His Eminence Sheikh Abdul-Muhsin ibn Muhammad Al-Qassim, may Allah preserve him, delivered the Friday sermon entitled, “The Lessons and Morals to Be Drawn from Hajj”, in which he talked about hajj (pilgrimage) as a religious duty and the lessons and morals it offers in the various sites that pilgrims visit. He also pointed to the importance of increasing supplications and remembrance of Allah in the respective pilgrimage sites.

Praise be to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from our wrong deeds. He whom Allah guides, none can misguide, and he whom Allah sends astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah's servant and messenger. May Allah bestow his bountiful peace and blessings upon him and upon his Household and Companions.

O Muslims!
Fear Allah as He should be feared, and grasp the trustworthy handhold of Islam.

O Muslims!
Allah constantly favours His slaves with seasons which afford them the opportunity to show obedience to Him so that He may wash away their sins and grant them the highest of ranks. The current season is that in which one of the pillars of Islam is performed. Allah swears by the place where it is performed by saying:

"I swear by this city (Makkah)." (Al-Balad: 1)

Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “Here Allah swears by Makkah, the Mother of Cities, addressing its residents (during the non-sacred months,) free in this city in order to draw their attention to its great status when its people are in the state of sanctity.”  

Hajj is one of the best deeds in the sight of Allah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked, “What is the best deed?” He said, “To believe in Allah and His Messenger.” He was then asked, “What is the next [in goodness]?” He said, “To participate in Jihad in Allah’s Cause.” He was further asked, “What is the next?” He said, “To perform pilgrimage that is accepted by Allah (hajj mabrur)” (Agreed upon).

Ibn Battal, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “When Islam becomes predominant and spreads everywhere and Jihad becomes a collective duty (that is, a religious obligation that must be discharged by the Muslim community as a whole; if enough members in the Muslim community discharge the obligation, the remaining Muslims are freed from the responsibility before Allah), then hajj is better [than jihad].”

On one of the hajj days, Allah boasts to the dwellers of His heavens about the pilgrims visiting His House. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There is no day on which Allah frees more of His slaves from Hellfire as He does on the day of ?Arafah. He draws near then boasts about them to the angels, saying, ‘What do these want?’” (Reported by Muslim).

Performing hajj washes away sins and misdeeds. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever performs pilgrimage to this House, avoids intimate relations [with his wife] and does not commit sins will return home free from sins like the day his mother gave birth to him” (Agreed upon). Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “The apparent meaning [of this hadith] is that the sins that Allah forgives include the major sins, the minor sins, and iniquities [among people].” Performing it also wipes out evil deeds and wrongdoings. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do you not know that [embracing] Islam wipes out all previous sins, hijrah [the migration from Makkah to Al-Madinah at the beginning of call to Islam] wipes out all the previous sins, and hajj (pilgrimage) wipes out all previous sins?” (Reported by Muslim). An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “This means that it removes sins and wipes out all their traces.”

This pillar of Islam is replete with morals and lessons. Its greatest objective is to declare Allah’s Oneness and worship none but Him. As a pilgrim undertakes it, he proclaims true monotheism and rejects polytheism by repeating the words, ‘Labbaik-Allahumma Labbaik, labbaika la sharika laka labbaik (Here I am at Your service, O Allah! Here I am at Your service. There is no partner with You. Here I am at your service).’ The Ka’bah itself was only built to declare pure monotheism and declare Allah free from having partners with Him:

"And (remember) when We showed Ibrahim (Abraham) the site of the (Sacred) House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) (saying): “Associate not anything (in worship) with Me, [La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah [Islamic Monotheism]), and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand up for prayer, and those who bow (submit themselves with humility and obedience to Allah), and make prostration (in prayer, etc.);”" (Al-Hajj: 26)

When true monotheism (tawhid) is established in a country, peace and security will certainly prevail in it. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
"And (remember) when We made the House (the Ka’bah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety." (Al-Baqarah: 125)

During pilgrimage, belief in the messengers of Allah is evidently manifested and love for them is rejuvenated. Slaughtering sacrificial animals, stoning the three pillars at Mina, and circumambulating the Ka’bah are all practices of our forefather Ibrahim (Abraham), peace be upon him.

