Allah the Exalted said:
رياض الصالحينAbū Zakariyyā Muḥyī al-Dīn Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī٢٣٣ - باب وجوب الحج وفضله
٢٣٣ - باب وجوب الحج وفضله
ۗ ۚ
In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it [i.e., the Ḥaram] shall be safe. And [due] to Allāh from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves [i.e., refuses] - then indeed, Allāh is free from need of the worlds.1
﵄: - ﷺ -
From Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both): that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Islam is built upon five: the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the establishment of prayer, the giving of zakāh, the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting Ramadan.” Agreed upon.
وعن أَبي هريرة - ﵁ - قَالَ: خَطَبَنَا رسولُ اللهِ - ﷺ - فَقَالَ: «أيُّهَا النَّاسُ، قَدْ فَرَضَ اللهُ عَلَيْكُم الحَجَّ فَحُجُّوا» فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: أكُلَّ عَامٍ يَا رَسولَ اللهِ؟ فَسَكَتَ، حَتَّى قَالَهَا ثَلاثًا. فَقَالَ رسولُ الله - ﷺ: «لَوْ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ لَوَجَبَتْ، وَلَمَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ» ثُمَّ قَالَ: «ذَرُوني مَا تَرَكْتُكُمْ؛ فَإنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِكَثْرَةِ سُؤالِهِمْ، وَاخْتِلاَفِهِمْ عَلَى أنْبِيَائِهِمْ، فَإذَا أمَرْتُكُمْ بِشَيءٍ فَأتُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ، وَإِذَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَن شَيْءٍ فَدَعُوهُ». رواه مسلم.
From Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ addressed us and said: “O people, Allah has made the pilgrimage obligatory upon you, so perform the pilgrimage.” A man asked: “Every year, O Messenger of Allah?” He remained silent, until the man had said it three times. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Had I said yes, it would have become obligatory, and you would not have been able [to bear it].” Then he said: “Leave me as I have left you; for those before you were destroyed only by their excessive questioning and their disagreement with their prophets. So when I command you to do something, do of it as much as you are able, and when I forbid you from something, then avoid it.” Muslim narrated it.
وعنه، قَالَ: سُئِلَ النَّبيُّ - ﷺ - أيُّ العَمَلِ أفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ: «إيمَانٌ بِاللهِ وَرسولِهِ» قيل: ثُمَّ ماذا؟ قَالَ: «الجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ» قِيلَ: ثُمَّ مَاذَا؟ قَالَ: «حَجٌّ مَبرُورٌ». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ. «المبرور» هُوَ: الَّذِي لا يرتكِبُ صاحِبُهُ فِيهِ معصيةً.
From him (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Prophet ﷺ was asked: “Which deed is best?” He said: “Faith in Allah and His Messenger.” It was said: “Then what?” He said: “Jihad in the path of Allah.” It was said: “Then what?” He said: “An accepted pilgrimage.” Agreed upon. “The accepted [pilgrimage]” (al-mabrūr) is one during which its performer commits no sin.
وعنه، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رسولَ اللهِ - ﷺ - يقول: «مَنْ حَجَّ، فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ ، وَلَمْ يَفْسُقْ، رَجَعَ كَيَوْمِ وَلَدَتْهُ أمُّهُ». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
From him (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “Whoever performs the pilgrimage and neither engages in obscene speech nor commits sin returns [free of sin] as on the day his mother bore him.” Agreed upon.
وعنه: أنَّ رسول اللهِ - ﷺ - قال: «العُمْرَةُ إِلَى العُمْرَةِ كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا بَينَهُمَا، وَالحَجُّ المَبْرُورُ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلاَّ الجَنَّةَ». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
From him (may Allah be pleased with him): that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “One ʿumrah to the next is an expiation for what lies between them, and the accepted pilgrimage has no reward other than Paradise.” Agreed upon.
وعن عائشة ﵂، قَالَت: قُلْتُ: يَا رسول الله، نَرَى الجِهَادَ أفْضَلَ العَمَلِ، أفَلاَ نُجَاهِدُ؟ فَقَالَ: «لَكُنَّ أفْضَلُ الجِهَادِ: حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ». رواه البخاري.
From ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: I said: “O Messenger of Allah, we regard jihad as the best of deeds; shall we not then go out to fight?” He said: “But the best jihad [for you] is an accepted pilgrimage.” Al-Bukhārī narrated it.
وعنها: أنَّ رسولَ الله - ﷺ - قَالَ: «مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أكْثَرَ مِنْ أَن يَعْتِقَ اللهُ فِيهِ عَبْدًا مِنَ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ». رواه مسلم.
