Maximizing Hajj: Aiming for Perfection

Bismillah.

For some, Hajj is just a vacation. For others, it’s a life-changing event. Aiming for perfection during Hajj is one of the keys to making Hajj a life-changing event. Allah says, “And perform fully the Hajj and the Umrah for Allah” (2:197). Allah used the word atimmu (perform fully), which comes from tamma (to be complete). Allah didn’t just say “perform the Hajj”; Allah said, atimmul Hajja wal Umrah, perform the Hajj and Umrah fully and completely indicating the need to aim for perfection in the rituals of Hajj and Umrah.

The other important lesson from the aforementioned verse is that Hajj and Umrah is to be performed “for Allah”. This means that the intention of the pilgrim and the motivation behind the pilgrimage must be the desire to please Allah; it cannot be contaminated with the desire for praise or attention. Even the Prophet made the prayer before his Hajj, “Allahumma hajjatan la riya’aa feeha wa la sum’a“, which means “Oh Allah, enable me to perform Hajj with no riya’ (showing off to get attention) in it nor sum’a (showing off to get compliments) in it”.