Hajj: A Spiritual Rebirth: The Virtues of Hajj – Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

This is the sixth of seven articles based on the Hajj: A Spiritual Rebirth seminar, delving into the spirit, context, virtues and etiquettes of the Hajj.

The first virtue we’ll highlight is that Hajj is a practice Allah has commanded all people to undertake. Allah says in the Quran that He instructed Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to proclaim Hajj to the people:

“And proclaim the Hajj to the people. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel…” 

Why are the camels described as “lean”? Because they’ve traveled long, arduous distances, they’re exhausted, having burned off their body fat. This highlights the tremendous effort people are willing to make just to reach the Ka’ba.

This verse is actually a prophecy given to Prophet Ibrahim. It says people will come from “every distant pass”, meaning from all corners of the earth, to witness the benefits of Hajj and to remember the name of Allah during specific appointed days (from the 8th to the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah).

They do this in connection with the sacrificial animals that Allah has provided for them. This verse clearly refers to Hajj and underscores its deep spiritual significance.

There are narrations, though the strength of some of them may be debated, that say when Ibrahim made this proclamation, the mountains were lowered, and the earth was raised so his voice could travel far and wide. It is said that every soul, even those not yet born, heard this call. Those who responded with “Labbayk” (“Here we are [responding to Your call]”) were destined to perform Hajj one day. Some scholars interpret that even if someone doesn’t make it to Hajj in this life, the soul that responded still carries that intention.

The verse also mentions the many benefits of Hajj. Some of these are spiritual, while others are worldly (dunyawi):

From a worldly perspective, the sanctuary of the Haram provided unmatched safety. In pre-Islamic Arabia, even those with fierce rivalries would not harm each other within its boundaries. For example, there’s a story of a famous Arab poet who killed a man for insulting his mother, and this led to a series of tribal feuds where thousands were killed over the span of four years, all because of a single incident involving a camel race.

Yet, despite such volatile backgrounds, no one would dare harm their worst enemy within the sacred precincts of the Ka’ba. This sanctuary fostered a unique kind of peace and respect.

Additionally, the unity and brotherhood displayed during Hajj are incredible. Take Malcolm X, for example. He was initially misled by a group called the Nation of Islam, which wrongly claimed that only Black people could be Muslim. When he traveled to Makkah and performed Hajj, he witnessed Muslims of all races, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, brown-eyed, black-haired, all worshipping together as equals. It changed his life and understanding of Islam, showing him the true universal message of unity that Islam promotes.

On the economic side, Hajj brought immense prosperity to the Arabs. Even before the discovery of oil, the pilgrimage generated substantial wealth for the Quraysh. Today, the blessings continue, Allah gave them the wealth of oil, in part to facilitate and serve the needs of the pilgrims.

Finally, every act of worship, including Hajj, has an effect on the heart. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Charity is proof (of faith).” He also said, “Prayer is light.” Imagine being in complete darkness and someone hands you a torch, that’s the impact these acts have on the heart. They illuminate your soul and guide your path.

Then he said:

Later on, patience during hardship is like an intense, scorching, blinding light. It’s like, well, imagine you’re looking at a candle or a small flame, and then the sun rises. Compare the difference between the two types of light, right? So, there’s Baraka in this.

He said that Abu Hanifa used to affirm the superiority of some acts of worship over others. He would say, “This act is better than that one.” However, this was before he performed Hajj. After experiencing Hajj, he stated that Hajj was superior, superior due to everything he witnessed. He tasted the inner sweetness of faith and the other benefits. He then considered Hajj to be the most superior act of worship.

Then, we come to the hadith where the Prophet said: whoever performs Hajj, anyone who sets out to perform Hajj and does not speak indecently, this refers to vulgar or inappropriate talk, particularly regarding intimacy, especially when done openly or in front of the opposite gender, depending on how it’s interpreted. Not even by accident, just completely avoids it. Doesn’t behave improperly, doesn’t harm others, doesn’t commit sin, whoever performs the Hajj and avoids indecent speech and wrongful acts, even accidentally, they return as pure as the day their mother gave birth to them. Completely cleansed, all their sins wiped away.

There are two categories of sins, minor sins and major sins. Major sins are those for which a specific punishment has been mentioned or threatened. For example, we’ve been informed of explicit punishments: the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said that whoever brands the face of an animal is cursed. Heating up an iron and burning the face of an animal is something cursed. So where there’s a curse or a directly stated punishment, that’s a major sin.

Minor sins are everything else, there are many of them. Minor sins are erased through wudu, prayers, from one Jumua to the next, from Ramadan to the next, from one Umra to another. But major sins can only be erased in two ways: sincere repentance, true tawbah, or Hajj.

Now, what if someone has stolen from another person? Does that get wiped away? The sin aspect might be wiped, but the right of the other person still remains. If you don’t return what was taken, that person has a right to take it from you on the Day of Judgment. They can go before Allah and say, “O Allah, this person took what was mine.” So you could still face consequences for that. Just keep that in mind, right? But the other sins, those can be wiped out. After Hajj, you can return completely purified. So when you go for Hajj, take it as a moment of rebirth. You’re going, and you’re going to leave everything behind.

