The linguistic meaning of Hajj is seeking or
intending. Thus the people of Allah are
constantly performing Hajj because they are
constantly seeking Allah. Just as their whole
year is Ramadan, likewise their whole year is
Hajj. Just as those performing Hajj respond to
the call of Allah by saying “labbayk” they are
swift to respond to the call of Allah. They take
themselves to account and leave that which is
disliked and dubious in all their states and
actions. They reject the desires of their lower
selves and they are the furthest of people from
that which is prohibited. They constantly
receive new blessings from their Lord so they
constantly renew their ihram. Day and night they
make tawaf around the House of their Lord, the
One to Whom they turn themselves with absolute
sincerity until nothing remains in them which is
directed to other than Allah.
The bounty of Allah is available at all times of
the day and night. This is why Allah swears by
the morning light (duha) and by the night that
He has not forsaken His Beloved (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace), nor is He displeased
with him.
If the Hajj has not been made possible for you,
join with those making Hajj and share in their
reward: by spending your wealth for the sake of
Allah on your relatives, on the needy, by
turning to Allah with your whole being. Make
numerous your footsteps to good places,
especially at the time of Fajr, and you will
receive glad tidings from the Messenger of Allah
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace): “Give
glad tidings of complete light on the Day of
Judgement to those who walk constantly to the
mosque in the darkness.”
[Narrated by Abu Daud]
Those whose light is complete will no doubt be
in his company (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) "...on the day when Allah will not
humble the Prophet and the believers along with
him; their light will be running ahead of them
and on their right..."
[Al-Tahrim, 66:8]
Ask to be present with them, and thank Allah for
allowing our spirits to be with them. So many
hearts in the far East or the far West receive
the gifts of `Arafat and Mina because of their
truthfulness with Allah.
..:: Actions that carry the
reward of Hajj
::..
Nothing of course can equal actually performing
the Hajj and worshipping Allah in those blessed
places. However, since Allah knows that many
people long to make Hajj every year but are
unable to do so out of His generosity He made
the reward for certain actions similar to the
reward of a supererogatory Hajj.
1. Remembering Allah from Fajr until Ishraq:
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) said: “Whoever who prays Subh
(Fajr) in congregation and then sits in the
place where he prayed remembering Allah until
the sun rises and then prays two rakats has the
reward of a complete Hajj and `Umrah.” He
repeated “complete” three times. [Narrated by
al-Tirmidhi]
2. Attending a gathering of knowledge:
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) said: “The one who goes out to
the mosque wanting only to learn good or teach
it has the reward of a complete Hajj.” [Narrated
by al-Tabarani]
3. Going to the mosque for the congregational
prayer: The Prophet (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) said: “Whoever performs
ablution in his house and then goes out to
perform the obligatory prayer in the mosque has
a reward similar to the reward of a Hajj
pilgrim. Whoever goes out to perform the
mid-morning prayer (Duha) has a reward similar
to the reward of the one performing `Umrah.”
[Narrated by Abu Daud]
4. Reciting dhikr after the five daily prayers:
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) narrated that a group of destitute
people came to the Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi wa
Sallam (may Allaah exalt his mention), and said,
“O Messenger of Allah, the wealthy people will
have higher grades and will have permanent
enjoyment in high levels in Paradise. They pray
like us and fast as we do, but they have more
money by which they perform the Hajj, ‘Umrah,
participate in Jihaad and give in charity.” The
Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi wa Sallam (may Allaah
exalt his mention), replied: “Shall I not tell
you something upon which if you acted you would
catch up with those who have surpassed you?
Nobody would surpass you and you would be better
than the people amongst whom you live except
those who would do the same. Say ‘Subhan Allah’,
‘alHamdu Lillaah’ and ‘Allahu Akbar’
thirty-three times each after every (compulsory)
prayer.’" [Sahih al-Bukhari]
5. Reciting Durud upon the beloved Prophet:
The Leader of the God wary [Imām al-Muttaqīn]
SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam affirmed,
“Perform your Fardh (obligatory) Hajj
pilgrimage. Undoubtedly, its reward is greater
than participating in twenty Gazwah and reciting
one Durūd upon me, equals that (in reward).” [Firdaus-bima’
Šaur al-Khitab, Vol. 2, Page 607, Hadīth 2484]
6. Performing I’itikaf for ten days in the month
of Ramadan: Imam Bayhaqi has reported on
the authority of Hadrat Imam Hussain that the
Messenger of Allah has stated, “whosoever
performs I’itikaf for ten days in the month of
Ramadan, it is as though he has performed two
‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) and two Hajj (greater
pilgrimage).” [Narrated by Bayhaqi]
7. Performing the Friday Prayer:
Sayyiduna Sa`id bin al-Musayyib said performing
the Friday Prayer is “more beloved to me than a
supererogatory Hajj.”
8. Performing the Eid Prayer: Ibn Rajab
(may Allah have mercy upon him) narrated that
the Companion Sayyiduna Mikhnaf ibn Sulaym (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said, “The reward
for attending ‘Eid Al-Fitr prayer is equal to
the reward of performing ‘Umrah and the reward
for attending ‘Eid Al-Ad'ha Prayer is equal to
that of performing Hajj.”
9. Fulfilling the needs of your brother or
sister: Sayyiduna Hasan al-Basri said:
“Going to fulfil the need of your brother is
better for you than performing Hajj after Hajj.”
10. Being good to your parents: The
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) commanded one of the Companions to be
good to his mother. If you do so, he said: “You
are a Hajj pilgrim, a person performing `Umrah
and someone striving for the sake of Allah (mujahid).”
11. Abandoning sins and prohibitions:
Some of our righteous predecessors said, “Giving
up a misdeed that Allah The Exalted abhors is
dearer to me than performing Hajj 500 times.”
12. Performing obligatory actions: The
slave can only draw near to Allah by performing
supererogatory actions after first having
performed that which is obligatory. This
includes purifying one’s heart from forbidden
attributes and guarding one’s tongue and limbs
from committing forbidden actions. All of this
is much harder on the lower self than many
supererogatory acts of worship.
Finally
there is no action more beloved to Allah on the
Day of Eid than making a sacrifice. The
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) told his beloved daughter
Sayyida Fatima al-Zahrah that she would be
forgiven for her previous wrongdoings with the
first drop of blood to be shed from the
sacrificed animal. She asked if this reward was
specifically for the household of the Prophet
and he replied: “For us and for all the
Muslims.”