A Muslim man wants to perform Hajj; what are the matters he should do for his Hajj to be accepted?
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The questioner : A Muslim man wants to perform Hajj; what are the matters a Muslim should do for his Hajj to be accepted, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : The matters he should do for his Hajj to be accepted are that he intends for the sake of Allah the Mighty and Majestic in his Hajj, and this is sincerity, and that he follows the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in his Hajj, and this is following the Sunnah. Every righteous deed is not accepted except with these two fundamental conditions: sincerity and following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Bayyinah 98:5] and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 1 and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 1718b. This is the most important thing that is obligatory for the pilgrim to rely upon: sincerity and following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in his Hajj: .
Among these matters is that the Hajj must be with lawful wealth. Performing Hajj with forbidden wealth is forbidden and not permissible. In fact, some scholars have said that the Hajj is not valid in this case, and some of them say:
"If you perform Hajj with wealth whose origin is illicit, you have not performed Hajj, but rather the caravan has performed Hajj" meaning the camels have performed Hajj.
Among these matters is that he should avoid what Allah has forbidden, as He said:[Al-Baqarah 2:197]. So he should avoid what Allah has forbidden generally in Hajj and elsewhere, such as open sinfulness and disobedience, including forbidden words, forbidden actions, listening to musical instruments, and the like. He should also avoid what Allah has forbidden specifically in Hajj, such as rafath (approaching women), shaving the head, and avoiding what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade from all the prohibitions of ihram. The pilgrim should also be gentle, easy-going, and generous in his wealth, status, and work, and he should treat his brothers well to the best of his ability. It is obligatory for him to avoid harming Muslims, whether that is in the sacred sites or in the markets. So he should avoid causing harm during the crowding at the tawaf, during the crowding at the sa'y, during the crowding at the jamarat, and elsewhere.
These are the matters that the pilgrim must fulfill. Among the most important things that achieve this, or among the strongest things that achieve this, is for a person to accompany a scholar in his Hajj so that he may be guided in his religion. If that is not possible, let him read from the books of scholars what is reliable before he goes to Hajj, so that he worships Allah with knowledge.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : The matters he should do for his Hajj to be accepted are that he intends for the sake of Allah the Mighty and Majestic in his Hajj, and this is sincerity, and that he follows the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in his Hajj, and this is following the Sunnah. Every righteous deed is not accepted except with these two fundamental conditions: sincerity and following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِThe reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.
إنما الأعمال بالنيات، وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوىHe who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردTake from me your rites
لتأخذوا عني مناسككمAmong these matters is that the Hajj must be with lawful wealth. Performing Hajj with forbidden wealth is forbidden and not permissible. In fact, some scholars have said that the Hajj is not valid in this case, and some of them say:
"If you perform Hajj with wealth whose origin is illicit, you have not performed Hajj, but rather the caravan has performed Hajj" meaning the camels have performed Hajj.
Among these matters is that he should avoid what Allah has forbidden, as He said:
so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein [by entering the state of ihram], there is [to be for him] no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj
فَمَنْ فَرَضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ فَلا رَفَثَ وَلا فُسُوقَ وَلا جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّThese are the matters that the pilgrim must fulfill. Among the most important things that achieve this, or among the strongest things that achieve this, is for a person to accompany a scholar in his Hajj so that he may be guided in his religion. If that is not possible, let him read from the books of scholars what is reliable before he goes to Hajj, so that he worships Allah with knowledge.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.