We’ll talk about this more, but one piece of advice: don’t go to perform Hajj with bad company. Don’t go with friends who, when you’re with them, you end up saying wrong or harmful things, friends who bring out the worst in you. People who are just going to be miserable, complaining, grumbling all the time, “Why is this happening? Why is this delayed?”, and so on. You’re going to face difficulties.

Everyone faces some form of hardship when performing Hajj or Umrah. But see it this way, you’re being honored. Allah is testing you with difficulty, just like He tested others. It’s an opportunity to practice patience and gain reward. If someone is going to go and cause harm, verbally or physically, you don’t want to travel with them. It’s better to go alone.

If you go with loved ones or a companion, sit down and say, “We’re going to change. I don’t want to go and stay the same.” If that’s not possible, just spend your time alone. But we want to change. Of course, if you go with family, be helpful, be supportive, be good. Grow together, transform together.

Then we come to the next hadith, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked: “Which deed is the best?” He replied: “Belief in Allah and His Messenger.” Iman is a great deed. You might think, “Well, I have Iman, do I get anything for that?” Yes, you are constantly being rewarded for your faith. It’s an immense act of worship.

Then he mentioned Jihad, striving in the path of Allah. Armed struggle, yes, it was a real part of life for the Prophet (peace be upon him). Enemies attacking from all directions, all sides, so to defend yourself and fight was a way of drawing closer to Allah, for them. And in general, it was a form of worship. 

What is a righteous Hajj? A righteous Hajj is something that
Allah has spoken about, meaning it’s something to be obeyed, to be done, or to carry out as a great act of devotion.

There are a couple of views regarding it. One is that it’s a Hajj performed without sinning. Of course, people may fall into minor sins here and there anyway, but not the major or serious ones, the bad stuff. In a righteous Hajj, a person doesn’t deliberately engage in such things, and they try their best to avoid them.

Another view is that a righteous Hajj is done without ostentation, without showing off physically. For example, when you stand next to someone and you make your prayer longer just because they’re watching you, you don’t do that. None of the actions are for show. Likewise, it’s without verbal ostentation. You don’t say things like, “Oh wow, do you know how much sadaqa I gave last week? Enough to feed a small country.” You don’t do things like that, you keep your acts of worship to yourself.

Also, a righteous Hajj is free of indecent talk, foul language, inappropriate speech, and things like that. You don’t say them, and you don’t do them.

It’s also said that a sign of a righteous Hajj is that the pilgrim returns unattached to mere worldly things, the dunya. They’re no longer focused on keeping up with the Joneses. Like, “The neighbor has a six-foot fence? Well, we’re getting a seven-foot one!” or, “They got a new car? We’re getting a newer one.” No, none of that.

Instead, the person becomes attached to the akhirah, the afterlife, meaning they seek to do the things that please Allah and bring them closer to Him.

So, this is what we ask Allah for.
A righteous Hajj carries the benefit of literally wiping everything away. And if you’ve wronged someone, done them over in some way, maybe Allah will compensate them so generously that they’re not even bothered about your wrongdoing. And as a result, you’ll be forgiven, and they’ll be forgiven. That can happen.

So, treat this sincerely. Recognize its worth. Understand its value.

Now, the next hadith:
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) says, “One ‘Umra to the next is an expiation for whatever is between them”, no matter how many sins a person has. Minor sins, they’re wiped away. Even major sins can be wiped away too, just like with the prayers. But generally, major sins require tawbah, which is even easier. You just sincerely turn to Allah and say, “Allah, forgive me. I don’t want to be like this anymore. Forgive me for having done this.” And that’s it, it’s all wiped away.

And a righteous Hajj, there’s no reward for it except Paradise. That means when it’s done in a way that pleases Allah, you go to Paradise. Everything else is taken care of. All sins are wiped. And if you’ve harmed anyone, Allah will take care of that too. You go to Paradise without any prior punishment. It’s a golden ticket, right?

So take this seriously.
May Allah facilitate this for us.

There’s so much barakah (blessing) in it that it sticks with a person, it clings to us.

So, the Hajj, Allah forgives the pilgrim and whoever the pilgrim asks for forgiveness for.

So what should you do? If someone you know has returned from Hajj, go to them. Stand outside their house if you have to. That’s why people in the past used to visit and celebrate when someone came back from Hajj. They would go out and be in the streets, celebrating.

Then, ask that person for forgiveness, to the point where you really mean it. Because the barakah of this du‘a from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is incredible. In another narration, it says: the pilgrim and whoever they ask for forgiveness for are forgiven for the rest of Muharram.

So during the days of Muharram and Safar, someone who performed the Hajj, if they ask for forgiveness for themselves or another person, they’re forgiven. If you ask Allah to forgive someone in Muharram or Safar, they will be forgiven.