Hajj and Umrah: The Importance of Sincerity and Sunnah

Hajj and Umrah Today: Preserving Sincerity and Following the Sunnah

These days, when it comes to Hajj and Umrah, we witness strange and unusual scenes. It hardly seems like an act of worship. It feels more like a worldly function. Before going for Hajj or Umrah, there are invitations and social visits to relatives, long queues for invitations from people in the neighborhood, gatherings at homes, and farewells where people wear garlands and flowers, as if they are kings heading to conquer a country. Then, during the rituals of worship in Makkah, various actions that harm the worship are performed, such as taking pictures moment by moment or video calling during worship to show others one’s worship.

The welcome upon returning home from the Haram is also very disappointing. A long line of people with garlands, congratulating the individual as if they have conquered a country, then the title of certified Haji or Mutamir (pilgrim) is given, and the person is called “Haji” till the end of their life, or even after death. غیاذ باللہ

We must understand that Hajj and Umrah are great acts of worship, and for the acceptance of worship, sincerity of intention (Ikhlas) and following the Sunnah are necessary. Without sincerity and without following the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ, Hajj and Umrah will not be accepted, and no religious act is accepted without them. We see that in today’s Hajj and Umrah, there is neither sincerity nor following the Sunnah.

There is no sincerity because people perform Hajj and Umrah to show off. The one who performs Hajj and Umrah sincerely will never publicize his worship. Calling people to gatherings at home, visiting house after house to invite people, and traveling from village to village to meet everyone, these actions go against sincerity.

And there is no following of the Sunnah because we do not find any example of such actions in the life of the Prophet ﷺ or his beloved companions during the performance of Hajj or Umrah. These are acts done for fame, which go against sincerity and nullify the deed.

Thus, both conditions for the acceptance of worship are not found in the majority of people performing Hajj and Umrah today. What will be the end result of such worship? Let us look at the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that he said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say…:

On the Day of Judgment, the first person against whom judgment will be passed will be the one who was martyred. He will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of the blessings He granted him, and he will acknowledge them. Allah will ask him, “What did you do with these blessings?” He will reply, “I fought in Your path until I was martyred.” Allah will say, “You have lied. You fought so that it would be said, ‘He is brave,’ and that was said. Then the order will be given, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.” Then, the one who studied and taught knowledge and recited the Qur’an will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of His blessings, and he will acknowledge them. Allah will ask, “What did you do with these blessings?” He will reply, “I learned and taught knowledge, and I recited the Qur’an for Your sake.” Allah will say, “You have lied. You did so that it would be said, ‘He is a scholar,’ and you recited the Qur’an so that it would be said, ‘He is a reciter,’ and that was said. Then the order will be given, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.” Then, the person to whom Allah gave wealth and every kind of blessing will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of His blessings, and he will acknowledge them. Allah will ask, “What did you do with these blessings?” He will reply, “I did not leave any path where You would be pleased to spend money, but I spent it on every path.” Allah will say, “You have lied. You did so that it would be said, ‘He is generous,’ and that was said. Then the order will be given, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.” (Sahih Muslim: 1905)

From this Hadith, we learn that fighting for fame, seeking knowledge for fame, and spending wealth for fame lead to Hell. Similarly, anyone performing Hajj or Umrah for fame wastes their money and time, and their end will be that they will be dragged and thrown into Hell. May Allah protect us from fame.

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters, we must fear our Lord and ensure that when performing acts of worship, we focus on sincerity and follow the example of the Messenger ﷺ.

I would also like to clarify one more thing regarding Umrah. These days, there is a restriction on performing Tawaf on the ground in the actual Mataf area without Ihram. People who only wish to perform Tawaf without intending to do Umrah put on the Ihram clothing. This is both wrong according to Shari’ah and legally. According to Shari’ah, because when the Prophet ﷺ performed Tawaf during the conquest of Makkah, he did so without Ihram, so there is no need to wear Ihram just for the sake of Tawaf. Legally, it is wrong as well.

Finally, I would like to advise my Muslim brothers and sisters to ensure sincerity in their Hajj and Umrah. Before, during, or after Hajj or Umrah, avoid doing anything that would spoil your worship. Do not say that others do such things; we do not order anyone to do such things. No, you do it because you are in charge of your actions. If you choose, these things will stop. If you refuse, they will stop.

If someone asks you to walk on fire or tells you to take a bullet, you would refuse. So why follow those who want to spoil your Hajj? You are performing Hajj, and you are in charge, so you are responsible for what happens to you. Therefore, please let your worship remain true worship; do not turn it into a game, tradition, or function. This is a great act of worship, and Hajj is obligatory only once in a lifetime. Perform this great act of worship for the pleasure of Allah. Avoid wrong actions yourself and protect others from them.

وَمَا عَلَيْنَا إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