Tirmidhi

➊ Lexical Explanation:
«حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ» refers to the Hajj that is performed according to the prescribed Sunnah method and is completed with righteousness and piety, in which no acts of disobedience, intimacy with women, quarrelling, or the like are committed.

Hadith Commentary:
Here too, the noble Imam (may Allah sanctify his secret) is establishing that faith (iman) and action (amal) are, in reality, one and the same, and in the Qur’anic verses mentioned here, the word “action” is used while “faith” is intended.
As in the noble verse:
﴿وَتِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِي أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ﴾ (Az-Zukhruf: 72)
and many scholars, such as Anas ibn Malik, Mujahid, and Abdullah ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhum), have unanimously said that in the noble verse:
﴿فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ (Al-Hijr: 93)
what is meant is reciting the kalimah tayyibah “La ilaha illallah” and acting upon it, that on the Day of Judgment, people will be questioned about this very matter.
In the noble verse:
﴿لِمِثْلِ هَـٰذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَامِلُونَ﴾ (As-Saffat: 61)
faith is also intended.
The point is that in all such verses of the Book of Allah, the word “action” is used to mean “faith.”
Then, in the mentioned hadith, it is stated in the clearest terms: “Which action is best?” The answer was given:
Faith in Allah and His Messenger (iman billahi wa rasulihi)—to have faith in Allah and His Messenger.
Here, there is such explicitness on this matter that there is no room for any interpretation.
The meaning of the chapter also emerges from here, because here, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself has clearly expressed faith (iman) in terms of “action” (amal), and other actions are mentioned because, here, by faith, what is meant is to have conviction in Allah and His Messenger.
It is with this very strength of faith that a believing man steps into the field of jihad.
By “hajj mabrur” is meant a pure pilgrimage in which there is not the slightest trace of ostentation or show.
Its sign is that after hajj, a person repents from sins,
and then does not fall into sin again.
Allamah Sindhi (rahimahullah) says:
“So wherever in the Qur’an action is conjoined with faith, it is the conjunction of the general with the specific, for the sake of emphasizing the specific. And Allah knows best.” That is, in some places in the Qur’an, action is conjoined with faith, and this is the conjunction of the general with the specific, due to special emphasis on the specific.
In summary, those who hold the belief that faith is mere verbal affirmation without action are completely mistaken, and their belief is clearly and manifestly invalid according to the Book and the Sunnah.
Allamah Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) states in Fath al-Bari:
The one who asked the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (radi Allahu anhu).
Imam Nawawi (rahimahullah) says:
In this hadith, after faith in Allah, jihad is mentioned, then hajj mabrur.
In the hadith of Abu Dharr, instead of hajj, the freeing of slaves is mentioned.
In the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, prayer is mentioned first, then righteousness (birr), then jihad.
In some places, the first mention is of the person from whose tongue and hand people are safe.
These differences are due to the varying circumstances and the needs of the audience.
In some places, things already known to the listeners were not mentioned, and what needed to be conveyed was mentioned.
In this narration, jihad is given precedence, even though it is not among the five pillars, and hajj is mentioned later, even though it is among the five pillars.
This is because the benefit of jihad is far-reaching—it can benefit the entire community—whereas the benefit of hajj is limited to the individual pilgrim.
The noble verse ﴿وَتِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِي أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ﴾ is in Surah Az-Zukhruf, and the noble verse ﴿فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾ is in Surah Al-Hijr, and the noble verse ﴿لِمِثْلِ هَـٰذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَامِلُونَ﴾ is in Surah As-Saffat.

