By
Major M. Y. Babangida
Our sermon today is about the conditions
of Hajj
Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds. We praise Him with the praise of the grateful, and we thank Him with the thanks of the grateful. May blessings and peace be upon the one sent as a mercy to the worlds. May God’s prayers and peace be upon him, his family, and all his companions.
Dear listeners, God Almighty said: “And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to God, for those who can afford the expenses (for one’s expenses).” That is, God has imposed a binding duty on His servants, which is Hajj to the House, provided one is able to do so, which is to have provisions and a mount, according to the hadiths of Ali and Ibn Umar that follow.
Regarding the hadith of Al-Hakim, it was said, “O Messenger of God, what is the way?” He said, “Provisions and a mount,” meaning what will take him and return him to his homeland, whatever it may be. This is what Al-Shafi’i and Ahmad agreed upon. So whoever is unable due to illness, old age, or fear, for example, and is able to delegate someone else to do so, he must do so, according to the following hadith of Al-Khathamiyyah. He said, “What do you have?”
Physical ability. Whoever is able to walk and earn a living must perform Hajj. Whoever disbelieves, then Allah is independent of the world. Hajj, O servants of Allah, is the intention to go to Mecca to worship Allah, the Most High, by performing the rituals. It is one of the pillars of Islam by consensus of the Muslims.
The evidence for its obligation is the statement of God Almighty: “And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to God - those who can afford the expenses (for one's residence). And whoever disbelieves - then indeed, God is free from the needs of the world.” This verse was revealed in the ninth year of the Hijra, which is the year known as the Year of Delegations, and with it Hajj was made obligatory.
As for the Almighty’s saying in Surat Al-Baqarah: “And complete the Hajj and Umrah for Allah,” it includes the obligation of completion, not the obligation of beginning. The obligation of the beginning was in the ninth year in the verse of Surat Al Imran. As for the obligation to continue and complete, it was in the verse of Al-Baqarah in the year six of the Hijra.
God Almighty said: “And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to God, for those who can afford the expenses (for one’s expenses).” It means: it is a duty on all of mankind, but we do not command the unbeliever to perform Hajj until he converts to Islam. As for the Muslim, we command him to perform Hajj with this condition that God Almighty has stipulated. Whoever is able to do so means whoever is able to reach Mecca. Whoever is unable to do so due to his poverty, then Hajj is not required of him. Whoever is unable to do so due to his inability, we will consider it. If his inability is not expected to go away, such as an emergency that befell him during the days of Hajj, then he should wait until God heals him.Then he performs Hajj himself.
On the authority of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Islam is built on five pillars,” and we have already discussed this, so there is no need to repeat it. The evidence for this is his statement, “and Hajj to the Sacred House,” and Hajj is only obligatory once.
Unless a person vows to perform Hajj, then he may perform it. However, without a vow, it is only obligatory once, because when the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was asked, “Is it every year?” he said, “If I said yes, it would be obligatory, and you would be able to do it.” Hajj is performed once, and anything more than that is voluntary, and this is from the blessings of God.
It was only imposed once in a lifetime, because most people find it difficult to reach Mecca, and this is part of the wisdom. You will find the five daily prayers imposed, and Friday prayer is imposed once a week, because Friday prayer must be performed in one mosque.
This might be difficult if we were to tell people to gather in one mosque every day, five times. This is why Friday prayer was only made obligatory once a week. Zakat was only made obligatory once a year, and fasting was only made obligatory once a year.
Hajj is only obligatory once in a lifetime. This is from the wisdom and mercy of Allah Almighty, as He made this surplus from us a reason for the conditions of His servants.
THE CONDITIONS OF HAJJ
Servants of God, Hajj and Umrah must be performed once in a lifetime, and the conditions and circumstances are…
Islam, sanity, maturity, freedom and ability, which is to find provisions and a mount. And whoever neglects until he dies, Hajj and Umrah are taken from his destiny. It is not valid for a disbeliever or an insane person. It is valid for a boy and a slave, but they do not suffice for the Hajj of Islam. And for the one who is not able Like a poor person who borrows and performs Hajj, his Hajj is valid. And whoever performs Hajj on behalf of someone else but has not performed the Hajj of Islam on his own behalf, his Hajj is valid on his own behalf.
