Khutba on Obligations and Benefits of Hajj

الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي فرض الحج على من استطاع إليه الطريق، وأمرهم بالسعي والقيام في عرفات والطواف حول البيت العتيق، نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير،  ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع
الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر. قال الله سبحانه وتعالى في كتابه الكريم: وَأَذِّنْ فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَى كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ

    Allah says in His Noble Book, the translation of which is, “Announce the Hajj to mankind. They will come to you on foot and on every sort of lean animal, coming by every distant road so that they can be present at what will profit them and invoke Allah’s name on particular days over livestock He has provided for them.”
     Muslims, we are well into the months of Hajj and the moussem of the Hajj is well and truly underway. Muslims from every part of the globe are making their way, as we speak, to Makka, and many more will be joining them in the coming weeks, to fulfil the most important pilgrimage known to man, a pilgrimage attended by millions of Muslims each year, the one and only truly global pattern of human activity. In honour of this great pilgrimage and as a service to all of those amongst us who will be going this year, we will mention some of the rulings relating to the Hajj as well as the considerable benefits and rewards it brings.
    The first thing that must be stated is that hajj is not some optional extra, something that you can take or leave. It is just as essential a part of the deen as the prayer. It is a pillar, one of the foundations of the house of Islam. The Prophet said,

بني الإسلام على خمس: شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمداً رسول الله، وإقام الصلاة، وإيتاء الزكاة، وصوم رمضان، وحج بيت الله الحرام

    “Islam is built upon five things: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, paying the zakat, fasting Ramadan, and making the Hajj pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah.”
    This obligation relates to every Muslim man and woman, but only, of course, if they have the ability to do so. Allah says,
‎وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حَجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا

    the translation of which is, “Hajj to the House is a duty owed to Allah by all mankind – those who can find a way to do it.” What does this mean, “Those who can find a way to do it”? What constitutes ability to go? The necessary physical health and strength to make the journey as well as the financial means to afford it without getting yourself into debt or leaving those who financially depend  upon you, such as your wife, parents or children, with insufficient funds to live. If you do find yourself with sufficient means, then seize the moment and do not delay your hajj to another year, for you never know if such an opportunity will be presented to you again.  This is the position of Imam Malik and the fuqaha of his madhhab who declared hajj to be wajib ‘ala l-fawr. And that was the advice of the Messenger of Allah to his Companions, for he said,

تَعَجَّلُوا إِلَى الْحَجِّ يَعْنِي الْفَرِيضَةَ فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَا يَدْرِي مَا يَعْرِضُ لَهُ

    “Hurry to do your Hajj (when you have the means), for you never know what will happen to you (i.e. to prevent you going in the future).” That was an opportunity granted to you by Allah to fulfil one of the pillars of his deen. And by spurning such opportunities, you are opening yourself up to kufr and the wrath of Allah. For Abu Umamah narrated the Prophet said,

من لم يمنعه عن الحج حاجة ظاهرة او سلطان جائر أو مرض حابس فمات ولم يحج فليمت إن شاء يهودياً شاء نصرانياً

