Hajj & Umrah

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بنِ عُمَر رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَحَجِّ الْبَيْتِ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened Islam to a well-built structure based on five pillars that carry it and the rest of its characteristics complement the structure. First pillar: The two testimonies of faith; testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. These two testimonies constitute one pillar as they are both inseparable. The slave utters the two testimonies of faith acknowledging the oneness of Allah and His exclusive worthiness of worship apart from others, acting upon their requirements, believing in the message of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and following him. Second pillar: Establishing the prayer, which refers to the five obligatory prayers that are to be observed every day and night and they are: Fajr (morning), Zhuhr (noon), ‘Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), and ‘Ishā’ (night), along with observing their conditions, pillars, and obligatory acts. Third pillar: Giving the obligatory Zakah, which is an obligatory financial act of worship due on every type of property that has reached the limit prescribed by Shariah and it is to be given to those entitled to it. Fourth pillar: Performing Hajj, which is travelling to Makkah to perform the rituals as a means of worshipping Allah Almighty. Fifth pillar: Fasting Ramadān, which is abstaining from food, drink, and other invalidators from the break of dawn until sunset with the intention of worshipping Allah.

• The two testimonies of faith are inseparable, i.e., none of them is valid without the other; hence, he considered them one pillar.
• The two testimonies of faith are the core of the religion; hence, they are essential for the validity of any saying or deed.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 11) (8)، صحيح مسلم (1/ 45) (16)، و(1/ 88) (82)، فتح الباري لابن رجب (1/ 22)، جامع العلوم والحكم (1/147)، شرح الأربعين لابن العطّار (ص 62)، شرح الأربعين النووية لعبد الكريم الخضير (ص 87)، فتح القوي المتين في شرح الأربعين للعباد (ص 29)، شرح الأربعين النووية لصالح آل الشيخ (ص 91 - 95)، التحفة الربانية لإسماعيل الأنصاري (ص 12).

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «تَابِعُوا بَيْنَ الحَجِّ وَالعُمْرَةِ، فَإِنَّهُمَا يَنْفِيَانِ الفَقْرَ وَالذُّنُوبَ كَمَا يَنْفِي الكِيرُ خَبَثَ الحَدِيدِ، وَالذَّهَبِ، وَالفِضَّةِ، وَلَيْسَ لِلْحَجَّةِ الْمَبْرُورَةِ ثَوَابٌ إِلاَّ الجَنَّةُ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged performing the rituals of Hajj and the rituals of ‘Umrah in close succession without interruption, as long as one is able. This is because performing them serves as a means to remove poverty and sins, as well as their effect on the heart, just as blowing the bellows removes impurities and other metals from the iron.

• The merit of performing Hajj and ‘Umrah in succession and encouraging this.
• Performing Hajj and ‘Umrah in succession are among the means of acquiring wealth and forgiveness of sins.
• Al-Mubārakfūri said: (expel poverty), i.e., they remove it, and this can refer to both apparent poverty, which is alleviated by acquiring wealth, and internal poverty, which is removed by enriching the heart.

سنن الترمذي (2/ 167) (810)، سنن النسائي (5/ 115) (2631)، مسند أحمد (6/ 185) (3669)، ذخيرة العقبى في شرح المجتبى (23/ 322). النهاية في غريب الحديث والأثر (819) (252).