THE EXHORTATION TO PERFORM THE HAJJ AND ITS METHOD
THE HOLY QURAN SAYS ABOUT THE VIRTUES OF THE HAJJ
“AND PROCLAIM UNTO MANKIND THE PILGRIMAGE. THEY WILL COME UNTO YOU ON FOOT AND EVERY LEAN CAMEL; THEY WILL COME FROM EVERY DEEP RAVINE, SO THEY MAY WITNESS THINGS THAT ARE OF BENEFIT TO THEM (AL HAJJ: 27)
“AND PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOUSE IS A DUTY TO ALLAH FOR MANKIND, FOR HIM WHO CAN FIND A WAY HITHER .AS FOR HIM WHO DISBELIEVES (OR REFUSE TO OBEY LET HIM KNOW THAT HE CAN DO NO HARM TO HIM) LO: ALLAH IS INDEPENDENT OF ALL CREATURES” (AAL-I-IMRAAN: 97)
HADITHS:- RASOOLULLAH ۴ SALLAL-LAAHU ALAYHI WASSLAAM SAID, “HE WHO PERFORMS THE HAJJ FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH , WITHOUT TALKING IMMODESTY OR TRANSGRESSING THE COMMANDMENTS OF ALLAH , WILL RETURN (FREE FROM SINS) AS ON THE DAY WHEN HIS MOTHER BORE HIM” (MISHKAAT). WHEN A BABY IS BORN, IT IS QUITE INNOCENT, WITH OUT SIN AND, THEREFORE IS NOT LIABLE TO ANY PUNISHMENT. A HAJJ PERFORMED FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH HAS THE SAME AFFECT ON THE SOUL OF MAN.
AA’ISHAH RADIYAL-LAAH ANHA) SAYS THAT SHE ASKED PERMISSION OF RASOOLULLAH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE “JIHAAD (FIGHTING IN THE PATH OF ALLAH) AND HE REPLIED “THE JIHAD FOR YOU WOMEN IS THE HAJJ”.
ABOOHURAYRAH (RADIYAL-LAAH ANHU) NARRATES THAT RASOOLULLAH ۴ SALLAL-LAAHU ALAYHI WASSLAAM SAID, THE JIHAD FOR THE AGED, THE WEAK AND THE WOMAN IS THE HAJJ AND THE UMRAH,”
RASOOLULLAH ۴ SALLAL-LAAHU ALAYHI WASSLAAM SAID IF ANY ONE GOES OUT IN TENDING TO PERFORM THE HAJJ BUT DIES ON THE WAY , ALLAH TA’AALAAﺍﷲ WILL RECORD FOR HIM THE REWARD OF A PERSON PERFORMING THE HAJJ EVERY YEAR TILL THE DAY OF QIYAAMAH, IF ANY ONE GOES OUT IN TENDING TO PERFORM THE UMRAH BUT DIES IN THE WAY, ALLAH TA’AALAAﺍﷲ WILL RECORD FOR HIM THE REWARD OF A PERSON PERFORMING UMRAH EVERY YEAR TILL THE DAY OF QIYAAMAH: AND HE WHO GOES OUT FOR THE JIHAD (FIGHTING IN THE PATH OF ALLAH ) AND DIES ON THE WAY WILL GET THE REWARD OF A MUJAAHID FIGHTING IN THE PATH OF ALLAH TILL THE DAY OF QIYAAMAH.”
IT HAS BEEN NARRATED IN ANOTHER HADITH THAT HE WHO GOES OUT INTENDING TO PERFORM THE HAJJ OR UMRAH BUT DIES ON THE WAY, SHALL NOT HAVE TO APPEAR ALLAHﺍﷲ FOR JUDGMENT ON THE DAY OF QIYAAMAH, NOR SHALL HE BE DETAINED FOR THE RECKONING: IT WILL BE SAID TO HIM “GO AND ENTER JANNAH (PARADISE)”
RASOOLULLAH۴ SALLAL-LAAHU ALAYHI WASSLAAM HAS BEEN REPORTED AS SAYING “HE WHO GOES TO MAKKAH ON FOOT INTENDING TO PERFORM THE HAJJ SHALL HAVE SEVEN HUNDRED VIRTUES OF THE HARAM (SACRED TERRITORY )RECORDED FOR HIM FOR EACH STEP THAT HE TAKES, BOTH WHILE GOING AND RETURNING. SOME ONE ASKED HIM WHAT HE MEANT BY VIRTUES OF THE SACRED TERRITORY AND HE REPLIED , “EVERY ACT OF VIRTUE PERFORMED IN THE SACRED TERRITORY COUNTS AS A HUNDRED THOUSAND SIMILAR ACTS PERFORMED OUT SIDE IT” THUS SEVEN HUNDRED VIRTUES WILL COUNT AS SEVENTY MILLION VIRTUES FOR EACH STEP TAKEN AND ONE CAN THUS CALCULATE THE EXTENT OF THE REWARD GRANTED TO A HAJEE WALKING ALL ALONG THE WAY ON FOOT. ACCORDING TO AN OTHER HADITH, IBN-E-ABAAS RADIYAL-LAAH ANHU ADVISED HIS CHILDREN IN HIS DEATH-BED TO PERFORM THE HAJJ IN FOOT FROM TIME TO TIME AND RELATED TO THEM THE HADITH GIVEN ABOVE. IBN-E-ABAAS SAYS THAT ALL THE NABEES ۴ ALAYHIM-AS-SALAM WERE ACCUSTOMED TO PERFORMING THE HAJJ ON FOOT; IBRAAHEEM ۴ AND HIS SON ISMAEEL۴ PERFORMED THE HAJJ ON FOOT. A TRADITION HAS IT THAT ADAM۴ PERFORMED THE HAJJ ON FOOT A THOUSAND TIMES WALKING ALL THE WAY FROM INDIA TO MAKKAH MUKKARAMAH. ALI BIN SHUAYB RAHIMAHULLAH IS REPORTED TO HAVE PERFORMED THE HAJJ ON FOOT MORE THAN SIXTY TIMES WALKING ALL HIS WAY FROM NAISHAPUR (A CITY OF IRAN) TO MAKKAH MUKKARAMAH. MUGHEERAH BIN HAKIM RAHIMAHULLAH IS SAID TO HAVE MADE MORE THAN FIFTY OBSERVANCES WALKING FROM MAKKAH MUKKARAMAH TO ARAFAT. ABUL ABBAS RAHIMAHULLAH PERFORMED THE HAJJ ON FOOT, EIGHTY TIMES, WHILE ABOO ABDULLAH AL-MAGHRIBEE RAHIMAHULLAH CAME WALKING FOR THE HAJJ FROM HIS COUNTRY NINETY SEVEN TIMES.
