Lesson 02: Rulings and Conditions of Hajj
- Islamic Fiqh / Rituals
- /
- Hajj - Pilgrimage
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings to our Master Muhammad, the Faithful and the Honest. O Allah, we know nothing but what You teach us, You are the All- Knower, the Wise. O Allah our Lord, teach us what is useful for us, let us make use of what You have taught us and advance us in knowledge. O Allah, show us the righteous things as righteous and help us do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us keep away from them. O Allah our Lord, make us amongst those who listen to the Word and follow the best meaning of It, and admit us, by Your Grace, to the ranks of Your righteous servants.
Dear brothers, since Hajj season is coming soon, I would like to discuss some rulings of Hajj. Also, I will dedicate a lesson to those who intend to perform Hajj this year, but I will let you know when this lesson is at the end our lesson today.
Definition of Hajj:
Linguistically, the word Hajj means heading to a great and supreme place or thing, and according to Shari'ah, Hajj is visiting a certain place at a specific period of time to perform a particular activity.
The purpose of this visit is to circumambulate the Old House, which is the Sacred Ka'bah and to stand at Mount Arafat. As for the specific period of time, the circumambulation is performed since the emerging of the dawn of the day of Nahr (the Day of Sacrifice) till the last day of one's lifetime. As for standing at Arafat, it starts from the sunset of the Day of Arafah till the dawn of the day of Nahr. Hence, Hajj is visiting certain places in a specific period of time in order to perform a certain action.
The position of Hajj in Islam:
Dear brothers, Al-Hajj is a major pillar in Islam. Allah the Almighty ordains it on whoever can afford its expenses. Accordingly, whoever is poor and wants to borrow money in order to perform Hajj, let him know that he is exempted from performing it.
It seems that Allah the Almighty ordains Hajj on the rich man who is most likely busy with collecting his wealth, so that he leaves his business for a while in order to perform Hajj. As if Allah the Almighty tells him, "Come to me O my servant, and leave behind your mansion, merchant and high position." The response of the Haaj is "Labaika Allahumma Labaik (Here I am O Allah, Here I am."
Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one's conveyance, provision and residence)… ﴿
Pay attention to the following Hadith:
(( (Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "(The superstructure of) Islam is based on five (pillars), testifying the fact that La ilaha illallah wa anna Muhammad-ar-Rasul-ullah [there is no true god except Allah, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah], establishing As- Salat (the prayers), paying Zakat (poor due), the pilgrimage to the House [of Allah (Ka'bah)], and the Sawm (fasting) during the month of Ramadan.") ))
The pillars of Islam are testifying that La ilaha illallah wa anna Muhammad Rasul-ullah [there is no true god worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah], establishing As-Salat (the prayers), paying Zakat (poor due), the pilgrimage to the House [of Allah (Ka'bah)], and the Sawm (fasting) during the month of Ramadan."
Hajj is Fard Ayn (it refers to legal obligations that must be performed by each individual Muslim, including Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj), and all of you know that Fard Kifayah (A obligation which is not obligatory for every individual Muslim; when some Muslims fulfill it, others become exempt from it) is different, since Muslims are exempted from performing it if some of them perform it, like Salat Al-Janazah. Al-Hajj, on the other hand is Fard Ayn ordained on every Muslim who is able to afford its expenses, so the one who rejects it is considered Kafir (disbeliever), and the one who does not perform it is considered Fasiq (debaucher). It is a once-in-a-lifetime-obligation as it is mentioned in the following Hadith:
(( (Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) once addressed us and said, "O People! Hajj has been prescribed for you." Al-Aqra' bin Habis stood up and asked, 'O Prophet of Allah! Are we to perform Hajj every year?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Had I said 'yes', it would have become a (yearly) obligation. Hajj is obligatory only once in one's lifetime. Whatever one does over and above this is supererogatory (a voluntary act) for him.") ))
The majority of scholars agreed upon performing it as soon as one can afford its expenses, supporting their opinion with the following Hadith:
(( Ibn Abbas narrated that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "Hasten to perform Hajj [meaning the obligatory Hajj] for none of you knows what will happen to him." ))
The following is a proof from the Quran that Hajj is an obligation on those who can afford its expenses:
﴾ Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-'Alamin (the mankind and jinns).﴿
In another Ayah, Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He says:
﴾ And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj). ﴿
Only those who have performed this obligation sincerely and tasted its sweetness comprehend the meanings of this Ayah.
