… Continued
Piety combines all sorts of goodness and the guide to every righteous act. Allah The Almighty accepts the deeds of the pious people and He guides them and sets right their conditions. Whoever wears the garment of piety will realize goodness and achieve happiness. Whoever takes off the garment of piety is outcast. Piety drives the person to fear Allah The Almighty and the consequences of the sin, so he does righteous deeds.
Piety is also the fruit of good deeds. Therefore, although the verses of Hajj in the Quran are not many, Allah The Almighty repeatedly instructed His slaves in those verses to observe piety, because there are many means to attain piety embedded in Hajj. This could be met along with the awareness of the essence and goal of Hajj. Therefore, Allah The Almighty address those who are aware by Saying (what means): {….And fear Me, O you of understanding.} [Quran 2:197]
Whoever correctly uses his mind should be guided to make the most of those sacred rituals in order to achieve piety. O you who discards his sewn clothes to wear Ihraam garments, such discarding is of no avail as long as you do not discard your desires and wishes that displease Allah The Almighty.
Does the discarding of ordinary clothes benefit you while you do not discard your beloved actions that contradict the actions that are beloved to Allah The Exalted?
Does Tawaaf around Ka‘bah benefit you while you are disobeying Allah The Almighty?
Does Sa‘y between As-Safa and Al-Marwah benefit you while you are involved in disobeying Allah The Almighty without fearing Him?
How could you seek the door of the Ka‘bah to ask Allah The Almighty of His bounty while you were not seeking his obedience and the fulfillment of his legislations?
In the verses of Hajj, Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {…And fear Allah and know that Allah is severe in penalty.} [Quran 2:196]
On the other hand, the pilgrim should fear Allah The Almighty by giving a helping hand to his Muslim brother, who joins him in performing this blessed ritual, with a smiling face and a pure heart.
The pilgrim should fear Allah by avoiding crowds, especially the women.
He should fear Allah by avoiding stinginess and ill thinking.
He should fear Allah through being kind to the blind, the weak, respecting the old and being merciful to the young.
He should fear Allah through teaching the ignorant and guiding the astray.
He should fear Allah The Almighty through guarding his Hajj against sexual intercourse, bad language and arguing.
He should fear Allah by avoiding the wasting of time and by filling his time with remembering Allah and reciting the Quran that dispels devils and teaches humans.
He should fear Allah The Almighty through being sincere and advising to every Muslim and being keen on following the steps of the Prophet .
Forgiveness of sins is one of Hajj benefits:
There are many texts on this aspect. Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said: “Whoever performed Hajj, in which he neither did wickedness nor committed sexual intercourse, his past sins will be forgiven.” [At-Tirmithi] The wording of another narration reads: “…would return (as sinless) as on the very day his mother gave birth to him.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Ibn ‘Abbaas said, “Alternate between Hajj and ‘Umrah, because both of them rid one of poverty and sins as the blacksmith’s bellows remove all the impurities from iron, gold and silver.” [An-Nasaa’i and others]
Ibn Al-Munthir and a group of scholars said that Hajj forgives all major and minor sins because of the generality of texts in this regard. This is a very sound opinion and Allah, Knows best.
Entering Paradise is one of Hajj benefits:
There are many texts that prove this. Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said: “The accepted Hajj has no reward but Paradise.” [Al-Bukhari]
Ibn Mas‘ood said that the Prophet said: “There is no reward for the accepted Hajj less than Paradise.” [An-Nasaa’i]
Finally, it is sufficient that Hajj is a reason, if not among the greatest reasons, to enter Paradise. There is no doubt that this is the best sought goal by a Muslim in this life.