    “If anyone not prevented by illness, or obvious need, or a tyrannical ruler, fails to perform hajj, he might as well die a Jew or a Christian.” This is quite a warning, so do not let the petty concerns of this world stand in your way when the time comes. And that applies to women just as much to men. There is no obligation according to Imam Malik that she be accompanied on the Hajj by a mahram or by her husband – it is enough that she travel in a group large enough to provide safety, even if that group is comprised solely of women. Thus the Saudi ruling banning single women of a certain age from going without husbands or mahrams contravenes the Sharia and prevents people fulfilling their obligations in the deen.
    As for children, they have no obligation to go until they reach puberty, no matter how healthy or wealthy they are. And if they do go, they have no met the obligation of Hajj since Hajj is not obligatory on them. And they must go again as an adult.
    The hajj itself has four pillars, the absence of any one of which makes it invalid. The first of those is ihram, namely making your intention to go into a state of ihram and putting on its clothing. This should be done as soon as you reach the edge of the wider haram, which varies depending upon the direction from which you are coming. Most of us will be approaching from the direction of Yemen, so we should put on our ihram when we are level with Yalamlam, even if we are on the plane.
    Being in a state of ihram prevents men from wearing any clothing that is stitched or goes right around the body apart from sandals and a money belt, provided that the belt is next to the skin and not over the ihram clothing. And it is also forbidden for him to cover his head, As for women, they are forbidden from covering their hands and faces. And the other essential part of ihram is to do talbiyya, i.e saying Allahumma labayk, when going into it and throughout the time you are in it.
    The best intention you can make when going into ihram is to intend to make hajj ifrad. In other words, to intend to only do a hajj with that ihram and remain in it until your hajj is complete. This does mean remaining in ihram for the duration of your stay in Makka, but it is the best form of hajj according to Imam Malik and Imam ash-Shafi’i for it is the only form of hajj that does not require you to make a sacrifice (and sacrifices are only made to make up for some deficiency in the hajj), and was the form of hajj practised by the Messenger of Allah, as is confirmed in a well-known hadith from Aisha, and the form of hajj practised by the first two rightly guided khalifas, Abu Bakr and Umar.
    The second pillar is the sa’y between safa and Marwa, going backwards and forwards between them seven times. This pillar recreates Hajar, the wife of Ibrahim, ‘s search for water for her and her son Ismail, and its obligatory nature is confirmed by both the Quran and the Sunna, for the Messenger of Allah said, “is’aw fa-inna-llaha kataba ‘alaykumu’s’sa’ya.”
    The third pillar is the standing on ‘Arafa. Every Hajji must be present on Arafa for at least a portion of the night preceding the day of Sacrifice, the 10th of Dhul-Hija, and must make the intention of standing there. Then and only then will he have a valid Hajj. In many ways, this pillar may be considered the most significant, for it is the only thing that distinguishes hajj from ’umra. And for that reason, the Messenger of Allah said, al-hajj arafaat.
    And the fourth and final pillar of hajj is the tawaf al-ifada. This is the tawaf that follows the standing on ‘Arafat and is one of three tawafs that a Hajji makes but is the only one that is absolutely essential and without which there can be no Hajj. It is to this that Allah refers when He says, wa-’yattawwafu bi-l-bayti-l-’atiq
 For, make no mistake, this hajj is a truly awesome, miraculous and unparalleled phenomenon, for nothing else like it exists on the earth or in human experience. There is nothing else that on a yearly basis brings the human race together in all its myriad shapes, colours and races, and gathers them together all in one spot with one single voice and one single purpose. Nothing, anywhere.
    And there never has been, for the hajj is unique in its universality. And it has been so since the very dawn of creation, for the House of Allah was one of the first things to be established on the earth. Allah says,

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِلْعَالَمِينَ

the translation of which is, “The first House established for mankind was that at Bakka, a place of blessing and a guidance for all beings.” Mujahid said,

خلق الله موضع هذا البيتِ قبل أن يخلق شيئاً من الأرض بألفي سنة

    “Allah created the place where this House is two thousand years before He created anything else on this earth.” And from that moment, it has been a place of pilgrimage. In the tafsir of Imam al-Qurtubi, Ali ibn abi Talib is narrated as having said,

أمر الله تعالى الملائكة ببناء بيت في الأرض وأن يطوفوا به؛ وكان هذا قبل خلق آدم، ثم إن آدم بنى منه ما بنى وطاف به، ثم الأنبياء بعده، ثم ٱستتم بناءه إبراهيم عليه السلام

    “Allah commanded the angels to build a house upon the earth and to walk around it. That happened before Adam was even created. Then Adam built what he built there and made circuits around it, as did the Prophets who came after him. Then Ibrahim completed its building.” Thus, everyone who participates in the Hajj is carrying on an unbroken tradition that stretches back to the very first footsteps our forefather Adam took upon the earth and beyond. And even the form in which we do it is truly ancient, for we carry out the very rites instituted by Ibrahim more than six thousand years ago. Such pilgrimages have been made at various times to other spots upon the earth, but none in such a constant, universal and uninterrupted manner.   
   