The third Ayah that proves the obligatory nature of Hajj is the following one in which the Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (And perform properly (i.e. all the ceremonies according to the ways of Prophet Muhammad PBUH), the Hajj and 'Umrah (i.e. the pilgrimage to Makkah) for Allah.) ﴿
Based on the above-mentioned Ayat, Hajj is an obligation, and as you know the texts in the Noble Quran are definitive in their proofs, and the Ayat I have just mentioned are definitive in their meanings. Furthermore, the proof is in the Noble Sunnah as mentioned in the following Hadith:
(( Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace upon him) delivered a Khutbah and said, "O people! Hajj (pilgrimage to the House of Allah) has been made incumbent upon you, so perform Hajj." A man inquired: "O Messenger of Allah, is it prescribed every year?" He (peace be upon him) remained silent till the man repeated it thrice. Then he (peace be upon him) said, "Had I replied in the affirmative, it would have surely become obligatory, and you would not have been able to fulfill it." Afterwards he said, "Do not ask me so long as I do not impose anything upon you, because those who were before you were destroyed on account of their frequent questioning and their disagreement with their Prophets. So when I order you to do something, do it as far as you can; and when I forbid you from doing anything, eschew it." ))
"Had I replied in the affirmative, it would have surely become obligatory" means it would have been compulsory each year, but it is obligatory once in a lifetime.
Keep in mind that the rulings on certain matters are not mentioned in Shari'ah due to profound Wisdom, and this is why the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
(( (Indeed, when Allah commands you to do something then do it and when He prohibits you from something then leave it, and when He remains silent about certain things, that is due to His grace and mercy, do not ask about them) ))
Thus, the rulings which are not mentioned make things easier to the Muslims. In fact, the orders which are mentioned in Shari'ah are as important as the ones which are not mentioned. Wisdom is manifested in the orders and prohibitions mentioned clearly in Shari'ah, and it is reflected in the matters which are not approved. This is applied to the ruling on the obligation of performing Hajj whether it should be performed once in a lifetime or whenever the Muslim can afford its expenses.
(( (Had I replied in the affirmative, it would have surely become obligatory, and you would not have been able to fulfill it.) ))
In another narration, it was reported that:
(( A man inquired: "O Messenger of Allah, is it prescribed every year?" He (peace be upon him) said, "Had I replied in the affirmative, it would have surely become obligatory, and you would have abandoned it, because you would never have been able to perform it." ))
It would have been beyond the Muslims' scope. Hence, Hajj is to be performed once in a lifetime, and whoever performs it more than once, it is considered Nafl (supererogatory).
There is another Hadith in which the believer is forbidden from asking about the rulings on the matter the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not approve (he remained silent upon being asked about them).
﴾ It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah addressed the people and said: 'Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has enjoined upon you Hajj.' A man said: 'Every year?' He remained silent until he had repeated it three times. Then he said: 'If I said yes, it would be obligatory, and if it were obligatory you would not be able to do it. Do not ask me about the matters I remain silent concerning them. Verily, those who came before you were destroyed, because they asked too many questions and differed with their Prophets. If I command you to do something then follow it as much as you can, and if I forbid you to do something then avoid it."' ﴿
The Prophet, peace be upon him, means, "When I remain silent concerning certain matters, do not ask me about them." I repeat what the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
﴾ '…If I said yes, it would be obligatory, and if it were obligatory you would not be able to do it. Do not ask me about the matters I remain silent concerning them. Verily, those who came before you were destroyed, because they asked too many questions and differed with their Prophets. If I command you to do something then follow it as much as you can, and if I forbid you to do something then avoid it."' ﴿
Steadfastness is nonfinite, and the righteous deeds are determined by the ability of the one who performs them. The prohibitions, on the other hand, should be avoided completely, lest the servant will be veiled from Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He. As for the mandatory orders, they are done according to our ability.
The Islamic Ummah agreed that Hajj is an obligation ordained on whoever can afford its expenses. Also, she agrees that Salat, Sawm, and Zakat are all obligations.
Based on the above-mentioned points, Hajj is an obligation as proved in the Book, Sunnah and Ijma' (Ijma' has been technically defined as the consensus of the jurists of a. certain period over a religious matter). As you know the Book and Sunnah are two major fundaments among the other Shari'ah fundaments, whereas Ijma' and Qiyas (it is the process of analogical reasoning in which the teachings of the Hadith are compared and contrasted with those of the Quran, i.e., in order to make an analogy with a known injunction (nass) to a new injunction. As a result, the ruling of the Sunnah and the Qur'an may be used as a means to solve or provide a response to a new problem that may arise) are minor fundaments.
