01 - Importance of Hajj

Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) has said, "By Allah, by Allah, keep the House of your Lord in mind. Do not disregard it as long as you remain (alive) because surely if it is ignored, then He shall not look towards you (with His Mercy)."

02 - Hajj and Focusing on Allah

It has been narrated from Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir] (peace be upon him) that in regards to the words of Allah, the Glorious and High:

"So then hasten towards Allah, surely I (Muhammad) am a plain warner to you from Him." (Holy Quran 51:50)

Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said, "Struggle towards Allah (perform Hajj)."

03 - Talbiyah and the Sacrifice

It has been narrated from Imam Ali [Ibn Abi Talib] (peace be upon him) that he said, "Jibril (Gabriel) descended to the Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) and said to him, 'O' Muhammad! Command your companion's al-Ajj and al-Thalj. The al-Ajj is to raise your voice in pronouncing the Talbiyah (Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik) out loud, while the al-Thalj is to slaughter an animal (on the day of Eid)."

04 - The Major Hajj (Hajj al-Akbar) and the Minor Hajj (Hajj al-Asghar)

It has been narrated by Mu'awiyah Ibn Ammar that he said, "I asked Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) in regards to the day of the major Hajj (Hajj al-Akbar) and he said, 'This is the day of the sacrifice ('Eidul Qurban), while the minor Hajj (Hajj al-Asghar) is the Umrah."

05 - The Benefits of Hajj

It has been narrated from al-Ridha [Imam Ali Ibn Musa] (peace be upon him) that he said, "I have not seen a single thing which makes a person free from want (financially secure) quicker, nor which is more effective in removing poverty, than continuously performing Hajj (year after year)."

06 - Dying While on the Way to Hajj

It has been narrated from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) that he said, "A person who dies while proceeding towards Makkah or while returning back (from Makkah) will be protected from the great distress of the Day of Resurrection."

07 - The Sanctity of the Guests of Allah

It has been narrated from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) that he said, "Those who perform Hajj and the Umrah are the guests of Allah. If they ask Him for something, He will grant it to them; if they call upon Him then He will answer them; if they intercede (for others), their intercession will be accepted; if they remain quiet, then He will begin to speak to them; for every dirham which they spend (in their trip to Hajj), they will receive one million dirhams in return."

08 - Preparing for the Ihram

It has been narrated from Himad Ibn Isa that he said, "I asked Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) on how to prepare for the (wearing of the) Ihram? Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) replied, (One should prepare for wearing the Ihram) by cutting the nails, trimming the moustache and shaving the pubic hair."

09 - Looking at the Kaaba

It has been narrated from al-Baqir [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali] (peace be upon him) that: "As long as a person is looking at the Kaaba, good deeds will be written (in his record) and one's evil deeds will be erased until one turns away one's glance (from the Kaaba)."

10 - Intention for Hajj

It has been narrated from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) that, "Hajj is of two types: Hajj for the sake of Allah and Hajj for the sake of people. A person who performs Hajj for Allah, surely his reward will be with Allah - Paradise; and a person who performs Hajj for people, surely his reward will be with people (to give him) on the Day of Resurrection."

11 - Fasting on the Day of Tashriq in Mina (Makkah)

As-Sadiq [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad] (peace be upon him) was asked, "Why is it discouraged to fast on the days of Tashriq (11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul Hijjah)?" Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) replied, "Since people are visiting Allah and are His guests (during these days), it is not advisable that a guest should fast in the presence of the One whom he is visiting."

12 - Hajj or Jihad?

It has been narrated from as-Sadiq [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad] (peace be upon him) who said, "There is no path from the paths of Allah which is greater than Hajj, except when a person comes out with his sword and strives in the way of Allah until he is martyred."

13 - Reward for the Tawaf (Circumambulation of Kaaba)

The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, "A person who circumambulates this House (the Kaaba) seven times and performs the two Rak'at Salat (of Tawaf) in the best form possible will have his sins forgiven."

14 - Hajj and the Renewal of the Pledge

Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir] (peace be upon him) has said, "The Hajr (Hajr Aswad - the Black Stone) is like the pledge (of Allah) and rubbing the hand over it is like making a pledge of allegiance (to Allah)." Whenever Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir (peace be upon him) would rub his hand over the Hajr Aswad he used to say: "O' Allah! I have fulfilled my trust and have renewed my pledge so that it (the Hajr Aswad) can bear witness that surely I have fulfilled my responsibility."

