You Have One Journey. Have You Made It?

The Fifth Pillar: Hajj All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Final success belongs to the righteous, and there is no transgression except against the wrongdoers. As-Salaam Alaikum Wa Rah'matullahi Wa Barakaatuh! Note Before You Read: In this series, we covered the five pillars of Islam in order: the Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, and Zakah. This article addresses the fifth and final pillar: Hajj. The Journey That Completes the Structure You have now walked through four pillars. The Shahadah anchors your identity as a Muslim. Salah connects you to Allah every day. Sawm disciplines the body and purifies the soul. Zakah purifies wealth and fulfills the rights of the poor. Then there is Hajj. The pilgrimage to the House of Allah in Makkah. The act that gathers declaration, prayer, restraint, and sacrifice in the most sacred place, performed exactly as the Prophet ﷺ demonstrated. It is the only pillar completed in one specific place. It is the only pillar with a fixed window in the calendar. This article covers the meaning of Hajj, its position in Islam, its ruling, and the evidence for its obligation. Part One: The Meaning of Hajj The Linguistic Meaning The word Hajj comes from the root meaning to intend or set out toward a specific destination with purpose. It implies a deliberate journey. The Shar‘i Meaning In Islamic law, Hajj is: The intentional journey to the Sacred House in Makkah to perform specific acts of worship at specific times and places, in the manner prescribed by the Prophet ﷺ. These acts include: Tawaf around the Ka‘bah Sa‘y between Safa and Marwah Standing at ‘Arafah on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah Staying at Muzdalifah Throwing pebbles at the Jamarat Sacrifice Shaving or cutting the hair Each act has a defined time and method. “Take from me your rites of Hajj.” (Sahih Muslim 1297) Hajj is performed as he ﷺ performed it. Part Two: The Position of Hajj in Islam The Prophet ﷺ said: “Islam is based on the following five principles:  The testimony that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.  Establishing the prayer.  Giving Zakah.  Fasting Ramadan, and   Performing Hajj to the House of Allah for whoever is able to do so.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 8, Sahih Muslim 16) Hajj is named alongside the other pillars. It is placed last because it requires wealth, health, time, and travel. The phrase “for whoever is able” ties the obligation to capacity. When ability exists, the obligation becomes binding. Part Three: The Ruling on Hajj Hajj is fard, obligatory once in a lifetime, upon every Muslim who meets the conditions of ability. Al-Aqra' ibn Habis رضي الله عنه asked: “O Messenger of Allah, is Hajj every year or just once?” He said, “Once. Whoever does more than once, that is voluntary.” (Sunan Abu Dawud 1721, Sahih Ibn Majah 2886) The obligation is fulfilled once. Anything beyond is voluntary. Delaying Hajj The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever intends to perform Hajj, let him hasten to do so, for he may fall sick.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 2883) “Hasten to perform Hajj.” (Musnad Ahmad 2867) The majority of scholars held that once the conditions are met, delaying without a valid reason is sinful. Denying Its Obligation Whoever denies that Hajj is obligatory, while knowing it is established by Qur’an, Sunnah, and consensus, has rejected a matter necessarily known in Islam. This constitutes disbelief. Whoever neglects it out of laziness commits a major sin, but does not leave Islam by neglect alone. Part Four: The Evidence for Hajj From the Qur’an “And Hajj to the House is a duty owed to Allah by the people, for whoever is able to find a way to it. And whoever disbelieves, then indeed Allah is free from the need of the worlds.” (Qur’an 3:97) The verse establishes obligation and links denial to disbelief. “And proclaim among men the pilgrimage; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel.” (Qur’an 22:27) Hajj was established through Ibrahim عليه السلام and restored by the Prophet ﷺ.     2. From the Sunnah “O people, Allah has made Hajj obligatory upon you, so perform Hajj.” (Sahih Muslim 1337) When asked if it was every year, the Prophet ﷺ said: “If I were to say yes, it would become obligatory (for you to perform every year), and you would not be able to do it.” (Sahih Muslim 1337) He performed Hajj once in the tenth year of Hijrah and said: “Take from me your rites.” (Sahih Muslim 1297)     3. Scholarly Consensus The obligation of Hajj once in a lifetime upon every able Muslim is agreed upon by consensus across the four schools of jurisprudence. There is no valid disagreement within orthodox Islam on its obligation. Why Hajj Is Unique Salah is daily. Sawm is annual. Zakah is financial. Hajj requires the believer to leave home and travel to the House of Allah. “There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of ‘Arafah.” (Sahih Muslim 1348) “Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of Allah and does not commit obscenity or sin, he returns like the day his mother gave birth to him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1521, Sahih Muslim 1350) A complete erasure of sins. Pause and Reflect: We have now introduced all five pillars of Islam. Each pillar is distinct and irreplaceable. “Islam is built upon five.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 8, Sahih Muslim 16) Hajj is obligatory, but not for everyone equally. The phrase “for whoever is able” contains defined conditions. In the next article, we will examine the conditions that make Hajj binding, who it is obligatory upon, who is exempt, and what applies to those who are able but have not yet gone. If you have any feedback, send us an email (T&Cs apply):  support@nurquest.com May Allah grant us the ability to perform Hajj, accept it from us, and make us among those whose sins are erased.