Every year, millions of Muslims leave behind their homes, their routines, and their identities to answer a call that began with Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and was sealed by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW). They don the same simple white cloth. They walk the same ground, and they say the same words, “Labbayk allahumma labbayk, here I am, O Allah, here I am.” However, some believe that the barakah of Hajj stops when the pilgrimage ends. That is a mistake. In many ways, it begins when you return home.
If Allah (SWT) accepts your Hajj, you return as a different person. You feel lighter. Your heart feels more alive in prayer. You become more conscious of your words, your gaze, and your time. The sweetness of dhikr lingers on your tongue. The dunya loses its grip on you. And the akhirah begins to feel closer. This transformation is real. Hajj works on the heart, deeply and permanently, because Allah (SWT) created it as a path to purification, and He (SWT) never leaves the sincere heart unchanged.
Many delay Hajj waiting for the stars to align. They want more money, they want more time, they want to be completely sure about their decision. But the moment when all of those boxes are checked rarely arrives. In reality, if you have a burning urge to make the pilgrimage of a lifetime, that is your sign! That quiet restlessness in your heart? That’s your soul recognizing the call. When Allah (SWT) invites you, He (SWT) makes the impossible easy. When you move toward Him, He (SWT) opens doors you didn’t even know existed.
One of the most profound teachings about Hajj is also one of the simplest. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Whoever performs Hajj for Allah (SWT)’s pleasure and does not commit any obscenity or transgression will return as pure as the day his mother gave birth to him.” (Sahih Muslim) If your Hajj is accepted, your entire record of sins is erased. Not just major sins. Not just the past year. Everything. You return to Allah (SWT) with a blank slate. Think about that for a moment, what would you give to stand on the Day of Judgment with no sins on your record? Hajj gives you that opportunity.
In another famous hadith by the Prophet (SAW), he (SAW) says, “An accepted Hajj has no reward but Paradise.” (Sahih Muslim) Imagine that. Jannah, which is the highest reward, is promised to the one whose Hajj is sincere and accepted. But what are the signs of Hajj mabroor? According to scholars, the accepted Hajj is one that is:
- Performed with pure intentions for Allah (SWT).
- Done without major sins during the journey.
- Followed by positive change in character afterward.
This means your actions after Hajj matter! The transformation Hajj brings must continue beyond Makkah. And if it does and Allah (SWT) accepts it, you’ve been given a pathway straight to Jannah.
One of the most striking things about Hajj is how closely it resembles the scenes we will witness on Yawm al Qiyamah.
- Men wear white, unstitched garments like the burial shroud.
- We stand in crowds on Arafah, pleading for forgiveness.
- We carry nothing of status such as titles, wealth, or power.
We are seen by Allah (SWT) fully, honestly, and stripped of all pretense. But, unlike the Day of Judgment, in Hajj, we have the chance to change our outcome. We beg for mercy now, before it’s too late. And the Prophet (SAW) said, “There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of Arafah.” (Sahih Muslim)
On that day, Allah (SWT) descends to the lowest heaven in a way befitting His majesty, and He (SWT) boasts to the angels about His servants gathered in humility. He (SWT) forgives, showers mercy, and writes names in the Book of the Saved. A big part about Hajj is preparing your heart for the akhirah. After Hajj, something changes in a person who went with sincerity. You start to:
- Pray more mindfully.
- Remember death more often.
- Prioritize the akhirah over this fleeting dunya.
In other words, Hajj reorients your entire life toward what actually matters and that’s exactly the mindset you’ll need when your soul leaves this world. Allah (SWT) says in Surah Al-Baqarah, “Whatever good you do, Allah fully knows of it.” (The Clear Quran®, 2:197) Every tear, every dua, every tawaf, every step in Mina, Allah (SWT) saw it. And on the Day of Judgment, those moments may be what tip your scale.
When the scales are weighed, and the book of deeds is opened, you’ll be thankful for every sincere moment you spent in ihram. You’ll remember standing on Arafah, hands trembling, heart open, begging your Lord. And maybe, just maybe, Allah (SWT) will say, “I have forgiven you. Your Hajj was accepted.”
May those of us who have completed Hajj find it accepted and may those of us still eagerly awaiting our invitation be called soon and find it, too, accepted. Ameen!
