Is there any guidance for those who perform the obligatory Hajj or 'Umrah and then commit some errors? Is there any guidance for them to acquire Islamic knowledge?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Your Eminence, is there any guidance or word for those who perform the obligatory Hajj or 'Umrah and then commit some errors? Is there any guidance for them to acquire Islamic knowledge as well?
The Shaykh : Yes. We have guidance for these people and others who worship Allah the Exalted without knowledge. Many people pray but they neglect the prayer without knowing it, although this is rare, because the prayer, praise be to Allah, is repeated five times a day, and its general, overarching rulings are not hidden from anyone. But it is in Hajj that errors occur frequently, not only among the general public but also among some students of knowledge who issue fatwas without knowledge. Therefore, I advise my Muslim brothers and say: if you intend to perform Hajj, read the rulings of Hajj from scholars who are trusted in their knowledge and their trustworthiness, or study from the writings of these scholars what will guide you to how to perform Hajj.
As for going to Hajj with the people and doing what the people do, you may perhaps neglect many of the obligatory things, and this is an error. I give an example for these people who worship Allah the Exalted without knowledge: a man who wants to travel to Madinah, for example, and he does not know the way. Does he travel without knowing the way? No, it is not possible for him to travel unless he knows the way, either by having a man who is a guide accompany him, or by a precise description of the route given to him, or by lines drawn on the ground that people follow. As for going like that, swimming in the desert, it is not possible for him to go. If this is the case with the physical path, why do we not use it for the spiritual path, the path that leads to Allah? We should not follow anything that brings us closer to Allah unless we know that Allah the Exalted has prescribed it for His servants. This is the obligation of every Muslim: to learn before he acts. For this reason, al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned it in his Sahih book, saying: "Chapter on knowledge before speech and action," and he cited as evidence for this the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Muhammad 47:19]. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes. We have guidance for these people and others who worship Allah the Exalted without knowledge. Many people pray but they neglect the prayer without knowing it, although this is rare, because the prayer, praise be to Allah, is repeated five times a day, and its general, overarching rulings are not hidden from anyone. But it is in Hajj that errors occur frequently, not only among the general public but also among some students of knowledge who issue fatwas without knowledge. Therefore, I advise my Muslim brothers and say: if you intend to perform Hajj, read the rulings of Hajj from scholars who are trusted in their knowledge and their trustworthiness, or study from the writings of these scholars what will guide you to how to perform Hajj.
As for going to Hajj with the people and doing what the people do, you may perhaps neglect many of the obligatory things, and this is an error. I give an example for these people who worship Allah the Exalted without knowledge: a man who wants to travel to Madinah, for example, and he does not know the way. Does he travel without knowing the way? No, it is not possible for him to travel unless he knows the way, either by having a man who is a guide accompany him, or by a precise description of the route given to him, or by lines drawn on the ground that people follow. As for going like that, swimming in the desert, it is not possible for him to go. If this is the case with the physical path, why do we not use it for the spiritual path, the path that leads to Allah? We should not follow anything that brings us closer to Allah unless we know that Allah the Exalted has prescribed it for His servants. This is the obligation of every Muslim: to learn before he acts. For this reason, al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned it in his Sahih book, saying: "Chapter on knowledge before speech and action," and he cited as evidence for this the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women
فَاعلَم أَنَّهُ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاستَغفِر لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلمُؤمِنينَ وَالمُؤمِناتِThe questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh.