The obligation of Hajj
Why Hajj is obligatory (fard) on every able Muslim, drawn from the Qur'an and hadith, and that it is owed only once in a lifetime.
Hajj is the journey to the Ka'bah in Makkah. It is fard, something every Muslim who is able must do, just like Salah, fasting and Zakat. It is one of the five pillars of Islam.
فِيْهِ اٰيٰتٌۢ بَيِّنٰتٌ مَّقَامُ اِبْرٰهِيْمَۚ وَمَنْ دَخَلَهٗ كَانَ اٰمِنًاؕ وَلِلّٰهِ عَلَي النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ اِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلًاؕ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ٩٧
Wa lillāhi ʿalā'n-nāsi ḥijju'l-bayti mani'staṭāʿa ilayhi sabīlā
Therein are clear sighs; the place where Ibraham stood and whosoever enters it, is in security. And for the sake of Allah, the people is to perform pilgrimage to this House, who could find a way thither. And who denies, then Allah is independent of entire world.
Qurʼan 3:97, Aal-E-Imran, from Zujajah.org
A long time ago, Allah told Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to call everyone to Hajj. Ibrahim said, "My voice will not reach them." Allah told him, "Your job is to call out; reaching them is My job." So Ibrahim stood on a high place and called out, and Allah made sure every person who would ever go to Hajj heard him, even before they were born, and answered, "Labbayk Allahumma labbayk": "Here I am, O Allah, here I am."
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ وَالْحَجِّ وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ "
Buniya'l-islāmu ʿalā khamsin: shahādatu an lā ilāha illa'llāhu wa anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhū wa rasūluh, wa iqāmu'ṣ-ṣalāti, wa ītāʾu'z-zakāti, wa'l-ḥajju, wa ṣawmu ramaḍān
the testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the observance of the prayer, the payment of zakat, the Pilgrimage, and the fast during Ramadan.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)
mishkat 3, from Zujajah.org
Hajj is fard, an obligation on every single Muslim, not just on the community as a whole, for anyone who is able to do it. Someone who is able but never goes has left out one of the five pillars, and their Islam is missing a pillar.
12345A Muslim only has to perform Hajj once in their whole life. Going again after that is a good and generous thing to do, but it is not required.
12A man once asked the Prophet ﷺ, "Is Hajj every year?" The Prophet ﷺ stayed quiet until the man asked three times, then said, "If I had said yes, it would have become required every year, and you would not have been able to do it." Then he said, "Leave me as I leave you; do what I ask of you as much as you are able."
Hajj is fard al-'ayn, a personal obligation on every individual Muslim, not merely a communal one, and one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside Salah, fasting and Zakat.
فِيْهِ اٰيٰتٌۢ بَيِّنٰتٌ مَّقَامُ اِبْرٰهِيْمَۚ وَمَنْ دَخَلَهٗ كَانَ اٰمِنًاؕ وَلِلّٰهِ عَلَي النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ اِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلًاؕ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ٩٧
Wa lillāhi ʿalā'n-nāsi ḥijju'l-bayti mani'staṭāʿa ilayhi sabīlā
Therein are clear sighs; the place where Ibraham stood and whosoever enters it, is in security. And for the sake of Allah, the people is to perform pilgrimage to this House, who could find a way thither. And who denies, then Allah is independent of entire world.
Qurʼan 3:97, Aal-E-Imran, from Zujajah.org
It is reported that when this verse was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ conveyed its command to every community. The Muslims accepted it, but five groups (the Jews, the Christians, the Magians, the Sabeans and the polytheists) did not, and Allah revealed the second half of the same verse in response:
فِيْهِ اٰيٰتٌۢ بَيِّنٰتٌ مَّقَامُ اِبْرٰهِيْمَۚ وَمَنْ دَخَلَهٗ كَانَ اٰمِنًاؕ وَلِلّٰهِ عَلَي النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ اِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلًاؕ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ٩٧
Wa man kafara fa inna'llāha ghaniyyun ʿani'l-ʿālamīn
Therein are clear sighs; the place where Ibraham stood and whosoever enters it, is in security. And for the sake of Allah, the people is to perform pilgrimage to this House, who could find a way thither. And who denies, then Allah is independent of entire world.
Qurʼan 3:97, Aal-E-Imran, from Zujajah.org
Whoever rejects this command is a disbeliever. Allah has no need of anyone's worship; this act of worship benefits no one but the person performing it, and whoever neglects it only harms themselves.
In Surah al-Hajj, Allah commanded Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to call people to the pilgrimage:
وَاَذِّنْ فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَاْتُوْكَ رِجَالًا وَّعَلٰي كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَّاْتِيْنَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيْقٍ ٢٧ۙ
Wa adhdhin fī'n-nāsi bi'l-ḥajji yaʾtūka rijālan wa ʿalā kulli ḍāmirin yaʾtīna min kulli fajjin ʿamīq
And proclaim among people the pilgrimage. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel coming from every distant track.'
Qurʼan 22:27, Al-Hajj, from Zujajah.org
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) submitted, "My voice will not reach them," and Allah replied, "Your duty is to proclaim; delivering it is Our responsibility." Ibrahim then stood on the Maqam, raised higher than the surrounding mountains, and called out: "O people, take heed! Indeed, your Lord has built a House for you and made its pilgrimage obligatory upon you. So obey your Lord!" Everyone predestined to perform Hajj, from the loins of their fathers or the wombs of their mothers, answered: "Labbayka'llāhumma labbayk": "Here I am, O Allah, here I am."
The obligation is also drawn from this verse of Surah al-Hajj: a ruling from an earlier Shari'ah that the Qur'an mentions without abrogating remains binding on this Ummah, and some commentators hold that the verse addresses our Prophet ﷺ directly, which makes the obligation even clearer.
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ وَالْحَجِّ وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ "
Buniya'l-islāmu ʿalā khamsin: shahādatu an lā ilāha illa'llāhu wa anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhū wa rasūluh, wa iqāmu'ṣ-ṣalāti, wa ītāʾu'z-zakāti, wa'l-ḥajju, wa ṣawmu ramaḍān
the testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the observance of the prayer, the payment of zakat, the Pilgrimage, and the fast during Ramadan.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)
mishkat 3, from Zujajah.org
Hajj, like Salah and fasting, is one of the pillars of Islam. Whoever is able to perform it but fails to do so has an incomplete Islam, since a structure is deficient without one of its essential pillars.
12345حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْقُطَعِيُّ الْبَصْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِلاَلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، مَوْلَى رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ الْبَاهِلِيِّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ مَلَكَ زَادًا وَرَاحِلَةً تُبَلِّغُهُ إِلَى بَيْتِ اللَّهِ وَلَمْ يَحُجَّ فَلاَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَمُوتَ يَهُودِيًّا أَوْ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ فِي كِتَابِهِ : (وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً ) " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ وَفِي إِسْنَادِهِ مَقَالٌ . وَهِلاَلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مَجْهُولٌ وَالْحَارِثُ يُضَعَّفُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ .
Man malaka zādan wa rāḥilatan tuballighuhū ilā bayti'llāhi wa lam yaḥujja falā ʿalayhi an yamūta yahūdiyyan aw naṣrāniyyā
The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever has the provisions and the means to convey him to Allah's House and he does not perform Hajj, then it does not matter if he dies as a Jew or a Christian. That is because Allah said in His Book: 'And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, for whomever is able to bear the journey.'
tirmidhi 812, from Zujajah.org
At-Tirmidhi notes that this hadith is gharib (unique in its chain), but a similar warning is narrated through another chain in Musnad ad-Darimi, from Abu Umamah: whoever is not prevented from Hajj by a genuine need, an oppressive ruler, or a debilitating illness, and dies without performing it, may die as a Jew or a Christian if they wish. This hadith establishes the obligation of Hajj, because a stern warning against neglecting an act is proof that the act is obligatory.
Hajj is obligatory once in a lifetime; anyone who performs it more than once does so voluntarily.
12In Sahih Muslim, Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said in a sermon, "O people, Hajj has been made obligatory upon you, so perform Hajj." A man asked, "Is it every year, O Messenger of Allah?" The Prophet ﷺ remained silent until the question was repeated three times, then said, "If I had said yes, it would have become obligatory, and you would not have been able to fulfil it." He then said, "Leave me as I leave you. The people before you were destroyed by their excessive questioning and their disputes with their prophets. When I command you to do something, do it to the best of your ability, and when I forbid something, avoid it."
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ (رضي الله عنهما)قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْحَجَّ، فَقَامَ الْأَقْرَعُ بْنُ حَابِسٍ، فَقَالَ: أَفِي كُلِّ عَامٍ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ: «لَوْ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، لَوَجَبَتْ، وَلَوْ وَجَبَتْ لَمْ تَعْمَلُوا بِهَا وَلم تَسْتَطِيعُوْا، وَالْحَجُّ مَرَّةً فَمَنْ زَادَ فَتَطَوُّعُ». رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَالدَّارِميُّ. قَالَ ابْنُ الْهُمَامِ: وَرَوَاهُ الدَّارَ قُطْنِي فِي سُنَنِهِ وَالْحَاكِمُ فِي الْمُسْتَدْرَكِ»، وَقَالَ: صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ. وَقَالَ الشَّمْنِيُّ: وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَه.
Al-ḥajju marratan, fa-man zāda taṭawwaʿ
Ibn ʿAbbas (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "O people! Allah has made Hajj obligatory upon you." Al-Aqraʿ ibn Ḥabis stood and asked: "Every year, O Messenger of Allah?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: "If I had said yes, it would have become obligatory, and you would not have been able to do it. Hajj is once; whoever does more, it is voluntary." [Narrated by Aḥmad, An-Nasaʾi, and Ad-Darimi] Ibn al-Humam noted that Ad-Daraqutni and Al-Hakim also recorded it, with Al-Hakim declaring it ṣahiḥ by the criteria of Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Ash-Shamni added that Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah also narrated it.
zujajah 2958, from Zujajah.org
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَازِمٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ مِهْرَانَ أَبِي صَفْوَانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ أَرَادَ الْحَجَّ فَلْيَتَعَجَّلْ " .
Man arāda'l-ḥajja falyuʿajjil
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who intends to perform hajj should hasten to do so.
abudawud 1733, from Zujajah.org
According to Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Malik, once a person is able to perform Hajj it is wajib to do so promptly, in the very year the obligation arises; delaying it without a valid excuse is sinful, and, on the view that stresses urgency, such a person's testimony may even be rejected. Imam Muhammad and Imam Shafi'i hold that immediate performance is not required so long as the person expects to remain healthy and safe. All scholars agree, however, that when illness or old age raise real concern, performing Hajj immediately becomes obligatory, and that being able is itself a condition throughout.
12Hajj is fard al-'ayn, a personal obligation on every individual Muslim, not merely a communal one, and one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside Salah, fasting and Zakat.
فِيْهِ اٰيٰتٌۢ بَيِّنٰتٌ مَّقَامُ اِبْرٰهِيْمَۚ وَمَنْ دَخَلَهٗ كَانَ اٰمِنًاؕ وَلِلّٰهِ عَلَي النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ اِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلًاؕ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ٩٧
Wa lillāhi ʿalā'n-nāsi ḥijju'l-bayti mani'staṭāʿa ilayhi sabīlā
Therein are clear sighs; the place where Ibraham stood and whosoever enters it, is in security. And for the sake of Allah, the people is to perform pilgrimage to this House, who could find a way thither. And who denies, then Allah is independent of entire world.
Qurʼan 3:97, Aal-E-Imran, from Zujajah.org
It is reported that when this verse was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ conveyed its command to every community. The Muslims accepted it, but five groups (the Jews, the Christians, the Magians, the Sabeans and the polytheists) did not, and Allah revealed the second half of the same verse in response:
فِيْهِ اٰيٰتٌۢ بَيِّنٰتٌ مَّقَامُ اِبْرٰهِيْمَۚ وَمَنْ دَخَلَهٗ كَانَ اٰمِنًاؕ وَلِلّٰهِ عَلَي النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ اِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلًاؕ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ٩٧
Wa man kafara fa inna'llāha ghaniyyun ʿani'l-ʿālamīn
Therein are clear sighs; the place where Ibraham stood and whosoever enters it, is in security. And for the sake of Allah, the people is to perform pilgrimage to this House, who could find a way thither. And who denies, then Allah is independent of entire world.