**Note:**
A careful look at all the chapter headings of the Imam of the world in hadith, Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah), reveals his meticulousness, vast knowledge, ijtihadi insight, and God-given ability as clearly as daylight.
But, alas, due to prejudice, a certain group nowadays considers it “service to hadith” to attack his scholarly stature, whether justly or unjustly, and to diminish his God-given rank, and to try, by any means possible, to turn the universal acceptance Allah has granted to Sahih al-Bukhari into non-acceptance.
Although these people’s misguided efforts are entirely fruitless,
still, some simple-minded Muslims may be affected by their unfortunate endeavors.
One of the new inventions of these “gentlemen” is to claim that Imam Bukhari was merely a transmitter of hadith,
and that ijtihadi insight was not his share.
This statement is so false and absurd that volumes could be written in its refutation.
But, for fear of length, we will, for now, only quote a brief comment from Hujjat al-Hind, Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi (rahimahullah), which will make clear the level of honesty and trustworthiness of those who make such slander against Imam Bukhari.
This comment, in the words of Allamah Mawlana Waheed al-Zaman, is as follows:
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi (rahimahullah) wrote in some of his works that one day we were discussing this hadith:
“Were faith at the Pleiades, men from these people would attain it—meaning the people of Persia. In another narration: men from these people would attain it.” I said, Imam Bukhari is among these people,
because Allah, the Bestower, made the knowledge of hadith famous at his hands, and until our time, hadith with authentic, connected chains has remained due to the manly resolve of this man.
(The person with whom the discussion was taking place)
was someone who harbored a kind of enmity towards the Ahl al-Hadith, as is the case with most jurists in our time.
May Allah guide them. He did not like my statement and said that Imam Bukhari was a memorizer of hadith, not a scholar.
He could distinguish between weak and authentic hadith, but was not perfect in jurisprudence and understanding. (O ignorant one! Had you reflected on Imam Bukhari’s works, you would not have said such a thing about him.
He was an expert in jurisprudence, understanding, and subtle deduction, and a mujtahid mutlaq, and along with that, a memorizer of hadith as well. This virtue is rarely granted to any mujtahid.)
Shah Sahib said that I turned away from that person
(because the answer to the ignorant is silence)
and turned to my own people and said: Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) writes in Taqreeb:
Muhammad ibn Isma’il is the Imam of the world in the jurisprudence of hadith, meaning Imam Bukhari is the Imam of all in the jurisprudence of hadith, and this is self-evident to anyone who has studied the science of hadith.
After this, I mentioned some of Imam Bukhari’s scholarly investigations which no one else had done, and whatever Allah willed came from my tongue.
(Muqaddimah Taysir al-Bari:
p. 27-28)
The author of Idah al-Bukhari (Deoband)
has also accepted Imam Bukhari as a mujtahid,
as is written in the introduction to that book.
But on the other hand, there are some such bigots whose very mission is to diminish, disparage, and declare ignorant Imam Bukhari by any means possible.
Such people should remember this hadith qudsi:
«مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ» Whoever harbors enmity towards My beloved servants, let him be prepared to wage war against Me, and let him see what he gains from such a war.
There is no doubt that Imam Bukhari was a beloved of Allah and a true devotee of the Noble Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
It should also be said that Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) is, in his own right, a source of pride for the Ummah.
The Ummah can never fully repay the debt of his ijtihadi efforts.
But if, in praising and extolling him, we begin to disparage and declare ignorant Imam Bukhari, this would be an extremely wrong step.
May Allah grant us all sound understanding.
Amin.
For the virtues of Imam Bukhari (may Allah sanctify his secret), it is sufficient that he was not only a hadith scholar, jurist, and exegete, but also a perfect saint (wali kamil).
His state of God-consciousness and absorption was such that once, during prayer, he was stung seventeen times by a wasp, and he did not utter a word of complaint in prayer.
After the prayer, people saw that he had been stung in seventeen places and most of his body was swollen.
His generosity was renowned everywhere, especially his great care for the students of Islam. For this reason, a large number of contemporary scholars have agreed that Imam Bukhari’s superiority over other scholars is like that of men over women; he was a living sign of Allah’s power walking upon the earth (rahimahullah).
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) says that these virtues were mentioned by Imam Bukhari’s teachers and the scholars of his time. If we were to quote the statements of later scholars as well, the paper would run out and life would end, yet we would not be able to write them all.
The point is that countless scholars have praised him.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
This hadith proves that faith (iman) and action (amal) are inseparable companions, meaning both are necessary for each other. This is why, in some places, action is referred to as faith, and in other places, faith is referred to as action. In the mentioned hadith, the question was: “Which action is the best?” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) replied:
“To have faith in Allah and His Messenger.”
From this, it is understood that faith (iman) is also an action; this is explicitly stated in the hadith, and there is no room for interpretation in this regard. Other actions are mentioned due to their importance, because with the strength of faith, a believing man enters the field of jihad. By “accepted Hajj” (hajj mabrur) is meant that Hajj which is free from ostentation and the filth of sins. Its sign is that a person improves his daily conduct compared to before.

➋
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says that the one who asked the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was Abu Dharr al-Ghifari radi Allahu anhu. Also, in this hadith, after faith, jihad is mentioned, whereas in the hadith of Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu, Hajj is not mentioned; instead, emancipation (iteq) is mentioned in its place. There is no contradiction in these ahadith; rather, this difference is due to the condition and need of the questioner and the context and occasion.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/108)

➌
In this narration, jihad is given precedence, even though it is not among the five pillars (arkan khamsa), and Hajj is mentioned later, even though it is among the five pillars. This is because the benefit of jihad can reach the entire community, whereas the benefit of Hajj is limited to the individual pilgrim.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/108)
And Allah knows best.

