Grave Warnings For Not Performing Hajj

FAZA'IL-E-A'MAAL

Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Mohammad Zakariyyah (Rah)

HAJ IS ONE OF THE PILLARS OF ISLAM, AND BY THE COMING OF HAJ INTO ISLAM DID THIS RELIGION BECOME COMPLETE. FOR THOSE WHO FAIL OR REFUSE 9AND ARE INDIFFERENT) TO PERFORM HAJ, SEVERE WARNINGS HAVE BEEN GIVEN.

AAYAT NUMBER ONE.

"PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOUSE (OF ALLAH) IS A DUTY MAN OWES TO ALLAH-UPON THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD THE JOURNEY."

THE ULAMA INFORM US THET HAJ BECOME OBLIGATORY WHEN THIS VERSE WAS REVEALED. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE VERSE WE SEE A LOT EMPHASIS AND STREAA. LET US STUDY IT:

(A) FIRSTLY, WE FIND A LAAM ON THE WORD ALLAH (LILLAAHI) WHICH LAYS EMPHASIS ON THE FACT THAT HAJ IS OBLIGATRY. (SEE ALLAMA AINY)

(B) 'ALAN-NAAS' IS ANOTHER TERM THAT DENOTES EXTREME EMPHASIS.

(C) THE MENTION OF THE WORD 'MANIS TATAA'A' WHICH LAYS EMPHASIS IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. ONE IS, A NOUN IN APPOSITION, AND THE OTHER IS, THAT THE OBLIGATORY DUTY OF HAJ ON PEOPLE, IN THE AGGREGATE, IS EXPRESSED HERE IN DETAIL.

(D) 'WA MAN KAFARA' (WHOSE DISBELIEVES) THIS IS INDEED A GREAT THREAT. ALLAH USES THE WORD 'KUFR' FOR THOSE WHO REFUSE (DO'NT CARE) TO PERFORM HAJ.

(E) AFTER THAT, ALLAH IN APPARENT ANGER STATES THAT, SHOULD MAN REFUSE TO OBEY THIS INJUNCTION, THEN HE LOSES NOTHING AT ALL.

(F) LASTLY, MORE ANGER IS EXPRESSED WHEN ALLAH STATES : THAT HE IS MOST DEFINATELY NOT IN NEED OF ANYTHING AT ALL IN THIS UNIVERSE AS WELL AS BEYOND IT."

MUCH OF THE ABOVE WILL ONLY BE TRULY APPRECIATED BY THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND THE ARABIC LANGUAGE. MY AIM IN MENTIONING THEM HERE IS MERELY TO SHOW HOW MUCH EMPHASIS ALLAH HAS LAID UPON HAJ BEING 'FARDH' AND THE GREAT DANGER IN FAILING TO PERFORM IT.

IT IS REPORTED THAT HAZRAT UMAR RA. USED TO SAY : 'WHOSOEVER HAS HEALTH AND (SUFFICIENT) WEALTH AND DIES WITHOUT PERFORMING IT, THEN ON HIS FOREHEAD THE WORD 'KAAFIR' SHALL BE WRITTEN TO THE DAY OF QIYAAMAT." THEN HAZRAT UMAR RA. USED TO RECITE THE VERSE MENTIONED ABOVE UNTO 'WA MAN KAFARA'. (DURRE MANSOOR)

IT IS REPORTED THAT MANY GREAT ULAMA, FROM AMONG THE TAABI-EEN USED TO SAY THAT WHEN A PERSON IS SO RICH THAT HAJ BECOMES OBLIGATORY ON HIM, AND HE STILL DOES NOT PERFORM HAJ, THEN NONE OF US WILL PERFORM THE SALAAT UL JANAAZAH OVER HIM. THEY ARE SAEED-BIN-JUBAIR, IBRAHIM-UL-NAKHEE, MUJAAHID AND HAZRAT TAOOS RA. ALL GREAT MEN. (ITHAAF)

THE ULAMA AND ESPECIALLY THE FOUR GREAT IMAAMS DID NOT CONSIDER A PERSON KAAFIR WHEN HE DOES NOT PERFORM HAJ (EVEN THOUGH HE HAS THE MEANS) THEY ONLY DID THAT WHEN HE DENIED THAT FACT THAT HAJ IS A PILLAR OF ISLAM AND A OBLIGATORY DUTY. HOWEVER, THE THREATS AND WARNINGS FROM ALLAH AND HIS RASOOL SAL-AM ARE SUCH THAT IT WOULD BRING ONE VERY VERY NEAR TO KUFR.

AAYAT NUMBER TWO.

"AND SPEND TO YOUR SUBSTANCE IN THE WAY OF ALLAH, AND MAKE NOT YOUR OWN HANDS CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR DESRUCTION."

