The Fifth Pillar of Islaam

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Performing Hajj:

{وَأَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّـهِ}

{And perform properly (all the ceremonies of) Hajj and `Umrah (according to the ways of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) for Allaah.} [Surah al-Baqarah (2):196]

{وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ}

{And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass} [Surah al-Hajj (12):27]

Meaning: Linguistically: Hajj means: Pursuing a thing again and again or doing a thing again and again*.

It’s also translated as: “to set out”, “to make pilgrimage”, and “journey to a high destination.”

Shar`ee meaning: Going out to Makkah for a specific work at a certain time.

What it implies: It is the worship of Allaah تبارك وتعالى by setting out on a journey towards the House (Ka`bah) for carrying out the rituals of Hajj.

Benefits: Disciplining the self to strive with wealth and body in obedience to Allaah تعالى. Performance of Hajj is to reach for the mercy of Allaah تعالى and in this case seeking His pleasure is the high destination. 

Clarification: The Pilgrimage is to the House (the Ka`bah) which is situated in Makkah, as Allaah تعالى says:

{وَلِلَّـهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا}

{And Hajj to the House (Ka`bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah; for those who can afford the expenses} [Surah aal-`Imraan (3):97]

And when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned Hajj as the fifth pillar of Islaam he said:

وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا

“and perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the journey” [Saheeh Muslim (1)]

The pilgrimage is not as what some Soofees claim that if a person visits the grave of a certain saint 7 times, he will get the reward equal to Hajj.

Allaah’s aid is sought from such falsehood.

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* “again and again”: because the pilgrim approaches the House (the Ka`bah) before the Standing on the Day of `Arafah (i.e. Tawaaf al-Qudoom (Tawaaf on approaching Makkah)). After coming back from `Arafah, he again returns back to the House for another Tawaaf (i.e. Tawaaf al-Ifaadhah) and then goes back to Mina. He once more returns back to the House for the final Tawaaf (i.e. Tawaaf al-Widaa`).