Allah the Almighty, says, “The first House established for the people was that at Bekka (Mecca), a place holy, and guidance to all beings. Therein are clear signs - the station of Abraham, and whosoever enters it is in security. It is the duty of all men towards Allah to come to the House a pilgrim, if he is able to make his way there. As for the unbeliever, Allah is All-Sufficient nor needs any beings.” [III; 96-97].

The Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) is an individual duty ordained for every Muslim, male or female, adult, sane, free, and able. It is performed once for life. Those who deny it are deemed as unbelievers; those who neglect it are deemed as profligates. To this effect the Prophetic Hadith goes, “Whosoever owns supplies, a camel [i.e., means of transportation] which takes him to the House of Allah, yet does not perform the Hajj, it makes no difference whether he dies non-Muslim.”

 The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, by virtue of the Prophet’s Hadith, “Islam is built on five [pillars], bearing witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing the Salat [i.e., Islamic prayer]paying the Zakat [the alms] fasting the month of Ramadan, and making pilgrimage [the Hajj] to the House for those who are able to make their way their.”

The Hajj is a special kind of devotional service performed by word, body and money. It is also a ritual service which is performed at certain places and  times and through certain rites.

Prayer is performed five times a day, Friday prayer is once a week, the fast of Ramadan one month a year, and the Hajj is only once during lifetime. The Messenger of Allah, says, “The Hajj is only once, and who performs it more, it would be voluntary.”

The Hajj is a unique journey to Allah, who willed, most wisely, taking man’s materialistic tendency into consideration, to set for His servants to visit a special House for Himself. Through coming to visit this House from every deep ravine, true believers confirm, their profound love for Allah, and their great yearning for Him, They confirm, by heading for the Sacred House, in answer to their Lord’s call, that Allah is dearer to them than their own family, people and children, their wealth and work, their homeland and everything. They bear great expenses, and endure leaving their children and people, which is not easy at all. they bear leaving their work and money that might be too dear, seeking love and pleasure of Allah.

Allah also most wisely willed that His Holy House be situated in a very hot part of the world, in a desolate valley, to make it clear to the pilgrims that real truthful communication with Allah produces enough spiritual happiness that dispenses them of all material elements they might think are causes of their happiness, and that real happiness comes from inside and not from the trivial perishable enjoyments and pleasures of the present life.

Had the Holy House of Allah been in a moderate part of the world with green mountains, pure water, lakes, luxuriant gardens, fine weather, gentle soft breeze, or had the Hajj been made throughout the whole year to avoid over crowdedness, all people would have hurried joyfully to perform such enjoyable duty, in pursuit of pleasure and relaxation rather than love for Allah, Creator of all worlds. To this effect, Allah, says, “O Our Lord! I have made some of my seed dwell in a valley where is no sown land by Your Holy house. O Our Lord! Let them perform the prayer, and make hearts of men yearn towards them, and provide them with fruits; haply  they will be thankful.” [XIV; 37]

Besides the site of the Holy House and the hot weather there, the pilgrim who has entered the state of ritual consecration [Al-Ihram] is forbidden to wear) sowed clothes, to put any kind of perfume, to shave or cut his hair, or to enjoy the pleasures permissible at other times than the Hajj, only for the purpose of establishing a firm communion with Allah and achieve happiness through being near to Him, alone, away from any interference  of  worldly enjoyments, to be certain that if he gets to Allah he gets to everything, and that the whole world can not possibly make man happy; and so that the pilgrim’s tongue spontaneously calls out: O Lord! What has he missed who has found You? What has he found who has missed You?!

To sum up, it may be said that pilgrimage is a kind of devotional service based on a unique relation with Allah, established through complete devotion; as it can not be performed except in the Holy Old House of Allah. Such devotion necessitates leaving one’s home land, quitting one’s family and friends, shouldering hardships and dangers of travel, spending one’s money and danger just in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure.

It is true that such a devotional trip is really costly, but it is also true that it is highly repaying.

The Messenger of Allah was quoted by Al-Bukhari and Muslim as saying, “Whosoever undertakes the duty of pilgrimage wherein he does not commit deeds of indecency nor indulge in ungodliness and disputation, he is rid of his sins as he was on the day he was born. Pilgrimage also wipes out whatever has been before it. The only reward for a devoted and reverent pilgrimage is Paradise. Pilgrims and Umra- makers are Allah’s delegates: should they ask Him, He is sure to answer them; should they ask Him forgiveness, He is sure to grant them forgiveness. Perform pilgrimages and Umras one after another, as they expel poverty and sins. Expenditure in pilgrimage is like expenditure in the Way of Allah…”.

