Hajj Is One Of the Fundamentals Of Islam

A Basic Religious Obligation:

There is a verse of the 'Holy Quran'

"And pilgrimage to the house is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can afford the journey thereunto. And whosoever disbelieves (i.e. he does not come to the house despite his being able to do so) then (he does Harm only to himself) Allah stands not in need of any of his creatures." (Surah Al-‘Imran: 97)

To afford journey to that House (i.e. the Ka'ba) means that apart from one's day-to-day necessities of life one has sufficient funds to meet all the expenses of journey to and from the house of Allah at Mecca as well as the

Expenses during the period of one's stay there. Moreover, one should be able to manage the Wajib (obligatory) maintenance of one's dependants upto one's return from the journey.

There are severe warnings in the 'Holy Quran' and 'Hadith' for a man who does not perform the 'Hajj' Pilgrimage despite his being capable as mentioned above.

Rule Of Action:

Suppose a person who, at any time of his life, possessed money sufficient to meet the Hajj expenses, was able to retain it as his property up to the beginning of the Hajj season i.e. the beginning of the month of 'Shawwal'. If

thereafter, instead of performing Hajj he spent the funds on raising a building or holding a function of marriage or on some other affairs, the Hajj already became obligatory as Fardh on him. He would be bound to collect sufficient funds again by doing his best in order to discharge the Hajj obligation.

Hadith: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, "One who performs Hajj for the sake of Allah and therein abstains from obscene acts and words, wickedness and sins, he returns so purified from sins as he was at the time when his mother gave him birth." (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim).

Hadith: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, "The Pilgrims for Hajj and Umra are the guests of Allah. If they Pray for a thing to Allah, He will grant it.” (Reported by Ibn-e-Majah).

What greater blessing there could be for a Muslim than to be forgiven by Allah for All the sins he committed throughout his life and to be blessed with Allah's granting to whatever he prayed for.

By dint of this blessing he could easily be successful in achieving all his worldly and Heavenly objects.

A Very Important Warning:

The attainment of all these virtues and blessings is subject to the accomplishment of all the 'Fara'idh'. Wajibat' and Sunna of Hajj Pilgrimage must be abstained from; otherwise if one is at all relieved of the obligation of Hajj, deprival from its virtues and blessings is however indisputable. Hajj Pilgrims are usually careless in this respect.

They do not care to acquire knowledge of dictates about Hajj and visiting sacred places and the religious instructions regarding them. On reaching the holy place they are put under the charge of inexperienced servants of Mu'allims.

Neither they care for the correct fulfillment of Wajibat (obligatory acts) of Hajj nor they are vigilant about refraining from sins during "Ihram. It may place be noted that after wearing Ihram for Hajj or Umra one comes under certain restrictions imposed by Shariat violation of which is a grievous sin. Moreover for a sin committed in the Haram of Mecca, the punishment is also extremely severe. After performing Hajj these ignorant people start reckoning that they have returned after being purified from sins and that they have stored plenty of divine rewards for the life hereinafter. But what happens in fact is that they return with a store of sins due to contravention of Wajibat and Sunnan of Hajj and with a stock of penalties for the omission of Wajibat of Ihram.

Possibility is there of course that all these misdoings are forgiven by Allah out of His endless mercy and for the innumerable blessings of "Haramain Sharifain" but we have no right to be careless about them. Besides, sin not taken seriously and committed carelessly has less possibility of forgiveness.

That is why the 'Ulama' of every age have purposely composed the necessary dictates of Hajj after rendering them easy or the sake of Hajj after rendering them easy for the sake of Hajj pilgrims, only out of their well wishing and sympathy towards them.

If these are kept under continuous study before the start of the journey as well as throughout its duration, if Almighty Allah wills, the Hajj will be accorded approval by Him.