Supplication is worship itself, and the pilgrim’s supplications are hopefully answered by Allah. The supplications of Prophet Ibrahim were made by Allah’s Sacred Mosque. It was there that he prayed to Allah to accept his deeds, to help him adhere firmly to Islam, and to show him the rites of pilgrimage. It was also there that he prayed to Allah to raise among his progeny our prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, as a messenger, to make Makkah a secure city, to provide its inhabitants with abundant sustenance, to make people’s hearts yearn for it, to save him and his offspring from ever worshipping idols, and to make him and them among those who establish regular prayer. It was also the very place where he asked Allah to forgive him and the believers.

The supplications of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, during hajj varied from one site to another; these include the supplications he made on the day of ‘Arafah and the ones he made on the hills of As-Safa and Al-Marwah. While performing hajj, the pilgrim seizes this opportunity to supplicate Allah as much as possible, following in the footsteps of the prophets.

Putting one’s trust in Allah is one of the two pillars of worship. Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, put his trust in Allah when he built the Ka’bah:
"O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka'bah at Makkah)…" (Ibrahim: 37)
And people perceived the outcome of his trust in Allah:

". . . so fill some hearts among men with love towards them. . ." (Ibrahim: 37)

The gathering of people from the four corners of the world in one single place testifies to the distinguished status of this Muslim nation and the greatness of its religion. Hajj offers an opportunity to consolidate the doctrine of loyalty to the believers and disavowal of polytheists. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered Ali ibn Abi Talib to make the following announcement during the hajj season: “No polytheist is allowed to perform hajj after this year (i.e. the year he victoriously returned to Makkah)” (Reported by Al-Bukhari).

Hajj serves to differentiate Muslims from the disbelievers as to their way of worship during the pre-Islamic period of ignorance (Jahiliyah) as reflected in talbiyah (saying 'Labbaik-Allahumma Labbaik' (here I am at Your service, O Allah!)), streaming forth from Muzdalifah, and frequently remembering Allah alone after the conclusion of all hajj rites. Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “The Islamic law (shari’ah) is firmly established on the principle of opposing the practices of polytheists, especially in matters related to rituals.”

Hajj is the longest and most exacting physical act of worship in Islam. Its acts of worship take various forms and include talbiyah, circumambulating the Ka’bah, going back and forth seven times between As-Safa and Al-Marwah (sa’y), spending the night in Mina, stoning the three pillars in Mina, having one’s head shaved, and slaughtering sacrifices. Honouring the symbols of hajj and demonstrating full servitude to Allah testify to the piety of the hearts. Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “The essence of worship lies in both glorification and love; if one of them is missing, worship will be null and void.”

Performing the hajj rites helps one develop patience to carry out acts of obedience. Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “We consider jihad the best of deeds. Shall we [women] not participate in it?” He said, “No. But the best kind of jihad [for women] is hajj mabrur (i.e. hajj that is accepted by Allah)” (Reported by Al-Bukhari).

Answering the call of Allah, though we may not perceive the wisdom behind this, is one of the prerequisites of demonstrating total submission to Allah. Allah said to Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, while he was in an uncultivable valley:

"And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot. . ." (Al-Hajj: 27)

Ibrahim answered the call of Allah and proclaimed hajj to mankind. People travelled to the Sacred House of Allah with yearning souls, happily spending large sums of money for that purpose. Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “There is no Muslim who does not yearn to see the Holy Ka'bah and circumambulate it. People travel to it from all directions and all countries.”

The hajj pillar testifies to full compliance with the orders of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, once said as he kissed the Black Stone, “I know that you are only a stone that does neither harm nor good. Had I not seen the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, kissing you, I would not kiss you” (Agreed upon).

