How Does Life Change After Hajj and Are Sins Multiplied after Performing the Hajj?
Answered By Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad
Question
How should a Muslim’s life be after performing Hajj? And is it true that sins are multiplied after Hajj?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Hajj
There is no doubt that Allah has prescribed acts of worship for profound wisdom and great purposes. They strengthen faith, purify souls, correct behavior, and refine morals.
If a believer performs the Hajj properly, understand its objectives, and internalize its meanings, it will have a tremendous impact on their life, both in this world and the hereafter. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Whoever performs Hajj for Allah, without engaging in obscenity or disobedience, returns like the day his mother gave birth to him (free of sins).” [Bukhari; Muslim]
Steadfastness
Part of showing gratitude for the blessing of performing the Hajj is safeguarding this blessing by not squandering it. Pilgrims should maintain obedience to Allah and stay steadfast in His religion and law.
The signs of an accepted Hajj (Hajj Mabrur) include continuous adherence to obedience to Allah after the pilgrimage and that the pilgrim’s state with Allah after Hajj is better than it was before. They should be like those described by Allah (Most High):
“…and who do whatever (good) they do with their hearts fearful, (knowing) that they will return to their Lord.” [Quran, 23:60]
Although they perform various acts of worship and draw closer to Allah with many deeds, they remain fearful and apprehensive that their deeds might not be accepted.
‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) used to say: “Be more concerned with the acceptance of your deeds than with the deeds themselves. Have you not heard Allah (Most High) say: ‘Allah only accepts (the offering) of the sincerely devout.’” [Quran, 5:27]
Multiplication of Sins
As for the question about whether a pilgrim’s sins are multiplied after returning from Hajj, this is incorrect. Allah (Most High) says:
“Whoever comes with a good deed will be rewarded tenfold. But whoever comes with a bad deed will be punished for only one. None will be wronged.” [Quran, 6:160]
However, the pilgrim should be more cautious about committing sins and staying away from them than others, as this is a sign of an accepted Hajj. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“The reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than Paradise.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
We ask Allah, by His beautiful names and attributes, to grant us an accepted Hajj and to accept all our righteous deeds. May He bless us with steadfastness and uprightness until death. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds.
[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad
Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad, born in Damascus, Syria, in 1965, pursued his Islamic studies in the mosques and institutes of Damascus. A graduate of the Islamic University of Medina in 1985, he holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from Bahauddin Zakariya University in Pakistan.
He has extensive experience developing curricula and enhancing the teaching of various academic courses, including conducting intensive courses. Shaykh Awad has taught Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Quranic sciences, the history of legislation, inheritance laws, and more at several institutes and universities such as Al-Furqan Institute for Islamic Sciences and Majma‘ al-Fath al-Islami in Damascus.
He is a lecturer at the Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih Waqf University in Istanbul, teaching various Arabic and Islamic subjects, and teaches at numerous Islamic institutes in Istanbul. Shaykh Awad is a member of the Association of Syrian Scholars, a founding member of the Zayd bin Thabit Foundation, a member of the Syrian Scholars Association, and a member of the Academic Council at the Iman Center for Teaching the Sunna and Quran.
Among his teachers from whom he received Ijazat are his father, Shaykh Muhammad Muhiyiddin Awad, Shaykh Muhiyiddin al-Kurdi, Shaykh Muhammad Karim Rajih, Shaykh Usama al-Rifai, Shaykh Ayman Suwaid, Shaykh Ahmad al-Qalash, Shaykh Muhammad Awwama, and Shaykh Mamduh Junayd.