SOME OF THE COMMENTATORS OF THE HOLY QUR'AN ARE UNANIMOUS THAT THIS VERSE REFERS TO THE PILGRIMAGE AMONG OTHER THINGS PERTAINING TO THE OBLIGATIONS AND DUTIES WE OWE TO ALLAH. THIS VERSE ENCOURAGE ONE TO SPEND IN ALLAH'S WAY ; TO SPEND IN HAJ AND WARNS THAT REFUSAL TO SPEND THAT DESTROYING YOUR OWN SELF WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT IN THIS. HEREAFTER WE SHALL QUOTE A NUMBER OF AHAADITH.

HADITH NUMBER ONE.

HAZRAT ALI RA. SAYS RASULULLAH SAL-AM SAID : "WHOEVER POSSESSES THE PROVISIONS (FOR THE JOURNEY) AND THE MEANS OF TRANSPORT TO BRING HIM TO THE HOUSE OF ALLAH YET HE DOES NOT PERFORM HAJ, THEN THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN HIM DYING ASA JEW OR AS A CHRISTAIN."

TO SUBSTANTIATE THIS, RASULULLAH SAL-AM RECITED THE VERSE..."PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOUSE (OF ALLAH) IS A DUTY."

THIS HADITH ACCORDING TO THE STRICT CODE OF THE MUHADDITHEEN (EXPERTS IN HADITH) HAS A WEAK SANAD, YET THE VERSE OF THE QUR'AN QUOTED ABOVE AS WELL AS NUMEROUS AHAADITH SUBSTANTIATE THE CONTENTS OF THIS HADITH.

HAZRAT IMAAM GHAZALI RA. ALSO WRITES ABOUT THIS HADITH SAYING THAT THIS HAJ IS INDEED A VERY IMPORTANT FORM OF WORSHIP THAT THE DEFAULTER IS REGARDED EQUAL TO A JEW OR A CHRISTIAN IN THE SENSE OF BEING MIS-GUIDED.

HADITH NUMBER TWO.

HAZRAT ABI UMAMA RA. REPORTS THAT RASULULLAH SAL-AM SAID : "WHOEVER FAILS TO PERFORM HAJ WHILE NOT BEING PREVENTED FROM IT BY A DEFINIATE AND VALID NECESSITY, OR BY OPPRESSION FROM AN UNJUST RULER, OR BY SEVERE ILLNESS, AND THEN PASSES AWAY, IN SUCH A STATE HAS THE CHOICE TO DIE AS JA JEW, IF HE SO WISHES, OR AS A CHRISTAIN IF HE SO WISHES."

THE SAME TYPE OF HADITH IS REPORTED BY HAZRAT UMAR RA. IN IT IS THRICE MENTIONED : 'HE HAS THE CHOICE TO DIE AS A JEW IF HE SO WISHES OR AS A CHRISTAIAN." ANOTHER REPORT FROM HAZRAT UMAR RA. IN WHICH IT IS SAID THAT : WHOEVER HAS THE MEANS TO PERFORM HAJ AND DOES NOT DO SO, THEN YOU CAN SWEAR (BY ALLAH) THAT HE HAS DIED AS A CHRISTIAN OR AS A JEW." (KANZ)

NOTE : IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS HAZRAT UMAR RA. OWN OPINION. THE ULAMA ARE AGREED THAT NOT PERFORMING HAJ WHILE BEING ABLE TO DO SO, DOES NOT MAKE ONE A KAAFIR. KUFR ONLY ESTABLISHES ITSELF ON A DENIAL OF IT. HERE IS WISH TO ADD ANOTHER SAYING BY HAZRAT UMAR RA. : "I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO ANNOUNCE IN ALL THE TOWNS UNDER ISLAM THAT WHOEVER HAS THE MEANS, YET DOES NOT GO TO PERFORM HAJ, SHOULD BE FORCED TO PAY THE JIZYA, BECAUSE HE IS NOT A MUSLIM, HE IS NOT A MUSLIM." (JIZYA IS A TAX WHICH THE MUSLIM RULER TAKES FROM THE NON-MUSLIM INHABITANTS OF AN ISLAMIC COUNTRY. IT IS NEVER TAKEN FROM A MUSLIM).

HADITH NUMBER THREE.

HAZRAT IBN ABAAS RA. SAID : "WHOEVER HAS ENOUGH MONEY TO PERFORM HAJ AND DOES NOT DO SO, OR ENOUGH WEALTH MAKING ZAKAAT OBLIGATORY ON HIM, AND HE DOES NOT GIVE IT, HE SHALL SURELY AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH BEG TO BE SENT BACK TO THE WORLD."

