It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said: “The performance of two ‘Umrahs [lesser pilgrimage] expiates the sins that are committed in the interval between them, and the accepted Hajj commands no reward except Paradise.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
In another narration, it reads: “Two consecutive ‘Umrahs cause the sins which are committed therein between them to be forgiven, and the accepted Hajj commands no reward except Paradise.” [At-Tirmithi]
The Prophet said: “Perform Hajj and ‘Umrah repeatedly for they both rid one of poverty and just sins as the blacksmith's bellows removes all impurities from iron and gold.” [At-Tirmithi, Ibn Maajah and An-Nasaa’i] The bellow is a tool that the blacksmith uses to purify his metals, this may be made clearer through the following Hadeeth that refers to Madeenah: “Madeenah is like a pair of bellows; it expels its impurities and brightens and clears its good.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
An Explanation of the Ahadeeth
Scholars have said that the accepted Hajj is the one which is not mixed with any misdeed. Signs of the accepted Hajj include that the slave returns from Hajj as a better person than the one he was before he left and that he keeps away from sins. The accepted Hajj may also refer to the one performed truly and offered with full sincerity to Allah The Almighty. Al-Qurtubi said, “All interpretations expressed about the accepted Hajj are correlative, confirming that it is the Hajj which fulfills its rulings and is performed perfectly as required of the Muslim.”
It was narrated on the authority of Jaabir that the Prophet said: “‘The accepted Hajj commands no reward but Paradise.” A man asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how would Hajj be accepted?’ He replied: ‘Feeding people and greeting each other with peace profusely.’” [Ahmad and others] This shows what is meant by an accepted Hajj. The Prophet's saying: “The performance of two ‘Umrahs expiates the sins that are committed in the interval between them,” emphasizes the virtue of ‘Umrah and that it is recommended to perform it as much as one can afford to. Moreover, ‘Umrah causes the sins committed between two consecutive ‘Umrahs to be forgiven. The majority of scholars relied on this Hadeeth to affirm that it is recommended to perform ‘Umrah repeatedly. They stated that the whole year is a suitable time for ‘Umrah and that it becomes valid at any time except for the pilgrim who is performing the rituals of Hajj. Such a pilgrim cannot perform ‘Umrah until he has done his Hajj. A group of scholars held that ‘Umrah is obligatory for the Muslim only once throughout his lifetime, such as ‘Umar, Ibn ‘Umar, Ibn 'Abbaas, Taawoos, ‘Ataa’, Ibn Al-Musayyib, Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr, Ahmad, Daawood and others. Maalik and Abu Haneefah are of the opinion that ‘Umrah is a recommended act and not an obligatory one.
Sins in the Prophet's saying: “The performance of two ‘Umrahs expiates the sins that are committed in the interval between them,” refer to the minor sins, not the major ones, as he said elsewhere that: “Sins committed between two consecutive Fridays are forgiven as long as major sins are not approached.” [Ibn Maajah] In Fat’h Al-Baari, Ibn Hajar said, “Some people are unsure as to the fact that ‘Umrah remits sins although avoiding major sins helps in attaining the forgiveness of [other sins], asking, ‘Which sins does ‘Umrah expiate then?’ The answer is that the expiation caused by ‘Umrah is limited to its time, whereas the expiation caused by keeping away from major sins is general and encompasses the whole lifetime of the Muslim, and it is in this aspect that they vary.”
The Prophet's saying: “They both rid one of poverty and sins,” implies that performing Hajj and ‘Umrah repeatedly causes a Muslim's wealth to accumulate. Although the Muslim may spend much money on Hajj or ‘Umrah, Allah The Almighty compensates him with better than what he spent for the sake of obeying Him. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {…But whatever thing you spend [in His cause] - He will compensate it; and He is the Best of Providers.} [Quran 34:39]
We conclude this article with a tradition reported on the authority of ‘Umar who once saw a caravan coming back from Hajj and remarked, “Had the caravan known about the grace and forgiveness they have attained, they would have stopped working. But nay, let them continue working [doing good deeds].” This shows that the pilgrim should not rely on his work, good deeds and acts of worship that Allah favored him with during his Hajj. Rather, he should continue performing good deeds and acts of worship regularly till he meets Allah The Almighty, as Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty [death].} [Quran 15:99]