Acts of worship are based on following the practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, without introducing any innovations in them. Circumambulating the Ka’bah and walking between As-Safa and Al-Marwah are done seven times, and the reason behind this number remains unknown to us. It is for this reason that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to the pilgrims, “Take your rites from me” (Reported by Muslim). Allah does not permit us to circumambulate anything but the Ka’bah; circumambulating any other place will only lead to perdition.

Time is very precious to a Muslim; each day during hajj witnesses an act of worship that differs from that of the previous day and each act of worship has an appointed time after which it is not valid. Pilgrims can only leave ‘Arafah after sunset on 9th Dhul-Hijjah, while the overnight stay in Mina ends with sunrise.

Abstaining from wearing tailored clothes is a reminder that the day when we will be wrapped up in the shroud for burial is so close. Allah reminds us of this fact when He says at the end of the verses on hajj:

". . . and obey Allah (fear Him), and know that you will surely be gathered unto Him." (Al-Baqarah: 203)

People are only favoured over one another on the basis of piety, and acquiring piety on the occasion of hajj is the best thing to do. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

"And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness, etc.) . . ." (Al-Baqarah: 197)

Hearts can only survive with the remembrance of Allah, and Allah commands us to remember Him frequently on all the days of hajj. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

"And remember Allah during the appointed Days. . ." (Al-Baqarah: 203)

Allah, Exalted be He, has singled out certain places for remembering Him very frequently. He says:
". . . Then when you leave 'Arafat, remember Allah (by glorifying His Praises, i.e. prayers and invocations, etc.) at the Mash'ar-il-Haram. . ." (Al-Baqarah: 198)

He also says:
"Then depart from the place whence all the people depart and ask Allah for His Forgiveness. . ."  (Al-Baqarah: 199)

Allah commands the pilgrims to remember Him as much as they can once they have completed the pilgrimage rites. He says:
"So when you have accomplished your Manasik [(i.e. Ihram, Tawaf of the Ka'bah and As-Safâ and Al-Marwah), stay at 'Arafât, Muzdalifah and Mina, Ramy of Jamarat, (stoning of the specified pillars in Mina) slaughtering of Hady (animal, etc.)]. Remember Allah as you remember your forefathers or with a far more remembrance. . ." (Al-Baqarah: 200)

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Circumambulating the Ka’ba, walking between As-Safa and Al-Marwa, and stoning the specified pillars are all intended to establish the remembrance of Allah, Might and Majesty be to Him” (Reported by Ahmad).

Pilgrimage instils honourable qualities and morals in people and urges them do all good. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
"The Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well-known (lunar year) months (i.e. the 10th month, the 11th month and the first ten days of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, i.e. two months and ten days). So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein by assuming Ihram), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj. And whatever good you do, (be sure) Allah knows it. . ." (Al Baqarah: 197)

Hajj also establishes the principle of brotherhood and provides an opportunity for exchanging religious and worldly benefits. Allah, Glorified be He, says:

"That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.) . . ." (Al-Hajj: 28)

Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “The benefits involved here include the pilgrimage rites, trade, forgiveness from Allah, and other benefits for this life and the afterlife.”

Moreover, the symbols of pilgrimage represent harmony and solidarity among the members of society. Allah, Glorified be He, says:

". . . Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor who have a very hard time." (Al-Hajj: 28)

O Muslims!
The fruit of pilgrimage is admittance into the Gardens of Pleasure in Paradise. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There is no reward for a hajj that is accepted by Allah except Paradise” (Agreed upon).

Blessed are those who perform hajj to Allah’s House (the Ka’bah) for His sake alone, Exalted be He, following the example of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in carrying out the pilgrimage duty, seeking Allah’s reward and eternal bliss in the hereafter. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
"Verily! Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous deeds, shall have the Gardens of Al-Firdaus (the Paradise) for their entertainment." (Al- Kahf :107)

May Allah bless you and me with the Great Qur'an and make us benefit from its verses and wise words. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah for myself, for you, and for all Muslims, for any sin that we have committed. Ask Allah for forgiveness.