THE FACT THAT THEY SHALL BEG TO BE RETURNED TO THIS EARTH IS A REFERENCE TO THE VERSE IN SURAH MU'MINOON WHICH IS THUS : "IN FALSEHOOD AND DECEPTION WILL THEY BE UNTIL WHEN DEATH COMES TO ONE OF THEM, HE SAYS : 'O MY LORD, SEND ME BACK TO LIFE, IN ORDER THAT I MAY WORK RIGHTEOUSLY IN THE THING I NEGLECTED.' "BY NO MEANS ! IT (IS BUT A WORD HE SAYS." BEFORE THEM IS A PARTITION TILL THE DAY THEY ARE RAISED UP." (SURAH 23 VERSE 99 AND 100)

HAZRAT AAYESHA RA. SAYS : "FOR THE ,SINNER, HE GRAVE MEANS DESTRUCTION. BLACK SNAKS WILL START BITING HIM FROM THE HEAD (DOWNWARDS) AND FROM THE FEET (UPWARDS) UNTIL THEY MEET BITING UP TO THE WAIST." THAT IS THE PUNISHMENT OF THE BARZAKH MENTIONED IN THE VERSE ABOVE. (DURRE MANSOOR)

IT IS REPORTED THAT HAZRAT IBN ABBAAS RA. SAID : "WHOEVER HAS THE MEANS TO GO FOR HAJ AND DOES NOT DO SO, OR HAS SUFFICIENT WEALTH THAT MAKES ZAKAAT OBLIGATORY ON HIM AND HE DOES NOT DO SO, THEN AT THE TIME OF DEATH HE SHALL BEG TO BE RETURNED TO THE WORLD." HEARING THIS SOMEONE ASKED : "BUT THAT IS WHAT THE DISBELIEVERS WILL DO?"

(IN OTHER WORDS THE VERSE REFERS NOT TO THE MUSLIMS, BUT TO THE NON-MUSLIMS.)

THEREUPON HAZRAT IBN ABBAAS RA. SAID SAID : I QUR'AN WHERE MUSLIMS TOO WILL BEG FOR THE SAME." HE THEN RECITED THE LAST VERSES OF SURAH MUNAFIQOON:

"O YOU WHO BELIEVE, LET NOT YOUR RICHES OR YOUR CHILDREN DIVERT YOU FROM THE REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH. IF YOU ACT THUS, THE LOSS IS THEIR OWN ; AND SPEND SOMETHING (IN CHARITY) OUT OF THE SUBSTANCE WHICH WE HAVE BESTOWED UPON YOU, BEFORE DEATH SHOULD COME TO ANY OF YOU, AND HE SHOULD SAY : 'O MY LORD, WHY DID YOU NOT GIVE ME RESPITE FOR A LITTLE WHILE ? I SHOULD THEN HAVE GIVEN LARGELY IN CHARITY, AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN OF THE DOERS OF GOOD. BUT TO NO SOUL WILL ALLAH GRANT RESPITE, WHEN THE TIME APPOINTED (FOR IT) COMES ; AND ALLAH IS WELL AQUAINTED WITH WHAT YOU DO." (SURAH 63 VERSE 10 AND 11)

IN ANOTHER HADITH HAZRAT ABBAAS RA. RECITED THE ABOVE AAYAT AND SAID : "THIS REFERS TO THE MUSLIM WHEN DEATH COMES TO HIM AND HE HAS NOT DISCHARGED HIS ZAKAAT OR PERFORMED HIS HAJ OR DISCHARGED HIS DUTIES TOWARDS ALLAH, THEN HE WILL BEG TO BE SENT BACK TO THIS WORLD." BUT ALLAH SAYS IN THE HOLY QUR'AN : "BUT TO NO SOUL WILL ALLAH GRANT RESPITE WHEN THE TIME APPOINTED (FOR IT) HAS (SURAH 63 VERSE 11) (DURRE MANSOOR)

HADITH NUMBER FOUR.

HAZRAT ABU SAEED KHUDRI RA. REPORTS THAT RASULULLAH SAL-AM SAID : "ALLAH SAYS : 'THAT SERVANT OF MINE WHOME I HAVE GIVEN HEALTH AND SUFFICIENT SUSTENANCE AND HE ALLOWS FIVE YEARS TO PASS BY WITHOUT VISITING MY HOUSE, HE IS VERILY DEPRIVED OF GREAT GOODNESS AND MANY BLESSINGS'."

