The Reward for avoiding Sin

Allah says: `This is what We have commanded you to do in the rituals (of Hajj), and this is the great reward that the person who does that will gain.'

وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ حُرُمَـتِ اللَّهِ

لِّيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ (So that they witness benefits for them - 22:28) means that the arduous journey undertaken by people to perform pilgrimage is to their own advantage. The use of the word "benefits" as a common noun (without definite article) points to the universal benefits that may be derived from the pilgrimage. Apart from the spiritual rewards, many material profits may also be obtained. It is indeed remarkable that people who sedulously save pennies over long years in order to be able to defray the high expenses involved in performing the Hajj have never become insolvent, whereas many people are known to have become bankrupt as a result of expenses incurred on marriages or on the construction of palatial houses. It is a common knowledge that no one has become a pauper because of spending on Hajj or ` Umrah, rather it has been noticed, according to some narrations, that Allah Ta’ ala has bestowed such a blessing in this worship that many have gained materially after the ritual. As for the spiritual gains, they are many, one being related by Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ in a hadith in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ said that anyone who performed Hajj in order to gain Allah's favour and avoided sins and obscene acts will return as immaculate and innocent as a newborn baby. (Bukhari and Muslim) (Mazhari)

In addition to the spiritual and material benefits to be obtained from Hajj mentioned above, there is yet another advantage which may be gained when performing it, which is mentioned in the following sentence: وَيَذْكُرُ‌وا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَ‌زَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ (so that they may recite Allah's name, in specified days, over the provision He gave them from the cattle - 22:28). Here it is important to bear in mind that the main object of sacrificing the animals on this occasion is not their meat, but the mention of Allah's name which is recited while the animal is being slaughtered, which is the essence of the worship. The fact that eating the meat of these animals has been made halal (lawful) for them is an additional reward from Allah. أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ (specified days) refer to the 10th, 11th, and 12th days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah when animals may be sacrificed. The words عَلَىٰ مَا رَ‌زَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ (Over the provision He gave them from the cattle - 22:28) are of general application and include all kinds of sacrifices whether they are obligatory or optional.