Hajj and Umrah

Hajj is an obligation of Allah upon every male and female Muslim who is able to find a way there. This is due to Allah’s statement:
وَ لِلّٰهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ اِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلًا١ؕ
And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can find a way there. (3:97)

Holy Prophet Said ﷺ:
بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ وَالْحَجِّ ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ
Islam was built upon five (pillars) : the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah , the establishment of the prayer, paying Zakah, Hajj to the House (Ka’bah) and fasting Ramadhan. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

It (Hajj) is obligatory once I a person’s life. This is due to the Prophet’s statement:
«اَلْـحَجُّ مَرَّةً، فَمَنْ زَادَ فَهُوَ تَطَوَّعَ»
The Hajj is once, so whoever does it more, then it is supererogatory. (Abu Dawud, Ahmad)

It is recommended to repeat it every five years due to the Prophet’s statement that he related form His Lord, the Mighty and Sublime (i.e. a Hadith Qudsi):
إِنَّ عَبْدًا صَحَّحْتَ لَهُ جِسْمُهُ، وَوَسَّعْتَ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْـمَعِيشَةِ يَمْضِي عَلَيْهِ خَمْسَةُ أَعْوَامٍ لَا يَفِدُ إِلَيَّ لَـمَحْرُومٌ
Verily a servant, whom I gave a healthy body, and I expanded for him his livelihood, and five years pass upon him that he does not come to me (for Hajj at Makkah), then he is deprived. (Ibn Hibban & Al-Bayhaqi)

Concerning ‘Umrah, it is an obligatory Sunnah. This is due to Allah the Almighty’s statement:
وَ اَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَ الْعُمْرَةَ
And complete Al-Hajj and al-‘Umrah for Allah. (2:196)

Holy Prophet Said ﷺ:
«حُجَّ عَنْ أَبِيكَ وَاعْتَمِرْ»
Perform Hajj and ‘Umrah on behalf of your father. (Abu Dawud, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasa’I, Ibn Majah)

He ﷺ said this to someone who said ot him, “Verily may father is a very old man who is not able to perform Hajj, nor ‘Umra, nor undertake a journey.”

The Wisdom behind Hajj and ‘Umrah

For the wisdom behind Al-Hajj and Al-‘Umrah is the purification of the soul form the effects of sins so that it becomes deserving of Allah’s respect in the abode of the Hereafter. This is due to the Prophet’s statement:
« مَنْ حَجَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتَ فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ وَلَمْ يَفْسُقْ، رَجَعَ كَيَوْمِ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ»
Whoever makes pilgrimage (hajj) to this House (the Ka’bah) and he does not have sexual intercourse (with hi wife), nor does he commit any transgressions, he will come out of his sins just like the day that his mother gave birth to him. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The Conditions of their Obligation

The following conditions are stipulated for Hajj and ‘Umrah to be considered obligatory upon the Muslim:

1:Islam: The non-Muslim is not requested perform Hajj, nor ‘Umrah, nor any other type of worship. This is because faith is a condition for the correctness and acceptance of deeds.
2:Intellect: This is because there is no responsibility placed upon those who are insane
3:Puberty: This is because there is no responsibility placed upon the child until he reaches the age of puberty.

Holy Prophet Said ﷺ:
رُفِعَ الْقَلَمُ عَنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ: عَنِ الْمَجْنُونِ حَتَّى يُفِيقَ، وَعَنِ النَّائِمِ حَتَّى يَسْتَيْقِظَ وَعَنِ الصَّبِىِّ حَتَّى يَحْتَلِمَ
The pen is lifted from there (people) : the insane person until he regains his intellect, the sleeping person until he awakens and the child until he reaches the age of puberty. (See earlier)

4:Ability: This means having the provisions and the means of transportation. This is due to Allah the Almighty’s statement:

مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ اِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلًا١ؕ
Whoever is able to find a way there. (3:97)

Thus, the poor person who has no wealth with him that he can spend on himself during his hajj and upon his dependents, if he has dependents, when he leaved them behind, then it is not obligatory upon in to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah, Likewise, whoever has enough wealth for his expenses and the expenses of his dependents, but he cannot find any transportation (to get there) and he is not strong enough to walk (the distance), or he finds transportation, but the route there is not safe – for example he fears for himself or his wealth – then it is not obligatory upon him to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah. This is because he lacks the ability (to perform it).

