This excerpt is taken from the book Masnoon Hajj o Umrah published by Maktaba Darussalam Research Center.
Meaning, Concept, Importance, and Virtue:
Hajj is a combination of verbal, physical, spiritual, and financial acts of worship. It is an immense expression of the glorification of Allah Almighty and the servitude of the servant.
Literal Definition of Hajj: The literal meaning of Hajj is "to intend."
Shariah Definition of Hajj: The act of intending to perform Hajj at the House of Allah to fulfill the fifth pillar of Islam is called Hajj.
Brief Historical Background of Hajj: When Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them) built the Kaaba by the command of Allah Almighty, they made various supplications on that occasion, one of which was:
[رَبَّنَا وَ اجۡعَلۡنَا مُسۡلِمَیۡنِ لَکَ وَ مِنۡ ذُرِّیَّتِنَاۤ اُمَّۃً مُّسۡلِمَۃً لَّکَ وَ اَرِنَا مَنَاسِکَنَا وَ تُبۡ عَلَیۡنَا اِنَّکَ اَنۡتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِیۡمُ]
O our Lord! Make us obedient, and from our offspring a obedient nation, and teach us the rites of our worship [Hajj], and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.
Reference: Al-Baqarah:128
After this, Allah Almighty commanded Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him):
[وَ اَذِّنۡ فِی النَّاسِ بِالۡحَجِّ یَاۡتُوۡکَ رِجَالًا وَّ عَلٰی کُلِّ ضَامِرٍ یَّاۡتِیۡنَ مِنۡ کُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِیۡقٍ]
And proclaim the pilgrimage among the people; they will come to you on foot and on lean camels from every distant pass.
Reference: Al-Hajj:27
After this command, the formal commencement of Hajj took place. Allah Almighty accepted certain sincere acts performed by His friend, our master Ibrahim, Lady Hajar, peace be upon them, and their noble son, our master Ismail, peace be upon him, and included them in the rites of Hajj until the Day of Judgment.
In authentic hadiths, the name of Umm Ismail, peace be upon him, is mentioned as Hajar and Ajr. Hajara is a common error. [And Allah knows best] See:
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Gifts and their Virtues, Hadith: 2635 and 3357
Observe the grandeur of Allah Almighty’s command, that from every corner of the world, Arabs, non-Arabs, fair-skinned, dark-skinned, rich, poor, high, low, masters, and slaves, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, wear the same clothing, perform the same rituals, and appear in [لَبَّيْكَ اللّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ], saying, "O Allah! I am present repeatedly..." and this tradition will continue until the Day of Judgment. [Insha’Allah]
Hajj, a Great Pillar of Islam:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما that the Prophet ﷺ said: The foundation of Islam is based on five things:
① Bearing witness to the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad (ﷺ).
② Establishing prayer.
③ Paying zakat.
④ Performing Hajj.
⑤ Fasting in Ramadan.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-Iman, Hadith:8
The Obligation of Hajj: Allah Almighty says:
[وَ لِلّٰہِ عَلَی النَّاسِ حِجُّ الۡبَیۡتِ مَنِ اسۡتَطَاعَ اِلَیۡہِ سَبِیۡلًا]
And Hajj to the House (Kaaba) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the journey.
Reference: Al-Imran: 97
What is meant by ability (Istita'ah)?
Ability means having the means for the journey and arrangements for transportation.
Reference: Al-Mustadrak al-Hakim: 442/1
The Prophet ﷺ said:
O people! Hajj has been made obligatory upon you, so perform Hajj...
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Al-Hajj, Hadith:1337
Hajj is obligatory only once in a lifetime:
Among the pillars of Islam, Hajj is a pillar that is obligatory only once in a lifetime.
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Al-Hajj, Hadith:1337
Important Issue:
Performing Hajj is obligatory on every financially capable [wealthy], sane, adult, Muslim man and woman, just as the five daily prayers, fasting in Ramadan, and paying Zakat on a person who possesses the nisab are obligatory. There is no difference in the obligation of all these. Therefore, a person who, despite having the capability, does not perform Hajj and considers it a loss of time and money or mocks it, as is the viewpoint of some modernists, deniers of Hadith, and materialists nowadays, such a person is a disbeliever and outside the fold of Islam. And if a person, despite having the capability, does not perform Hajj merely due to laziness, idleness, or some other similar excuse, then such a person is not a disbeliever or outside the fold of Islam, but is certainly a sinner, immoral, and guilty of a major sin.
Generally, a woman is dependent on her husband for food, maintenance, and other necessities of life. In such a case, it is obvious that as long as the husband does not take the woman for Hajj, the woman cannot perform Hajj. However, some women are financially independent and can even take their husbands along. In such a case, Hajj becomes obligatory upon the woman, and it is necessary for her to perform Hajj without delay by taking her husband or a young son, brother, or father as her mahram. If she does not find any mahram and cannot bear the expenses of a mahram, then according to the majority of scholars, Hajj is not obligatory upon her until she arranges for a mahram.
There is another situation in which women are financially capable, which generally goes unnoticed. It is that many women possess a significant amount of gold in the form of jewelry, which if sold, could yield enough money for the woman and her mahram to perform Hajj. However, no matter how much jewelry there is, the idea of selling it to perform Hajj is not considered in our society. It is only observed that the husband's income is just enough to cover household expenses, so the thought of performing Hajj does not even arise in such households, even though the wife has enough jewelry to easily enable two or three people to perform Hajj. Remember! In such a case, the woman and her husband not performing Hajj is a great sin, which can make them deserving of the warning in [وَ مَنۡ کَفَرَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ غَنِیٌّ عَنِ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ]
Reference: Al-Imran:97
.For women who possess a reasonable amount of jewelry, it is necessary that they keep this aspect in mind and do not neglect performing Hajj merely on the basis that the husband is not capable, because the woman who owns the jewelry is capable, and Hajj is obligatory upon her.
