Share Acts of worship vary in relation to time. An act of worship is either an annual obligation such as fasting the month ofRamadan, or a weekly obligation such as the Friday prayer, or a daily obligation such as the five prayers, or it is obligatory only once in a lifetime, and that isHajj.
When a person tries to figure out the reasons behind imposingHajjonly once in a lifetime, he may wonder whether this is only for the sake of facilitation or for another reason. Facilitation may be the reason, however what is certain is thatHajjinvolves many lessons and great teachings and if the Muslim understood them well, they would be sufficient for him and he would not need to performHajjagain. That is why one is not obliged to performHajjover and over again as long as the first time is sufficient if it was performed as Allaah The Almighty wishes and likes. Nevertheless, it is recommended that the Muslim performHajjafter that as many times as possible to internalize these lessons and such teachings in his soul until they become like inborn traits. In such a case, Allaah The Almighty would encompass His slave in His Mercy and engulf him in His Bounty.
The ultimate purpose ofHajjis to achieve untaintedTawheed)monotheism(:
Devotion to Allaah The Almighty and acknowledging His Oneness is the essence ofHajjas explicitly stated in theHadeethin which the Prophet,, said:“Whoever performs Hajj for the Sake of Allaah…”, i.e. when one performsHajj, he does so for the Sake of Allaah The Almighty to provide proof of the deep-rooted monotheism in his heart. One can easily recognize that confirmation of monotheism is the essence ofHajjsince its legislation at the time of Ibraaheem )Abraham(and throughout all its rites from beginning to end. Allaah The Exalted Says )what means(:}And ]mention, O Muhammad[, when We designated for Abraham the site of the House, ]saying[, "Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaaf...{]Quran 22:26[
Al-Qurtubicommented on this verse saying,"This verse rebukes the polytheists who live in the neighborhood of the Sacred House, because adherence to and preservation of monotheism was the condition that was imposed on their father and his offspring, including you, but you did not meet this condition; and instead associated others with Allaah The Almighty."
Therefore, the polytheists are forbidden from approaching the Holy House, as Allaah The Exalted Says )what means(:}O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Haram after this, their ]final[ year. And if you fear privation, Allaah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allaah is Knowing and Wise.{]Quran 9:28[
The pilgrim commences hisHajjby acknowledgingTawheed)Oneness of Allaah The Almighty( when he saysTalbiyah:“Labbayka Allaahuma Labbayk, Labbayka La Shareeka Laka Labbayk, Inna Al-hamda wan-Ni‘mata, Laka wal-mulk, La Sharika Lakk )Here I am, O Allaah! Here I have come. Here I have come; there is no partner with You. Verily, praise, blessing and Kingdom are Yours. There is no partner with You(.”
The Muslim is also required to make frequentThikr, TalbiyahandTahleel)saying, “Laa Ilaaha Illa Allaah)There is none truly worthy of worship but Allaah(”(. He should also makeTakbeerwhile throwing the Jamaraat )pebbles(. When he intends to return to his country after finishingHajj, he should return to the Sacred House to perform the FarewellTawaafalong with makingThikr,supplication,TahleelandTakbeeras much as possible. Hence, the pilgrim startsHajjby acknowledging the Oneness of Allaah The Almighty and concludes with the same thing.
Then comes devotion, i.e. to make this act of worship sincerely for the sake of Allaah The Almighty, far removed from ostentation, seeking fame or good reputation. The Prophet,, said:“Allaahumma haathihi hijjatun la riyaa’a feeha wa la sum‘ah )O Allaah, this is a pilgrimage in which there is no showing off or seeking reputation(.”
Things that invalidate and blemishHajj:
Sexual intercourse and sins adversely affect the desired reward ofHajj.Sexual intercourse invalidatesHajj,and so does foreplay, kissing, and sexual speech in the presence of women.
Allaah The Exalted Says )what means(:}so whoever has madeHajj obligatory upon himself therein ]by entering the state of Ihraam[, there is ]to be for him[ no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj.{]Quran 2:197[
Abu Bakr Al-Jassaas commented on this verse saying,
In this verse, Allaah The Almighty commanded the pilgrim to guard his private parts and tongue from all sins and acts of disobedience. Indeed, sins are prohibited before entering the state of Ihraam, but Allaah The Almighty Stated that they are especially prohibited during Ihraam to stress the great status of the state of Ihraam and to confirm that the punishment of the sins that are committed during the state of Ihraam are more severe.
The greatness ofHajjcannot be compatible with committing sins or vices by the pilgrim. Hence, the pilgrim must purify himself by refraining from committing any sin so as to refine his soul and habituate it to abandon its bad habits. In this way, the pilgrim will emancipate himself from evil desires, and will perfect his soul with noble manners and good behavior.
The reward of the pilgrim:
What a great reward it is to receive forgiveness of all sins! The Muslim would return sinless after performingHajjas legislated and directed by Allaah The Almighty and His Messenger,. He will return to his house after performingHijrahandJihaad, and after disassociating himself from the polytheists, and showing kindness to the poor and the needy. He will be far from sins just as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him, a clear white slate untainted by any blemish. Ibn Hajarsaid,“The words ‘as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him,’mean without any sin. Apparently, this means forgiveness of minor and major sins and their consequences.”
This great gift is indeed more valuable than the whole earth full of gold, as it means that the pilgrim has been secured from the repercussions of his previous sins and misdeeds. Thus, the pilgrim should prepare himself for the future to make sure that his record of deeds remains clean. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}The Day every soul will find what it has done of good present ]before it[{]Quran 3:30
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