In Friday Khutbah, I talked about the benefits of Hajj. It is a journey to Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, after evacuating one's ownself from the affairs of the worldly life and hastening to approach Allah the Almighty. Also, it is a preparing journey to the last one to the Hereafter.
During this journey to Allah the Almighty, man takes off the masks and appearances he uses to wear in his everyday life, so he leaves behind the wealth he collects, the high position he occupies and the entertaining activities he uses to practise in his homeland. He leaves all these things behind when he performs Hajj. So, it seems that Hajj returns man to his real size, and lets him dedicate himself to approach Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, in order to taste the sweetness of being close to Him. Actually, the Khutbah on Friday was a long one I dedicated to discuss the benefits of Hajj, so it was about the Fiqhi side of this obligation, and now I would like to move to its conditions.
Hajj is Fard Ayn on every Muslim, which means that one of its conditions is Islam, so it is not obligatory on the non-Muslim. One may ask, "If a rich Kafir embraces Islam, but he becomes poor, should he perform Hajj? No, he should not, because he was rich but Kafir, so Hajj was not ordained on him, and when he became a Muslim, he did not have enough money to perform it. This is an important point, because Hajj is ordained on Muslims, and it is not demanded from the Kafir.
Another condition of performing Hajj is to be sane, so the insane is not obliged to perform it since he cannot understand the religious speech and Shari'ah rulings.
Among the conditions of performing Hajj is accountability, so the non-pubescent child is not obligated to perform Hajj because accountability starts the day the child becomes pubescent.
You can see little children in Hajj wearing Ihram sacred state into which a Muslim must enter in order to perform Hajj clothing and performing Hajj with their parents, and this is to train them and let them be blessed in that Sacred Place. Thus, non-pubescent child is not obligated to perform Hajj.
One more condition is to be free, so performing Hajj is not an obligation on the slave. The same goes for the prisoner who has lost his freedom; he is not obliged to perform Hajj.
The salve is not obliged to perform this act of worship, because Hajj is a physical and financial obligation, while the salve and what he possesses belong to his master.
If the non-pubescent child performs Hajj and the servant performs it with his master, their Hajj is considered Nafl. Thus, the child in such a case should perform it as an obligation when he is pubescent, and the servant after setting him free should perform it as an obligation too.
Among the conditions is that Hajj is an obligation on whoever knows about it, and this knowledge determines who should perform Hajj. For instance, if a Kafir embraces Islam during war and in the month of Hajj, he is not obliged to perform Hajj, because he has not known about this obligation yet. On the other hand, the one who embraces Islam, and he has grown up in a Muslim country should perform Hajj, because he has already known from his Muslim surroundings that it is an obligation. As for the Kafir who embraces Islam in Kafir country, he is is not obliged to perform Hajj until he has good knowledge about it. Thus, performing Hajj requires knowing that it is an obligation, like the case of the one who embraces Islam in a Muslim country; he definitely knows about this obligation.
Based on the aforementioned points, let me remind you that Hajj is ordained on the servant after becoming free, the child after becoming pubescent, the insane after regaining his sanity. The later is obliged to perform Hajj after recovering from the mental disturbance he has suffered from. Thus, the servant, the non-pubescent child, and the insane are exempted from performing Hajj.
I would like to refer to a delicate point; the poor who performs Hajj, has it accepted as an obligation, and not a Nafl. Let me elaborate, if the poor man is eager to perform Hajj and collects money for this purpose and gets some financial support from other people too perform Hajj, we do not say to him that his Hajj is considered Nafl, but rather it is considered an obligation. Therefore, he does not have to perform it once again if he becomes rich later on. This is the Shari'ah ruling on such a case.
One of the conditions of performing Hajj is to be performed at its right time, and the right time of Hajj includes the months of Hajj. Accordingly, whoever has money but he spends it in months other than the ones of Hajj is excused. For instance, if someone has about 50.000 Liras, and he buys by it a store in one of the months that is not among the ones of Hajj is, he not obliged to perform Hajj if he cannot afford its expenses (during the months of Hajj). Likewise, the one who spends the money he has before the months of Hajj is not obliged to perform Hajj if he does not have enough money.
The months of Hajj are Shawwal, Dhul-Qi'dah and the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ The Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well-known (lunar year) months (i.e. the 10th month, the 11th month and the first ten days of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, i.e. two months and ten days). So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein by assuming Ihram), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj﴿
I would like to repeat briefly the conditions I have mentioned so far; Hajj should be performed at the right time, the one who is obliged to perform it should know about it as an obligation, he should be free, he should be sane, he should be pubescent and he should be a Muslim.
