How many people long to reach the House of Allah, yet see hardship on the road, fatigue in travel and difficulty in preparing!
Among the reports biographers transmitted about Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) is that he performed Hajj five times, three of them on foot.
His son Abdullah reported this from him.
Imagine the hardship of travel in that era, when roads and means of transport were nothing like what we know today.
Even so, seeking knowledge and worship drove many scholars to bear the hardships of travel.
We have no need to invent words that Imam Ahmad said about his happiness or not feeling tired; the report that he performed Hajj on foot is enough to show something of his resolve.
A moment to reflect
The point is not to seek hardship for its own sake, or to think that Hajj on foot is better in every situation.
Rather, the meaning is that sincere love for good deeds helps a person overcome obstacles, and that ability and safety are things the Shariah takes into account.
Best of all is for a Muslim to combine good preparation, care for their health, and a sincere turning to Allah.
What do we know, and what do we not know?
- We know: Imam Ahmad’s son reported that his father performed Hajj five times, three of them on foot, as stated in the biographical works.
- We do not claim: the saying attributed to him about not feeling the hardships of the road, nor that he walked every journey from Baghdad to Makkah, since this has not been verified from the reliable text.
Sources
- Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-Kamal, entry on Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
- Ibn Asakir, Tarikh Dimashq, on the reports of Imam Ahmad and his Hajj.
What obstacle keeps you today from a good deed you could begin, even with one small step?