A questioner seeks a discussion on the necessity of sincerity in the worship of Hajj and that this is a fundamental aspect of belief?
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The questioner : It is a great matter built upon sincerity, so it must be made sincere for Allah the Exalted. We seek a discussion on the necessity of making this sacred rite sincere for Allah Mighty and Majestic, and that this is a fundamental aspect of belief?
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the Pious, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Sincerity is a condition in all acts of worship, so no act of worship is valid with the association of partners with Allah Blessed and Exalted is He. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Kahf 18:110] And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Bayyinah 98:5] And Allah the Exalted said: [Az-Zumar 39:2-3] And in the authentic Qudsi hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Riyad as-Salihin 1616 Sincerity to Allah in worship means that nothing drives the servant to worship except the love of Allah the Exalted, the magnification of Him, the hope for His reward, and His pleasure. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said regarding Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): [Al-Fath 48:29] So no act of worship, whether it be Hajj or otherwise, is accepted if a person shows off with it to the servants of Allah, meaning he performs it so that people see him and say, "How pious so-and-so is," or "How much so-and-so worships Allah," or the like of this.
And no act of worship is accepted if the motivation for it is seeing the places, or seeing the people, or the like of that which contradicts sincerity. For this reason, it is obligatory for the pilgrims who intend the Sacred House to make their intention sincere for Allah Mighty and Majestic, and that their purpose not be to see the Islamic world, or to trade, or that it be said, "So-and-so performs Hajj every year," or the like of that.
And there is no blame on a person to seek a favor from Allah through trade while he is at the Sacred House, by the saying of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-Baqarah 2:198] And what undermines sincerity is that a person has no intention except trade and earning. This is from those who sought the worldly life with the deeds of the Hereafter. And this necessitates the invalidation of the deed or its severe diminishment. Allah the Exalted said: [Ash-Shuraa 42:20]
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the Pious, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Sincerity is a condition in all acts of worship, so no act of worship is valid with the association of partners with Allah Blessed and Exalted is He. Allah the Exalted said:
So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."
فَمَن كانَ يَرجو لِقاءَ رَبِّهِ فَليَعمَل عَمَلًا صالِحًا وَلا يُشرِك بِعِبادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًاAnd 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.
وَما أُمِروا إِلّا لِيَعبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخلِصينَ لَهُ الدّينَ حُنَفاءَ وَيُقيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤتُوا الزَّكاةَ وَذلِكَ دينُ القَيِّمَةِSo worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion. (3) Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion.
فَاعبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخلِصًا لَهُ الدّينَ * أَلا لِلَّهِ الدّينُ الخالِصُAlmighty Allah says, 'I am the One Who is most free from want of partners. He who does a thing for the sake of someone else beside Me, I discard him and his polytheism..
قال الله تعالى أنا أغنى الشركاء عن الشرك من عمل عملا أشرك فيه معي غيري تركته وشركهMuhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure
مُحَمَّدٌ رَسولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدّاءُ عَلَى الكُفّارِ رُحَماءُ بَينَهُم تَراهُم رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبتَغونَ فَضلًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضوانًاAnd no act of worship is accepted if the motivation for it is seeing the places, or seeing the people, or the like of that which contradicts sincerity. For this reason, it is obligatory for the pilgrims who intend the Sacred House to make their intention sincere for Allah Mighty and Majestic, and that their purpose not be to see the Islamic world, or to trade, or that it be said, "So-and-so performs Hajj every year," or the like of that.
And there is no blame on a person to seek a favor from Allah through trade while he is at the Sacred House, by the saying of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He: