O Fortunate Guest of Allāh!

Nabi Sallallāhu’ Alayhi wa Sallam has said: “Whoever carries out Hajj of this House and does not utter any indecency or commit sins, will return (totally sinless) like the day his mother gave birth to him.” (Bukhāri, 1820)

The blessed and fortunate Hujjāj have begun to arrive. Allāh Ta’ālā has afforded them this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and most have already returned home, having fulfilled the sacred rites of Hajj. May Allāh Ta’ālā accept it from them and bless us all with repeated visits to the Haramain Sharīfain with Āfiyah, Āmīn.

The Hujjāj should realize Allāh Ta’ālā’s favour upon them. Literally every single Muslim yearns to undertake this beautiful journey. Many hope and save for their entire lives and are still unable to go. Allāh Ta’ālā has specially chosen them to follow in the footsteps of His beloved Ambiyā; Nabi Sallallāhu’ Alayhi wa Sallam and Ibrāhīm’ Alayhis Salām. He has taken them to His Mubārak Ka’bah and to the Land in which Islām came alive to personally greet the Seal of Rasūls, Nabi Sallallāhu’ Alayhi wa Sallam.

They should strive to stay as sinless as they currently are. The Hajj should be the most spiritually uplifting experience of one’s life and a stepping-stone to changing, to getting closer to Allāh Ta’ālā, His Dīn, and the Mubārak Sunnah. The sacrifices one makes in those few days and the ‘Ibādāt carried out should bring such Nūr in Īmān that is not easily extinguished. This used to be seen in the past- a Hāji who had no previous inclination to Dīn would now mould his life according to Sharī’ah. However, the recent and unfortunate trend has become such that after a week, the Hāji is no longer found in the House of Allāh.

Nabi Sallallāhu’ Alayhi wa Sallam has sounded beautiful virtues for an accepted Hajj, and we make Du’a’ that each Hāji’s efforts were accepted. However, Hasan Basri Rahimahullāh has mentioned two distinguishing signs of a “Hajj Mabrūr”:

– That one returns disinclined from the lowly dunyā, inclined towards the everlasting Ākhirah.
– That one henceforth leaves out the sins and evils he was previously involved in.

If we have returned only speaking about the new hotels and malls in the Holy Lands, if we have not become regular in our Salāh and ‘Ibādāt, or if we are still involved in all our previous sins, then we need to engage in intense Istighfār and introspect very deeply. It is never too late to resolve to be better.

So much sacrifice was made, and time and money were spent. Let it not be that we let all this be washed away due to laziness and negligence. We aren’t guaranteed another Hajj or opportunity to change; let us take advantage of this opportunity and resolve to be punctual in our Salāh and other aspects of Dīn, In Sha Allāh!

May Allāh Ta’ālā accept every Hāji’s efforts, forgive all their shortcomings, replace whatever they have spent, and accept us all to visit His house repeatedly! Āmīn.

28 Zhul Hijjah 1444 / 17 July 2023