There are four types of Hajj:
① Obligatory Hajj
② Vow (Nazar) Hajj
③ Replacement (Badal) Hajj
④ Voluntary (Nafl) Hajj
Voluntary Hajj and Replacement Hajj:
[These are also voluntary] In both cases, it is necessary for the woman to seek permission from her husband; if he does not give permission, then just as voluntary fasting and I'tikaf without permission are prohibited for a woman, similarly Hajj will also be prohibited without permission.
Vow (Nazar) Hajj:
There is some detail here. If a woman made a vow to perform Hajj with her husband's permission, or if she made the vow before marriage and after marriage informed her husband about it, upon which he remained silent or accepted it, in both these cases the husband does not have the right to prevent the woman from going for Hajj [provided other conditions are fulfilled].
Yes, if a woman, without her husband's permission or rejecting his wish, considers a vow made before marriage or after marriage, and when she becomes aware of a vow made before marriage, she does not agree with it and does not uphold it. In both these cases, the husband can forbid the woman from going for Hajj. In these cases, the woman should pay the expiation for the vow.
The status of obligatory Hajj is the same as:
Like the five daily prayers, Zakat, and fasting in Ramadan, just as the husband's permission is not necessary for performing these obligations, and even if he forbids, his words are not to be obeyed, similarly is the matter of obligatory Hajj. If the woman is capable and has arranged a Mahram, then without any Shariah excuse, the husband is not authorized to prevent her. If he does, the woman has the right to go for Hajj with any Mahram of her own without his permission because obedience to Allah takes precedence over obedience to the husband.
[لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق] Obedience is not to the creation in disobedience to the Creator.
Reference: Sharh al-Sunnah lil-Baghawi, Hadith: 2455], [As-Sahihah lil-Albani, Hadith: 179
The Importance of Hajj:
The importance of Hajj becomes as clear as daylight from the fact that the Lord of the Worlds has stated its obligation in the Holy Quran and named a major Surah as "Surah Al-Hajj."
Sayyiduna Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I want to send my agents to the cities; they should go and investigate and impose Jizya on every person who does not perform Hajj despite having the means, because such people are not Muslims.
Reference: At-Talkhis al-Habir: 223/2
Similarly, it is mentioned in Sunan al-Bayhaqi that Sayyiduna Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) said three times: Whoever does not perform Hajj despite having the means and a safe route and then dies, it is the same whether he dies as a Jew or as a Christian. And if I do not perform Hajj despite having the means, then performing Hajj is more beloved to me than participating in six or seven battles.
Reference: As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi: 4/334
Thus, the words of the Holy Quran:
[وَ مَنۡ کَفَرَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ غَنِیٌّ عَنِ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ]
Reference: Al-Imran: 97
This also supports the impact of Sayyiduna Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him), that negligence in Hajj by a person who is financially capable can lead him to disbelief.
Therefore, in light of the obligation and importance of Hajj and the statement of Sayyiduna Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him), it should be examined that many Muslims who are capitalists, landlords, and have bank balances, but are committing unnecessary delays in performing this great pillar of Islam, should immediately repent before Allah and perform it at the earliest opportunity.
Virtue of Hajj:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: The reward of an accepted Hajj is nothing but Paradise.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Umrah, Hadith: 1773
Accepted Hajj:
Hajj is that which is performed strictly according to the Sunnah method and Shariah requirements, without any obscene behavior, cursing, or fighting. In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said: Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of Allah, [during it] neither speaks obscenely nor commits any evil deed, will return free of sins just as the day his mother gave birth to him.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hajj, Hadith:1521
From this hadith, it is understood that the great reward and merit of Hajj is only for the person who, during Hajj, does not utter any indecent words with his tongue, nor does any evil deed with his hands, feet, or other limbs [eyes, ears, etc.].
Literal Definition of Umrah:
The literal meaning of Umrah is "intention" and "visitation," because it involves the intention and visitation of the House of Allah.
Shariah Meaning of Umrah:
Putting on Ihram from the Miqat, performing Tawaf of the House of Allah, Sa’i between Safa and Marwah, and shaving or cutting the hair of the head is called Umrah.
Importance of Umrah:
Umrah also holds great importance in Islam, although according to most scholars it is neither obligatory nor mandatory. However, once the Ihram for it is donned, completing it becomes necessary just like Hajj.
For details, see:
Reference: Nail al-Awtar:315,314/4
In the Holy Quran:
[وَ اَتِمُّوا الۡحَجَّ وَ الۡعُمۡرَۃَ لِلّٰہِ]
And complete the Hajj and Umrah for Allah.
Reference: Al-Baqarah:196
Virtue of Umrah: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
One Umrah expiates the sins committed between it and the next Umrah.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-Umrah, Hadith:1773
Special virtue of performing Umrah in Ramadan:
The reward and merit of performing Umrah in Ramadan is much greater than on ordinary days. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Performing Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to performing Hajj with me.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Jaza’ al-Sayd, Hadith:1863
Virtue of performing Hajj and Umrah repeatedly:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Perform Hajj and Umrah repeatedly, for they remove poverty and sins just as the fire of a furnace removes impurities from gold, silver, and iron. And the reward of an accepted Hajj is nothing but Paradise.
Reference: Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Al-Hajj, Hadith:810
The Best Jihad for Women is Hajj:
Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: [نرى الجهاد أفضل العمل [أفلا نجاهد]
We consider jihad to be the best deed, so should we not participate in jihad?
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: [لا، لكن أفضل الجهاد حج مبرور]
No, the best jihad for you is an accepted Hajj [Hajj performed according to the Sunnah].
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hajj, Hadith: 1520
