The Meaning of the Accepted Hajj and the Sign of Its Acceptance

Question:
May Allah reward you and bless you. This questioner, Ahmad Abdullah, says: Honorable Shaykh, what are the signs of an accepted Hajj? Do they manifest in a tangible way so that I know for certain that my Hajj has been accepted?

Answer:
The accepted Hajj is the one performed in the prescribed manner with sincere intention for Allah the Exalted, by completing the rituals in the manner reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah the Exalted said: “Complete the Hajj” means perform its rituals as required. And His saying “for Allah” means sincerity to Allah in intention, so that there is no showing off, no seeking of worldly fame, no worldly greed, or anything else. Therefore, the Hajj becomes accepted, and the sign of its acceptance is that the person’s state after the Hajj is better than his state before it. If he returns from the Hajj in a better state, with repentance to Allah the Exalted and adherence to his religion, and his condition has improved, then this is a sign that the Hajj has been accepted and that it is an accepted Hajj. Yes.