HOW GREAT WOULD BE THEIR REWARDS WHEN EVERY STEP TAKEN WHILE WALKING FOR THE HAJJ WAS BRINGING THEM AN INCREASE OF SEVENTY MILLION VIRTUES IN THEIR ACCOUNT OF DEEDS.
RASOOLULLAH ۴ SALLAL-LAAHU ALAYHI WASSLAAM SAID TO AA'ISHAH RADIYAL-LAAH ANHA “THE REWARD FOR YOUR UMRAH IS IN PROPORTION TO THE HARDSHIPS YOU ENDURE FOR IT.”
A JOURNEY HAS ALWAYS ITS HAZARDS AND HARDSHIPS SO AND HAJJ JOURNEY HAS NO EXEMPT AT ALL ONE HAS TO BEAR HARDSHIPS ON A JOURNEY.
RASOOLULLAH ۴SALLAL-LAAHU ALAYHI WASSLAAM SAID, “A HUNDRED AND TWENTY BLESSINGS OF ALLAHﺍﷲ TA'AALAA DESCEND UPON THE HOLY KA’BAH EVERY DAY, SIXTY FOR THOSE MAKING TAWAF, FORTY FOR THOSE ENGAGED IN SALAAH AND TWENTY FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUST LOOKING AT THE HOLY KA’BAH”
RASOOLULLAH ۴ SALLAL-LAAHU ALAYHI WASSLAAM SAID, “PERFORM THE HAJJ AND UMRAH IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO MAKE THEM FOLLOW ONE ANOTHER CLOSELY; FOR THE TWO OF THEM PERFORMED IN THIS WAY REMOVE POVERTY AND SINS, AS A BLACKSMITH’S FURNACE REMOVES IMPURITIES FROM IRON, GOLD, AND SILVER.”
RASOOLULLAH ۴ SALLAL-LAAHU ALAYHI WASSLAAM IS REPORTED AS SAYING : “BY NO MEANS SHALL A PERSON WHO HAS PERFORMED THE HAJJ BECOME A POOR OR DESTITUTE.”
ABOUT WATER OF ZAMZAM RASOOLULLAH ۴SALLAL-LAAHU ALAYHI WASSLAAM SAID, THE WATER OF ZAMZAM FULFILS ANY PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT IS DRUNK.”
A VERSION HAS IT THIS: THOSE WHO PERFORM THE HAJJ AND THOSE WHO PERFORM THE UMRAH ARE REPRESENTATIVES VISITING
ALLAH ﺍﷲ TA’AALAA. HE GRANTS THEM WHAT THEY ASK FOR HIM FOR, THEIR SUPPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED AND THEY GET A RECOMPENSE FOR WHAT THEY SPEND. BY ALLAHﺍﷲWHO HOLDS MY LIFE IN HIS HANDS WHEN A MAN CRIES “LABBAIK” (AT THY SERVICE, MY LORD) OR SAYS ALLAH-O-AKBAR (ALLAHﺍﷲ IS GREAT) STANDING ON THE PLACE RAISED ABOVE THE GROUND, ALL THE GROUND BEFORE HIM, STRETCHING FROM THE PLACE TO THE END OF THE EARTH. CRIES LABBAIK OR ALLAH-O-AKBAR IN RESPONSE TO THIS “TALBEEYAH “OR TAKBEER”
RASOOLULLAH۴SALLAL-LAAHUALAYHI WASSLAAM SAID, ALLAHﺍﷲ TA'AALAA SAYS,” MY SERVANTS HAVE COME TO ME UNKEMPT AND DISHEVELED EXPECTING MY MERCY.’ HE ﺍﷲ SUBHAANAHU WATAALAA)
THEN SAYS, ADDRESSING HIS MEN, "YOU ARE ALL FORGIVEN , EVEN IF YOUR SINS BE AS MANY AS THE GRAINS OF SAND OR AS NUMEROUS AS THE DROPS OF RAIN FALLING FROM THE SKIES ,OR EQUAL, IN NUMBER, TO ALL THE TREES GROWING IN THE WORLD. GO TO YOUR HOMES PARDONED AND FREE FROM SINS! AND STILL AN OTHER HADITH REPORTS THAT ALLAH ﺍﷲ TA’AALAA SAYS PROUDLY TO THE ANGELS, “LOOK AT MY SERVANTS, I SENT MY RASOOL۴ TO THEM; THEY BELIEVED IN HIM I REVEALED MY BOOK TO THEM; THEY BELIEVED IN IT I CALL YOU TO WITNESS THAT I HAVE FORGIVEN AHEM ALL THEIR SINS”