Surah Al-Hajj (22) — Ayah 28

(Ayah 28) ➊ {لِيَشْهَدُوْا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ:} That is, people will come for Hajj on foot and mounted, so that they may be present for their many benefits. The main purpose of Hajj is to attain religious and hereafter benefits through worship, but incidentally, there are also many worldly and communal benefits in it. In a hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned both the religious and worldly benefits of Hajj and Umrah, as he said: [ تَابِعُوْا بَيْنَ الْحَجِّ وَالْعُمْرَةِ فَإِنَّهُمَا يَنْفِيَانِ الْفَقْرَ وَالذُّنُوْبَ كَمَا يَنْفِي الْكِيْرُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيْدِ وَالذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ ] [ ترمذي، الحج، باب ما جاء في ثواب الحج والعمرۃ : ۸۱۰، عن عبد اللّٰہ بن مسعود رضی اللہ عنہ ] "Perform Hajj and Umrah consecutively, for they remove poverty and sins just as the bellows removes the impurities of iron, gold, and silver." Among the religious benefits, the greatest benefit is attaining the pleasure of Allah and Paradise. Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ اَلْعُمْرَةُ إِلَی الْعُمْرَةِ كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَالْحَجُّ الْمَبْرُوْرُ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلَّا الْجَنَّةُ ] [ بخاري، الحج، باب وجوب العمرۃ و فضلھا : ۱۷۷۳۔ مسلم : ۱۳۴۹ ] "From one Umrah to the next is an expiation for whatever (sins) come in between, and the reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing but Paradise." Forgiveness of sins is also a great benefit; the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ حَجَّ لِلّٰهِ فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ وَلَمْ يَفْسُقْ رَجَعَ كَيَوْمِ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهٗ ] [ بخاري، الحج، باب فضل الحج المبرور : ۱۵۲۱، عن أبي ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ۔ مسلم :1350] "Whoever performs Hajj and does not engage in sexual relations or commit any sin will return (free from sins) as on the day his mother bore him." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Amr bin Al-Aas (may Allah be pleased with him): [ أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ الْإِسْلَامَ يَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهٗ وَأَنَّ الْهِجْرَةَ تَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهَا وَأَنَّ الْحَجَّ يَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهٗ ] [ مسلم، الإیمان، باب کون الإسلام یھدم ما قبلہ …:۱۲۱ ] "Do you not know that Islam wipes out whatever came before it, and that migration wipes out whatever came before it, and that Hajj wipes out whatever came before it?"

Among the benefits of Hajj, the greatest benefit is the gathering of all the Muslims of the world and the demonstration that we are all one Ummah; black, white, red, and yellow—no one has superiority over another because of color or language, all are brothers. On this occasion, everyone becomes aware of each other's conditions and thinks about and arranges to help their brothers who are in difficulty. Among these benefits is also the opportunity to earn lawful sustenance through trade, industry, labor, etc., as it is said: «{ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ اَنْ تَبْتَغُوْا فَضْلًا مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ }» [ البقرۃ : ۱۹۸ ] "There is no sin on you if you seek the bounty of your Lord." This is the best opportunity for Muslims to become aware of international products and production and to organize mutual trade throughout the world. Similarly, meeting scholars from all over the world and increasing in religious and worldly knowledge is also a great benefit of Hajj. Then, during this journey, becoming familiar with the conditions of different regions and peoples of the world is also a great knowledge, which is among the great blessings of Hajj. In summary, Hajj is a comprehensive source of countless political, economic, financial, and social benefits for Muslims.