We come to the ability of the Muslim to perform Hajj, and this condition has many aspects. The ability embraces the financial and physical ones. Being able to afford Hajj means that the Muslim should have enough money to meet his needs of food and drink during the entire period of Hajj. Thus, one should know how much the food costs there. Also, he should have the ability to afford the expenses of transportation means, which means the return ticket.
Some scholars say whoever cannot afford the expenses of traveling by sea, nor can he afford the expenses of the ticket cannot afford the expenses of Hajj. He should have enough money for his food, travelling and dwelling. Besides, the expenses should be extra ones; they should not affect the money he dedicates to expend on his household's need. He should leave to his household enough money to meet their basic needs until he returns from Hajj. This money should cover all the expenses of food, drink, dwelling, bills and so on. These expenses are average ones without excessiveness or stinginess. Hence, this is the meaning of being able to afford the expenses of Hajj, and whoever cannot afford them, then he is not obliged to perform Hajj.
We move to the physical ability. The one who is obliged to perform Hajj should be physically healthy. Therefore, whoever is disabled, such as the paralyzed person or the one whose hand or leg is cut are not obliged to perform Hajj. Also, the old man who cannot stand sitting in the vehicle on his own, the blind man even if he is accompanied by the leader of his group, and the one who suffers from an intractable disease are not obliged to perform Hajj due to their health problems.
The safety of the passage from one's homeland to the destination of Hajj is among the aspects of the ability to perform Hajj. So the trip should be safe, and if someone fears that he may get killed or his money may be stolen, he does not have to perform Hajj. The act of worship is ordained on him as a duty, but he does not have to perform it.
There are other rulings I will mentioned later on. Scholars said, "The one who can afford the expenses of Hajj, but he is unable to perform it, because the trip is not safe, or because he is paralyzed, very old, blind, or unable to perform it on his own, and he feels like he is about to die, he can ask someone to perform it on his behalf after he dies. The main point is that as long as you can afford its expenses, it is ordained on you.
There are conditions of the obligation of Hajj, and there are the conditions of its performance, so the one who cannot perform Hajj due to health problem he is exempted from performing it on his own, but as long as he can afford the expenses of Hajj, he should appoint someone to perform it on his behalf after preparing him financially.
The conditions of performing Hajj:
I would like to repeat the conditions of performing Hajj. The first condition is to be physically healthy, so that the person should have no disability that would prevent him from performing this obligation, such as being in a wheelchair, being blind, even if there is someone who accompanies him, and being a very old man who cannot sit on his own. The second condition is not to be prevented from performing Hajj due a tangible reason such being in prison, being deprived of travelling outside one's homeland, or having no transporting means to travel by. The third condition as I have mentioned earlier, is the safety of the trip. The fourth condition has to do with the woman, she is not obliged to perform Hajj during 'Iddah period, whether she is divorced or widow. So all type of 'Iddah exempt the woman from performing Hajj, but it is still ordained on her as an obligation. In other words, she can perform it once her 'Iddah period is over, but as long as she is in 'Iddah period she cannot perform it since Allah the Almighty forbids her from getting out of her house during this period. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O Prophet (peace be upon him)! When you divorce women, divorce them at their 'Iddah (prescribed periods), and count (accurately) their 'Iddah (periods). And fear Allah your Lord (O Muslims), and turn them not out of their (husband's) homes, nor shall they (themselves) leave, except in case they are guilty of some open illegal sexual intercourse. And those are the set limits of Allah. And whosoever transgresses the set limits of Allah, then indeed he has wronged himself. You (the one who divorces his wife) know not, it may be that Allah will afterward bring some new thing to pass (i.e. to return her back to you if that was the first or second divorce).﴿
I would like you to pay attention to this point: The woman who is allowed to perform Hajj should be accompanied by her husband or a permanent Mahram (is an unmarriageable kin with whom marriage or sexual intercourse would be considered Haram, illegal in Islam), not a temporary one. For instance, she cannot perform Hajj if she is accompanied by her brother in law, because she can marry him if her sister dies, so he is considered a temporary Mahram. Hence, she can perform Hajj with her husband or a permanent Mahram. The proof is mentioned in the following Hadith:
(( Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to make a journey of one day and night unless she is accompanied by a Mahram (husband or any other relative to whom she is prohibited to marry)." ))
This is not only applied to the case of travelling for the purpose of performing Hajj, but for any other purpose. Well, there are many stories which reveal the wisdom of this Divine Prohibition. I mean, when the woman travels alone, she will be an easy prey to bad men.