From her (may Allah be pleased with her): that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “There is no day on which Allah frees more servants from the Fire than the Day of ʿArafah.” Muslim narrated it.
وعن ابن عباس ﵄: أنَّ النبيَّ - ﷺ - قَالَ: «عُمْرَةٌ في رَمَضَانَ تَعْدِلُ حَجَّةً - أَوْ حَجَّةً مَعِي». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
From Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both): that the Prophet ﷺ said: “An ʿumrah performed in Ramadan equals a pilgrimage” — or: “a pilgrimage with me.” Agreed upon.
وعنه: أنَّ امرأة قالت: يَا رسول الله، إنَّ فَرِيضَةَ اللهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ في الحَجِّ، أدْرَكَتْ أَبي شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا، لاَ يَثْبُتُ عَلَى الرَّاحِلَةِ أفَأحُجُّ عَنْهُ؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ». متفقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
From him (may Allah be pleased with him): that a woman said: “O Messenger of Allah, the obligation of Allah upon His servants regarding the pilgrimage has come upon my father as a very old man who cannot remain firm upon a riding-mount. May I perform the pilgrimage on his behalf?” He said: “Yes.” Agreed upon.
وعن لقيط بن عامر - ﵁: أنَّه أتى النبيَّ - ﷺ - فَقَالَ: إنَّ أَبِي شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ، لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُ الحَجَّ، وَلاَ العُمْرَةَ، وَلاَ الظَّعَنَ؟ قَالَ: «حُجَّ عَنْ أبِيكَ وَاعْتَمِرْ». رواه أَبُو داود والترمذي، وقال: «حديث حسن صحيح».
From Laqīṭ ibn ʿĀmir (may Allah be pleased with him): that he came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: “My father is a very old man who is unable to perform the pilgrimage, nor the lesser pilgrimage, nor to travel. [What should he do?]” He said: “Perform the pilgrimage on behalf of your father and perform the lesser pilgrimage.” Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī narrated it, and [al-Tirmidhī] said: “A good and sound hadith.”
وعن السائب بن يزيد - ﵁ - قَالَ: حُجَّ بي مَعَ رسولِ اللهِ - ﷺ - في حَجةِ الوَدَاعِ، وَأنَا ابنُ سَبعِ سِنينَ. رواه البخاري.
From al-Sāʾib ibn Yazīd (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I was taken on pilgrimage with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the Farewell Pilgrimage, when I was a boy of seven years. Al-Bukhārī narrated it.
وعن ابن عباس ﵄: أنَّ النبيَّ - ﷺ - لَقِيَ رَكْبًا بالرَّوْحَاءِ، فَقَالَ: «مَنِ القَوْمُ؟» قالوا: المسلِمُونَ. قالوا: مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ قَالَ: «رسولُ اللهِ». فَرَفَعَتِ امْرَأةٌ صَبيًّا، فَقَالَتْ: ألِهَذَا حَجٌّ؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ، وَلَكِ أجْرٌ». رواه مسلم.
And from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both): The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) met a party of riders at al-Rawḥāʾ and said, "Who are the people?" They said, "The Muslims." They said, "Who are you?" He said, "The Messenger of Allah." Then a woman lifted up a small child and said, "Is there a pilgrimage (ḥajj) for this one?" He said, "Yes, and for you there is a reward." Narrated by Muslim.
عن أنسٍ - ﵁: أنَّ رسول الله - ﷺ - حَجَّ عَلَى رَحْلٍ وَكانت زَامِلَتهُ . رواه البخاري.
From Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the pilgrimage upon a worn saddle, and it also served as his baggage-mount. Narrated by al-Bukhārī.
وعن ابن عباسٍ ﵄، قَالَ: كَانَتْ عُكَاظُ، وَمَجِنَّةُ، وَذُو المَجَازِ أسْوَاقًا في الجَاهِلِيَّةِ، فَتَأثَّمُوا أن يَتَّجِرُوا في المَوَاسِمِ، فَنَزَلَتْ: ﴿لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ﴾ [البقرة: ١٩٨] في مَوَاسِمِ الحَجِّ. رواه البخاري.
And from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: ʿUkāẓ, Majannah, and Dhū al-Majāz were marketplaces in the pre-Islamic era (Jāhiliyyah), and people felt it sinful to trade during the pilgrimage seasons. So there was revealed: "There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord" [al-Baqarah: 198] — concerning the seasons of the pilgrimage. Narrated by al-Bukhārī.