In order such a great devotional service as the Hajj be performed in a way  that induces Allah’s satisfaction and approval, and in order that the pilgrim does not spend lots of money and time or shoulder lots of hardship, and then his pilgrimage is rejected or he is replied, “Your supplication and pilgrimage are not accepted!”, and so that his pilgrimage is not wasted in vain, the pilgrim, before he sets off for his pilgrimage trip, has to repent of all sins, great or small, avoiding every unlawful earning, every sinful relation. He has to deliver all trusts and rights back to their owners, especially those belonging to people, because people’s rights have to be redeemed, while those belonging to Allah are based on forgiveness. He has to give back all rights, give up all sins and, more importantly, to be resolved not to commit such sins again after his pilgrimage; otherwise pilgrimage would turn into a void meaningless religious custom rather than a sincere devotional service. It is very dangerous and delusive for the pilgrim to take for granted that pilgrimage blots out all the sins previously committed. This is because consensus holds that the sins mentioned in the Prophetic Hadith, showing that the pilgrim returns, after having performed his pilgrimage, as free from sins as he was on the day he was born, are only those existing between man and his Lord. As for the sins existing between man and his fellow men, the rights and liabilities of other fellow humans, and even the duties he has failed to fulfill - such sins, rights or duties are never dropped or forgiven except through fulfillment or people’s forgiveness. This is because sins are of three types; A sin that is never forgiven, namely polytheism, a sin that is never neglected, namely the sin existing between man and other fellow men, and a sin that can be forgiven, namely that between man and his Lord.

Allah All Mighty, says, “Safa and Marwa are among the Marks of Allah.” [II; 157] and, “and when you press on from Arafat, then remember Allah at the Holy Mark,” [II; 198]

Now then, shouldn’t the pilgrim who stands at the Holy Marks of Allah have holy feelings? Shouldn’t the pilgrim, when being in the Holy Mosque of Allah and going round the Ka’aba, have feelings of love and sincerity, as when a lover goes round his love. Shouldn’t he feel, when hastening between Safa and Marwa, like a lover seeking earnestly the love of his beloved one? Shouldn’t the pilgrim have, when touching and kissing the Black Stone, feelings of repentance and penance? Shouldn’t the pilgrim feel, when sacrificing his animal, that he is, as it were,  sacrificing his caprices and whims that stand as barriers between him and his Lord? Shouldn’t he feel, when stoning Satan, that such stoning is but a symbol of permanent enmity to Satan? Shouldn’t he feel, when he stands at the Prophet’s tomb at Ar-Rawada Ash-Sharifah, that he is in real Paradise…?

To sum up, the pilgrim should have, when performing the Hajj rituals at the Holy Marks, should have holy feelings, which differ according to the places and rituals. Each ritual has got its special feeling which is the total sum of his faith.

In the life of a straying man, there are overwhelming and demanding material values, which are somehow untrue values and moral standards whereby man is evaluated in the materialistic world, such as wealth, power, beauty, and intelligence. Such values and standards are greatly misleading and constitute a barrier between man and his real human nature, message in life, secret and goal of his existence  and the ultimate inevitable end. And when man leaves his present life for another life which is eternal and everlasting, he is shocked when all materialistic values collapse before him, all unreal scales are broken down, all fake masks are dropped off, all misleading barriers are removed, but unfortunately when it is too late. He is shocked, when his mundane work is evaluated by virtue of his knowledge of  his Lord and His Divine Religion, his adherence to his Lord’s Orders and Commands, and the bulk of his righteous work whereby he sought welfare and prosperity to Allah’s creatures. Lest man should be shocked in his final trip, Allah decreed for him pilgrimage if he is able, as the trip before last in order to get himself well prepared, through its valuable lessons, for the final trip upon death.

 The pilgrim comes to the Holy House of Allah, bareheaded, barefooted, wearing nothing but a simple wrapper, free from any garments that show his wealth, rank or power. The pilgrim takes off, together with his garments, the masks of wealth, power, might or rank, and heads for the Holy House of Allah to circumambulate and hasten in the places where he finds no special places for the rich or the poor. It is but one place for both the rich and poor, princes and paupers, strong and weak. It is the Holy House of Allah where all differences among sons of Adam give place to fair equality. No preference  dwells among them except in piety and devoutness: “Surely the noblest among you in the sight of Allah is the most pious of you.” [XLIX; 13]

Impartiality and equality are two prominent merits of pilgrimage. The pilgrim becomes so touched by majesty of the situation and overwhelmed by a state of submissiveness that his eyes overflow with sincere tears. Hence, he turns to Allah with supplication, imploration and repentance, seeking forgiveness from Him. He beholds the great crowds wrapped in white coverings that look like shrouds. Such a stand reminds him of the Judgment Day where all people stand before Allah, Lord of all worlds. Truly, pilgrimage is the last-but-one journey to Allah and a good reminder of the Last Trip to Him.

The ability, as mentioned in the Koranic verse, “It is the duty of all men towards Allah to come to the House a pilgrim, if he is able to make his way there. As for the unbeliever, Allah is All-Sufficient nor needs any being.” [III; 97], which is considered as the basis for the pilgrimage duty, is that of body, wealth and security. The Muslim who is not physically fit for performing pilgrimage rituals, whether of old age or illness as confirmed by testimony of a pious expert specialist Muslim physician, is released from performing pilgrimage himself and is permitted to authorize someone else, in his life time or after his death, to perform pilgrimage on his behalf. The Muslim who is financially unable to afford expenses of pilgrimage, such as transport, accommodation, food, as well as expenses of his family in his hometown, is not considered as being able to perform the Hajj. A Muslim who is not permitted to perform the Hajj by virtue of certain government regulations is not considered as being able to perform the Hajj.