If the woman travels accompanied by her Mahram, such as her brother, the husband does not have the right to prevent her if it is an obligation and not Nafl, but he has the right to so if it is Hajj Nafl even if she is accompanied by a Muhram.
The definition of Mahram
The Mahram is the one whom the woman cannot get married due to kinship ties, such as breastfeeding, kinship, or alliance. Scholars say that it is not allowed to a woman to travel with her nursling's biological brother, because it most likely causes mischief. Also, the Fuqaha' (jurisprudents) confirm that a woman can never stay alone with her nursling's biological brother due to the mischief that it most likely causes.
There are some conditions other than the ones of obligation and performance. They have to do with the correct performance of Hajj. These conditions are Islam, sanity, and Ihram. Ihram is one of the conditions of Hajj according to the Hanafi School of Thought.
There is a difference between the condition and the pillar. The condition should be fulfilled before performing the obligation. Ihram serves as the intention, and it is meant to be the intention and Talbiyah. Also, its importance to the rituals of Hajj is similar to the importance of the intention uttered before starting Salat.
Concerning the specific time of Hajj, it is the months of Hajj, and its place is the one Allah the Wise Legislator specifies to perform Hajj.
Some points about the obligation of Hajj:
If the Kafir performs Hajj, but let me before I go on tell you who the Kafir is. Whoever says a word of Kufr, such as saying, "I do not think that Salat should be obligatory" or "Well, these rulings are out of date", and if he denies one of the obligations theoretically and practically, he has committed Kufr. Accordingly, this one should perform Hajj for another time as a Muslim, because the first time he performs Hajj is not accepted as long as he performs it as a Kafir.
In some cases, a person performs Hajj with his friend, because he will be embarrassed if he does not perform it with them as he resides in Saudi Arabia due to a business contract he signs. He performs Hajj although he is completely not convinced with it, he considers its rituals invaluable practices and he regards them as superstitions. If such a person performs Hajj while he has these beliefs, his Hajj is not accepted, because he is considered Kafir, so he should performs it for another time as a Muslim.
The little child who performs Hajj before he becomes pubescent should perform Hajj as a pubescent.
If a Muslim abandoned Islam, all his righteous deeds will not be accepted any longer including Hajj, and if he embraces Islam once again, he is obliged to perform Hajj for another time. Abandoning Islam is presented by joining partners in worship with Allah the almighty, denying the Hereafter, rejecting Salat, Sawm, Zakat Hajj and so on, or by saying the word of Kufr, such as badmouthing religion.
Bear in mind that whoever says the word of Kufr against religion has abandoned Islam, so he should repent, lest his wife will be divorced, and his money will be confiscated.
The poor man who performs Hajj with money that is given to him or he borrows, does not have to perform it one more time as an obligation, because it is accepted. In other words, being a poor who cannot afford the expenses of Hajj, but one performs it with the financial support or the help of other people never makes his Hajj invalid! On the contrary, it is valid, and he does not have to perform it once again as an obligation.
Whoever has a house other than the one he lives in, and he does not need it should sell it in order to perform Hajj. Yet, if he has a big house, and he does not need all its rooms, he is not obliged to sell some of its square to perform Hajj, because according to the Shari'ah rulings, he does not have to do so.
As for the one who is in debt, his Hajj is not preferable unless he asks for the permission of the one who lends him the money. If someone has borrowed a huge sum of money, and he wants to perform Hajj, the one who has lent him the money has the right to prevent him until he gives his money back. Sometimes the one who has lent the money is a noble man, so he allows the person in debt to perform Hajj and then he can give him his money back. The main point is that Hajj of the one who is in debt is invalid unless he gets the permission of the one who has lent him the money.
The ruling on whether one should hasten to perform Hajj or not:
The last point I would like to discuss is answering this question: Should Hajj be performed as soon as one is able, or can it be postponed? According to Abi Hanifah's School of Thought and to the opinions of Abi Yusuf (the second student of Abi Hanifah, Imam Malik, Al-Muzni (the student of Imam Shafi'i), may Allah have mercy upon their souls, Hajj should be performed as soon as one is able to afford its expenses, and if one postpones it without an excuse, he is considered sinful and his Shahadah (of embracing Islam) is not accepted until he performs it even when he becomes an old man. Only then, his sin is rectified, but if postponing is due to a certain excuse, then it is another case.