IHRAM: It is recommended for those who want to enter Ihram to wash, clean themselves, and use perfume.
He removes his sewn clothing and wears two clean white cloths and a white cloak. Then he enters ihram by saying: “Here I am, O Allah, for Umrah or Hajj, or Hajj and Umrah.” If he fears, he may stipulate by saying: “If I am prevented, then my place is where I am prevented.” One has three choices for Hajj rituals. Enjoyment, individualization and pairing.
The best of them is Tamattu’: which is to enter into ihram for Umrah during the months of Hajj, and then exit from it.Then he enters into ihram for Hajj in his year.
IFRAD: means entering into ihram for Hajj alone, and Qiran: means entering into ihram for both of them, or entering into ihram for Umrah, then entering into Hajj before beginning its circumambulation.
When the pilgrim who wants to perform Hajj has mounted his mount, he recites the Talbiyah, saying: “Here I am, O God, here I am. Here I am, you have no partner, here I am. Indeed, all praise and blessings are yours, and sovereignty, you have no partner.” It is recommended to say this frequently and to raise one’s voice when doing so, except for women.
HAJJ HAS FOUR PILLARS:
Ihram: the intention to begin the rituals. The second: standing at Arafat. The third: Tawaf al-Ifadah, then Sa'i of Hajj.
Its duties are eight: entering ihram from the miqat, standing at Arafat until nightfall, spending the night in Muzdalifah until after midnight, spending the night in Mina during the days of Tashreeq, stoning the Jamarat, and shaving or shortening the hair.
O! our brothers in religion, when the pilgrim enters the Sacred Mosque, he should say the prescribed supplication upon entering mosques, then he should begin with the Tawaf of Umrah if he is performing Tamattu’, or with the Tawaf of Arrival if he is performing Ifraad or Qiran. He should wrap himself in his cloak, placing its middle under his right shoulder.
And his end is on his left shoulder, and he begins with the Black Stone, so he touches it and kisses it or points to it and says, “In the name of God and God is Greatest.” He does that in each circuit, then he puts the House on his left and circles it seven times, walking briskly with short steps.
In the first three rounds, according to his ability, and he walks in the remaining rounds, and whenever he comes across the Yemeni corner, he touches it if he is able, and he says between the two corners:
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. He should supplicate during the rest of the circuit with whatever supplication he likes, then he should pray two rak’ahs behind the Maqam if possible, in which he should recite Surat Al-Kafirun and Surat Al-Ikhlas. Then he should drink from Zamzam water and recite a lot.
He returns to the Black Stone and touches it if possible, then he supplicates at the Multazam between the Black Stone. Between the Black Stone and the door. Then he goes out to Al-Safa and ascends it and says: I begin with what Allah began with, and he recites the words of Allah the Most High: Indeed, Al-Safa and Al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs Umrah - there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers good - then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing.
He glorifies God and praises Him, faces the Kaaba, raises his hands and supplicates. Then he gets down and walks to the green flag, then hurries to the other flag, then walks until he reaches Al-Marwah, and does as he did. He does as he did on Safa, except for reciting the verse. Then he descends and does as he did in the first circuit until he completes seven circuits. One circuit from Safa to Marwa, one circuit from Marwa to Safa, and so on. Then he cuts his hair or joins it, and shaving is better.
Shaving is better except for the Umrah of the Mutamati’ because he performs Hajj after it. As for the Qarin and Ifrad, he does not become free after the Tawaf of Arrival until he throws the pebbles at Jamrat al-Aqabah on the day of Eid.
A woman is like a man, except that she does not walk briskly during Tawaf or Sa’i.
Major M. Y. Babangida writes from the office of the Chief Imam, 4-Brigade Central Mosque, Benin City, Edo State.
