Lame Excuses for not performing Hajj

Hajj which is the Fifth Pillar of Islam, we find ways how to postpone it or simply ignore it.

Excuse # 1: I am too busy with Work

Some people delay Hajj because they say they can’t find time to take off from work. But don’t they see the very fact that they didn’t take time out for Hajj is the reason why Allah kept them so busy with work?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah says: ‘Son of Adam: Fill your time with My worship and I will fill your heart with richness, and end off your poverty. But if you don’t, I would make your hands fully busy (i.e. in worldly affairs) and I would not end off your poverty.'” [Sunan Ibn Maajah; Musnad Ahmed; Sunan at – Tirmidhi, who said that it is a Hasan (good) hadeeth; as quoted in ‘The Creation is in Need of Allah’ by Dr. Saleh as-Saleh]

And he (peace be upon him) said: “Verily Allah tests His servant with what He has given him. So whoever is content with whatever he has been assigned, then Allah will bless him in it, and give him more! But whoever is not content (with what he has been given), then he will not be blessed in it .” [Musnad Ahmad (5/24); with an authentic chain, as mentioned in al-Sahihah, Number 1658; as quoted in ‘The True Richness’ by Shaykh Abû Ammâr Yasir al-Qadhî]

If you make your intention sincerely for the sake of Allah and do your best to take time from work, Allah will provide it for you. “…And whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allâh, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allâh will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allâh has set a measure for all things.” [The Noble Qur’an, Soorah At-Talaq 65:3]

If we don’t make time for Allah, how can we expect Him to make time for us?

Excuse # 2: I am not spiritually ready

Some people say I am not spiritually strong, I am not much of a believer and thus not ready to go or they say I think I should only do Hajj when I have figured out Salah and Zakah and I am practicing Islam fully…

Don’t you see? That is the whispering of the Shaytan in your heart. He does not want you to go and earn all the reward and Jannah. Allah, the Most High, says in the Qur’an, “(Iblîs) said: “Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You).” [The Noble Qur’an, Soorah Al-A’raf 7:16 – 17]

Narrated Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him); Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Iblees places his throne upon water; he then sends detachments (for creating dissension) ; the nearer to him in tank are those who are most notorious in creating dissension. One of them comes and says: I did so and so. And he says: You have done nothing. Then one amongst them comes and says: I did not spare so and so until I sowed the seed of discord between a husband and a wife. The Satan goes near him and says: ‘You have done well. A’mash said: He then embraces him.” [Saheeh Muslim, Book 039, Number 6755]

All you got to do is to try hard to improve yourself, putting your trust in Him and surely He will guide you. “As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allâh’s Religion – Islâmic Monotheism). And verily, Allâh is with the Muhsinûn (good doers).” [The Noble Qur’an, Soorah Al-‘Ankabut 29:69]

We all know people who weren’t fully practicing Muslims prior to making the Hajj, yet once they came back from Hajj they went under this amazing transformation and Alhamdulillah they are now practicing fully. So don’t think like that, just go.

And also remember that no one is perfect, we all make errors, but the key is to strive to do our best. Allah, the Most High, says, “So keep your duty to Allâh and fear Him as much as you can;…” [The Noble Qur’an, Soorah At-Taghabun 64:16]

Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “…if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can.” [Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 391; Saheeh Muslim, Book 007, Number 3095]

Excuse # 3: Yeah, Insha’Allah next year…..next year…..then next year

Subhan’Allah, some people have no excuse not to go for Hajj. Yet when you ask them when they are going for hajj, they say “yeah, Insha’Allah next year. But somehow that ‘next year’ never comes.

Don’t be like those people. Make your intention to go for Hajj NOW. Don’t even wait till tomorrow. Do it now and prepare for this journey, while you have the ability. For you never know when death will overtake you or some other trial may befall you that will unable you to go. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Make the most of five things before five (other things happen): your life before you die, your good health before you become sick; your free time before you become busy; your youth before you grow old; and your wealth before you become poor.” [al-Haakim; Classed as Saheeh (authentic) by Sheikh al – Albaani in Saheeh wa Da’eef al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer. Also refer to Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 1077]

Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) once stood at the head of a grave and said to his companion, “If he had a chance to return to this life, what do you think he would do?” His companion replied, “He would do nothing but good deeds.” Ali then said, “If it is not going to be him, then let it be you.” [As quoted in ‘Portrait of a Traveller’ by Muhammad al – Shareef]

And some scholars say that if you make sincere intention, but die before you can perform Hajj (or any other good deed), Insha’Allah you will still get the reward. There are many evidences for this, for example, Narrated Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him); The Messenger of Allah (peace he upon him) said: “Whoever seeks martyrdom with sincerity shall get its reward, though he may not achieve it.” And in a similar narration, from Sahl b. Aba Umama b. Sahl b. Hunaif, it says, “Who sought martyrdom with sincerity will be ranked by Allah among the martyrs even if he died on his bed.” [Saheeh Muslim, Book 020, Number 4694 & 4695]

Excuse # 4: When Allah wants me to come, Allah will call me

Sure, guidance is in Allah’s Hands. Yet you have to work hard to qualify for that guidance. Remember that Allah will not throw the guidance in your lap from up above. It is YOU who has to make the effort. Just like if you are hungry… Allah will not throw the food down from the sky. You have to get up and cook that food.