What is the proof that Hajj should be performed as soon as one is able? Well, Hajj is an obligation to be performed once in a lifetime, but death occurs whenever and sometimes unexpectedly, so one may die before he performs Hajj although he is able to do so. Hence, the proof is that there is a possibility that man may die before performing Hajj although he has the ability to do so. Hence, postponing it in such a case is anticipated to be Haram (prohibited). This is indicated in the following Hadith:
(( Ibn Abbas narrated that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "Hasten to perform Hajj [meaning the obligatory Hajj] for none of you knows what will happen to him." ))
This is the opinion of Imam Abi Hanifah, Abi Yusuf, Malik and Al-Muzni. Imam Shafi'i and Muhammad bin Yusuf, may Allah have Mercy upon their souls, said that one can postpone the performance of Hajj, and he does not have to perform it once he can afford its expenses. They supported their opinion with the fact that Hajj is performed once in a lifetime, and so one has enough time to perform it. Likewise, one can postpone the performance of Salat a little while after its time. However, if one keeps postponing the performance of Hajj although he can afford it expenses till he dies without performing it he, is considered sinful. In general, it is recommended to perform Hajj as soon as one can afford its expenses.
Next lesson insha Allah, we will talk about some of the obligatory matters of Hajj, and its Sunan and Wajibaat (duties).
Let us move to some scenes from the biography of At-Tabi'i (follower of the companions) Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qais.
We entered the early period of Khilafah Al-Farooq (Umar Ibn Al-Khattab), the moment when the heroes and figures of Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qais, namely Banu Tamim, competed on their mighty horses and with their glittering drawn swords. From their households in Ahsa' and Najd, they went out to Basra, to join the Muslim forces who had gathered there, under the leadership of Utbah bin Ghazwan. They wanted to confront Persia, and perform Jihad (fighting in the cause of Allah) seeking by it Allah's Pleasure. Among them was a young man named Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qais.
One day, Utbah bin Ghazwan received a letter from the Amir Al-Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Umar Ibn Al-Khattab asking him to send ten of the main soldiers of his army to join the others in their war. Amir Al-Muminin wanted to know about the situation of the Islamic forces. The order was immediately carried out by Utbah. He sent ten of his best soldiers to Amir Al-Mu'minin in Medina, including Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qais.
Upon arrival, the soldiers were welcomed by Amir Al-Mu'minin, and they were invited to sit in his assembly. They were asked about their needs and the needs of all the people. They said, "As for the needs of the common people, you know better, because you are a leader. Then we only speak on our own personal behalf." Then each of them asked for his needs.
Incidentally, Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qais had the last chance to speak, because he was the youngest among them. He praised Allah and flattered Him, then he said, "O Amir al-Mu'minin, actually the army of the Muslims who were sent to Egypt live in a verdant fertile area and a luxurious place inherited from Pharaoh. Also, the troops sent to the Levant live in a comfortable place, where there are lots of fruits and gardens, as if they live in a palace. As for the troops sent to Persia, they live around the river that overflows with fresh water, and there are fruit gardens left by the emperors.
On the other hand, our people who were sent to Basra live in a dry and barren place, where there is no growing fruit. One of the edges is salty ad the sea, the other edge is just a barren stretch. So pay attention to their distress, O Amir Al-Mu'minin, improve their lives and command your governor in Basra to maintain fresh water, so that livestock and trees drink from it. Improve their condition and their families, alleviate their suffering, because they make it a means for Jihad."
Umar was amazed to hear his statement, then he asked the ones who were with him "Why do you not do what he did?" Notice how the people who were with him said, "As for the needs of the common people, you know better, because you are a leader. Then we only speak on our own personal behalf." Umar went on, "Indeed, he (Al-Ahnaf) is a leader, by Allah." Then Umar prepared their supplies and prepared supplies for Al-Ahnaf, but the Al-Ahnaf said, "By Allah O Amir Al-mu'minin, we have not gone far to meet you and cook the camels for days to get supplies. I have no need other than the needs of my people as I have told you. If you meet them, then this is enough for us." Umar even more amazed, and he said, "This young man is the leader of the people of Basra."
After the assembly was over and the delegation went to the place of dwelling they had been provided, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab looked at their belongings. A piece of clothing caught his attention, so he asked while touching it, "Whose is this?" Al-Ahnaf replied, "It is mine, O Amir Al-Mu'minin," and at once he felt that Umar considered the item too luxurious and expensive. Umar asked, "How much did you pay for it?" Al-Ahnaf said, "Eight Dirhams." Umar looked at him with a look of affection. He smoothly said, "I think paying one Dirham for a clothing is enough, so that you can help other Muslims by paying them the excess assets." Umar said to all, "Keep to yourself an amount of money that suffices you, and put the rest of your money in its place so that you are lightly burdened and abundantly rewarded." Al-Ahnaf bowed shyly to hear it, and he remained silent.