If you have the capacity but neglect to go and continually put it off, then beware for Allah may not always grant you that capacity and if you fail to go having had the opportunity, then you are opening yourself up to kufr and the wrath of Allah. Abu Umamah narrated that the Prophet said,

من لم يمنعه عن الحج حاجة ظاهرة او سلطان جائر أو مرض حابس فمات ولم يحج فليمت إن شاء يهودياً شاء نصرانياً

    “If anyone not prevented by illness or obvious need or a tyrannical ruler fails to perform hajj, he might as well die a Jew or a Christian.” This is quite a warning, so do not let the petty concerns of this world stand in your way when the time comes.
    But, at the same time you must not think of the Hajj as being an imposition for it is one of the most marvellous and fulfilling things that you will do in the course of your life. There is nothing but good in it, no matter how physically or financially demanding it may appear. In one sense, it is the culmination of your life and its pinnacle, when you arrive as a Muslim and become complete and when those missing pieces click into place. It is no accident that it was on the farewell hajj of the Messenger of Allah that Allah revealed the aya,

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى

    the translation of which is, “Today I have perfected your deen for you and completed My blessing upon you.” But, in another sense, it is the beginning of your life, for through it you are born anew and return to your former life transformed with a fresh slate. For no one can do hajj sincerely except that he be altered and reinvigorated by it. No one can do hajj sincerely except that they return from it with their senses heightened and their life imbued with a new strength and sense of purpose. The Prophet said,

"من حج البيت فلم يرفث ولم يفسق خرج من ذنوبه كيوم ولدته أمه"

    “If anyone performs Hajj and keeps away from sexual intercourse and wrong action during it, then all his wrong actions will be washed away so he will be like the day his mother gave birth to him.” Hajj is the very best thing that any Muslim can do while on this world. The Prophet said,

حجةٌ مبرورة خيرٌ من الدنيا وما فيها وحجةٌ مبرورة ليس لها جزاءٌ إلا الجنة

    “An accepted hajj is better than the entire world and everything in it. An accepted hajj brings no less a reward than the Garden.”
    Now, it is true that for the current Hajj, the planes may have flown and the ships may have sailed, but Allah has blessed us by making this an annual event. So make a firm intention now to visit the House of Allah and the Mosque of His Prophet in the coming year. And by intention, we mean just that. Not, “It would nice to go on hajj next year”, but rather, “I will go on Hajj next year, in sha Allah” For actions are by intentions, and if your resolve and intention are sincere and true, then Allah will grant you the means from where you know not and even if you do  not make it will reward you as if you did. The Prophet said,

من خرج من بيته حاجاً أو معتمراً فمات أجري له أجر الحاج المعتمر إلى يوم القيامة

    “Whoever leaves his home with the intention of making hajj or umra but dies on the way will receive the reward of the one who does hajj or umra until the Day of Rising.” So, to that end, we intend to send a large group to go on hajj next year from this mosque. Anyone interested in going should let us know.
    We ask Allah to reward all of those who are making the hajj this year and accept their pilgrimages from them, as well as those who intended to go but were not able to make it. And we ask Him to make it the means of reuniting the hearts of the Muslims and making whole what has been broken.

أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم.
الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته.

    While this time of the year is primarily about the hajj and about those who have made their way to the House of Allah, these days are not without meaning for those who stayed behind. On the contrary, they are some of the most significant in the entire year. They are the ten days referred to in the beginning of surat al-Fajr when Allah says,

وَالْفَجْرِ وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ وَالشَّفْعِ وَالْوَتْرِ

    the translation of which is, “By the dawn and ten nights, and the even and the odd,”  beginning with the first of Dhul Hijja and culminating in the odd, the day of Arafat, and the even, the day of sacrifice. And they are the part of the year that is most beloved to Allah. The Prophet said,

إن أحبَّ الزمان اإلى الله الأشهرُ الحرمُ وأحبَّ الأشهر اإلى الله ذى الحجة وفضل الله فى ذى الحجة العَشَرَ الأوائل

    “The most beloved times to Allah are the sacred months, the most beloved of the sacred months to Allah is Dhul Hijjah, and the part of Dhul Hijjah that he most prefers are the first ten days.” So we must fill these days, and in particular the ninth day, the day of Arafat, with those actions that are most beloved to Allah, namely fasting, dhikr and sadaqa. For the ones who do that, there is an immense and everlasting reward. As Abu ad-Darda said, there are more good things in that one day than anybody could possibly count. And as the Prophet said,

مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَنْ يُعْتِقَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ عَبْدًا مِنْ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَدْنُو ثُمَّ يُبَاهِي بِهِم الْمَلَائِكَةَ

