Virtues of Hajj and Umrah

“Verily there shall be no reward for a righteous Hajj except Jannat.”

Alhamdulilah, There are many Ahadith on virtues and significance of Hajj but here I would like to mention some of them to learn, understand and motivate to perform the obligatory Hajj.

Hadith:

Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim recorded a Hadith from أَبوهُرَيْرَةَ in which he said:

سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ ‏”إِيمَانٌ بِاللَّهِ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَاذَا قَالَ ‏”الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ”‏‏.‏ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَاذَا قَالَ ‏”‏حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ‏”‏‏.‏

“A man asked the Messenger of Allah (s) which deed is best. The Prophet (s) said: “Belief in Allah.” The man asked, then what? The Prophet (s) said, “Striving for the cause of Allah.” The man asked, then what? The Prophet (s) said, “حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ.”

What is the meaning of مَبْرُورٌ

Imam An-Nawawi (ra) says that “‏المبرور‏”‏ هو الذي لا يرتكب صاحبه فيه معصية‏.‏–The Mabroor Hajj is the Hajj in which its performer doesn’t commit any sin.

What is the reward of حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ

There is a Hadith in Muwatta of Imam Malik narrated by أَبوهُرَيْرَةَ in which the Prophet (s) mentioned the reward of حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ. He said:

“الْعُمْرَةُ إِلَى الْعُمْرَةِ كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَالْحَجُّ الْمَبْرُورُ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلاَّ الْجَنَّةُ‏‏”‏‏.

The Umrah to the next Umrah is a kaffarah (expiation) of all the sins one commits between them, and an accepted Hajj (حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ) is a supreme action, the reward for which is الْجَنَّةُ.

Hadith:

There is another Hadith about the significance and essence of Hajj in Sunan an-Nasa’i and also has been narrated by أَبوهُرَيْرَةَ in which the Prophet (s)

“مَنْ حَجَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتَ فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ وَلَمْ يَفْسُقْ رَجَعَ كَمَا وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ ‏”‏‏.‏

“Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any Rafath (obscenity) or Fusooq (transgression), he returns (free from sin) as the day his mother bore him’. “

Hadith:

There is another Hadith that has been recorded by Imam Muslim and narrated by عمرو بن العاص. He narrated this hadith when he was on his deathbed.

“لما جعل الله الإسلام في قلبي أتيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلمى الله عليه وسلم فقلت‏:‏ أُبسُط يمينك فلأبايعك، فبسط يمينه فقبضت يدي، فقال‏:‏”مالك يا عمرو‏؟‏‏”‏ قلت‏:‏ أردت أن أشترط قال‏:‏ ‏”‏تشترط ماذا‏؟‏‏”‏ قلت ‏:‏ أن يُغفَرَ لي، قال‏:‏ ‏”‏أماعلمت أن الإسلام يهدم ما كان قبله، وأن الهجرة تهدم ما كان قبلها، وأن الحج يهدم ما كان قبله”‏‏.

“When Allah instilled the love for Islam in my heart, I went to Messenger of Allah (s) and said, ‘Extend your right hand, so that I pledge allegiance to you.’ He (s) stretched out his right hand, but I withdrew my hand. He said, ‘What is the matter, ‘O Amr?’ I said, ‘I wish to lay down same conditions.’ He asked, ‘What conditions do you wish to put forward?’ I replied, ‘To be granted forgiveness.’ He said, ‘Do you not know that (embracing) Islam wipes out whatever (sins) came before it. And Hijrah wipes out whatever (sins) came before it, and the Hajj wipes out whatever (sins) came before it. “

Hadith

There is another Hadith recorded in الترمذي، النسائي، أحمد and narrated by عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُود. The Prophet (s)

تَابِعُوا بَيْنَ الْحَجِّ وَالْعُمْرَةِ فَإِنَّهُمَا يَنْفِيَانِ الْفَقْرَ وَالذُّنُوبَ كَمَا يَنْفِي الْكِيرُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ وَالذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَلَيْسَ لِلْحَجَّةِ الْمَبْرُورَةِ ثَوَابٌ إِلَّا الْجَنَّةُ

 “Keep on doing Hajj and ‘Umrah, for they eliminate poverty and sin just as the bellows eliminate impurities from iron and gold and silver.”

Warning against not performing Hajj:

عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: “مَنْ مَلَكَ زَادًا وَرَاحِلَةً تُبَلِّغُهُ إِلَى بَيْتِ اللَّهِ وَلَمْ يَحُجَّ فَلَا عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَمُوتَ يَهُودِيًّا أَوْ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ فِي كِتَابِهِ وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنْ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا.”

“He who possesses enough food for the trip, a means of transportation to reach to Makkah, and yet does not perform Hajj, then he dies, he would then die as a Yahudi or a Nasrani and this is because Allah (swt) said in His Book: (And Hajj to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses).” [Tirmidhi]