Abu Bassir quoted Imam Sadiq (a.s) as saying:
دِرهَمٌ في الحَجِّ أَفضَلُ مِن أَلفَيْ أَلفٍ في ما سِوى ذلِكَ من سَبيلِ اللهِ.
“One dirham spent on Hajj is better than two million dirhams to be given for Allah’s sake.”[43]
NEITHER FORSAKE HAJJ NOR DISSUADE OTHERS
Imam Baqir (a.s) says:
مَا مِن عَبدٍ يُؤثِرُ عَلى الحَجِّ حاجَةً مِن حَوائِجِ الدّنيا إِلا نَظَرَ الى المحَلَّقِينَ قدِ انصَرَفوا قَبلَ أنْ تُقضَى له تِلكَ الحاجَةُ.
“One who prefers a worldly affair to going on Hajj will realize that all the Hajj pilgrims have returned home with their heads shaven but his needs have not been fulfilled yet.[44]
Imam Sadiq (a.s) says:
لِيَحذَرْ أَحَدُكُم أَنْ يُعَوِّقَ أَخاهُ عَن الحَجِّ فَتُصيبَهُ فِتنَةٌ في دُنياهُ مَعَ ما يُدَّخَرُ لهُ في الآخِرةِ.
“Beware of delaying the Hajj of your brother, for not only will you be punished in the Hereafter but also you will be afflicted with tribulation in this world.”[45]
Is’haq ibn Ammar reported:
قُلتُ لأبي عَبدِاللهِ عليهِ السلامُ أنَّ رجُلاً استَشارَ في الحَجِّ وكَانَ ضَعيفَ الحالِ فَأَشَرتُ عَليهِ أَنْ لا يحِجَّ.
فقال (الإمام): ما أَخلَقَكَ أنْ تمْرِضَ سَنَةً.
قال (الراوي): فَمرِضتُ سَنَةً.
I said to Imam Sadiq (a.s) that a man consulted me on going on Hajj but since he was needy, I dissuaded him. The Imam (a.s) said: “You will become ill for one year for what you have said.”
Ammar said: “For one year, I became ill.”[46]
THE BLESSINGS OF HAJJ ON ALL PEOPLE OF THE WORLD
While elaborating on the philosophy of Hajj, Imam Reza (a.s) said:
ومَا في ذلِكَ لجَمِيعِ الخَلقِ مِن المَنافِعِ... ومَنفَعةِ مَن في المَشرِقِ والمَغرِبِ ومَن في البَرِّ والبَحرِ ممَّن يحِجُّ وممِّن لا يحِجُّ من تاجِرٍ وجالبٍ وبائعٍ ومُشتَرٍ وكاسِبٍ ومِسكينٍ وقَضاءِ حوائِجِ أهلِ الأطرافِ...
“The benefits of Hajj cover both east and west; those who perform the Hajj rites and those who do not whether they are businessmen, shopkeepers, or poor. People from all classes of societies are blessed with the benefits of Hajj.”[47]
During the season of Hajj, the leaders of the Islamic countries converge a forum based on the unity of ideology, compassion, love, purity, and sincerity. So their resolution for implementing laws, dispensing social justice, and safeguarding the human rights, with no aim other than obeying God’s instructions and pleasing Him will benefit all. By gaining power and supremacy as a result of unity, the Islamic countries can establish good commercial and cultural ties with other nations and gradually make them familiar with the heavenly teachings of Islam. Because of the universal benefits of Hajj, the Holy Quran and the traditions so emphatically call people to Hajj.
WHERE ARE THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF HAJJ ON THE UMMAH?
All the afore-mentioned benefits are some of the life-giving effects of Hajj on the society. Yet this great assembly is held every year but Muslim nations face one another with suspicion, fear one another, and depart without having created any kind of understanding, getting to know one another, and without becoming aware of the treacherous conspiracies hatched for them from outside. It is really surprising that the power of the religion can hold such great assembly in a single time and place of the ummah but the foreigners’ negative propaganda and destructive colonialist plots cause such dispersion among the ummah that they are dispersed while being together. Such an outlook saddened the Holy Prophet (saw) fourteen centuries ago so much that he expressed his worries about the future of the ummah in the Sacred House and warned Muslims against it among other bitter events.
