By
Humna Salman – Hiba magazine’s team writer
With Hajj in full swing at this very moment, many of us wish to be amongst those at Mina today. Despite making countless Duas, and having all resources and intention, something or the other happened, due to which the pilgrimage was not possible this year. It was just Allah’s (swt) Plan.
The beauty of Islam lies in its simplicity. Allah (swt) did not create difficulties for His slaves, nor did He burden them. Through the Ahadith of the Holy Prophet (sa), we find numerous deeds that are seemingly small, but heavy on the scales.
It almost seems too good to be true – after all, how could a deed so easily equal the reward of something as taxing as Hajj. But therein lies the Mercy of Allah (swt) – the Ar-Rahman gives us multiple opportunities to earn reward, and ensure that our good deeds outweigh the bad.
- Having the intention
We plan to do certain things, like Hajj, in this instance, but Allah’s (swt) plans differed from ours. If one has all the resources and the sincere intention to perform Hajj a particular year, but due to a legitimate and unforeseen reason is not able to go, they can still hope to receive the reward of Hajj from Allah (swt).
This holds true for all good deeds At the time of the Tabuk Expedition, there were a few noble Muslims who were unable to participate, despite genuinely wanting to. These were amongst the rightly-guided Muslims, not the hypocrites who made excuses to avoid the difficult journey to Tabuk. The Prophet (sa) said that those who were held back due to some kind of illness, or honest excuse, were recipients of the same reward as those who made the journey.
- Umrah in Ramadan
When the Prophet (sa) came back from the Farewell Pilgrimage, a woman named Um Sinan Al-Ansari told him that she had wanted to accompany him, but was unable to because she did not have a means of travel. The Prophet (sa) replied: “Perform Umrah in the month of Ramadan (as it is equal to Hajj with me in reward).” ( Bukhari)
Thus, we find that performing Umrah in Ramadan holds the same reward, of not just Hajj, but Hajj with the Holy Prophet (sa).
- Fajr in congregation followed by Dhikr and then Salat-ud-Duha
According to a Hadith of the Holy Prophet (sa): “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits, remembering Allah until sunrise, and then prays two Rakah, that person has the reward of Hajj and Umrah: complete, complete, complete.” (At-Tirmidhi)
60-90 minutes of worship can be equivalent to the reward of Hajj – how beautiful is Allah’s (swt) Deen! If you are unable to continue this worship daily or for more days, this practice does not have to be done every day – even doing this once a month can bring forth immeasurable reward.
As women, it is not always possible for us to go to the Masjid for congregation. Sometimes, the women’s section is closed, and other times, it is dark outside, and there are safety concerns. Women are also exempted by Allah (swt) from praying during their monthly cycle. A solid way for us to earn this same reward is to encourage the men in our family to follow this Hadith, which will make it a Sadqah-e-Jariah for us.
- Praying in congregation
The Prophet (sa) said: “Whoever walks to one of the obligatory prayers to pray in the congregation, then that is the reward of Hajj.” (Abu Dawud)
Again, this is not a very demanding act of worship. Subhan Allah, it seems too small a task to warrant such a big reward, but that is the beauty of Allah’s (swt) Rahmah. Once again, we must try and pass on this information to those who can perform Salah in the Masjid, so it becomes a Sadqah-e-Jariah for us.
- Going to Masjid to learn or teach
Knowledge is highly emphasized in our religion. Allah (swt) commands us to be in a constant state of learning, while also encouraging others to seek the divine knowledge to recognize and draw closer to Allah (swt).
The Prophet (sa) said: “Whoever goes out to the Masjid while only wanting to learn or teach something good, that person has the reward of Hajj: complete, complete, complete.” (Tabarani
The reason why the Prophet (sa) keeps reassuring by saying: “complete, complete, complete”, is to remind us that although these deeds are small and easy to perform, they earn us the reward of an entire Hajj.
- Honoring parents
The Prophet (sa) said, with respect to honoring parents, obeying them, and doing right by them: “If you do that, you are a person amongst those who have done Hajj and Umrah, and you are a Mujahid for the sake of Allah.” (Tabarani)
Giving gifts to parents, running errands for them, taking care of them when they are sick, and ensuring their emotional needs are met by spending time with them, are all deeds that can In sha” Allah earn the reward of Hajj.
Thus, we find small, practical, and simple ways to earn huge rewards – more in magnitude than we can even fathom. Allah (swt) Al Wadood (The Most Loving) wants us to earn Jannah, so He made the road to Jannah easy. It is up to us to avail this opportunity and take the higher road, bi izn Allah.
About author