Qurʼan 3:97, Aal-E-Imran, from Zujajah.org
Whoever rejects this command is a disbeliever. Allah has no need of anyone's worship; this act of worship benefits no one but the person performing it, and whoever neglects it only harms themselves.
In Surah al-Hajj, Allah commanded Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to call people to the pilgrimage:
وَاَذِّنْ فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَاْتُوْكَ رِجَالًا وَّعَلٰي كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَّاْتِيْنَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيْقٍ ٢٧ۙ
Wa adhdhin fī'n-nāsi bi'l-ḥajji yaʾtūka rijālan wa ʿalā kulli ḍāmirin yaʾtīna min kulli fajjin ʿamīq
And proclaim among people the pilgrimage. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel coming from every distant track.'
Qurʼan 22:27, Al-Hajj, from Zujajah.org
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) submitted, "My voice will not reach them," and Allah replied, "Your duty is to proclaim; delivering it is Our responsibility." Ibrahim then stood on the Maqam, raised higher than the surrounding mountains, and called out: "O people, take heed! Indeed, your Lord has built a House for you and made its pilgrimage obligatory upon you. So obey your Lord!" Everyone predestined to perform Hajj, from the loins of their fathers or the wombs of their mothers, answered: "Labbayka'llāhumma labbayk": "Here I am, O Allah, here I am."
The obligation is also drawn from this verse of Surah al-Hajj: a ruling from an earlier Shari'ah that the Qur'an mentions without abrogating remains binding on this Ummah, and some commentators hold that the verse addresses our Prophet ﷺ directly, which makes the obligation even clearer.
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ وَالْحَجِّ وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ "
Buniya'l-islāmu ʿalā khamsin: shahādatu an lā ilāha illa'llāhu wa anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhū wa rasūluh, wa iqāmu'ṣ-ṣalāti, wa ītāʾu'z-zakāti, wa'l-ḥajju, wa ṣawmu ramaḍān
the testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the observance of the prayer, the payment of zakat, the Pilgrimage, and the fast during Ramadan.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)
mishkat 3, from Zujajah.org
Hajj, like Salah and fasting, is one of the pillars of Islam. Whoever is able to perform it but fails to do so has an incomplete Islam, since a structure is deficient without one of its essential pillars.
12345حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْقُطَعِيُّ الْبَصْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِلاَلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، مَوْلَى رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ الْبَاهِلِيِّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ مَلَكَ زَادًا وَرَاحِلَةً تُبَلِّغُهُ إِلَى بَيْتِ اللَّهِ وَلَمْ يَحُجَّ فَلاَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَمُوتَ يَهُودِيًّا أَوْ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ فِي كِتَابِهِ : (وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً ) " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ وَفِي إِسْنَادِهِ مَقَالٌ . وَهِلاَلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مَجْهُولٌ وَالْحَارِثُ يُضَعَّفُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ .
Man malaka zādan wa rāḥilatan tuballighuhū ilā bayti'llāhi wa lam yaḥujja falā ʿalayhi an yamūta yahūdiyyan aw naṣrāniyyā
The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever has the provisions and the means to convey him to Allah's House and he does not perform Hajj, then it does not matter if he dies as a Jew or a Christian. That is because Allah said in His Book: 'And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, for whomever is able to bear the journey.'
tirmidhi 812, from Zujajah.org
At-Tirmidhi notes that this hadith is gharib (unique in its chain), but a similar warning is narrated through another chain in Musnad ad-Darimi, from Abu Umamah: whoever is not prevented from Hajj by a genuine need, an oppressive ruler, or a debilitating illness, and dies without performing it, may die as a Jew or a Christian if they wish. This hadith establishes the obligation of Hajj, because a stern warning against neglecting an act is proof that the act is obligatory.
Hajj is obligatory once in a lifetime; anyone who performs it more than once does so voluntarily.
12In Sahih Muslim, Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said in a sermon, "O people, Hajj has been made obligatory upon you, so perform Hajj." A man asked, "Is it every year, O Messenger of Allah?" The Prophet ﷺ remained silent until the question was repeated three times, then said, "If I had said yes, it would have become obligatory, and you would not have been able to fulfil it." He then said, "Leave me as I leave you. The people before you were destroyed by their excessive questioning and their disputes with their prophets. When I command you to do something, do it to the best of your ability, and when I forbid something, avoid it."
