise, it is only in the crush of bodies, customs and emotions during Hajj that the striving soul of the pilgrim is purified and elevated. One can not hope to attain the spiritual heights of Hajj Mabroor by seclusion and the avoidance of crowds, because Hajj is contact with Allah through contact with mankind. The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) clearly pointed out the superiority of social interaction over isolation as follows: The believer who mixes with the masses and patiently bears their insults and offenses is better than the one who neither mixes with the masses nor patiently bears their offenses.

The Hajj which is graced by Allah's acceptance has a lasting effect on the pilgrim. A deep spiritual transformation has taken place within the individual which can be observed in the overall reconstruction of his or her life. The God-consciousness achieved during Hajj Mabroor will cause the pilgrim to reform and call others to the most powerful tool of social, economic and spiritual reformation, namely Islam, in theory and in practice. If such a change does not take place and the pilgrim returns to the same un-Islamic life-style that he or she left behind; there can be no doubt that the Hajj of such a pilgrim was not graced by Allah's acceptance. Such a Hajj merely removed the obligation of Hajj without earning for the pilgrim the higher spiritual rewards for which Hajj was designed and ordained.

Hajj And Umrah Guides, Pilgrimage Essentials, Mecca & Medina Topics Links:

Advice To Pilgrims | A Step by step Hajj and 'Umrah | Adhkar (Pertaining to the remembrance of Allah) | A Lasting Word For Hajj And 'Umrah | An Account of the Miqat | An Account of visiting the Prophet's Mosque | Ayaam at-Tashreeq | Binding on the pilgrim to refrain from sins | Command about the Menstruating and similar women | Conditional Ihram | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day One | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Two | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Three | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Four | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Five | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Six | Day of Arafah | Day to Day Activities of Hajj | Dhabh | Duties of pilgrims at 'Arafah | Entering Mecca | Entering Al-Masjid-al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque) and Tawaf | Errors Often Committed by Pilgrims | Etiquette of Ihram | Etiquette of Visiting the Prophet's (P.B.U.H) Grave | Farewell Pilgrimage of the Messenger of Allah | Farewell Tawaf | Farewell Tawaf is binding on everyone except the menstruating and women with post childbirth bleeding | Fixed time for Hajj | Fixed time for Hajj | Four Khutbahs in Hajj | Hajj in Pre-Islamic Times | Hajj of a woman | Hajj, Umrah & Ziyarah At a Glance | Halq or Qass | Halq or Qasr: Shaving or Clipping | Ihram | Ihram for youngsters | Ihram: Introduction And Significance | Innovations of `Arafah | Innovations Before Ihraam | Innovations of Hajj, `Umra and Visiting Madinah | Innovations of Ihraam and Talbiyyah, etc. | Innovations of Muzdalifah | Innovations of Sacrifice and Shaving the Head | Innovations of Sa'y Between Safaa and Marwah | Innovations of Stoning | Innovations of Tawaaf | Innovations of Visiting Madinat-ul-Munawwarah | Innovations of Visiting Bait-ul-Maqdis | Innovations: Various Innovations | Istilaam | Kinds of Ihram | Leaving Arafah to spend night in Al Muzdalefah | Many `Umrahs after Hajj is not encouraged by the Shari`ah | Maqaam Ibraaheem | Meeqaat | Merits of Hajj | Merits of 'Umrah | Minaa | Neglecting and delaying the throwing of pebbles | No Specific Supplication for Tawaf and Sa'y | Not allowed to shave the beard | Not obligatory to visit the Prophet's Mosque | Objective of Hajj - To seek the Divine Pleasure | Obligations during Hajj and Umrah | Performing Hajj on behalf of others | Permitted and Forbidden things in the State of Ihram | Pilgrim with Sacrificial Animal in the month of Hajj should intend Qiran (accompanied Hajj) and the one | Pillars of Hajj | Prayers at Arafah | Preparations for Hajj, Umrah and travelling to the holy lands | Preparing for Hajj or 'Umrah | Prerequisites and Sunnahs of valid Tawaf | Ramy | Reaching Miqat at a Time other than the Hajj Season | Regulations Concerning Hady (Sacrificial animals) | Restrictions of Ihram | Rites, obligations and Sunnahs of Umrah | Sa'y | Sa'y between Safa and Marwah | Sa'y and its rituals | Sacrificial animals | Shaving or clipping hair | Sunnah and allowed throwing | Sunnahs of Tawaf | Supplication at the beginning of the journey | Supplication on entering the Mosque | Supplications at Arafah | Supplications: Some All-Inclusive Supplications | Supplications: Some Supplications which may Be Recited At 'Arafat, at the Sacred Sites, and at Other Places of Supplication | Talbeeyah | Tawaaf | Tawaaf al-Ifaadah | Throwing Al Jemar | Throwing pebbles on behalf of other people | Types of Hajj | Umrah | Veiling and giving up the display of beauty is compulsory for women | Verdict on spending the night at Mina | Visitation of the Prophet's Mosque | Visiting Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi | Visiting Quba Mosque and Al-Baqi' cemetery | What a Pilgrim should do when he reaches the Miqat | What Is Required of the Pilgrims | What is allowed to a Muhrim | Where to pick the pebbles from and the number and size of pebbles | Woman's Hajj with Mahram, expenses of Hajj, taking husband's permission | Woman may enter into the Ihram in any dress | Wuqoof 'Arafaat | Wuqoof Muzdalifah | Zamzam