سورة الحج

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): This verse was revealed concerning the Quraysh, at the time when they barred the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) from [entering] Mecca.

Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Imam Ali (peace be upon him) disliked the renting out of the houses of Mecca, and he would recite this verse: سَواءً الْعاکِفُ فیهِ وَ الْبادِ [equally for the dweller therein and the visitor].

Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him): [In the letter of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) to Qutham ibn al-Abbas, who was his governor over Mecca, it comes thus:] Command the people of Mecca not to take rent from any pilgrim during the days of Hajj, for Allah the Glorified has said: سَواءً الْعاکِفُ فِیهِ وَ الْبادِ [equally for the dweller therein and the visitor]; "al-akif" means the people of Mecca, and "al-badi" means the pilgrims who come from other cities for Hajj. May Allah grant us and you success in what He loves. Wassalam.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mu'awiya was the first person who installed two door-panels on his house in Makkah, and thus prevented the pilgrims from benefiting from the right which Allah [had ordained for them and] said: سَواءً الْعاکِفُ فیهِ وَ الْبادِ [equally for the dweller therein and the visitor]. Before that, the custom was such that whenever the pilgrims came to Makkah, the traveller would become the guest in the house of one of the residents of Makkah until he completed [the rites of] his Hajj.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): سَواءً الْعاکِفُ فیهِ وَ الْبادِ [equally for the dweller therein and the visitor]; [that is,] the people of Makkah and the travellers who come to Makkah from other cities are all equal in it, and they are not prevented from residing [in it] or from entering the Sacred Mosque.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ubaydullah ibn Ali al-Halabi said: "I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about this saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic [where He said]: سَواءً الْعاکِفُ فیهِ وَ الْبادِ [equally for the dweller therein and the visitor]." The Imam said: "It was not proper that doors be placed on the houses of Makkah, because the pilgrims have the right to enter the courtyards of the houses of the residents of Makkah until they complete the rites of their Hajj; and the first person who placed doors on the houses of Makkah was Mu'awiya."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Husayn ibn Abi al-Ala said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) recited the verse: سَواءً الْعاکِفُ فیهِ وَ الْبادِ [equally for the dweller therein and the visitor], and said: "No house in Makkah had a door, and the first person who installed two door-panels for his house was Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan; and it is not proper for anyone to deprive the pilgrims of the houses of Makkah and its dwellings."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) forbade the people of Makkah from renting out their houses and from placing doors upon them, and said: سَواءً الْعاکِفُ فیهِ وَ الْبادِ [equally for the dweller therein and the visitor]. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) [continued and] said: "Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali (peace be upon him) acted upon this order, until in the time of Mu'awiya this incident (renting out the houses and placing doors on them) occurred."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): Renting out and selling the houses of Mecca is forbidden.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zurarah narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) that he said: "Whoever stays in Mecca for two years is considered one of the people of Mecca and cannot perform Hajj and Umrah of tamattu'." I said to the Imam (peace be upon him): "What if such a person has family in Iraq and also family in Mecca — what is the ruling?" The Imam said: "He must see in which place he resides more, and he is counted among the people of that place."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): One who has taken up residence in Mecca may, up to two years, complete the Umrah of tamattu' and perform the Hajj of tamattu'; but if he stays in Mecca for more than two years, he is counted among its people and can no longer perform the Hajj and Umrah of tamattu'.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Halabi says: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Can the people of Mecca perform the Hajj and Umrah of tamattu'?" He said: "No, they cannot do so." I said: "What about those who intend to reside permanently in Mecca?" He said: "If they stay there for one or two years, their duty is like the duty of the people of Mecca (that is, they must perform Hajj and Umrah mufradah); but if they stay in Mecca for one month, they may perform the Hajj and Umrah of tamattu'." I said: "From where do they enter ihram?" He said: "From outside [the boundary of] the Haram." I said: "From where should they pronounce the talbiyah for [the beginning of] the Hajj?" He said: "From Mecca, in the same manner as others do."