The Spirit of Hajj

The hadith states that the reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than Paradise: “There is no reward for a Hajj Mabroor (a Hajj accepted by God) except Paradise.” (Sahih alBukhari, Hadith No. 1773; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 1349) A narration from Amr ibn al-As (may God be pleased with him) further emphasizes this: “When God instilled Islam in my heart, I came to the Prophet and said, ‘Extend your right hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you.’ The Prophet extended his hand, but I withdrew mine. He asked, ‘What is the matter, O Amr?’ I said, ‘I wish to set a condition.’ He asked, ‘What condition is that?’ I said, ‘That I be forgiven.’ He replied, ‘Do you not know that Islam wipes out whatever came before it, migration wipes out whatever came before it, and Hajj wipes out whatever came before it?’” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 192) This hadith emphasizes the profound spiritual renewal that comes with embracing Islam, making migration for the sake of God, and performing Hajj, as these acts erase past sins, granting the believer a fresh start. Hajj Mabroor Many people often equate Hajj Mabroor with an accepted Hajj. However, its true meaning is a Hajj that is free from any sins: “A Hajj in which no sin is committed.”(Sharh alNawawi, Vol. 9, pp. 118-119).