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ (رضي الله عنهما)قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْحَجَّ، فَقَامَ الْأَقْرَعُ بْنُ حَابِسٍ، فَقَالَ: أَفِي كُلِّ عَامٍ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ: «لَوْ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، لَوَجَبَتْ، وَلَوْ وَجَبَتْ لَمْ تَعْمَلُوا بِهَا وَلم تَسْتَطِيعُوْا، وَالْحَجُّ مَرَّةً فَمَنْ زَادَ فَتَطَوُّعُ». رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَالدَّارِميُّ. قَالَ ابْنُ الْهُمَامِ: وَرَوَاهُ الدَّارَ قُطْنِي فِي سُنَنِهِ وَالْحَاكِمُ فِي الْمُسْتَدْرَكِ»، وَقَالَ: صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ. وَقَالَ الشَّمْنِيُّ: وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَه.
Al-ḥajju marratan, fa-man zāda taṭawwaʿ
Ibn ʿAbbas (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "O people! Allah has made Hajj obligatory upon you." Al-Aqraʿ ibn Ḥabis stood and asked: "Every year, O Messenger of Allah?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: "If I had said yes, it would have become obligatory, and you would not have been able to do it. Hajj is once; whoever does more, it is voluntary." [Narrated by Aḥmad, An-Nasaʾi, and Ad-Darimi] Ibn al-Humam noted that Ad-Daraqutni and Al-Hakim also recorded it, with Al-Hakim declaring it ṣahiḥ by the criteria of Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Ash-Shamni added that Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah also narrated it.
zujajah 2958, from Zujajah.org
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَازِمٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ مِهْرَانَ أَبِي صَفْوَانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ أَرَادَ الْحَجَّ فَلْيَتَعَجَّلْ " .
Man arāda'l-ḥajja falyuʿajjil
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who intends to perform hajj should hasten to do so.
abudawud 1733, from Zujajah.org
According to Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Malik, once a person is able to perform Hajj it is wajib to do so promptly, in the very year the obligation arises; delaying it without a valid excuse is sinful, and, on the view that stresses urgency, such a person's testimony may even be rejected. Imam Muhammad and Imam Shafi'i hold that immediate performance is not required so long as the person expects to remain healthy and safe. All scholars agree, however, that when illness or old age raise real concern, performing Hajj immediately becomes obligatory, and that being able is itself a condition throughout.
12| Position | Held by | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate (fawr) | Abu Hanifah, Abu Yusuf, Malik | Wajib to perform Hajj in the very year of ability; unexcused delay is sinful and, on the stricter reading, disqualifies one's testimony. |
| Not immediate (tarakhi) | Muhammad, ash-Shafi'i | Hajj may be delayed, provided the person reasonably expects to remain healthy, safe and able until they do perform it. |
| Where all agree | Every school | Once illness or old age makes continued ability doubtful, performing Hajj immediately becomes obligatory, since the underlying condition of ability must be met at all. |
The Prophet's ﷺ own Hajj came in the tenth year after Islam, six years after Hajj was made obligatory; the tarakhī position cites this as evidence, the fawr position answers that a valid excuse, not yet being able, accounts for the delay.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 1,512 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Obligation of Hajj
It must be acknowledged that Hajj, like Salah, fasting, and Zakat, is an individual obligation (Fard al-Ayn) and one of the pillars of Islam. Allah Almighty has stated in Surah Aal-e-Imran:
وَ لِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً
(Al-e-Imran, Ayah 97)
Translation: "For the worship of Allah, it is incumbent upon those who have the ability to undertake the journey to the House of Allah to perform Hajj."
It is said that when this verse وَ لِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ... was revealed, the Beloved Prophet ﷺ gathered all the communities and conveyed its command. The Muslims accepted it, but five groups—the Jews, Christians, Magians (Majus), Sabeans (Sabians), and polytheists—did not accept it. Consequently, Allah Almighty revealed this verse:
وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعٰلَمِينَ
(Al-e-Imran, Ayah 97)
Translation: "And whoever disbelieves, say to them: Allah is free of need from all the worlds."
Whoever does not obey this command and denies it is considered a disbeliever, and Allah has no need for anyone’s worship. In summary, this act of worship does not benefit Allah; instead, the one worshipping attains goodness from it. If someone neglects it, they lose that goodness and cause harm to themselves.