15 - The Success and Perpetuity of Islam

It has been narrated from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) who said, "As long as the Kaaba is standing, the religion (of al-Islam) will remain standing."

16 - Philosophy behind the Name "Al-Kaaba"

It has been narrated that Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir] (peace be upon him) was asked, "Why is it (the Kaaba) named Baitul Atiq (the Emancipated House)?" Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir (peace be upon him) replied: "Because this house is free and emancipated from people and was never under the ownership of anyone."

17 - Three Sacred Things

It has been narrated from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) who said, "Surely Allah, the Noble and Grand, has made three things sacred and there is nothing else equivalent to them: His Book (Holy Quran) which is His Command and Divine Light; His House (The Kaaba) which He has made as the focal point (Qiblah) and He will not accept from anyone facing any other direction; and the family of your Prophet."

18 - Donations to Maintain the Kaaba

It has been narrated from Imam Ali [Ibn Abi Talib] (peace be upon him) who said, "If I were to possess two valleys flowing with gold and silver, I would not donate a single thing to the Kaaba because it would reach the (unworthy) people who maintain the Kaaba - and not to the poor and deserving people."

19 - The Safety of the Sanctuary (Haram)

It has been narrated from 'Abdullah Ibn Sanan from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) that he asked, "What is the meaning of His words: {And whosoever enters into it (the Haram), does so in safety.}

Does this refer to the Kaaba or the entire Sanctuary (Haram)?"

Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) replied, "A person who enters into the Sanctuary (Haram) seeking protection, shall remain protected; whoever from amongst the true believers enters into the Sanctuary (Haram) seeking protection from the wrath of Allah shall be protected from it; and whichever wild and domestic animal or bird enters into the Sanctuary (Haram) will be protected from being disturbed and bothered until it leaves the Sanctuary (Haram)."

20 - The Four Chosen Cities

The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, "Surely Allah has chosen four cities from amongst all others, just as He, the Noble and Grand has said (in the Holy Quran): "I swear by 'the fig' and 'the olive' and the 'Mountain of Sinai' and by this protected city." (Holy Quran 95:1-3)

'The fig' is the city of Madinah; 'The olive' is the city of Baitul Maqdis (in Jerusalem); 'The Mountain of Sinai' is Kufah; and the protected city is Makkah."

21 - Performing Hajj with Haram (Forbidden) Wealth

Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir] (peace be upon him) has said, "Allah, the Noble and Grand shall not accept Hajj or Umrah of a person who performs them using Haram (Forbidden) wealth."

22 - Etiquette of Hajj

It has been narrated from Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir] (peace be upon him) that he said, "It does not matter if one visits this House (Kaaba) if he does not possess three traits: Cautiousness (Wara) which prevents him from sinning; forbearance which helps him rule over his anger; and good interaction with those who are with him."

23 - Exemptions for Women in Hajj Rites

It has been narrated from Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir] (peace be upon him) that he said, "The following things are not necessary for women to perform in Hajj: women do not have to pronounce Talbiyah (Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik) out loud; nor do they have to perform the Harwalah (act of briefly running) between the mountains of al-Safa and al-Marwah; the rubbing of the hand on the Hajr Aswad - the Black Stone; entering into the Kaaba; and the shaving of the head; instead, they only cut some of their hair."

24 - Distribution of Mercy in the Vicinity of the Kaaba

It has been narrated from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) that he said, "For Allah, the Noble and Grand, there are 120 parts of Mercy around the Kaaba. From these, sixty are for those performing the Tawaf around the Kaaba; forty are for those performing the prayers; and twenty are for those just looking (at the Kaaba)."

25 - Hijr (Wall) of Isma'il

Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) said, "Isma'il buried his mother (Hajrah) in the (area) of the Hijr and then built a semi-circle shaped wall over it so that people would not step upon her grave."

26 - Three Hundred and Sixty Tawaf of the Kaaba

It has been narrated from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) who said, "It is recommended that a person does the Tawaf of the Kaaba three hundred and sixty times - the number of days in a year and if one is unable to do so, then one should perform the Tawaf as much as possible."