Since the Hajj is a financial type of devotional service which necessitates expenditure of money, it is taken for granted that the money which the pilgrim is supposed to spend on his Hajj journey must necessarily be lawful and good, because, as the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), says, “Allah is good, and thus, He accepts not save what is good.”, and, as narrated by Abi-Hurairah(1), “When a pilgrim sets off for the Hajj with good expenditure and mounts his camel calling out: ‘Doubly at Your service, O Allah!’, a Caller from heavens calls out, ‘Doubly at your service and happiness; your provision is lawful, your camel is lawful, your Hajj is accepted, and not rejected.’  If he sets off with bad expenditure, mounts his camel (Back) calling out, ‘Doubly at Your service, O Allah! Doubly at Your service!’, a Caller from heaven answers him, “Not doubly at your service or happiness, your provision is unlawful, your expenditure is unlawful, and your Hajj is rejected, and not accepted.”                       

Since the Hajj has been enjoined on those who are able, the poor are not considered as being able. Therefore they are not supposed to borrow money for the Hajj. One of the Prophet’s venerable Companions, namely Abdullah ibn Abi ‘Awfa said, “I asked the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), about a man who has not been able to perform the Hajj, ‘Should he borrow money for it?’ He (PBUH) replied, ‘No!’” Therefore, the Hajj of a Muslim who is in debt is not accepted without his debtor’s consent’.

Since the Hajj is a religious duty ordained by Allah for those who are able to perform it, once in the whole lifetime, if the pilgrim commits mistakes in performing its rituals, by missing a fundamental ritual or by forgetting a duty, by leaving out certain Prophetic tradition, by being keen on performing a certain prophetic tradition by violating a sanctity, committing a sin or doing something forbidden, he may spoil his whole Hajj or may have to sacrifice an animal as an expiation for misbehavior, negligence or failure to perform what is proper. If he does so, he would miss a unique opportunity which might never be repeated,  namely the chance of forgiving his sins and deserving his Lord’s Paradise. All of this is because of ignorance which is the most detested foe of man, because an ignorant person can do more evil to himself than his enemies can do to him. Therefore, we say:

Dear brethren Pilgrims! Get well instructed before you perform the Hajj. This is because “One scholar is harder on Satan than a thousand worshipper”, and, “A little knowledge is better than  much worship.”  Therefore, ask people of knowledge if you do not know. And just as one is considered to be in prayer so long as one is waiting for it, so is learning  rules and principles of the Hajj is a part thereof. Ignoring or neglecting any of such rules might render the Hajj invalid or incorrect.

Good wisdom, however, necessitates that performing pilgrimage more than once is only recommended after complete fulfillment of one’s financial and behavioral obligations towards one’s parents, relatives, friends, neighbors, and society, and after making sure that such an extra pilgrimage may not lead to the deprivation of other Muslims’ performing such a religious duty.

Pilgrimage is  advocated, and advisable, with the aforementioned principles taken into consideration, especially as it stands equal to Jihad with regards to women as well as the old and feeble.

In the Divine Hadith, Allah All-High says, “If I bestow health and provide an adequate livelihood upon My servant and  yet he stays for five years without coming unto Me [i.e., to the Holy Mosque in Makkah in pilgrimage or ‘Umrah], verily he is a deprived one.”

However, by virtue of the Islamic rule which points out that prevention of evil is preferable to procurement of benefit, and that supererogatory deeds are not accepted at the expense of duties, it is more adequate and far better in the sight of Allah, after having performed the obligatory official pilgrimage, to help someone get married, or to get someone out of evil, with that money than unnecessary repetition of pilgrimage. To this effect Allah, All-High. Says, “He gives the wisdom to whomsoever He wills, and whosoever is given the wisdom, is verily given much good.” [II; 269].

 The Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), used to provoke, “O, Allah, I ask You (to grant me) a pilgrimage with neither good fame nor hypocrisy”, which certainly means that it is a misguidance for the pilgrim to seek good fame or hypocrisy in his pilgrimage.

The Egyptian Thun-Noun(2) advised a man who had already performed his obligatory official pilgrimage to help ten poor families with the money that the latter was about to use for a supererogatory  pilgrimage.

(1)Abou Hurairah, Abdul-Rahman bin Sakhr Al-Dawsi, may Allah be pleased with him, was a venerable Companion of the holy Prophet (PBUH). Before the advent of Islam, he grew up weak and poor. He was an orphan. He came to Mecca while the holy Prophet (PBUH) was I Khaibar fighting the infidels.He embraced Islam and kept the holy Prophet company receiving from him the Hadith and Prophetic tradition; and he narrated some 5374 Hadith. He was ruler of Medina for some time, and passed away in Medina in the year 59H.

(2)The Egyptian Thun-Noon, Thawban bin Ibrahim, may Allah have mercy on him, was a well known devoted worshipper and ascetic of Egypat. He was an eloquent orator, a poet and a wise preacher. He was the first to talk of ascetics, their ranks with Allah and their friendship to Him. He passed away in Geezah of Egypt in the year 245H.