Virtues of Hajj

Hajj is one of the five Pillars of Islam. It was made Fardh in the year 9th  Hijri , after the revelation of the following verses of the majestic Quran:



"And performing the Hajj (pilgrimage) of this house, for the sake of Allah, is a duty upon mankind, for those who can reach it; and whoever disbelieves - then Allah is Independent (Unwanting) of the entire creation!� [Al-Quran 3:97]

Hajj, in a purely technical sense, refers to the visiting of particular places (like Arafah), at prescribed times (from 8th to 12th Dhul-Hijjah ) and performing of precise rituals (like Tawaf-e-Ziyarah) under specific conditions (such as Ihram).

The importance of Hajj is further highlighted by the following sayings of beloved Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh):

It is narrated by Hadhrat Ali (r.a.) that Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) said, "A person who has the provision for Hajj and has the conveyance that can take him to Baitullah (Holy Kaba) and even then he does not perform Hajj, it makes no difference whether he dies a Jew or a Christian� [Tirmidhi]

• The Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) was asked about the best of deeds. He (the Prophet) said: Belief in Allah. He (the inquirer) said: What next? He (the Prophet) replied: Jihad (struggle to the utmost) in the cause of Allah. He (the inquirer) again said: What next? He (the Prophet) replied: Hajj Mabroor (an accepted pilgrimage) [Bukhari].

Types of Hajj 

Any person intending to perform Hajj opts for either one of the three types of Hajj :

• Hajj only; without any Umrahâ??this type of Hajj is called IFRAAD.
• Umrah and Hajj with a single Ihramâ??this type of Hajj is called  QIRAAN.
• First Umrah, then Hajj with another Ihramâ??this type of Hajj is called  HAJJ AL-TAMATTU and it is considered the best of the three forms of Hajj. It is the one that the Prophet Muhammad ( Pbuh) urged his followers to perform and is the one adopted by most pilgrims from overseas.
• The process and regulations explained below are for â??HAJJ AL-TAMATTUâ??. We have attempted to explain the process in a simple, point-by-point format that will make it easy for a Pilgrim to understand this magnificent pillar of Islam. The Masaâ??il (Laws) are in accordance with Hanafi-Fiqh.

Eligibility & Conditions

HAJJ is Fardh once in a lifetime upon every adult â?? male or female. The conditions that make Hajj Fardh for a person are as follows.

• Should be a Muslim;
• Should be mentally fit (not insane);
• Should be physically fit (not invalid or handicapped )
• Should be Adult (Baligh i.e. physically mature, reached the age of puberty)
• Should be a free person (not a slave)
• Should have sufficient provision for one's dependents like wife/children, for instance, for the duration of one's absence as well as to possess all requirements for travel and be financially independent. Also should have means to travel and staying at Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat.
• Security of route to Makkah Al-Mukarramah
• A woman must be accompanied by her husband or a trusted Mahram. A Mahram is a male and member of the family whom she is NOT allowed to marry according to Islamic law eg. Father, Brother
• Hajj becomes Fardh even when one does NOT have the means of going to Madina Al-Munawwarah but only to Makkah Al-Mukarramah since going to Madina Al-Munawwarah is not an obligation. If any of the above conditions is not found for a person, Hajj will not be Fardh upon him. Nevertheless, it becomes Wajib upon such a person to perform Hajj during the first available Hajj period when he/she meets the above conditions. Delaying the Hajj is a sinful act.