In Surah Hajj, Allah addressed Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him):
وَ أَذِّنۡ فِي النَّاسِ بالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَ عَلٰى كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَّأْتِينَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ
(Hajj, Ayah 27)
Translation: "(O Ibrahim), proclaim to the people about Hajj; they will come to you on foot and on lean camels, coming from every distant path."
Upon receiving this command, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) humbly submitted: مَا يَبْلُغُ صَوْتِی, "My voice will not reach them." To this, Allah replied: عَلَيْكَ الْاٰذَانُ وَ عَلَيْنَا الْبَلاغُ, "Your duty is to proclaim, and delivering it is Our responsibility."
Thus, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) stood on Maqam [Maqam and Hajr-e-Aswad are heavenly relics, which Prophet Idris (peace be upon him) hid on Mount Abu Qubais due to fear of the flood. When Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) began constructing the Ka'bah, Angel Jibra'il (peace be upon him) revealed their location, and he brought them out from Abu Qubais.]
He stood there, which was elevated higher than all the surrounding mountains, and proclaimed:
يٰٓا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ قَدْ بَنٰى لَكُمْ بَيْتًا وَ كَتَبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْحَجَّ فَاَجِيبُوا رَبَّكُمۡ
"O people, take heed! Indeed, your Lord has built a house for you and made its pilgrimage obligatory upon you. So, obey your Lord!"
Upon hearing this call, everyone predestined to perform Hajj responded from the loins of their fathers or the wombs of their mothers, Saying: لَبَّيْكَ اَللّٰهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ ("Here I am, O Allah, here I am").
It is said that those who responded once will perform Hajj once, those who responded multiple times will perform multiple Hajj, and those who did not respond are deprived of this blessing.
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) stated that the people of Yemen were the first to respond to Prophet Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) proclamation of Hajj. This is why the people of Yemen frequently perform Hajj.
The obligation of Hajj is also proven from this verse (Surah Hajj). This is because when Allah Almighty mentions a ruling from a previous Shari’ah in the Qur’an without abrogating it, that ruling becomes binding upon us. Furthermore, if this verse addresses our Beloved Prophet ﷺ, as some commentators have mentioned, then its obligation becomes undeniably evident.
In Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said:
بُنِیَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلٰى خَمْسٍ شَهَادَةُ أَن لَّآ إلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُولُهٗ وَإِقَامُ الصَّلٰوةِ وَ إِیْتَآءُ الزَّكَوٰةِ وَ الْحَجُّ وَصَوْمُ رَمَضَانَ
Translation: "Islam is built upon five pillars: to bear witness that there is no true deity except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger; to establish Salah; to give Zakat; to perform Hajj; and to observe fasting in Ramadan."
This Hadith establishes that Hajj, like Salah and fasting, is one of the pillars of Islam. Consequently, whoever has the ability to perform Hajj but fails to do so will have an incomplete Islam because everything remains deficient without its essential pillars.
In Jami' al-Tirmidhi, it is narrated from Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Beloved Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ مَلَكَ زَاداً وَ رَاحِلَةً تُبَلِّغُهٗ إِلٰى بَيْتِ اللَّهِ وَ لَمْ يَحُجَّ فَلَا عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَمُوتَ يَهُودِيًّا أَوْ نَصْرَانِيًّا
Translation: "Whoever possesses provisions and a mount that can take them to the House of Allah and yet does not perform Hajj, then it does not matter whether they die as a Jew or a Christian."
This means that their being a Muslim or a Jew/Christian becomes equivalent, as Jews and Christians do not believe in Hajj.
This Hadith emphasises the obligation of Hajj because any act for which there is a stern warning upon neglecting it is necessarily an obligation.