Encouragement to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah and Warning against not performing them

The Shari’ah encourages these two great acts of worship, and incites (the Muslims) to their performance. It has called to this through various methods and expressed this in different ways. From these is the Prophet’s statement:
«أَفْضَلُ الْأَعْمَالِ: إِيمَانٌ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ الْجِهَادُ ثُمَّ حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ»
The best of belief in Allah and His Allah and Messenger, then jihad in His way, then a blessed and accepted Hajj.(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Holy Prophet Said ﷺ:
«مَنْ حَجَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتَ فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ وَلَمْ يَفْسُقْ رَجَعَ كَمَا وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ»
Whoever performs Hajj to this House (the Ka’bah), and he does not have sexual intercourse (with his wife), nor does he commit any transgressions, he will come out of his sins just like the day that his mother gave birth to him. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Holy Prophet Said ﷺ:
«اَلْـحَجُّ الْـمَبْرُورِ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلَّا الْـجَنَّةَ»
There is no reward for Al-Hajj-ul-Mabrur (the blessed and accepted Hajj) other than Paradise. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Holy Prophet Said ﷺ:
«جهاد الكبير والضعيف والمرأة الحج المبرور»
The Jihad of the elderly, the weak and the woman is Al-Hajj-ul-Mabrur-the blessed and accepted hajj). (An-Nasa’I)

Holy Prophet Said ﷺ:
«الْعُمْرَةُ إِلَى الْعُمْرَةِ كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَالْحَجُّ الْمَبْرُورُ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلاَّ الْجَنَّةُ»
Al-‘Umrah to Al-‘Umrah is an expiation for whatever was between them (of sins), and there is no reward for Al-Hajj-ul-Mabrur other than paradise. (Al-Bukhari)

Likewise, the Islamic Law warns against abandoning them (Al-Hajj and Al-‘Urah) and it issues many warnings against delaying their performance.

The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ لَمْ تَـحْبِسْهُ حَاجَةٌ ظَاهِرَةٌ أو مرض حابس أَوْ مَنْعٌ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ وَلَمْ يَحُجَّ فَلْيَمُتْ إِنْ شَاءَ يَهُودِيًّا أَوْ نَصْرَانِيًّا
Whoever is not detained by an apparent need or a confining illness or the prevention of an oppressive ruler, and he does not perform Hajj, then if he wills let him die as a Jew or a Christian. (ahmad Abu Ya’la and Al-Bayhaq)

And ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“Whoever possesses the provisions (i.e. wealth) and transportation that will enable him to reach the Sacred House of Allah (the Ka’bah) and he does not perform Hajj, then it does not matter that he dies a Jew or a Christian.” {At-Tirmithi who said it is Gharib. He recorded it as a statement of the Porphet ﷺ (Marfu’), but it is more correct (or authentic) as only a statement of a Companion (Mawquf).}

This is due to Allah the Almighty’s statement:
وَ لِلّٰهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ اِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلًا١ؕ وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ
And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can find a way there. And whoever disbelieves (i.e. denies Hajj, then he is a disbeliever in Allah), then Allah stands not in need of any of the ‘Almain (mankind and Jinns). (3:97)

‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“Verily, I considered sending some men to these cities so that they can look for everyone who has wealth but does not perform Hajj, and then make them pay the Jizyah (tax paid by non-Muslims who live under the protection of the Muslim State). They (those who do not make Hajj while having the money to do so) are not Muslims, they are not Muslims.” (Al-Bayhaqi)