Allah, the Most High, orders us to make that effort. Allah says: “O you who believe! Do your duty to Allâh and fear Him. Seek the means of approach to Him, and strive hard in His Cause as much as you can. So that you may be successful.” [The Noble Qur’an, Soorah Al-Ma’idah 5:35]

When you walk towards Allah, he rushes towards you; Narrate Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him); Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “ Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: I live in the thought of My servant and I am with him as he remembers Me. (The Holy Prophet) further said: By Allah, Allah is more pleased wth the repentance of His servant than what one of you would do on finding the lost camel in the waterless desert. When he draws near Me by the span of his hand. I draw near him by the length of a cubit and when he draws near Me by the length of a cubit. I draw near him by the length of a fathom and when he draws near Me walking I draw close to him hurriedly.” [Saheeh Muslim, Book 037, Number 6610]  – But you need to take the first step.

Excuse # 5: It’s too much hard work

Do you realize how much hard work we do for the Dunya (world)? Most of our lives we spend working hard for our studies, our livelihood, our families, our businesses, and we can’t bear to work hard for the Aakhirah (hereafter)? Sure, Hajj is hard work but then, isn’t Jannah (paradise) worth it?

Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said, “(The performance of) ‘Umra is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise.” [(Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 27, Number 1; Saheeh Muslim, Book 007, Number 3127]

Allah, the Most High, says, “And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. do righteous deeds of Allâh’s Obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allâh Islâmic Monotheism), then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, thanked and rewarded (by Allâh).” [The Noble Qur’an, Soorah Al-Isra 17:19]

‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) is quoted as saying, “I seek Allah’s protection from the time when the ‘fasiq’ or disobedient will have much energy and enthusiasm and the righteous will be lazy.” [As quoted in ‘Lazy Boy – It’s All in Your Mind!’ by Muhammad al – Shareef]

Excuse # 6: It takes too long

Some people use the length of Hajj as an excuse each year for delaying or not going. How long does it take?! Just 2-3 weeks! As if they haven’t taken that much time for vacations?!

To them I want to say, planning is everything. If you plan from now for Hajj next year, you can save up your vacation time and use it for the most important journey of your life. Or you cam just choose an express Hajj package (about 10-14 days). And remember that the stay in Medinah is not a part of Hajj.

Excuse # 7: It’s too hot

A Canadian may say it’s too cold. An African will say it’s too hot. Both are making excuses for not doing good actions. Remember, it was summer in the desert during the time of the Battle of Tabuk, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) was rallying his troops for an exhaustive trip that, back then, would have taken them months. That’s when the hypocrites told the people ‘do not go out in the heat’. Allah, the Most High, says, “Those who stayed away (from Tabuk expedition) rejoiced in their staying behind the Messenger of Allâh; they hated to strive and fight with their properties and their lives in the Cause of Allâh, and they said: “March not forth in the heat.” Say: “The Fire of Hell is more intense in heat”, if only they could understand!” [The Noble Qur’an, Soorah At-Tawbah 9:81]

Excuse # 8: I’ll wait until my kids are older/get married

Similarly, Muslims might delay Hajj and give themselves time by saying, “let me wait till my kids are older or till my daughter gets married (and their daughter may only be 5 years old!)… let me wait till I do this, let me wait till I do that.”

This is also just a way of procrastination and nothing else. Remember that hajj is an obligation in Islam. It is fardh (obligatory) upon you. If you have the means and you have not yet done your obligatory hajj, the scholars say that it is better for you to do Hajj, rather than delaying it if your kids are young.

Narrated Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him); The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Hasten to do good deeds before Fitaan (trials and tribulations) come like patches of dark night, where a man will be a believer in the morning and will be a kaafir (disbeliever) by evening, or he will be a believer in the evening and a kaafir by the morning, and one of you will sell hi religion for some trifling worldly gain.” [Saheeh Muslim, Book 001, Number 0213; Musnad Ahmad; Sunan at – Tirmidhi; Refer to Saheeh al – Jaami as – Sagheer, 3/4]

Obviously, for the one whose kids are of marriageable age and has just enough money for either Hajj or marriage, the Ulama say: “If there is a conflict between the father’s Hajj and the son’s getting married, because the father only has enough money for one of them, then he should look to see whether his son’s marriage is essential right now, or can it be delayed? If the son needs to get married and fears that he may do something haraam, then getting him married takes precedence over the father’s doing Hajj.” (www.islamqa.com)

Beware of lame excuses

The Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ) advised a man: “Pray your prayer as if it is your last, as if you are seeing Him (Allah), for even if you do not see Him then He sees you. And give up hope (of obtaining) what other’s possess, then you will live a rich life. And beware of anything that you might (later) have to make an excuse for.” (Bukhari in his al-Tarikh, and al-Tabarani-saheeh)

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