The compiler of Jami' al-Tirmidhi mentions that this Hadith is Ghareeb (unique in narration). However, it is noteworthy that this Hadith is also narrated through another chain. For instance, in Musnad Darimi, it is narrated from Abu Umamah in these words:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ مَنْ لَّمْ يَمْنَعۡهٗ مِنَ الْحَجِّ حَاجَةٌ ظَاهِرَةٌ أَوْ سُلْطَانٌ جَائِرٌ أَوْ مَرَضٌ حَابِسٌ فَمَاتَ وَ لَمْ يَحُجّ فَلْيَمُتۡ إِنْ شَآءَ يَهُودِيًّا وَ إِنْ شَاءَ نَصْرَانِيًّا
Translation: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Whoever is not prevented from performing Hajj by an apparent need, an oppressive ruler, or a debilitating illness, and then dies without having performed Hajj, they may die as a Jew if they wish, or as a Christian if they wish.'"
In conclusion, the obligation of Hajj, like other pillars of Islam, is established from these verses and Ahadith. However, Hajj is obligatory only once in a lifetime.
In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Beloved Prophet ﷺ mentioned in a sermon:
يٰٓأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ فُرِضَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْحَجُّ فَحُجُّوا فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ أَكُلُّ عَامٍ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ؟ فَسَكَتَ حَتَّى قَالَهَا ثَلَاثًا فَقَالَ : لَوْ قُلْتُ نَعَمۡ لَوَجَبَتْ وَ لَمَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ ذَرُونِي مَا تَرَكْتُكُمْ فَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِكَثُرَةِ سُؤَالِهِمْ وَ اخْتِلَافِهِمْ عَلٰٓى أَنبِيَائِهِمْ فَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ فَأْتُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَإِذَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَدَعُوهُ
Translation: "O people, Hajj has been made obligatory upon you, so perform Hajj." A man [He was Aqra’ bin Habis as mentioned clearly in the Hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)] asked, "O Messenger of Allah, is it every year?" The Prophet ﷺ remained silent until he repeated the question three times. Then the Prophet ﷺ replied: "If I had said yes, it would have become obligatory, and you would not have been able to fulfill it." He then said: "Leave me as I leave you. The people before you were destroyed because of their excessive questioning and their disputes with their Prophets. When I command you to do something, do it to the best of your ability, and when I forbid something, avoid it."
In Musnad Imam Ahmad, Sunan Nasai, and Sunan al-Daraqutni, it is narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him):
الحج مَرَّةً فَمَنْ زَادَ تَطَوَّعَ
Translation: "Hajj is obligatory once in a lifetime, and anyone who performs it more than that, it is voluntary.”
In Sunan Abu Dawood, it is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Beloved Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ أَرَادَ الْحَجَّ فَلْيُعَجِّلۡ
Translation: "Whoever intends to perform Hajj should hasten."
[It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "تعجلوا في الحج فان احدكم لا يدرى ما يعرض له"
Translation: "Hasten in performing Hajj because none of you knows what may happen to you."]
This implies that when Hajj becomes obligatory for a person, it is best to perform it in the same year or to set out for Makkah.
Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Abu Yusuf, and Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on them) agree that Hajj should be performed promptly in the year it becomes obligatory.
On the other hand, Imam Muhammad and Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on them) argue that it is not obligatory to perform it immediately. This difference in opinion applies when a person believes they are in good health and safety.
However, when illness or old age causes significant concern, it is agreed upon by all scholars that performing Hajj immediately becomes obligatory.
According to the opinion of those who emphasize the urgency (for instance, the Hanafi school), if a person delays Hajj unnecessarily, they would be considered sinful and their testimony might be rejected.
[Those who favour postponement argue that the Prophet (ﷺ) himself delayed performing Hajj, as he performed it in the tenth year, even though it was made obligatory in the sixth year. Those who support promptness argue that this delay occurred due to a valid reason; hence, the condition of ability was not fulfilled at that time.] However, it is unanimously agreed that ability is a condition.
Terms on this page
Related
- What Hajj is, and why it is the fifth pillar Hajj in a page: what the word means, why it is both a bodily and a financial worship, who owes it, and where Umrah and the visit to Madinah stand.
- The virtues of Hajj and Umrah The rewards described for Hajj and Umrah in hadith: the expiation of sin, the guarantee of Paradise for an accepted Hajj, and the special standing of the Day of Arafah.
- Islam and its five pillars What Islam means, and the five pillars its practice is built on: the declaration of faith, prayer, fasting, zakat, and Hajj.
- The conditions that make Hajj obligatory The conditions of ability (istita'ah): freedom, sanity, adulthood, physical capability, means and a safe route, plus the two further conditions for women.