The Lessons Learned from the Accepted Hajj

The Shaykh:
May Allah greet you and bless you.

The questioner:
The questioner: O Shaykh, the pilgrim has completed this ritual and moved between these sacred places during this season, the season of Hajj. What are the lessons learned from Hajj? And what is obligatory for the pilgrim after the journey of Hajj in continuing righteous work?

The Shaykh:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The accepted Hajj is that whose rituals are performed in the prescribed manner, with sincerity to Allah the Mighty and Majestic in doing so, as in His saying: This serves as a reminder of sincerity. When the pilgrim completes the rituals of Hajj and Allah grants him the ability to do so, he must thank Allah and return in a better state than he was before the Hajj. This is the sign of the accepted Hajj: that its owner returns in a state of obedience, worship, and sincerity to Allah that is more complete than it was before he performed Hajj. This is the sign that his Hajj was accepted and that his Hajj was accepted by Allah the Exalted and Glorified. He maintains his religion, he maintains his prayer, he maintains his tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and his creed in all his life. This does not mean that if he performs Hajj, his sins are dropped and he does whatever he pleases, calling himself “the pilgrim” without knowing whether his Hajj was accepted or not. He should not boast about this or take it as a title, but rather he should hope for acceptance and mercy from Allah, continue righteous work after Hajj, and maintain the obligatory acts and duties. His state after Hajj should be better than his state before Hajj, and he should continue in this manner for the rest of his life. This is the accepted Hajj that trains the Muslim in righteousness, piety, and the worship of Allah the Exalted and Glorified. Yes.