Then Our Master Umar gave permission to the delegation to return to Basrah, but Al-Ahnaf was not allowed to return with them, he was asked to stay with Umar for an entire year.
Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, observed that the young man of Bani Tamim had sharp wit, he was eloquent in speech, he had great spirit, he had lofty aspiration and he was rich in talents. Therefore, Amir Al-Mu'minin intended to keep him close to him, so that he could be see the improvement he would achieve after meeting the best companions and be able to follow their footsteps and learn from their rich religious knowledge. Furthermore, Umar intended to examine the personality of Al-Ahnaf deeply before appointing him as the responsible one for the Muslims' affairs. Umar did that, because he was worried the most about the eloquent wit people since such people can fill the world with goodness if they are righteous, but if they are corrupt, their intelligence will be disastrous for all people. Hence, intelligent people are a potential danger.
Umar said, "O Ahnaf, after testing you, I only found goodness in you. Also, I have noticed how good you are in public, and I hope that you are the same in private." Then he sent Al-Ahnaf to lead troops to Persia. He advised the commander, Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari, "Join Al-Ahnaf as a companion, consult him in all matters and pay attention to his proposals."
Al-Ahnaf joined the fighting under the banner of Muslims to invade Persia. He fought bravely proving his heroism and becoming a bright knight. He and his people, Bani Tamim, contributed to conquering the enemy with great sacrifice. They controlled many cities and regions, including the city of Tustur, and they captivated their leader, Al-Hurmuzan.
Al-Hurmuzan was the strongest and most courageous Persian leader and had wit tricks in war. The victory of the Muslims over him forced him to reconcile with them many times. However, he broke the peace treaty whenever he had the chance. He thought he could be victorious over the Muslims.
When he was chased, he hid in one of his stronghold towers, and he said, "I have a hundred arrows. By Allah, I will never let you catch me as long as I have these arrows. As you know, my shot never misses it target, so you cannot catch me before a hundred of you are killed. So what benefit do you get if you captivate me after I kill a hundred of your men." The Muslim forces asked him, "What do you want?" Al-Hurmuzan replied, "I want to be tried under the law of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, and let do him whatever he wished to me." They said, "Alright. We will do that for you."
At that point, he put his arrow down and surrendered to the Muslims. The Muslim forces bound him then sent him to Madinah with the war heroes under the leadership of Anas bin Malik, the servant of Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, and Al-Ahnaf Inb Qais, the student of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab.
The group of Muslims headed towards Madinah brining the glad tidings of opening Persia, the wealth for the Baitul Maal, which is one fifth of the loots and Al-Hurmuzan, who kept breaking the peace treaty with Muslims, to be punished by the Khalifah.
This incident reminded of Salahu Din; when he defeated the Crusaders, he forgave all the kings but one king, because he used to betray the Muslims and kill the pilgrims. He did not forgive him, but rather he killed him with his own hand. Like that king, Hurmuzan always broke the covenant and betrayed Muslims, so he was sent to the Khalifah to try him.
Upon arriving at the outskirts of Madinah, they dressed him his oversized clothes made of expensive silk studded with gold gems. They put on his head a crown full of bright jewelry. Also, they gave him his scepter that was made of pure gold and full of rubies and pearls. They let him entered into Madinah with that grandeur outer appearance he used to put on when he was a great leader of Persia.
As soon as they entered the city of Yathrib, all people, the young the old, gathered to watch their captive dressed in luxury with amazement. He was immediately taken to Umar's house, but he was not there. Someone said, "He went to the Masjid to welcome the delegation who came to visit him. The group of Muslims walked towards the Masjid, but he was not there either. Meanwhile, more and more people gathered around them.
They went on looking for Umar, so the children who were playing there asked them, "Why are you going back and forth? Are you looking for Amir Al-Mu'minin?" They said, "Yes, we are. Where is he?" They replied, "He fell asleep on the right side of the Masjid, lying on his turban."
Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, went to welcome the delegation from Kufah, and when they left, he slept. When the group entered the Masjid with Al-Hurmuzan, they found 'Umar lying asleep on his burnoose with his stick in his hand.
They came closer to him and sat down with the captive who did not speak Arabic, and who would never imagine that the man who was asleep before him was Amir Al-Mu'minin. He heard about Umar's austerity, but it would never come to his mind the image of the one who defeated the Romans and the Persians sleeping in one of the Masjid corners without a cover, guards, water or veil.
