Trading or earning during the Hajj

Verse 198: لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ : There is no sin on you that you seek the bounty of your Lord (by trading) ' was revealed in a particular background of the Jahiliyyah when the people of Arabia had distorted all rules of worship and social dealings by injecting in them all sorts of absurd customs rendering acts of devotion into amusement. They would not even spare the sacred rites of Hajj when they added to them ridiculous doings out of their wild imagination. In the great gathering at Mina, they would set up special bazaars, hold exhibitions, and put up trade promotion devices. But after the appearance of Islam when Muslims were obligated with Hajj, all these absurd customs were eliminated. The noble Companions ؓ ، who would stake anything to seek the pleasure of Allah and to follow the teachings of His Messenger ﷺ ، started suspecting the validity of even the acts of trading or working for wages during Hajj days. They thought that earning in this manner is an outgrowth of the age of ignorance, may be Islam shall forbid it absolutely, so much so, that a certain person came to the blessed Companion ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar ؓ and asked: 'We are in the business of renting our camels. We have been doing it since long. People hire our camels to go for their Hajj. We go with them and perform our Hajj. Is it that our Hajj will not be valid?' Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar ؓ said: 'Some one came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and asked the same question you are asking me. The Holy Prophet ﷺ did not reply to his question at that particular time until the verse لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ was revealed. Then, he called for that person and said, 'Yes, your Hajj is valid.'

In short, this verse makes it clear that a person, who earns some profit by trading, or wages by working, incurs no sin. However, the practice of the disbelievers of Arabia whereby they had turned the Hajj into a trade fair was reformed through two simple words of the Qur'an to the effect that they can earn if they have to, but let them earn what they do as a favour and blessing of Allah Almighty, and be grateful for it, never making it a material exercise of minting money. The words فضْلًا مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ ,: 'the bounty of your Lord' point out to this factor. Then, the expression: لَّا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ preceding the words referred to above means that 'there is no sin on you' in this indulgence in earning which has a built-in hint that avoiding this indulgence too, if possible, is still better because it affects the ideal of perfect sincerity so desirable in the Hajj.

This whole issue, in fact, revolves round the original intention of a person. If his basic intention is to earn money through trading or employment but he has decided to perform the Hajj as an adjunct, or both the intentions are equally kept in mind, then, this is contrary to the ideal of sincerity and it will reduce the reward of Hajj and the blessings of Hajj would not fall to his lot as they normally would. And should it be that he leaves his home with the basic intention to perform his Hajj, but runs into unforeseen problems accidentally resulting in a shortage of Hajj expenses or needs of subsistence, he then, could go for a little earning through trading or employment to offset his shortage of need-oriented funds. This is, in no way, contrary to the ideal of sincerity. However, for one who has to do so, it is much better that he leaves the five special days of Hajj rites free of any engagement in trading or employment. Instead, he should devote these days to nothing but ` ibadah عبادہ and dhikr ذِکر of Allah. This is the reason why some ` ulama' عُلما have ruled that trading or employments during these special days of Hajj are forbidden.

Staying in ` Arafat and Muzdalifah:

The next statement in the same verse (198) is:

لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَا أَفَضْتُم مِّنْ عَرَ‌فَاتٍ فَاذْكُرُ‌وا اللَّـهَ عِندَ الْمَشْعَرِ‌ الْحَرَ‌امِ ۖ وَاذْكُرُ‌وهُ كَمَا هَدَاكُمْ وَإِن كُنتُم مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الضَّالِّينَ ﴿198﴾

Later, when you flow down from ` Arafat, recite the name of Allah near al-Mash'ar al-Haram (the Sacred Monument) and recite His name as He has guided you, while before it, you were among the astray.

The verse tells us that, on the way back from ` Arafat, it is necessary (wajib) to stay overnight in Muzdalifah and to recite the name of Allah there, especially as taught.

Literally, ` Arafat is plural in number. This is the name of a particular plain. Its geographical boundaries are well-known. This plain is located outside the limits of Haram حرم . All hujjaj حَجَّاج (Hajj pilgrims) must reach and stay there between noon (zawal زوال) and sunset (ghurub غروب) hours. This is the most important obligation of Hajj for which, if missed out, there is no alternative in the form of kaffarah کَفَّارہ (expiation) or fidyah فدیہ (ransom).

Several causes have been cited for the name, ` Arafat. Out of these, the clearer explanation is that ` Arafat is a plain where man gets to know his Lord and, through his ` ibadah عبادہ and dhikr ذِکر ، learns how to get closer to Him, and in addition to that, Muslims from the East and the West meet and know each other by direct contact.

Emphasis has been laid in the text on the stay near al-Mash'ar al-Haram المشاعر الحرم on the way back from ` Arafat after having spent the day there and after having departed the plain soon after sunset. Al-Masha’ r Al-Haram الحرم المشاعر is the name of a mountain which is located in Muzdalifah. The word, 'al-mash` ar' المشاعر means 'sign' or 'symbol', and 'haram حرم ' being 'sacred', the name signifies that this mountain is a sacred monument to Islam. The plain adjacent is called Muzdalifah. It is necessary (wajib) to spend the night on this plain and offer the combined prayers of Maghrib and ` Isha' at one time in Muzdalifah. The Qur'anic expression: فَاذْكُرُ‌وا اللَّـهَ عِندَ الْمَشْعَرِ‌ الْحَرَ‌ام ; translated as 'recite the name of Allah near al-Mash'ar al-Haram' certainly includes all kinds of the remembrances of Allah, but here it particularly means the offering of two prayers at one time, that is, offering Maghrib with ` Isha'. This is the special act of ` ibadah peculiar to the plain of Muzdalifah. Perhaps, the sentence that follows: وَاذْكُرُ‌وهُ كَمَا هَدَاكُمْ (recite his name as He has guided you) is indicative of this aspect. It is said that one should remember Allah and recite His name in the manner He has taught without adulterating it with personal opinions because personal deduction would have demanded that the Salah Maghrib be offered at the time set for it and the Salah of ` Isha' at its own time. But, on that day, Allah Almighty favours that the Salah of Maghrib be delayed and offered along with ` Isha'. From the Qur'anic statement cited above, recite His name as He has guided you', we see the emergence of yet another basic ruling that man is not independent in worshipping and remembering Allah, that is, he cannot worship Him as he wishes and he cannot remember Him as he chooses. Instead, every ` ibadah and dhikr of Allah demands the observance of special rules of etiquette. These have to be performed as stipulated; doing it otherwise is not permissible. Then, Allah Almighty does not like any substraction or addition, nor any change in its prescribed time or place, even though the change may lead to an increase in the act of worship. It is observed that people tend to add some features in voluntary prayers and acts of charity from their side without having any reason approved by the Shari'ah, and going a step farther, they take it upon themselves as something necessary while Allah and His blessed Messenger did not declare it as necessary, and last but not the least, such people have the audacity to regard those who do not do all that as in error. This verse exposes their false position by saying that such additional forms of worship reflect the practice of Jahiliyyah when the disbelievers had used their personal opinions and choices to concoct forms of worship and had limited the serious act to few customs.