1. Importance of Hajj

 قَالَ عَلِيٌّ (ع): أَللٌّهُ أَللٌّهُ فِي بَيْتِ رَبِّكُمْ لاَ تَخْلُوهُ مَا بَقِيتُمْ فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ تُرِكَ لَمْ تُنَاظَرُوا.

 
Imam ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) has said, “By Allah, by Allah, keep the House of your Lord in mind.  Do not disregard it as long as you remain (alive) because surely if it is ignored, then He shall not look towards you (with His Mercy).”   Biharul Anwar, Volume 96, Page 16

2. The Hajj and Focusing on Allah

عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرِ البَاقِرِ (ع) فِي قَوْلِ اللٌّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تـــَعَالـى:

فَــفِرُّوا إِلـى اللٌّه إِنِّي لَكُمْ مِنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ ‏ قَالَ: حَجُّوا إِلـى اللٌّهِ.

 
It has been narrated from Abi Ja’far [Imam Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali] al-Baqir (peace be upon him) that in regards to the words of Allah, the Glorious and High:
 

فَــفِرُّوا إِلـى اللٌّه إِنِّي لَكُمْ مِنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ ‏

“So then hasten towards Allah, surely I (Muhammad) am a plain warner to you from Him.”(Suratul Dhariyat (51), Verse 50)
 
The Imam said, “Struggle towards Allah (perform the Hajj).”  Ma’aniul Akhbar, Page 222

3. The Talbiyyah and the Sacrifice

 عَنْ عَلِيٍّ (ع) قَالَ: نَزَلَ جِبْرَئِيلُ عَلى النَّبِيِّ (ص) فَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ مُرْ أَصْحَابَكَ بِالْعَجِّ وَ الثَّلْجِ، فَالْعَجُّ رَفَعُ الأَصْوَاتِ بِالتَّلْبِيَّةِ وَ الثَّلْجُ نَحْرُ الْبَدَنِ.

 
It has been narrated from ‘Ali [Ibn Abi Talib] (peace be upon him) that he said, “Jibra’il descended to the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) and said to him, ‘O’ Muhammad!  Command your companions al-’Ajj and al-Thalj.  The ‘Ajj is to raise your voice in pronouncing the Talbiyyah (Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk) out loud, while the Thalj is to slaughter an animal (on the day of ‘Eid).”  Ma’aniul Akhbar, Page 224

4. The Major Hajj (Hajj al-Akbar) and the Minor Hajj (Hajj al-Asghar)

عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارِ قَالَ: سَئَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللٌّهِ (ع) عَنْ يَوْمِ الْحَجِّ الأَكْبَرِ فَقَالَ: هُوَ يَوْمُ الْنَحْرِ وَ الأَصْغَرُ الْعُمْرَةُ.

 
It has been narrated by Mu’awiyah Ibn ‘Ammar that he said, “I asked Aba ‘Abdillah [Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) in regards to the day of the major Hajj (Hajj al-Akbar) and he said, ‘This is the day of the sacrifice (‘Eidul Qurban), while the minor Hajj (Hajj al-Asghar) is the ‘Umrah.” Ma’aniul Akhbar, Page 295

5. The Benefits of the Hajj

َنِ الرِّضَا (ع) قَالَ: مَا رَأََيْتُ ‏َشَيْئاً أَسْرَعَ غِنًّى وَ لاَ أَنْفى لِلْفَقْرِ مِنْ إِدْمَانُ الْحَجِّ. 

It has been narrated from al-Ridha [Imam ‘Ali Ibn Musa] (peace be upon him) that he said, “I have not seen a single thing which makes a person free from want (financially secure) quicker, nor which is more effective in removing poverty, than continuously performing the Hajj (year after year).”  Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, Page 318
 

6. Dying While on the Way to Hajj

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللٌّهِ (ع) قَالَ: مَنْ مَاتَ فِي طَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ ذَاهِباً أَوْ جَائِياً أَمِنَ مِنَ الْفَزَغِ الأَكْبَرِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

 
It has been narrated form Abi ‘Abdillah [Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) that he said, “A person who dies while proceeding towards Makkah or while returning back (from Makkah) will be protected from the great distress of the Day of Resurrection.”  Maladhul Akhyar, Volume 7, Page 223

7. The Sanctity of the Guests of Allah

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللٌّهِ (ع) قَالَ: أَلْحَاجُّ وَ الْمُعْتَمِرُ وَفْدُ اللٌّهِ إِنْ سَأَلُوهُ أَعْطَاهُمْ وَ إِنْ دَعُوهُ أَجَابَهُمْ وَ إِنْ شَفَعُوا شَفَعَهُمْ وَ إِنْ سَكَتُوا إِبْتَدَاهُمْ وَ يُعَوَّضُونَ بِالدِّرْهَمِ أَلْفَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ.

 
It has been narrated from Abi ‘Abdillah [Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) that he said, “Those who perform the Hajj and the ‘Umrah are the guests of Allah.  If they ask Him for something, He will grant it to them; if they call upon Him then He will answer them; if they intercede (for others), their intercession will be accepted; if they remain quiet, then He will begin to speak to them; for every dirham which they spend (in their trip to the Hajj), they will receive one million dirhams in return.” Maladhul Akhyar, Volume 7, Page 223

8. Preparing for the Ihram

عَنْ حِمَادِ بْنِ عِيسى قَالَ: سَئَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللٌّهِ (ع) عَنِ الْتَّهَيُّؤْ لِلإِحْرَامِ فَقَالَ: تَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ وَ أَخْذُ الشَّارِبِ وَ حَلْقُ الْعَانَةِ.

 
It has been narrated from Himad Ibn ‘Isa that he said, “I asked Aba ‘Abdillah [Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) on how to prepare for the (wearing of the) Ihram?  The Imam replied, ‘(One should prepare for wearing the Ihram) by cutting the nails, trimming the moustache and shaving the pubic hair.”  Maladhul Akhyar, Volume 7, Page 307

9. Looking at the Ka’bah

عَنِ الْبَاقِرِ (ع): مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلـى الْكَعْبَةَ لَمْ يَزَلْ يُكْتَبْ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ وَ يُمْحى عَنْهُ سَيِئَّةٌ حَتَّى يَصْرِفُ بَصَرَهُ عَنْهَا.

 
It has been narrated from al-Baqir [Imam Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali] (peace be upon him) that: “As long as a person is looking at the Ka’bah, good deeds will be written (in his record) and one’s evil deeds will be erased until one turns away one’s glance (from the Ka’bah).”  Biharul Anwar, Volume 96, Page 65

10. Intention for the Hajj

 عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللٌّهِ(ع) قَالَ: أَلْحَجُّ‏ حَجَّانِ، حَجٌّ لِلٌّهِ وَ حَجٌّ لِلنَّاسِ. فَمَنْ حَجَّ لِلٌّهِ كَانَ ثَوَابُهُ عَلى اللٌّهِ وَ الْجَنَّةُ وَ مَنْ حَجَّ لِلنَّاسِ كَانَ ثَوَابُهُ عَلى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

 
It has been narrated from Abi ‘Abdillah [Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) that, “Hajj is of two types: Hajj for the sake of Allah and Hajj for the sake of people.  A person who performs Hajj for Allah, surely his reward will be with Allah - Paradise; and a person who performs Hajj for people, surely his reward will be with people (to give him) on the Day of Resurrection.”  Biharul Anwar, Volume 96, Page 24