Dr. Hafiz Ather Hussain al-Azhari
Has Hajj become easier?
A common discussion amongst Muslims is whether Hajj has become harder or easier over the years. Certainly, more facilities, the use of technology and better transport routes have made this obligation easier for devout Muslims. On the other hand, the huge number of Muslims attending Hajj every year has made the Pilgrimage a testing affair. Many Muslims are resorting to spending thousands of pounds to create ease during the trip, like closer hotels and special transport arrangements.
The reality is that Hajj has always been difficult. It has never been easy. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was asked what Hajj is. In his response, he simply said:
الشَعِث و التَّفِل
The leaving of adornment and sweat.
So the Messenger (peace be upon him) acknowledged this pillar of Islam is not completed without considerable effort, perspiration and difficulty.
On another occasion, some Muslim women asked for permission to perform Jihad in the path of Allāh, like the men do. He did not permit them and instead said:
جهادكنّ الحج
Your Jihad is Hajj.
This also indicates that Hajj cannot be easy, and that it has always had an element of difficulty attached to it.
More difficulty, more reward…
Yet here lies the beauty of our religion. Allāh the most-Merciful gives us ample reward for every good act that we perform. He never gives one unit of reward. One simple act will warrant at least ten units of reward. However, Allāh offers even more reward when circumstances are more difficult to act upon Islam. When an act of worship becomes harder, then the reward from Allāh also increases considerably. For example:
i. When a person has to do ablution in difficult conditions (like with very cold water), then Allāh forgives some of his sins and raises his ranks.
ii. Not everyone lives near the mosque. For those who live far and hence put in more effort, Allāh grants a larger reward. In fact, for every step a Muslim takes, there is an extra reward.
iii. Undoubtedly, some find the Qur’ān harder to recite than others, like non-Arabs for example. Because some find it more difficult, there is extra reward. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
الماهر بالقران مع السفرة الكرام البررة و الذي يقرا القران و يَتَتعتع فيه و هو عليه شاق له اجران
The expert reciter will be among the noble scribes of the angels. And the one who stutters and for whom it is difficult will have double the reward.
iv. Muslims who hold tight onto their faith in an indecent, sinful climate will undoubtedly reap a much greater reward than those who reside in more religious surroundings. This is purely because greater effort is required to safeguard one’s faith.
On this basis, Hajj is an act of devotion that carries a reward beyond measure. All the rituals in Makkah require huge spiritual and physical force. The Pilgrimage is a test of one’s perseverance, faith, strength and devotion. No act of Hajj can be completed within one’s comfort zone. Allāh knows this and so He offers the ultimate prize for our efforts, the forgiveness of our sins like the day our mothers gave birth to us:
من حج لله فلم يرفث و لم يفسق رجع كيوم ولدته أمه
Whosoever performs Hajj for the sake of Allāh, and [during it] he does not indulge in indecency and does not sin, then he returns home [free from sins] like the day his mother gave birth to him.
Conclusion
Most Muslims who have completed the Hajj will undoubtedly mention the struggle associated with it. But they will also mention the pleasure, peace and sense of accomplishment they earned with this great worship. Perhaps these two points are interrelated; that we tend to find greater inner satisfaction in acts that require more effort and ones that take us outside our comfort zone. There is no greater joy for a woman than the birth of her child. Yet this is preceded by nine months of hardship. The huffāz (memorisers of the Qur’ān) find immeasurable joy in completing the Qur’ān in salāh al-tarāwīh during Ramadān. Yet this is also the hardest thing they do. Islam loves strong Muslims, ones who can step outside their comfort zone. And it is such harder acts that bring more pleasure and inner content, and a much larger reward from their Merciful Lord.