    “There is no day in which Allah sets free more slaves from the Fire than the Day of Arafat. He draws near and then praises them to the angels.” So take full advantage of these days that are so beloved to Allah, fill them with fasting, dhikr and other right action and do not miss out on all they have to offer.
    Muslims, next Wednesday will be the tenth of Dhul Hijja, the day of the Eid al-Adha. And as this is the last jumuah before the Eid, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the two actions that are strongly emphasised in the sunna of the Prophet on that day. These two sunnas are indicated in Allah’s words in surat al-Kawthar,
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ

    the translation of which is, “So pray to your Lord and sacrifice,” and are, of course, the Eid prayer and the sacrifice.
    The Eid prayer will be held here in the mosque at the usual time of 8:30, but for this Eid it is recommended that people refrain from eating beforehand and come to it fasting.
    As for the sacrifice, it is a strongly-emphasised sunna for everyone who is able to afford it – and by able to afford it, we mean that the money they would use to buy it will not be needed by them or their families during the course of the following year. You must not financially ruin yourself or put yourself and your family in great difficulty in order to meet the sunna. If that is not an issue, then you should buy a healthy, unimpaired animal to sacrifice, the best being a ram according to the Maliki madhhab and a camel according to the Shafi’i. This sacrifice must be performed after the prayer after the Imam has performed his sacrifice and before Dhuhr, and the reward for it is immense. Aisha narrated that the Prophet said,

مَا عَمِلَ ابْنُ آدَمَ يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ عَمَلًا أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ هِرَاقَةِ دَمٍ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِقُرُونِهَا وَأَظْلَافِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَا وَإِنَّ الدَّمَ لَيَقَعُ مِن اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِمَكَانٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقَعَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ فَطِيبُوا بِهَا نَفْسًا

    “The son of Adam does no better deed on the Day of Sacrifice than spilling blood (i.e. sacrifice). The sacrificed animal will come forth on the Day of Rising with its horns, hooves and skin (all bearing witness on his behalf). And the blood that is spilt will find acceptance with Allah before it even touches the ground. So, slaughter readily with good grace.”
    A practice that has become common with many is to get someone to do the sacrifice  on one’s behalf, with some even having it done abroad, and to give the entire sacrifice away. Indeed, we see posters encouraging us to pay for our qurbani to be done in Palestine, Pakistan, Kashmir and other places. But that is not the sunna, rather it is recommended for you to do the sacrifice with your own hands, or at the very least be present where it is done. The deen is not done by proxy – we must not come to such a pass that the sunnas of the deen are kept alive only by a select few who are payed to do so by others. Each and every one of us must strive to keep the sunna alive in our own lives, and not give the entire sacrifice away for that contradicts the sunna. Allah says in surat al-Hajj about the sacrifice,

‎فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ

    the translation of which is, “Eat of them and feed those who are poor and in need.” i.e it is recommended to eat some of it and give some of it away to those who are poor. This is further confirmed by the hadith of the Messenger of Allah,
فكلوا وادّخروا وتصدّقوا

    “Eat of it, store it and give it away as sadaqa.” Indeed, al-Qurtubi narrates in his tafsir that al-Kiya considered this to be proof that giving it all away was forbidden. So, fulfil the sunna of the Messenger of Allah in the way that is meant to be fulfilled and do not pervert it and change it into something that it is not.
    If you want to give meat to the poor abroad then give sadaqa and do not use your sacrifice to that end. For the sacrifice is about much more than about sadaqa. It is about submission to Allah, it is about celebrating the tawakkul of Ibrahim and thanking Allah for substituting a ram in the place of his son, it is about seeing at first hand the fragility and transience of life in this world, it is about eating and partaking from the bountiful rizq that Allah has given you, it is about finding acceptance with Allah. All that and so much more. That is the sacrifice.
    We ask Allah to make this up-coming Eid a time of great rejoicing and togetherness. And we ask Him to accept our prayer and our sacrifice, and accept the hajj of all of those who have made the journey to His House this year.

إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ  أَجْمَعِينَ.
وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ. 
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ (3) وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.
رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.
اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَدَعْ فِي مَقَامِنَا هَذَا ذَنْباً إِلاَّ غَفَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ عَيْباً إِلاَّ سَتَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ مَرِيضاً إِلاَّ شَفَيْتَهُ وَعَافَيْتَهُ، وَلاَ مَسْجُوناً إِلاَّ طَلَقْتَ سَرَاحَهُ، وَلاَ مُسَافِراً فِي بَرِّكَ وَبَحْرِكَ إِلاَّ سَلِِمْتَهُ وَغَنِمْتَهُ.
إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.