➋ {وَ يَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللّٰهِ فِيْۤ اَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُوْمٰتٍ عَلٰى مَا رَزَقَهُمْ …:} In the terminology of the Qur'an, mentioning the name of Allah over the cattle given by Allah means slaughtering them by reciting {’’بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ وَاللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ‘‘}. See Surah Al-An'am (118 to 121). Here, one of the purposes of Hajj is stated that the pilgrims should mention the name of Allah over the domesticated cattle He has given them during a few known days. In this, Allah has also reminded of the blessing of cattle. What are these {’’ اَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُوْمٰتٍ ‘‘} (few known days)? Some great and eminent personalities have taken this to mean the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and in Surah Al-Baqarah (203), {’’ اَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُوْمٰتٍ ‘‘} is taken to mean the days of Tashreeq. But according to the commentator Amin Shanqeeti, author of Adwa' al-Bayan: "Despite the eminence of these personalities, their position is not correct; rather, the correct view is that of those who take it to mean the Day of Nahr (10th Dhul-Hijjah) and the two or three days after it. Because in this verse, the mention is of sacrifice during a few known days, whereas in the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, sacrifice is only on one day (10th Dhul-Hijjah), whereas {’’ مَعْلُوْمٰتٍ ‘‘} should be at least three. In summary, these {’’ اَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُوْمٰتٍ ‘‘} refer to the days in which sacrifice is performed, and they are the Day of Nahr and the two or three days after it." The evidence for sacrifice during all the days of Tashreeq (11, 12, 13), i.e., four days, after the Day of Nahr is the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): [ كُلُّ أَيَّامِ التَّشْرِيْقِ ذَبْحٌ ] "All the days of Tashreeq are days of sacrifice." Shaykh Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) said in {’’ مَنَاسِكُ الْحَجِّ وَالْعُمْرَةِ ‘‘} that Ahmad narrated it and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih, and in my view, with all its chains, it is strong; that is why I have included it in Silsilah Sahihah (2476). In summary, sacrificing the great blessing of domesticated animals given by Allah in these four days in His name is one of the great objectives of Hajj. It is narrated from Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: [ أَيُّ الْحَجِّ أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ الْعَجُّ وَ الثَّجُّ ] [ ترمذي، الحج، باب ما جاء في فضل التلبیۃ والنحر : ۸۲۷ ] "What is the best thing in Hajj?" He said: "Raising the voice with Talbiyah and shedding blood (offering sacrifice)."

➌ { فَكُلُوْا مِنْهَا وَ اَطْعِمُوا … :} Previously, the mention of those performing Hajj was in the third person, now they are addressed directly: The cattle I have given you and you have sacrificed in My name, now My blessing demands that you eat from it yourselves and also feed the poor who are in hardship. {’’ الْبَآىِٕسَ ‘‘} means one who is financially distressed. The poor is the same, only to arouse compassion for the poor, {’’ الْفَقِيْرَ ‘‘} is mentioned before {’’ الْبَآىِٕسَ ‘‘}, because the word "poor" is commonly used. This does not mean that the rich cannot be fed, but it is to emphasize feeding the poor; the mention of feeding the rich will come in verse (36). The command to eat oneself is because the polytheists did not eat from their sacrifice. The commentators say that the command to eat oneself is not for obligation but for recommendation or permission, i.e., you are allowed to eat yourselves, it is not necessary that you must eat. In any case, from the word of command, it is understood that if possible, one should eat from one's own sacrificial meat, as Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: [ أَنَّ الْبُدْنَ الَّتِيْ نَحَرَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَتْ مِئَةَ بَدَنَةٍ نَحَرَ بِيَدِهٖ ثَلاَثًا وَّ سِتِّيْنَ وَنَحَرَ عَلِيٌّ مَا غَبَرَ وَأَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ كُلِّ بَدَنَةٍ بِبَضْعَةٍ فَجُعِلَتْ فِيْ قِدْرٍ ثُمَّ شَرِبَا مِنْ مَرْقِهَا ] [ مسند أحمد : 331/3، ح : ۱۴۵۶۱ ] "The camels which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) slaughtered were one hundred. He (peace and blessings be upon him) slaughtered sixty-three (63) camels with his own hand, and the rest were slaughtered by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that a piece from each camel be taken and put in a pot, then both of them drank some of its broth." Shu'ayb Arna'ut graded this hadith Sahih.