The importance Of Hajj 2

Yousuf Saleh - August 2014

All Praise is due to Allah (swt) who is the Sustainer of all the Universe. May the peace and blessings of Allah (swt) be upon Muhammad (saws), his family, his companions and all those who follow him in righteousness until the day of resurrection.

Respected brothers and sisters at home; since last week we have been talking about the topic’ The importance of Hajj in Islam’ last week we have stopped on the point that Can hajj be postponed or does it have to be done immediately after a person has fulfilled the conditions? There are two opinions of the scholars:

The first opinion said that hajj has to be performed immediately withoutany delays and this is the opinion of Imams Abu Hanifa, Malik, Ahmad, and some Shafe’es, they used certain ahadith for the evidence. In one of them the prophet (S.A.W.) said, “He who wants to perform hajj let him perform it as soon as possible because he might get sick or he might lose his means of transportation or something might come up and distract him.” Also in another hadith the prophet (saw) said, “Do not delay performing hajj, because one of you does not know when something might come up and distract him.” The second opinion is that one can delay performing hajj indefinitely and he will not be sinfull as long as he has performed it before death. This is the opinion of Imams Ash-Shafe’i, Ath-Thowri and Al-Awza’i and they have used several evidences from Ahadith.

Respected brothers and sisters at home, In any case to perform hajj when we meet the condition is the most sensible thing to do because none of us knows what obstacles might come up in the future, also no one knows when they will die because if one dies and has not performed hajj yet he was able to do so, he would die assinful without completing his deen (Islam) because he left out one of the pillars of Islam. if suppose someone dies and has not performed hajj, then the guardian over his inheritance will have to make the hajj for him or pay someone else to perform hajj for that dead person.

Imam Bukhari reported that a woman asked the prophet (S.A.W.) that my mother died and has not fulfilled her nazar, (to vow to Allah) to perform hajj. Can I make hajj for her? The prophet answered, “Yes perform hajj for her, wouldn’t you think that if she had a debt and had not paid it before she died wouldn’t you have paid it off for her? She said, “Yes.” The prophet (saw) said, “Pay off your debts towards Allah, because Allah is more worthy of paying your debts too.”

There are some common tendencies and concerns of some people; they say I am committing sins. I am not fulfilling some of my Islamic obligations evenI am not praying my five daily prayers, …etc. or I am involved in haram acts.

My income is not 100% pure halal…etc. CAN I GO TO HAJJ? SHOULD I DELAY HAJJ UNTIL I REPENT AND THEN GO?

Respected brothers and sisters at home, if a Muslim is involved in sins and is not fulfilling some of his/ her Islamic obligations that does not excuse him/ her from performing his/ her hajj duties. On the contrary, Allah may accept fulfilling the duty of his/ her hajj. In turn Allah may help him/ her to avoid the haram, allowing him/ her to fulfil other Islamic obligations. So whoever has the ability must rush to performing it at least once in his/her life time, for we do not know what will happen tomorrow.

In a hadith mentioned in KanzHazrat Abi Umama(R.A.) reports that the Prophet (saw) said: “Whoever fails to perform Hajj while not being prevented from it by a definite and valid necessity, or by oppression from an unjust ruler, or by severe illness, and then passes away, in such a state has the choice to die as a Jew, if he so wishes, or as Christian if he so wishes.’

The same type of Hadith is reported by Hazrat Umar (R.A.) in Kanz, it is thrice mentioned: “he has the choice to die as a Jew if he so wishes or as a Christian.” Another report from Hazrat Umar(R.A.)He said if one does not do so, then you can swear (by Allah) that he has died as a Christian or as a Jew.”

Respected brothers and sisters at home, after hearing such a threat is there anyone who will be able to maintain his normal life without discharging the obligation of Hajj? Those brothers and sisters who are eligible for this duty please comply to your duty without any delay and postponement.

Respected brothers and sisters at home, after the Hajj ritual one returns with all his/her sins washed off. One starts a new life, and opens a new and clean page. One should commence and indulge into acts and deeds of goodness which are approved by Allah. Amr Ibn El-As ( )عمر إبن العاصwhen he was about to announce his acceptance to Islam, said to the messenger of Allah (pbuh):

I want to become a Muslim on a condition that I am forgiven. The messenger (saw) said: {did you not know that Islam eradicates everything which happened before it, and migrating for Islam eradicates everything before it, and Hajj removes everything before it?

May Allah (swt) give us the means to perform Hajj and give us the Thawfeeq to fulfil our Hajj obligations without delay.