Chapter 3: Enduring the inconveniences of the Hajj journey.

Hazrat Abu Jafar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ reports from his father who reports from his grand father that Rasulullah ﷺ said: "Every man or woman who is stingy in spending in things or places in which lies Allah's pleasure, he will be made to spend much more in such a cause which incurs Allah's displeasure, and whoever, because of some worldly obstacle (requiring his attention) postpones going for Hajj, will find that the obstacle shall not be overcome until he sees the Haajis returning from their pilgrimage; and whoever (refuses) to assist another Muslim brother will be made to assist somebody in some form of sinful act for which there is no reward. (At-Targheeb)

According to the rules laid down by the Muhadditheen (scholars of Hadith) this Hadith is a weak one. However, for such purposes, a Hadith like this may be quoted, and moreover general experiences corroborate this Hadith. It is fact that people who try to avoid assistance in righteous, worthy causes, become involved in prohibited dealings. You see them bribing in court cases etc. and worse than that you see them in grave immoral acts. e.g. dancing, attending parties and the cinema and spending money on it. When a person spends the wealth Allah has so generously granted him, in good cause, he safeguards himself from such evil acts. in these times one should take special not of these points. These warnings are for those people who in spite of having wealth do not perform their fardh Hajj. Those people who do not possess the wealth and specially those on whom others are dependent, for them to attend to their needs is far more important than nafil Hajj. In his famous kitaab Madkhal, Hazrat Ibn Ameer Alhaaj R.A writes: "Many a person leaves his family in want and goes to perform Hajj, when in reality Rasulullah ﷺ had said: "It is sufficient a great sin that a man should leave behind in want of sustenance such persons whose food and drink he is responsible for."

Any journey has its difficulty and sufferings. Our shariat having taken that into consideration allowed that any Salaat composing four Rakaats should be reduced to two while on travel. Rasulullah ﷺ himself said about travel: "travel is a portion of hell-fire." Therefore traveling means inconvenience and difficulty. So come what may any traveler to the Holy Places will undergo some suffering enroute. But bearing in mind that this journey to the Kaaba is a journey in search of the Beloved One, one should behave on the road like a lover seeking the beloved who awaits him. So whether he hears abusive language directed at himself or whether he is being sworn at or whether stones are cast on him, no matter what difficulty he encounters the Haji should go ahead to the destination undeterred by any such obstacle. And by tolerating all sufferings and hardships with patience, ones reward is increased, (in case where such hardships are not contrary in effect to the interests of our Deen and health).

Hazrat Imam Ghazali رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ mentions an interesting point by saying: "whatever a person spends on this journey, should be spent with pleasure, and whatever loss of life or wealth one experiences should be borne with patience, because such things are the signs of a Hajj that is accepted by Allah."

To experience difficulty on the journey of Hajj is like spending in the way of jihad, where one Dri'ham is rewarded up to seven hundred times. To experience pain and hardships on Hajj is similar to the experience of the hardships of jihad. It should be noted that all hardships and losses experienced are not forgotten by Allah, but are turned into rewards. (It'haaf)

Rasulullah ﷺ said to Hazrat Aa'isha R.A: "Verily the reward (of your Umrah) is according to the amount of your hardships. "One's reward is increased to the extent of his hardships. This does not mean that a person should create unnecessary or unnatural difficulties for himself. For such artificial difficulties there is no reward.

One Hadith in Bukhari illustrates this: "Once Rasulullah ﷺ passed a person whose hands were tied with rope. Another man was pulling him by the rope around the Kaaba for tawaaf. (Apparently the person was blind or had some other difficulty). Rasulullah ﷺ cut the rope and said: "Lead him and pull him by the hand."

Another time Rasulullah ﷺ saw two persons tied together by a rope towards Makkah. Rasulullah ﷺ asked: "what is this?" They replied: "we made a vow that we would proceed towards the ka'bah tied together like this." Rasulullah ﷺ then said: "Cut the rope; such a vow is wrong. A vow is only made for righteous deeds; while this that you are doing is Satanic." (Ainy-Bukhaari)

Going to Hajj on foot is a praiseworthy act, but only as one can bear the burden of it. At the beginning of this booklet we quoted the verse: "And proclaim the pilgrims among men. They will come to You on foot and on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways."

One will notice that those coming on foot are mentioned before those "on camel." Some Ulama therefore, deduce from this that traveling for Hajj on foot is more virtuous than traveling by any other means of conveyance.

Ulama have gone s o far as to say that "For those people who have the habit of performing Hajj on foot, it is not necessary for them to have the means of transport before Hajj becomes obligatory on them. When they are healthy and have the strength of body, and when the road is safe (with sufficient food and drink) Hajj becomes compulsory on them. (see Ainy) The great blessings of traveling for Hajj on foot has also been expounded by Rasulullah ﷺ . We quote a few of these Ahadith.