THE HOLY PROPHET WORRIES ABOUT HAJJ AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Abdullah ibn Abbas is quoted as saying:
I was with the Holy Prophet (saw) in the Farewell Hajj. He took the gate of the Kaaba with the hand and while addressing to people, he spoke of the future events. On Hajj, the Holy Prophet said:
يحِجُّ أغنِياءُ أُمّتي لِلنَّزهَةِ ويحِجُّ أَوسَاطُها لِلتّجارَةِ ويحِجُّ فُقَراؤُهُم لِلرّياءِ والسُّمعَةِ، فعِندَها يكُونُ أَقوامٌ يَتَعلّمُونَ القُرآنَ لِغيرِ اللهِ ويَتّخِذُونهُ مَزامِيرَ، ويكونُ أَقوامٌ يَتفقَّهونَ لِغيرِ اللهِ.
“The rich will go to Mecca for amusement, the middle-class for business, and the poor for showing off and fame. At that time, people will learn the Holy Quran for purposes other than Allah, recite it as song, and engage in learning (Islamic) jurisprudence for worldly benefits.”[48]
WE HAVE TO CONFESS THIS BITTER FACT
We have to confess this bitter fact and admit that the reason of this weakness and decadence among Muslims despite having such sublime program is our failure to understand the spirit and essence of the heavenly teachings of Islam.
As a matter of fact, we have not understood the essence of Islam, accepted it whole-heartedly, or introduced the attractive image of it to the world. Yes, we have to admit this fact humbly. Perhaps God will forgive us for our confession. We are called Muslims while our individual or social ways of living do not conform to the true essence of Islam. Beyond doubt, the responsibility of us, Muslims, before God, Islam, and the Holy Quran is extremely great. Presenting a distorted image of Islam and introducing Hajj as useless are sins subjected to punishment.
[12] Kiblah is the direction of the place to which Muslims must turn for prayer— the Kaaba at Mecca.
[13] See Tuhaf ul-Uqoul.
[14] See Safinat ul-Bihar, Vol. 1
[15] See Collection of Waram; vol. 1 p.138
[16] See Rawzat ul-Kafi; vol. 8 p.37
[17] See as-Sahifat al-Kamilat al-Sajjadiyya, Supplication I
[18] See al-Kafi; Vol. 4
[19] See al-Wafi; vol. 2
[20] See al-Wafi, Vol. 2
[21] See al-Wafi; Vol. 2
[22] See al-Kafi; Vol. 4
[23] See al-Kafi; Vol. 4
[24] Rak’at is unit of a prayer.
[25] See al-Wafi; vol. 2 Chapter: Hajj section 17
[26] See al-Wafi; vol. 2 Chapter: Hajj section 48
[27] See Men la Yahzuruh ul-Faqih; chapter: Miscellaneous matters
[28] See al-Kafi; vol. 4 p.268 Hadith 1.
[29] See al-Mahajjat ul-Baydhaa; vol. 2 p.145
[30] See Men la Yahzuruh ul-Faqih; chapter: Negligence of Hajj
[31] See Nahj ul-Balagha; saying 244
[32] See al-Kafi; Vol. 4
[33] See Ibn Fettal an-Nishapuri’s Eawdhat ul-Waizheen; 320
[34] See Nahjul Balagha; sermon I
[35] See Nahjul Balagha; sermon 109
[36] See Ilal ush-Shara’ie; vol. 2
[37] See al-Kafi; vol. 4 p.272 Hadith 1
[38] See al-Kafi; vol. 4 p.271
[39] See Nahjul Balagha; Will (Wasiyya) No. 47
[40] See Mustadrak ul-Wasail; Vol. 2 Section: Hajj p.4
[41] See Ilal ush-Shara’ie; vol. 2 p.137 Hadith 1
[42] See al-Kafi; vol. 4 p. 258 Hadith 25
[43] See al-Wafi; vol. 2 Chapter: Hajj p. 47 Section 16
[44] See Men la Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; Chapter: Hajj
[45] See Men la Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; Chapter: Hajj p. 158
[46] See Men la Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; Chapter: Hajj p. 158
[47] See Ilal ush-Shara’ie; vol. 2 p.90 Hadith 5
[48] See Tafsir al-Mizan; vol. 5 p.434 (as quoted from Tafsir al-Qummi)
