The Ability to Perform al-Hajj

مَا السَّبِيلُ قَالَ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ مَا يَحُجُّ بِهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَنْ‌ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ مَا يَحُجُّ بِهِ فَاسْتَحْيَا مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَ هُوَ مِمَّنْ يَسْتَطِيعُ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا قَالَ نَعَمْ مَا شَأْنُهُ أَنْ يَسْتَحْيِيَ وَ لَوْ يَحُجُّ عَلَى حِمَارٍ أَجْدَعَ أَبْتَرَ[1] فَإِنْ كَانَ يُطِيقُ أَنْ يَمْشِيَ بَعْضاً وَ يَرْكَبَ بَعْضاً فَلْيَحُجَّ.

“This is about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘It is obligatory upon people from Allah to perform al-Hajj who has the way (are able) to do so.’ (3:97) Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘What is ‘the way’?’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘It means that he must have the means to perform al-Hajj.’ I then asked, ‘I

سَأَلَ حَفْصٌ الْكُنَاسِيُّ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ أَنَا عِنْدَهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ لِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا مَا يَعْنِي بِذَلِكَ قَالَ مَنْ كَانَ صَحِيحاً فِي بَدَنِهِ مُخَلًّى سَرْبُهُ‌[2] لَهُ زَادٌ وَ رَاحِلَةٌ فَهُوَ مِمَّنْ يَسْتَطِيعُ الْحَجَّ أَوْ قَالَ مِمَّنْ كَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ حَفْصٌ الْكُنَاسِيُّ فَإِذَا كَانَ صَحِيحاً فِي ب

“Hafs al-Kunasiy once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘It is obligatory upon people from Allah to perform al-Hajj who have the way (are able) to do so.’ (3:96) He (the Imam) said, ‘It means that one is physically safe, has supplies and transportation,

سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- مَنِ اسْتَطاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا فَقَالَ مَا يَقُولُ النَّاسُ قَالَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ الزَّادُ وَ الرَّاحِلَةُ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَدْ سُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ هَذَا فَقَالَ هَلَكَ النَّاسُ إِذاً لَئِنْ كَانَ مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ زَادٌ وَ رَاحِلَةٌ قَدْرَ مَا يَقُوتُ عِيَالَهُ وَ يَسْتَغْنِي بِهِ عَنِ النَّاسِ يَنْطَلِقُ إِلَيْهِ فَيَسْلُبُ

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘It is obligatory upon people from Allah to perform al-Hajj who have the way (are able) to do so.’ (3:96) He (the Imam) asked, ‘What do people say about it?’ It was said, to him (the Imam), ‘They say it is supplies and transpor

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنِّي شَيَّعْتُ أَصْحَابِي إِلَى الْقَادِسِيَّةِ فَقَالُوا لِي انْطَلِقْ مَعَنَا وَ نُقِيمُ عَلَيْكَ ثَلَاثاً فَرَجَعْتُ وَ لَيْسَ عِنْدِي نَفَقَةٌ فَيَسَّرَ اللَّهُ وَ لَحِقْتُهُمْ قَالَ إِنَّهُ مَنْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْوَفْدِ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ لَا يَحُجَّ وَ إِنْ كَانَ فَقِيراً وَ مَنْ لَمْ يُكْتَبْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ يَحُجَّ وَ إِنْ كَانَ غَنِيّاً صَحِيحاً

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that I escorted my people to al-Qadisiyah and they said to me, ‘Come with us, we shall wait for three days for you. I returned and I did not have anything for my expenses but Allah made it possible and I joined them. He (the Imam) said, ‘Whoever’ s name is written in the delegatio

سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقَدَرِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ لِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا أَ لَيْسَ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُمُ الِاسْتِطَاعَةَ فَقَالَ وَيْحَكَ إِنَّمَا يَعْنِي بِالاسْتِطَاعَةِ الزَّادَ وَ الرَّاحِلَةَ لَيْسَ اسْتِطَاعَةَ الْبَدَنِ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ أَ فَلَيْسَ إِذَا كَانَ الزَّادُ وَ الرَّاحِلَةُ

“Once a man who believed in absolute freedom of will ideology, asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘O child of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, I have a question. Tell me about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, “It is obligat