When he noticed that people went silent while they were sitting next to Umar, he thought they were preparing themselves to pray and waiting for the Khalifah. Then, Al-Ahnaf instructed people to calm down so as not to awaken the Khalifah, because as he knew, Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, never slept at night properly. He always stood in prayer at his Mihrab, or he disguised and walked around Madinah to investigate matters concerning his people or guard their houses from thieves.
Then when Al-Hurmuzan saw Al-Ahnaf's signal to the people, he turned to Mughirah bin Shu'bah who could speak Persian, and asked him, "Who is the one who is asleep?" Mughirah replied, "He is Amir Al-Mu'minin, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab." How surprised Al-Hurmuzan was! Then he exclaimed, "Umar! Where are the guards?" Mughirah replied, "He has no guards. Then he is a prophet." Mughirah said, "No, there is no Prophet after Muhammad, peace be upon him, but he behaves just like a Prophet."
People were getting crowded and the voices were getting louder. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, woke up, and he was surprised to see people crowded around him. He saw someone wearing oversized clothes, with a crown on his head and a scepter studded with beautiful gems in his hand, so he turned to Al-Ahnaf, and asked, "Who is this man?" "He is Al-Hurmuzan." Al-Ahnaf answered. Umar exclaimed, "Al-Hurmuzan!" "Yes, O Amir Al-Mu'minin."
Umar again observed the sparkling silk and clothing and the bright jewelry worn by the Persian leader then turned away while muttering, "I seek refuge in Allah from the Hell-Fire and from this world. Praise be to Allah who has made this person and the like submit to Islam."
Then he said, "O Muslims. Hold on to this religion and follow the instructions of your wise Prophet, peace be upon him. Never be fascinated by the worldly life, because it is seducing." Upon finishing his speech, Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qais brought him the glad tidings of the opening. Al-Ahnaf said, "O Amir Al-Muminin, Al-Hurmuzan has surrendered to us, and he asked us to let him be tried by your ruling. Please talk to him." Umar said, "I will never talk to him but after you take off these aspects of grandeur and arrogance." They took his jewelry, crown and scepter, and they let him wear a robe to cover his nakedness.
After that, Umar looked at him and said, "How did you find the consequences of betrayal and breaking your promise? How did you find the fulfillment of Allah's Promise?" With a disdainful bow, Al-Hurmuzan replied, "O Umar, in the period of ignorance when none of us believed in Allah, we always won over you. But once you embraced Islam, Allah became on your side, so you defeated us." Umar said to him, "You defeated us due to the reason you have just mentioned. Yet, there is one more reason which made you victorious, which is being united while we were fragmented."
After that, Umar sharpen his look at Al-Hurmuzan, and he said in a stern tone, "What pushed you to break your promises constantly, O Hurmuzan?" He answered, "I am afraid you kill me before I tell you." Umar replied, "Do not worry, no harm will be done to you until you tell me." Umar pacified him till Al-Hurmuzan answered him.
Thus, Al-Hurmuzan calmed down and said, "I am thirsty." Umar asked his people to get him some water, but they brought him water in a thick container, so Al-Hurmuzan looked at it and said, "By Allah, I prefer to die out of thirst to drink water from this container." Umar asked his people to bring Al-Hurmuzan water in a better container.
Al-Hurmuzan took it with trembling hands, so Umar asked him, "What's wrong with you?" He replied, "I am afraid of being killed while drinking this water." Umar said, "You will be safe until you finish drinking." However, Al-Hurmuzan spilled the water directly on the ground, so Umar said, "Bring him water, and do not kill him while he is thirsty." Al-Hurmuzan said, "I do not need water, but I just asked for it, so that I may avoid being killed."
Umar said, "I will kill you!" Al-Hurmuzan replied, "You promised not to kill me now." Umar said, "You lie."
Anas bin Malik said, "He is right O Amir Al-Mu'minin, you have given him the word that no hard will befall on him."
Umar said, "Owe to you Anas, how would I give protection to the person who killed your brother. No way!"
Anas said, "But you said, 'No harm will be done to you until you tell me.' Also, you said to him, "You are safe until you drink water."
Al-Ahnaf supported Anas' words, and all the ones who were present said that Umar gave him protection. Umar looked at Al-Hurmuzan furiously, "You deceived me. By Allah, I am not to be deceived by any except a Muslim."
Finally, Al-Hurmuzan embraced Islam.
Sometimes the parents pretend to be harsh on their child to make him do the right thing, and this is what Umar did; he was harsh on Al-Hurmazan, so that the latter would embrace Islam. The thing that made Umar cautious was the repeated braking of the promises and the peace treaty by Al-Hurmuzan.