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Hariz says: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "For those who have taken up [temporary] residence in Mecca, is performing [recommended] tawaf more meritorious, or offering [recommended] prayer?" He said: "For those who have taken up [temporary] residence in Mecca, performing [recommended] tawaf is more meritorious; and for the people of Mecca and those who intend permanent residence there, offering [recommended] prayer is more meritorious than performing tawaf."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): One who stays in Mecca for one year, performing tawaf [as a recommended act] has greater merit for him; and if he stays for two years, he should sometimes perform tawaf [recommended] and sometimes prayer [recommended]; and if he stays for three years, prayer [recommended] has greater merit for him.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): The verse وَ مَنْ یُرِدْ فِیهِ بِإِلْحادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذابٍ أَلِیمٍ [And whoever intends therein a deviation by wrongdoing, We shall make him taste of a painful chastisement] was revealed concerning those who deviate regarding Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and wrong him.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): From Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) it is narrated regarding this saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic [where He said:] وَمَنْ یُرِدْ فِیهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ [And whoever intends therein a deviation]; he said: "Whoever worships in the land of Mecca other than Allah the Mighty and Majestic, or accepts the wilayah of anyone other than the friends of Allah — such a person, by deviating from truth, has turned to wrongdoing, and it is incumbent upon Allah to make him taste of a painful chastisement."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): From Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) it is narrated regarding this saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic [where He said:] وَمَنْ یُرِدْ فِیهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِیمٍ [And whoever intends therein a deviation by wrongdoing, We shall make him taste of a painful chastisement]; he said: "This verse was revealed concerning those who entered the Ka'bah and made a covenant and pact with one another upon their disbelief and denial of what had been revealed concerning Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him). So they, in the House of Allah, on account of the wrong they did to the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) and his successor, fell into ilhad and deviation; so far be the wrongdoing people [from the mercy of Allah] (Al-Mu'minun/41)."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mu'awiya ibn Ammar said: "I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about this saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic [where He said:] وَمَنْ یُرِدْ فِیهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ [And whoever intends therein a deviation by wrongdoing]." He said: "Every wrongdoing is ilhad (deviation); and striking a servant without any fault having come from him is among that ilhad."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Hakim said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "What is the lowest degree of ilhad (deviation)?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Self-aggrandisement is the lowest degree of ilhad."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu al-Sabbah al-Kinani said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about this saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, [where He said:] وَمَنْ یُرِدْ فِیهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِیمٍ [And whoever intends therein deviation by wrongdoing, We shall make him taste of a painful chastisement]. The Imam said: "Every wrong that a person commits against himself in Mecca — whether it be theft, or wronging another, or any other wrong — I regard it as ilhad (deviation); and for this reason the Muslims used to avoid residing in Mecca."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Look where you are! You are in the sanctuary of Allah and at the threshold of the lands of Allah, which is the House of worship; so prepare yourself for worship, for prayer, fasting, charity and good deeds are multiplied [there], and sin and disobedience [likewise] carry a more severe and multiplied punishment compared to other places. Anyone who [there] intends to commit a sin but does not carry it out, on the basis of the verse وَ مَنْ یُرِدْ فِیهِ بِإِلْحادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذابٍ أَلِیمٍ [And whoever intends therein deviation by wrongdoing, We shall make him taste of a painful chastisement], a sin will be recorded against him, whereas in other lands this is not the case.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ مَنْ یُرِدْ فِیهِ بِإِلْحادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذابٍ أَلِیمٍ [And whoever intends therein deviation by wrongdoing, We shall make him taste of a painful chastisement]; "ilhad" (deviation) is precisely the deeming of forbidden things to be lawful and the committing of sins.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muawiya ibn Ammar said: [One day] Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was present in the Sacred Mosque; it was said before his blessed presence: "A bird of prey has perched on the roof of the Ka'ba, and it strikes down every pigeon of the sanctuary that passes by it [what is the ruling]?" The Imam said: "Set a snare for it and kill it, for it has violated the sanctity of the sanctuary of Allah."