Hazrat Ibn Abbas R.A reports from Rasulullah ﷺ who said: "Whoever goes for Hajj to Makkah on foot, and return; for him is written the reward of seven hundred good deeds performed in the Holy Haram for every stride taken." The companions asked: "And what is the meaning of good deeds of the Haram?" Rasulullah ﷺ replied: "Every good deed is granted the reward of one hundred thousand good deeds." (Kanz)

According to the above calculation it would mean that seven hundred good deeds are equal to seventy million good deeds. And such is the reward gained at every step; hence on can only imagine what the sum would be after completing the whole journey. Hazrat Ibn Abbas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا is reported to have recommended to his children; at the time of his death; that they travel for Hajj on foot, and quoted this Hadith to them. (It'haaf)

On numerous occasions the companions are reported to have heard Rasulullah ﷺ say: "The Salaah in the Haram is equal to one hundred thousands Salaah."(Elsewhere)

Hasan-ul-Basari used to say: "In the Holy Haram one fast is granted the reward equivalent to that of one hundred thousand fasts, and giving one Durham in charity brings the reward of one hundred thousand Durham's. Similarly, every good deed inside the Holy Haram is rewarded one hundred thousand times more than any good deed outside the Haram." (It'haaf)

In the same way as reward is increased for good deeds in the Haram, so also are the punishments for evil and sin increased. This is why some Ulama maintain that it is makrooh to reside in Makkah (more than is necessary). At some time or other sins are committed, as man is prone to sin. And to commit sin there is a great calamity brought upon one's self by oneself.

Just outside the Holy Haram is a place name RUKYA. Hazrat Ibn Abbas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا says: "For me to commit seventy sins at Rukya is so much better than committing a sin inside Makkah." This will be dealt within detail under the seventh Hadith of chapter six.

Hazrat Aa'isha رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ reports from Rasulullah ﷺ : "Verily the angels shake hands with the Hajees arriving in Makkah mounted (on horses, camels etc), and embrace those arriving on foot."(Baihaqi)

When Hazrat Ibn Abbas become sick, he said: "Nothing fills me with more regret and sorrow than the fact that I did not perform Hajj on foot."

Indeed Allah mentioned those arriving in Makkah on foot in the Ayah of the Quran (Durre Mansoor)

This Ayah and its translation has been mentioned at the beginning of the book.

Hazrat Ismail A.S. used to perform Hajj on foot. (Durre Mansoor)

Another report says that Hazrat Adam A.S performed Hajj one thousand times on foot from India. (Targheeb)

Another report says that forty of those pilgrimages were on foot. (It'haaf)

Hazrat Ibn Abbas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا says that this was the practice of all the Hazrat Ambiya A.S. to perform Hajj on foot. (It'haaf)

Mullah Hazrat Ali Qari R.A says: "That no matter what ones form of transport may be; the best is to enter the Haram on foot. And in this respect Hazrat Imaam Ghazali رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ also states; that it is better for a person who is fit and able to walk to Makkah and perform Hajj on foot. And to substantiate this he quotes that Hazrat Ibn Abbas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا made wasiyyat (a bequest) to his children at the time of his death to do that, telling them that every stride taken, seventy hundred good deeds are rewarded each of which is rewarded one hundred thousand times. Therefore those who are used to walking long distances and it is safe for them to do so; then it is desirable for them to perform Hajj on foot. Further, as for those young men who are strong and healthy and all those who have a habit of walking and are sufficiently healthy and strong, it is best for them that they should proceed on foot from Makkah to Mina and then onto Arafat Muzdalifah Mina etc. at least this much should be done. Apart from the great reward, one get the opportunity by going on foot and performing so many of those deeds which are mustahab. How much do we not lose by not performing those mustahab deeds as a result of being more or less bound to a certain form of transport. Moreover, the distances during Hajj are not great at all for a strong and healthy person. On the eighth day from Makkah to Mina is a mer three miles; on the morning of the ninth from Mina to Arafat is a distance of five to six miles. This should be no burden for those who are fit and able to walk. The thawaab is so great that for each step taken; the reward will be 70,000,000 rewards.

Hazrat Ibn Abbas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا also said: "whoever walks (in Hajj) from Mina to Arafat shall receive 100,000 good deeds of the Holy Haram."

It is reported that Ali bin Shu'aib came walking for Hajj from Nesapur more than sixty times. And about Mugheera bin Hazrat Hakeem رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ it is known that more than fifty times did he go walking from Makkah for Hajj. Hazrat Abul Abbas R.A performed Hajj more than eighty times on foot. Hazrat Abu Abdullah Magrabi رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ performed Hajj ninety seven times on foot. (Ithaaf)

How great is their reward at seventy million per step Qazi Ayaaz wrote in his book Shifa that a saintly man traveled the whole journey on foot? When people asked him about the great difficulty he encounter and the reason for undertaking his journey on foot, he said: "when a slave has run away from his master, is it suitable that he returns to Master on foot or on horseback. Had I the strength to present myself before Him traveling on my head; I would have done so." These are only a few examples about the hardships of this journey. Similarly, one should bear all those things that are against one's nature.

Rasulullah ﷺ in a hadith; to Hazrat Aa'isha رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ that was mentioned at the beginning of this chapter; said to her: " Your reward is proportionately according to the hardships you undergo." This includes all types of hardships. All the hardships of this journey should be borne with patience, tolerance; without anger or arguments. Hazrat Imaam Ghazali رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ writes that one should never nag or annoy one's companion on the journey, instead one should be soft-spoken, friendly and brotherly. When any pain or injury is caused from their side then patience is required. In a case where one's temper becomes unpleasant through walking, it is best to go by transport.