➍
In several places in the Noble Qur’an, action (amal) is conjoined (atf) to faith (iman), from which it is understood that faith and action are distinct from each other, and this is contrary to the position of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah. The answer to this is that conjunction (atf) is not always for distinction; rather, in some places, the specific is conjoined to the general. As in the Qur’an:

“Whoever is an enemy to Allah, His angels, His messengers, Jibril (alayhis salam), and Mika’il (alayhis salam), then verily Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.”
(al-Baqarah: 2/98)
In this verse, after mentioning the angels, Jibril (alayhis salam) and Mika’il (alayhis salam) are mentioned by conjunction for emphasis, not for distinction.
Similarly, the mention of action after faith, or the conjunction of action to faith, is due to a particular importance, not because there is any distinction between the two.

Hadith Commentary:
The word "mabroor" is derived from "birr," which means righteousness.
In the Noble Qur’an, the same word appears in "Laysa al-birr" ().
This refers to that Hajj in which, from beginning to end, there is nothing but acts of righteousness.
There is not even a trace of sin.
Such a Hajj is granted only to the fortunate ones.
With Allah, this is the accepted Hajj; then such a pilgrim becomes an exemplary Muslim for life, and his entire life becomes imbued with the colors of Islam and faith.
If one is not granted such a Hajj, then the same example applies:
"Khar-e-Isa gar ba-Makkah ravad, chun bayad hanuz khar bashad"
(Even if Isa’s donkey goes to Makkah, upon returning, it remains a donkey.)
In the definition of Hajj Mabroor, Hafiz (rahimahullah) says:
"Alladhi la yukhalituhu shay’un min al-ithm."
That is, Hajj Mabroor is the one in which there is absolutely no involvement of sin.
In the hadith of Jabir (radi Allahu anhu), it is mentioned: feeding others and spreading salam—if the pilgrim adopts these as his practice, his Hajj is Hajj Mabroor.
This is the very Hajj through which all past minor and major sins are forgiven, and such a pilgrim returns in a state as if he has just been born from his mother’s womb.
May Allah the Exalted grant every pilgrim such a Hajj.
But it is regrettable that today’s material advancements and new inventions have completely distorted the spiritual world.
Most pilgrims, when they see Western goods in the markets of Makkah Sharif, their eyes are dazzled, and, disregarding what is lawful and unlawful, they purchase such things that, upon returning to their homeland, become a cause for the disrepute of pilgrims.
They become disgraced in the eyes of the government.
Except for those whom Allah has mercy upon.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The word "mabroor" is derived from "birr," which means righteousness; therefore, "Hajj mabroor" refers to such a pilgrimage in which there is nothing but acts of righteousness from beginning to end. There should not be even a trace of sin in it. Only such a Hajj is accepted by Allah.

(2)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah states that "Hajj mabroor" is that pilgrimage in which there is absolutely no involvement of sin. It is narrated from Jabir radi Allahu anhu that it was asked of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, "What is the righteousness of Hajj?" He replied: "Feeding (others) and spreading peace (salaam)." (Musnad Ahmad: 325/3) However, there is weakness in its chain of narration. If this hadith is proven authentic, then the meaning of "Hajj mabroor" is determined. In any case, what is meant is that Hajj in which all its rulings are fulfilled completely and there is no deficiency of any kind in them. (Fath al-Bari: 481/3)

(1) Thus, the real virtue belongs to sincerity (ikhlas), wherever it may be found—whether in faith (iman), in striving (jihad), or in pilgrimage (hajj).

(2) There are various hadiths regarding the answers to the question about the most virtuous deed. The reconciliation is that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) gave answers according to the circumstances and the condition of the questioner. In some situations, one deed is more virtuous, in others, another. For some, striving (jihad) is most virtuous; for others, remembrance (dhikr); for others, pilgrimage (hajj); and for some, another deed is most virtuous. This is a very clear matter.

(3) “A righteous and pure pilgrimage (hajj)” is that in which no lustful word or deed is committed, no obligatory act is omitted, and no major sin is perpetrated, and there is no quarrelling or fighting with companions. (la rafatha wa la fusūqa wa la jidāla fi-l-hajj) Some have interpreted this as “an accepted pilgrimage (hajj maqbul)” as well. Obviously, an accepted pilgrimage would also be of this nature, so there is no difference.

(1) The narrations regarding the most virtuous deed are varied. In reality, the most virtuous deed can differ according to circumstances and individuals. In some situations, the remembrance of Allah (dhikr Allah) is most virtuous, and in other situations, striving in the path of Allah (jihad). Similarly, for some individuals, giving charity (sadaqah) is most virtuous, and for others, performing the prayer (salah) at its appointed time, and so on. Therefore, this should not be considered a contradiction.

(2) Faith (iman) is also a deed, because the Companion (radi Allahu anhu) had asked: “Which is the most virtuous deed?” So the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) replied: “To have faith in Allah, the Exalted.”