THIS IS NOT THE ONLY HADITH OF ITS KIND. MANY OTHERS WITH SIMILAR CONTENTS CAN BE MENTIONED. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT ACCORDING TO THIS HADITH IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OBLIGATORY FOR EVERY HEALTHY PERSON WHO HAS THE MEANS, TO PERFORM HAJ ONCE IN EVERY FIVE YEARS. BUT BECAUSE OF OTHER AHAADITH WHERE IT IS CLEARLY STATED THAT HAJ IS ONLY OBLIGATORY ONCE IN A LIFE TIME, THIS HADITH IS INTERPRETED THUS ; THAT IT IS ADVISABLE FOR SUCH PEOPLE TO PERFORM HAJ AFTER EVERY FIVE YEARS. NO ONE CAN DENY THE FACT THAT FAILURE TO VISIT THE HOLY KA'BAH UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES DEPRIVES ONE OF GREAT BLESSINGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT ALL HEALTH AND WEALTH COMES FROM ALLAH, AND THAT ALLAH HIMSELF SPEAKS IN THIS HADITH OF GIVING HEALTH AND WEALTH. HENCE, IF ANY WORLDLY NEEDS SEEN TO PREVENT OUR VISIT TO THE HOLY PLACES, IT SHOULD NO BE ALLOWED TO KEEP US AWAY. HOWEVER, IF ANY RELIGIOUS NEED KEEPS US AWAY AFTER WE HAVE ALREADY PERFORMED THE OBILGATORY HAJ, THEN SUCH A NEED SHOULD BE GIVEN PREFERENCE OVER OUR DESIRE TO PERFORM A NAFL HAJ. FOR EXAMPLE WHEN THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AROUND US IN NEED OF FOOD, CLOTHES AND DRINK, THEN IN SUCH A CASE IT IS MORE VIRTUOUS AND REWARDING TO GIVE CHARITY THEN TO PROCEED FOR NAFL HAJ.

HADITH NUMBER FIVE.

HAZRAT ABU JA'FAR RA. REPORTS FROM HIS FATHER WHO REPORTS FROM HIS GRAND FATHER THAT RASULULLAH SAL-AM SAID: "EVERY MAN OR WOMAN WHO IS STINGY IN SPENDING IN THINGS OR PLACES IN WHICH LIES ALLAH'S PLEASURE, HE WILL BE MADE TO SPEND MUCH MORE IN SUCH A CAUSE WHICH INCURS ALLAH'S DISPLEASURE, AND WHOEVER, BECAUSE OF SOME WORLDLY OBSTACLE (REQUIRING HIS ATTENTION) POSTPONES GOING FOR HAJ, WILL FIND THAT THE OBSTACLE SHALL NOT BE OVERCOME UNTIL HE SEES THE HAAJIS RETURNING FROM THEIR PILGRIMAGE ; AND WHOEVER (REFUSES) TO ASSIST SOMEBODY IN SOME FROM OF SINFUL ACT FOR WHICH THERE IS NO REWARD."

ACCORDING TO THE RULES LAID DOWN BY THE MUHADDITHEEN (SCHOLARS OF HADITH) THIS HADITH IS A WEAK ONE. HOWEVER, FOR SUCH PURPOSES, A HADITH LIKE THIS MAY BE QUOTED, AND MOREOVER GENERAL EXPERINCES CORROBORATE THIS HADITH. IT IS A FACT THAT PEOPLE WHO TRY TO AVOID ASSISTANCE I RIGHTEOUS, WORTHY CAUSES, BECOME INVOLVED IN PROHIBITED DEALINGS. YOU SEE THEM BRIBING IN COURT CASES ETC. AND WORSE THAN THAT YOU SEE THEM IN GRAVE IMMORAL ACTS. EG, DANCING, ATTENDING PARTIES AND THE CINEMA AND SPENDING MONEY ON IT. WHEN A PERSON SPENDS THE WEALTH ALLAH HAS SO GENEROUSLY GRANTED HIM, IN GOOD CAUSE, HE SAFEGUARDS HIMSELF FROM SUCH EVIL ACTS. IN THESE TIMES ONE SHOULD TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THESE POINTS. THESE WARNINGS ARE FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO IN SPITE OF HAVING WEALTH DO NOT PERFORM THIER FARDH HAJ. THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT POSSES THE WEALTH AND SPECIALLY THOSE ON WHOM OTHERS ARE DEPENDANT, FOR THEM TO ATTEND TO THEIR NEEDS IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN NAFI HAJ. IN HIS FAMOUS KITAAB MADKHAL, HAZRAT IBN AMEER ALHAAJ RA. WRITES : "MANY A PERSON LEAVES HIS FAMILY IN WANT AND GOES TO PERFORM HAJ, WHEN IN REALITY RASULULLAH SAL-AM HAD SAID : "IT IS SUFFICIENT A GREAT SIN THAT A MAN SHOULD LEAVE BEHIND IN WANT OF SUSTENANCE SUCH PERSONS WHOSE FOOD AND DRINK HE IS RESPOSIBLE FOR."