27 - Rubbing the Corner of the Hajr Aswad - the Black Stone

The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, "Perform the Tawaf of the House (Kaaba) and rub your hand over the Corner which has Hajr Aswad - the Black Stone, because this is the right hand of Allah on His Earth which He shakes with His creations."

28 - Salat inside Masjidul Haram (Makkah)

Al-Baqir [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali] (peace be upon him) has said, "Salat inside Masjidul Haram is greater than 100,000 Salat performed in any other Masjid."

29 - Water of Zamzam

The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, "The water of Zamzam is a cure for whatever (ailment) it is taken for."

30 - Supplication in Arafat

It has been narrated from al-Ridha [Imam Ali Ibn Musa] (peace be upon him): "Surely my father, Abu Ja'far (peace be upon him) used to say, 'There is not a single righteous person or sinner who makes a sojourn at the Mountains of Arafat and calls upon Allah there, except that Allah answers his call. For a righteous person (his call is answered) in regards to the needs and necessities of the life of this temporal world and the next life; while a sinner (is answered) in regards to the affairs of the temporal world (only)."

31 - Importance of Arafat

The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, "The greatest sin of a person who goes to Arafat and then leaves is to think that he has not been forgiven of his sins."

32 - Rewards for Stoning the Shaitan

It has been narrated from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) in regards to the stoning of the Shaitan that he said, "For every stone that a pilgrim throws, a major sin, which would have led to his destruction, is averted from him."

33 - Philosophy behind Stoning the Shaitan

It has been narrated from Ali Ibn Ja'far from his brother Musa [Ibn Ja'far al-Kadhim] (peace be upon him) that he said, "I asked (my brother) in regards to the philosophy of the stoning of the pillar and why this was enacted." Imam Musa Ibn Ja'far al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) replied to me, "Because Iblis, the despised, appeared to Ibrahim [Abraham] (peace be upon him) in the place where the pillar is and Ibrahim [Abraham] (peace be upon him) threw stones at him and thus, this act became a Sunnah (practice) in Hajj."

34 - The Sacrifice of an Animal in Hajj

In a tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Hussain [Imam Zainul Aabidin] (peace be upon him) has said, "When a person performing Hajj, slaughters an animal, it saves him from the fire of hell."

35 - Burying the Shaved Hair in Mina (Makkah)

It has been narrated from Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir] (peace be upon him) from his father Imam Ali Ibn Hussain [Imam Zainul Aabidin] (peace be upon him) that he said, "al-Hasan and al-Hussain used to ask that their hair (shaved on the Eid day in Hajj) be buried in Mina."

36 - Ziyarat of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family)

It has been narrated from the Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) that he said, "A person seeing (visiting) my grave deserves my intercession. And a person who visits me after my death is like a person who visited me during my lifetime."

37 - Bidding Farewell to the Kaaba

It has been narrated from Ibrahim Ibn Mahmud that he said, "I saw al-Ridha [Imam Ali Ibn Musa] (peace be upon him) bid farewell to the House (Kaaba) and when he intended to make his way out from the Masjid, he fell into prostration (Sajdah), stood up, faced the Kaaba and then said: "O' Allah! I have reinforced my belief that there is no entity worthy of worship except Allah."

38 - Importance of the Ziyarat of the Ahlul Bayt after Hajj

It has been narrated from Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir] (peace be upon him) that: "People have been commanded to come and perform the Tawaf around these rocks (the Kaaba) and then come to us (the Ahlul Bayt) and declare their submission and offer their help to us."

39 - Welcoming People who return from Hajj

It has been narrated from Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) that: "A person who meets one who has returned from Hajj and shakes his hand (welcomes him back) is like a person who rubbed his hand on the Hajr Aswad - the Black Stone."

40 - Walimah - Feeding Others after Returning From Hajj

The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said, "Walimah is only in five occasions: in the Urs, Khurs, Idhar, Wikar and Rikaz - Urs is when a person gets married; and Khurs is when a child is born; and Idhar is on the circumcision of a baby boy; and Wikar is when a person purchases a house; and Rikaz is when a person returns from Hajj."