2- Blessed be those who belong to this type! Why not, given that they descend as guests on (Allah) the Most Merciful?
a- It was narrated that the Prophet, , said: "The performers of Hajj and ‘Umrah are guests of Allah The Exalted. He gives them what they ask for, fulfills their supplication and rewards them for what they spend, at rate of a million dirhams for the one dirham (they spend)." [Al-Bayhaqi]
b- It was narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "The fighter in the cause of Allah, the performer of Hajj and ‘Umrah are guests of Allah whom He invites, and they answer His invitation, and they ask Him, and He gives them (what they ask for)." [Ibn Maajah and Ibn Hibbaan] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
c- It was further narrated on the authority of Buraydah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, , said: "Spending in Hajj is like spending in the cause of Allah, (it is multiplied as much as) seven hundred times." [Ahmad] [As-Suyooti: Saheeh]
d- It was narrated that the Prophet, , said: "The Prophet Daawood (David), may Allah exalt his mention, said, ‘O my Lord! What is due on You to Your slaves when they visit You in Your House?’ He said: ‘Every guest has a right due on the host. Indeed, O Daawood! Their due on Me is to endow them with wellbeing in this world and forgive them when I meet them (in the Hereafter).’" [At-Tabaraani]
So, blessed be the guests of (Allah) the Most Merciful. For this reason, it is favorable for those standing at ‘Arafah not to observe fast on that day for they are the guests of (Allah) the Most Merciful; and The Generous never causes his guests to go hungry; rather, he guards and protects them. Thus, the pilgrims are in the security of Allah The Almighty.
In confirmation of that, it was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, , said: "Three (types of people) are in the security of Allah: a man who goes out to one of the Masjids of Allah, a man who sets out as a fighter in the cause of Allah and a man who sets out as a pilgrim." [Abu Nu‘aym in Al-Hilyah] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
In his comment on that Hadeeth, Al-Munaawi said, "“In the security of Allah" means under His protection, guard and care.”
3- Blessed be they! Why not, given that it is they who raise their voices with Takbeer (saying Allaau Akbar ‘Allah is Greatest’) and Tahmeed (saying Alhamdulillaah ‘all perfect praise be to Allah’), for which (Allah) the Exalted in honor and might, the Wise, gave them the glad tidings of being admitted to Paradise and the abode of bliss and eternity?
In confirmation of that, it was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, , said: "No one ever raises his voice with Talbiyah, nor ever recites Takbeer but that he is given the glad tidings of being admitted to Paradise." [At-Tabaraani: Al-Awsat] [Al-Albaani: Hasan]
4- Blessed be they! Why not, given that they drink from the water of Zamzam?
a- It was narrated on the authority of Abu Tharr, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, , said: "Zamzam is blessed. It satisfies hunger and cures illness." [Ibn Abu Shaybah and Al-Bazzaar] [Al-Albaani:Saheeh]
b- It was narrated on the authority of Jaabir, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, , said: “The water of Zamzam serves the very purpose for which it is drunk.” [Ahmad and Ibn Maajah] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
c- It was narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him that he (the Prophet, ) said: “The water of Zamzam serves the very purpose for which it is drunk. If you drink it seeking cure thereby, Allah will cure you; and if you drink it with the intention to satisfy your hunger therewith, Allah will satisfy your hunger with it; and if you drink it with the intention to quench your thirst therewith, Allah will quench your thirst; and if you drink it with the intention to seek refuge (with Allah from evil), Allah will give you refuge (from evil). It (the spring of Zamzam) is the produce of Gabriel's striking (the ground with his foot), and the water-providing spring of Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael)." [Ad-Daaraqutni]
5- Blessed be those who belong to that type! Why not, given that gifts of mercy descend on them?
In confirmation of that, it was narrated that the Prophet, , said: "Allah The Exalted sends upon the people of the Masjid, i.e. the Masjid of Makkah, one hundred and twenty gifts of mercy every day and night: sixty for the performers of Tawaaf, forty for the performers of prayer and twenty for the beholders." [At-Tabaraani and Al-Bayhaqi]
6- Blessed be those who belong to that type! Why not, given that they are those who offer prayer in the Masjid of the beloved (Prophet), ?
a- The Prophet, , says: "A single prayer to be offered in this Masjid of mine (Al-Masjid An-Nabawi) is superior to one thousand prayers offered in any other Masjid, except for Al-Masjid Al-Haraam." [Saheeh Muslim]
b- It was narrated that the Prophet, , said: "Between my house and my pulpit, there is one of the gardens of Paradise." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
So, whoever offers prayer in that very place may hope to be one of the inhabitants of Paradise.
c- It was further narrated that the Prophet, , said: "Whoever offers in this Masjid of mine forty (obligatory) prayers (consecutively) during which no (obligatory) prayer escapes him, he would have a clearance from the fire (of Hell), a clearance from punishment and a clearance from hypocrisy." [Ahmad] Al-Munthiri said that the narrators of this Hadeeth were among the narrators accredited by Al-Bukhari and/or Muslim.
7- Blessed be those who belong to that type! Why not, given that they are those who offer prayer in Al-Bayt Al-Haraam?
In this respect, it was narrated on the authority of Jaabir, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, , says: "A single prayer to be offered in this Masjid of mine is superior to one thousand prayers offered in any Masjid else, except for Al-Masjid Al-Haraam; and a single prayer to be offered in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam is superior to one hundred thousand prayers to be offered in any other Masjid." [Ahmad][Saheeh chain of narrators]
8- Blessed be those who belong to that type! Why not, given that they are those who touch both corners, (the Corner of) the Black Stone and the Yamaani Corner?
a- It was narrated on the authority of ‘Ubayd bin ‘Umayr, that he said,
"Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, used to compete with others to touch both corners (i.e. the corner of the Black Stone and the Yemenite Corner) in a way the like of which I have never seen anyone of the Companions of the Prophet doing. I said to him, 'O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmaan! You compete with others to touch both corners (i.e. the corner of the Black Stone and the Yemenite Corner) in a way the like of which I have never seen anyone of the Companions of the Prophet doing.' He said, 'Yes, I do. I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "Passing the hand over them removes sins." I heard him also say: "Performing a complete seven-round Tawaaf round The House is equal (in reward) to emancipating a slave." I heard him also say: "He (the performer of Tawaaf round the House) never places a foot nor lifts another but that thereby Allah effaces from him a sin, and writes for him a good deed."’” [At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa’i and At-Tabaraani]
According to another version on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, , said: "Passing the hand over the Black Stone and the Yemenite Corner effaces sins." [Ahmad and At-Tirmithi] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
It was further narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, , said: "This (Black) Stone would come on the Day of Judgment, having two eyes to see therewith, and a tongue to speak therewith, to bear witness to those who touched it rightfully (in compliance with the Sunnah of the Prophet )." [Al-Bayhaqi] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
Who then is like you, O pilgrim? The Sovereign descends to the lowest heaven and boasts to the angels of you, let alone the further merits you get as shown to us by the Prophet, .
Hajj and the Four Types of People - I